Challenging Raw Liver in Seoul, Korea韓国で生レバーの挑戦

I liked to think of myself as extremely open-minded to food after arriving in Japan, but then raw liver happened. I think most Americans would be instantaneously turned off hearing that. Me? Raw egg, natto, horumon - yum!! So what's a bit of raw liver?

Except for the fact that it's currently illegal to serve in Japan. Unfortunately people started getting fatally sick, and so now it's officially banned.

Not in Korea!

Taiki had raw liver in Japan a while back, so when we visited Seoul in 2013, he wanted to give it a another shot. Finally two days before we were leaving Korea, we decided to go to a place we found online for breakfast. Oh yes, raw liver for breakfast. So, we get to the place and it's dead (of course) with pictures of the raw options on the walls.

What to choose. 

Why oh why didn't I go for the squid?

Not surprisingly, Taiki went for his plate of raw beef liver which came with a side of raw tripe.

Looking at it brings back up more than just memories.

 I played it fairly safe with yukke bibimbap (rice mixed with veggies and some raw ground beef). At least mine was more than just meat, right?

But as always, Taiki and I share. So he had some of mine and I had about three to four bites of his.

One bite of the liver: similar to a tendon - somewhat crunchy in an ever so slightly tough, soft way. The texture was so displeasing, I can't even remember the taste clearly. I think I had both eyes shut while chewing too.

After that was the tripe and again the flavor was muted by the incredible texture. The tripe was a lot worse in my opinion.

But maybe it was all in my brain. So I tried them both one more time, and still no. Wouldn't do it ever again, either. Does anyone really actually enjoy raw liver...?


P.S. More about our trip to Seoul here by Taiki if you read Japanese!