Every culture has different traditions, different styles and of course different food. But are all these dishes ethical? Korean culture has some very interesting and bizarre culinary customs. But are they important to their culture or just outdated traditions that need to be updated? One such custom from Korea, is eating octopus alive or Sannakji as it is called in Korea. A small, live octopus is cut into smaller pieces just before being served, meaning the tentacles are still moving while being eaten. Therefore, the octopus isn’t alive per say but actually just the muscles reacting to the loss of command from the brain. Not surprisingly, the ethics of this dish is widely debated.

 

One main issue people raise is the intelligence of the octopus. Studies into their brain power shows that they are a lot more intelligent than first thought. They have been known to play which is a large indicator or intelligence. An experiment found that when left alone with a floating pill bottle, they would blow a jet of water at it, causing it to hit the side of the tank and come back to them. Octopuses also seem to have personalities, much like humans. A test looked at daily situations and the reactions of 33 octopuses. This test is similar to a test used on humans as if the octopuses react differently, it means they have different personalities. The test found that the octopuses reacted differently, meaning octopuses are intelligent and diverse enough to have personalities such as being shy or more emotional.

 

So is it ethical to eat them? Some argue that because of their intelligence that they shouldn’t be, but should intelligence really determine if an animal feels pain? Many argue that the dish is cemented in Korean culture and that more western countries believe it’s unethical because it is so different to our food. By us dictating what food is ethical and what isn’t, are we not more widely dictating their culture? South Korea did in fact ban restaurants from serving the dish when the held the Olympics to prevent bad publicity.

 

Another ethical issue with the dish is how it is killed as the octopus’s head is cut of just before being served. Many think this is inhumane as the head stays alive for a short time after, leading many people to believe it suffers in pain. Indeed, there has been investigations into whether octopuses feel pain. The study found that they are capable of experiencing pain, distress and long-term harm. In fact, in the United Kingdom, octopuses used for scientific experiments have to be killed in a humane way, by prescribed guidelines.

 

The debate of this dish still continues to this day, with both sides having their points. Do we stop this unethical dish? But then deny someone’s culture? And where do we draw the line? Let us know your thoughts on the issue.