Yin yang fish (Chinese: 陰陽魚, 糖醋活魚, 呼叫魚; also called dead-and-alive fish) is a Taiwanese dish where a live fish is fried whole. The dish originates from Chiayi, Taiwan.
Preparation Yin yang fish is prepared by wrapping the head of a scaled fish (usually carp) in ice cubes and then oil-frying it whole. The fish is then covered in sauce and served on a plate where its head continues to twitch even after its body has been cooked (likely due to remnant electrical impulses after death).
Controversy In 2007, a Taiwanese restaurant owner sparked outrage when he began serving the dish in his restaurant in Chiayi, Taiwan, with a city official and members of the public criticizing the cruelty of the dish. Following public outcry, the dish was subsequently removed from the menu and banned in Taiwan. A video of a dish in 2009 was condemned by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals calling a video showcasing it as "disgusting". A video posted on TikTok in March 2020 had been viewed three million times as of May 2021.
See also Cruelty to animals Eating live seafood Odorigui, general term for dishes of moving, live seafood Ikizukuri, the preparation of sashimi from living animals Dojō nabe, live preparation of pond loaches in a hot pot Odori ebi, shrimp eaten alive in Japanese cuisine Drunken shrimp, shrimp eaten alive in Chinese cuisine Chueo-tang, Korean pond loach soup Sannakji, Korean live octopus dish
References