The Freshest Seafood on the Planet - It's Still MOVING!

Who here reading this is a fan of seafood? Anybody? Raise your upvotes if you like seafood! ;-)

Well, listen up. And by that, I mean read up. I'm going to let you all in on a secret. It has to do with the world's freshest seafood. Where can you find it? Oh, of course, in Japan, right? So famous for their delectable sushi and sashimi and the world's biggest fish market... WRONG!

No arguing, Japan does boast some of the world's best seafood, but let me ask a few questions. Does the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo sell live fish? No? If you buy a fish from a vendor will that same person cut it up for you to eat right away? Nopers. Can you sit down at a place and have a plate of sashimi brought to you where the fish was still alive just a few seconds ago? Well... maybe at one. The gimmicky Tokyo restaurant where you can catch your own fish with a pole.

If you want the freshest seafood you've ever had in your life, head nowhere else but to South Korea.

Jagalchi Seafood Market in Busan. Hundreds of tanks full of live seafood.

I don't know how many live seafood markets are in South Korea. The most famous ones are in Seoul and Busan, the largest cities. Many will tell you that the seafood in Busan is the best because they sell it right off the wharf where the fishing boats come in.

The coolest part of these markets is that right next to where they sell it, they have places set where you can eat it. As you can see in this photo.

Tables next to the fish tanks

You order what you want while it's still swimming, even choosing the specific fish if you like, the seller or their partner kills it and prepares it for you while you sit, they bring it out to you and you chow down. That's all there is to it. It helps to have someone with you who speaks the language. I am very fortunate to have made local friends there who wanted me to experience the best of the country.

Me and my bad hair day with my super sweet Korean friends.

I went to a couple different seafood markets around Busan. At one of them, we just ordered a couple fish to be chopped up into hoe (pronounced hwey), the Korean word for raw fish/sashimi, along with some steamed crab, conchs, fresh seaweed and veggies that all came with it.

Time to feast

At the other market, I wanted to try something a little less conventional. Sannakji: What us English-speaking folk would call live octopus. When they set this cut up octopus in front of you, the tentacles are still squirming. Talk about FRESH!

My moving food. Look, one is about to crawl off the plate.

The octopus is not actually alive. It just looks that way. Their complex nervous system cause reflex actions in the tentacles even after death. Because of this, the suction cups are still active so you have to be cautious while swallowing so that it doesn't attach anywhere that will block your airways. Does that count as your food fighting back?

Sannakji is normally prepared with sesame oil and sesame seeds. This vendor tossed on some fresh onions too for good measure. From the first bite, I have to say, the taste was pretty great. There is only a slight fishy flavor from the octopus. Most of the flavor is from the sesame oil. It is most definitely chewy and a completely new experience to have a squirming tentacle in your mouth that occasionally attaches to your tongue via tiny suction cups.

That was the main thing I wanted to try and I'm glad I did. My friends thought I should try more weird stuff so they ordered some things that they call Sea Pineapple and Penis Fish (both named by how they look, imagine that). I know, one of those sounds much better than the other, but believe me, they both taste equally terrible.

Sea Pineapple and Penis Fish. When they aren't chopped up, they look exactly like their names

The former tastes something like strong iodine or something, the latter tastes like pure salt. Maybe they added salt to it, i don't know, but all I could taste was salt.

So even though not every super fresh product is pleasant to eat, South Korea still wears the crown for world's freshest seafood.

Eat your heart out, Japan. Whatever that means.

Which of these would you try?