We Can Treat You to This!

The raw squid I ate in Nagasaki was completely by accident—I’d ordered it because the picture on the menu looked like a delicious tender white fish. Not in fact the case. I gagged in the restaurant and Chris laughed. So I cautioned Justin when he chose the raw, tentacled squid from the sushi go-round to be his, “this was the grossest thing at the Japanese restaurant and I ate it,” dish. That being said…we may have egged him on a little. What is the correct way to eat such an item? Tentacles first? Head first? HA! That’s a trick question! Justin’s enthusiasm turned to glassy-eyed gagging and he bravely turned very red. Hannah turned pink just watching him. Chris and I gave him high-fives. For the record, Justin tried eating it tentacles first because we thought little after-trails of tentacles after swallowing the main part would be beyond gross. But in fact, Justin told us, the tentacles-first approach means they can start to slide down before the rest of the squid is chewed enough to be eaten without choking you. Beyond beyond gross!

The remaining squid remained untouched. Both Justin and I also ate raw, sliced octopus tentacle. Over lunch the other day we went around the table in rounds one-uping each other on the grossest things we’ve eaten. Hannie totally (and good-humouredly) lost with alligator as her (only) grossest. Fail! I was in the lead with squid, octopus tentacles and shellfish (all raw), plus ox fat and chicken feet, and Chris was in second with octopus and squid tentacles (also raw). Tonight we initiated Justin into the top tier of the Gross Eats Championship. Omedetou! Congratulations! Dinner’s on us!! You earned it!