Michelin-star chef shocks fans with plan to add semen-based dish to his menu
A Michelin-starred chef shocks fans with plans to add a sperm-based dish to his menu
- Spanish chef David Muñoz plans to add fish sperm to the menu restaurant
- Shikaro – a white paste made from fish sperm – is a popular delicacy in Japan
Of all the dishes you’d expect to find in a Michelin-starred restaurant, a fish sperm dish doesn’t come to mind.
But Spanish chef David Muñoz, who has three Michelin stars, plans to add just such a concoction to the menu at his renowned restaurant DiverXO in Madrid.
Muñoz, 43, was so inspired by his experience tasting Shirako – a white paste made from fish sperm – with Japanese chef Hiro Sato that he wants to bring the “indescribable” taste to guests in Madrid.
“Grilled Balloonfish Shirako, indescribable,” Muñoz wrote on Instagram after tasting the delicacy. “It surprised me.”
But the Japanese dish may be a little too bizarre for its patrons, and some say the mere thought of the fish sperm-based dish made them feel nauseous.
Of all the dishes you’d expect to find in a Michelin-starred restaurant, a fish sperm dish doesn’t come to mind. But Spanish chef David Muñoz (pictured), who has three Michelin stars, plans to add such a concoction to the menu at his famed DiverXO restaurant in Madrid.
Muñoz, 43, was so inspired by his experience tasting Shirako (pictured) – a white paste made from fish sperm – with Japanese chef Hiro Sato that he wants to bring the “indescribable” taste to diners in Madrid
One social media user said Muñoz was “doing too much,” while another said, “Just thinking [about shirako] It gives me a stomach ache and I eat everything.’
Shirako is revered in Japan for its creamy texture – similar to custard – and is mainly extracted from puffer fish, monkfish and cod.
The semen is extracted from the fish in small sacs – usually white or pale pink in color before being eaten raw or after being grilled or fried. It is usually served over rice.
A social media user wrote in response to Muñoz’s plans to add shikaro to his menu, “This is animal cruelty! How do they get it? Is it worth it?’
However, one user disagreed with the outcry, saying, “I don’t understand, so much mental nonsense in the head as roe, female fish eggs, has been eaten for ages.”
Muñoz is known for his bold approach to dishes and his creativity at his popular restaurant DiverXO.
Muñoz is known for his bold approach to dishes and his creativity at his popular restaurant DiverXO
He worked in Spanish restaurants in Spain and renowned Asian fusion restaurants such as Nobu and Hakkasan in London before opening his restaurant in 2017.
Muñoz offers his customers a 12-course tasting menu in which he incorporates Asian and Spanish flavors to create new dishes.
When I first started cooking this way, people were very surprised by the food, they weren’t sure what to think or what they were eating,” Muñoz said two years after the restaurant opened.
“But a few months after we opened in 2007, we got really busy, so I think there are a lot of people out there who like diversity and like different food and want to have fun with it.”