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Sannakji | Traditional Octopus Dish From South Korea, East Asia | TasteAtlas
Sannakji | Traditional Octopus Dish From South Korea, East Asia | TasteAtlas
Sannakji | Traditional Octopus Dish From South Korea, East Asia | TasteAtlas
Sannakji | Traditional Octopus Dish From South Korea, East Asia | TasteAtlas

Sannakji

(산낙지)

Salty, sticky, and chewy, sannakji is a South Korean dish consisting of raw baby octopus that is chopped and traditionally served drizzled with sesame oil. Interestingly, as the dish is served instantly after chopping, some of the pieces are still in motion, twitching on the plate.


The dish can be commonly found at Korean street food stalls, and it is recommended to pair it with ssamjang and green tea. A popular Korean movie with a cult following called Oldboy (2003, dir. Park Chan-wook) depicted the dish in one of its most disturbing scenes.


Just make sure to chew sannakji while eating, as there have been a few cases in which the octopus grasped onto the diner's esophagus, choking them to death in the process.