ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Odori ebi

Odori ebi is a fancy Japanese dish that involves eating live shrimp!

So, what happens is that the shrimp is caught and then quickly put on ice to make it go to sleep. Then, when it's time to eat the dish, the chef will take the shrimp out of the ice, and they will wake up and start to move around again.

The chef will season the shrimp (which means they add some tasty flavors to it), and then the shrimp is served on a plate with its head and tail still on. When you see the shrimp on your plate, you might notice that it's still moving around! That's because it's still alive.

To eat it, you pick up the shrimp by its tail and put it in your mouth, being careful not to let it pinch your lips with its legs. The shrimp might still be moving around in your mouth, and it might even tickle a little bit! But eventually, you chew it up and swallow it.

Some people think that eating live shrimp is mean to the shrimp, but others think that it's a really special and unique experience. It's not something that everyone likes, but it's definitely something that some people enjoy trying at least once!
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