What is San-nakji? 82-year-old man in South Korea dies of heart attack after consuming 'live octopus' dish

A South Korean man passed away after he had a heart attack as he had consumed San-nakji, a live Octopus dish on Monday, October 23, 2023. The Korea Herald reported that the 82-year-old man choked on the live octopus that was served at a local eatery.

According to the Korea Herald, the 82-year-old South Korean man choked on the live octopus dish that was served at a local eatery in the city of Gwanzu. According to CNN, San-nakji is a local delicacy that has freshly severed octopus tentacles that are often still moving. It also translates to a dish that is salty, sticky, and chewy.

While speaking about the incident, the local fire department noted that the 82-year-old was already in cardiac arrest by the time first responders reached the scene. They conducted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) but the man was pronounced dead there and they were not able to save him.

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San-nakji has live, freshly severed octopus tentacles that are still moving

The Taste Atlas, a travel online guide for traditional food states that the South Korean dish has pieces of live raw baby octopus and is served with a topping of sesame oil. It also has pieces of very freshly severed octopus tentacles that are often still in motion.

CNN noted that the term "live octopus" can be considered misleading in this case as the octopus is served immediately after slicing. However, it is served so fresh that the nerve endings in tentacles are in motion.

San-nakji is easily found in local food stalls in South Korea. People who are eating it are advised to chew the tentacles as soon as they put them in their mouths. This is due to the multiple instances when the tentacles have gotten a hold of the person's esophagus leading to their death.

Some people also consume it by wrapping the tentacles in a chopstick and then dipping it in the sauce, and taking a whole bite. However, this is considered a really risky way to do it.

There has been a lot of advice about consuming this dish and experts call it one of the dishes that people should consume at their own risk. It is also worth noting that according to foodandwine.com, an estimated one to six people die each year by consuming this deadly dish.

As per the data by Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Headquarters, between 2007 and 2012, three people died after consuming live octopus. It is also worth noting that San-nakji has been named one of the deadliest food items in the world.