Word on the street is locals in Korea eat live octopus! Both yes and no. 'Yes' to we eat octopus, and 'No' most commonly they are not alive when served. Let's start by clarifying a few things.
First off, the dish is a highly popular local dish called San-Nak-Ji(산낙지) which ironically is a name with the meaning of 'living octopus,' but don't be fooled by the moving tentacles. The dish is, like a sashimi, diced up raw octopus served with julienned pear, raw egg yolk, and some sesame oil on top. The octopus is a smaller species that grows to the size of your hand.
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Source, Size of San-Nak-Ji as big as your hand.

Second, the movements the diced up tentacles have on your platter is due to the fact that octopuses have a lot more neurons in their nerves in their tentacles that even after death, the muscles reflexes are powerful and wild.

Third, San-Nak-Ji is said to bring stamina and energy when weak, and so is a dish highly enjoyed throughout the year by people looking to replenish their strength.

The platter

In Korea, one of the most famous places to enjoy this delicacy is in Gwangjang market, where Seoulites visit for local food. Although most of the store owners have little to none in differentiation from each other, they still thrive from the sheer amount of people visiting daily.
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Source

One of the most popular dishes in the market is the raw octopus. Here they serve raw octopus diced along with beef sashimi creating the ultimate food for those needing strength and energy.
The soft tender beef mixed with the chewy octopus along with slices of sweet pear and the scent of sesame conjoining it all together in your mouth brings mixed feelings.

The octopus' tentacles stick to your tongue, your gums but as you keep chewing flavors of the sea ooze out from the octopus making a bit of excitement in your mouth.
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When visiting the Gwangjang market, slowly browse through the stalls as diverse dishes are available in small portions too. Such as the famous Bindaettok, which are pancakes made from mung beans. In Korea, it is a custom to eat these fried pancakes and rice wine during rainy days. Reason being that the sound of frying the pancakes are similar to the sound of raindrops.
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This store sells only Bindaettok and makes an impressive one too.
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The details

Address : Gwangjang Market
88 Changgyeonggung-ro, Jongno 4(sa)-ga, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea

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📷All photos without source mentioned are shot from my Samsung Galaxy S8

Restaurant Information


Gwangjang Market
score

88 Changgyeonggung-ro, Jongno 1(il).2(i).3(sam).4(sa), Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
You won't know until you try (Live octopus)
This post participated in the Tasteem contest Local Dishes


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