Japan officially ceased commercial whaling in 1987 after a ban by the International Whaling Commision. Regardless, the Japanese have repeatedly insisted that killing hundreds of whales a year is necessary for science – they have to cut them open and look at the rings like a damn sequoia, or something. I’m sure it has nothing to do with the fact that Japanese people and their oh-so-sensitive palates just want to eat whale.

Oh whoops, nevermind, they’re selling it in the local supermarket. It says it’s a “recommended product”. Recommended by whom? Who would suggest that anyone eat this? Open it up and…

Whoa. It looks like very dark beef, but there’s a… fishy aroma?. I ate some raw (the fish guy said it was okay!) and it was tough, chewy and, um, fishy. I cooked it up and tried to make it slightly presentable.

And it’s still tough, chewy and kind of fishy. It’s not bad at first, not really, but after two or three pieces my stomach started to weep and my tastebuds were receding into my tongue. It’s not good. “Forgettable” is the wrong word, because I’ll definitely remember that I don’t want to have to eat this anymore. I’d do cobra again in a heartbeat, maybe even porcupine, but this was an unpleasant experience.

Give it up, Japan. Whale sucks.

I’m happy though, because I made it a point to eat the two strangest things Japan has to offer: fugu and whale. Fugu is easy to find in classy dining establishments, but whale is a different story. Japanese people deny that it’s common, and restaurants that serve it are few and far between.

#246: eat a whale [X]