Priced at S$16 per 40g portion, the octopus eggs are usually served with soy sauce and will be available at Koji Sushi Bar’s outlet at Pickering Street until mid-May, according to online lifestyle magazine 8days.sg.
Describing the dish as a “new trend in seafood”, the restaurant also claimed that the eggs are highly nutritious as they are rich in protein, Omega 3 and vitamin B12.
Despite the purported benefits, however, many viewers did not take kindly to the idea of eating octopus eggs with several of them expressing shock and disgust over the contentious delicacy.
‘YOU DON’T HAVE TO EAT EVERYTHING’
Since it was posted on April 12, Koji Sushi Bar’s Instagram video has attracted over 930,000 views, 8,800 likes and 350 comments as of Thursday afternoon.
Instagram user “oanhsugar” boldly stated: “Alright this is it, this is the line for me” while others pointed out that “you don’t have to eat everything” and that there is “plenty of other food”.
A number of people claimed eating octopus eggs was “completely unnecessary” and “just feels wrong” considering the long brooding period that many mother octopuses go through.
User “terencegoh21” said: “Female octopus care for (their eggs) till death and this is what you do to them? Not everything needs to be new and unique to get customers.”
According to the National Geographic, the act of laying eggs often signifies the beginning of the end for many female octopuses. They are known to guard their unhatched young so devotedly that they cease eating and waste away, often succumbing to death by the time the eggs hatch.
However, some netizens called out the naysayers for being “hypocritical”, likening the eating of octopus eggs to consuming caviar or the eggs of chickens which most people are accepting of.
Despite the outcry, a small handful of adventurous eaters still expressed keenness to try the dish.
And they do not seem to be the only curious ones.
Quoting a Koji Sushi Bar spokesperson, 8days.sg reported that there was “an increase” in the number of people ordering the raw octopus eggs after the restaurant’s video gained traction on Instagram.
“They’re pleasantly surprised by the flavour and say it tastes like creamy egg yolk,” the spokesperson said.
Tako tamago boasts a rich history with origins tracing back centuries in Japan. These prized sacs, sourced from mature female octopuses, were traditionally harvested by fishermen from the undersides of rocks or nestled within coral reef crevices.
The eggs are often served in its raw form as sashimi, accompanied by a subtle dipping sauce that accentuates their natural essence. The eggs may also be used as toppings for sushi or as an ingredient in a variety of cooked dishes.
Although tako tamago is rarely found in Singapore, this is not the first time the dish is being offered here. Another Japanese restaurant named Torio also served the unique delicacy in March 2022.
TODAY has reached out to Koji Sushi Bar for comment.
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