Sannakji

01 / ABOUT THE DISH

About the dish

Salty, sticky, and chewy, sannakji is a 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.