Now That's Tasty!: Fish don't cry

Not much time for words, so simply gaze at the glory of an animal that was living but moments ago, that now rests on my plate.

If you've been previously uninformed as to my unrelenting lust, constant cravings, and deeply rooted adoration of raw fish; let it be known, if I could make sashimi my bitch and take it to bed every night, I would! Barring the coastal regions, in which I do not inhabit, all good natured sushi fiends who think they know anything about anything find themselves quibbling constantly with their counterparts as to who's got the freshest fish in town. We've all got our favourites, however, in the end, if you're living in land-lock your sea-fare is never as fresh as it could be.

Korea (Seoul or otherwise), on the other hand, does an exemplary job at ignoring the idea of freeze packing or fast-shipping their fish from the sea to the supermarket. With gargantuan fish markets located all over the country and countless restaurants displaying full tanks of still-breathing-swimming-living fish, mollusks, crustaceans, and holothurians (sea cucumbers, sea urchin, ect.), if you want fresh fish, there's no doubt when you know you've found it.

Having indulged in many of the aforementioned species out here in Korea, for a twisted-minded sushi addict like me, there's nothing quite like watching the slice of a knife through a fishes head, followed by a speedy, yet, supremely precise: clean - gut - fillet - skin - sashimi maneuver. Turning live animal into delicate and delicious slices of sashimi within minutes is an experience I'd always dreamed about, but never realized, until my first trip to the Noryangjin Wholesale Fisheries Market in Seoul in late May; feasting on a whole flounder for a mere W20,000 (under $20), that comfortably fed three, along with some sannakji (live octopus). I recently returned to Busan, Korea's second largest city, on the southern coast of Korea, and had the pleasure of dining on out-the-tank red snapper (W30,000/1.5kg whole fish) at the famed Jagalchi Fish Market.

I'd go into lengthy descriptions of the untainted freshness, the exquisite texture and the altogether alluring appearance, but, if you're one of those "good natured sushi fiends who think they know anything about anything" about raw fish; you know this is as good as it gets!