> their flesh, unless processed through a lengthy and complicated ritual, is highly toxic
...and even once processed, is disgusting. For a few seconds it's just bland seafood. Then the ammonia punches you in the face from inside your sinuses.
...and even once processed, is disgusting. For a few seconds it's just bland seafood. Then the ammonia punches you in the face from inside your sinuses.
The ammonia does punch you in the face, but that can become an addictive sensation just as wasabi does.
We waited at a bus station with a restaurant serving the dish, and the scent stayed on our jackets for weeks.
I just read this on wikipedia:
> If the meat is eaten without pretreatment, the ingested TMAO is metabolized into trimethylamine, which can produce effects similar to extreme drunkenness
Might be crazy to think, but the thought crossed my mind if the meat was ever ingested, untreated, for recreational purposes.
I don't know how it's prepared now, but the traditional method is to dig a shallow pit, put the shark in there, and then cover it with rocks. The rocks press out the toxic stuff. Then the meat is hung up to dry in an open-air shack. Each step takes 2-3 months.
I imagine there's a more industrial process now but I don't know for sure.