1. Shirako 「白子」(Fish Sperm)

Shirako is the male genitalia of fish, a sack that contains its seminal fluid. A popular dish at most izakaya (Japanese pubs) and sushi bars. A few years back I had my own encounter with fish ejaculate that didn’t end too well.

2. Inago no Tsukudani 「いなごの佃煮」 (Grasshoppers)

“Inago no Tsukudani” is a traditional Japanese insect cuisine popular in the inland rural communities of Yamagata, Nagano and Gunma prefectures.

“Inago” is Japanese for “grasshopper” and when you stew your mouth-watering locust with “tsukudani”, a sweetened soy sauce simmered with mirin, you get the delectable bug banquet – “Inago no Tsukudani”.

3. Basashi 「馬刺し」(Raw Horse Meat)

Due to its deep pink color raw horse meat is called “sakura” or “sakuraniku”. “Sakura” means cherry blossom, “niku” means meat. However, when your equine is ponied up raw in thin sashimi slices it is called “basashi”. The prefectures of Kumamoto, Nagano and Ōita are famous for basashi, and it is common in the Tohoku region as well. Nice with some ranch dressing.

Straight from the horses mouth, there is also a dessert made from horse meat called basashi ice cream.

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Scientific evidence collected by Japan’s Whale Research Program can be consumed at Lucky Pierrot, a Japanese burger chain based in the port of Hakodate on Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaidō.

Hamburger Lucky Pierrot