Fried, boiled or raw: how to consume whale meat

It is one of the most controversial dishes on the dinner table and can be served in a myriad of ways.

As Japan announces it will resume commercial whaling to the condemnation of many countries and environmental groups, it is likely the market for whale meat domestically will be very small.

A minke whale, slaughtered by Japanese whalers, is unloaded in Kushiro on the island of Hokkaido.Credit:Kyodo News via AP

Whale meat makes up about 0.1 per cent of all meat consumed in the country, according to Japan's Asahi newspaper.

But there is a small dedicated following in the food blogosphere arguing over the best way to cook it.

Some argue raw is best, others breaded and fried like a pork cutlet, while, for some intrepid foodies, it is all about the condiments it is served with.

"In restaurants in Japan, it is often served as sashimi but it can also be boiled or fried when served," University of Tokyo, agronomy professor Kazuhiko Kobayahi said.

The meat is increasingly seen as a unique "cultural delicacy" that does not appeal to many Japanese as its consumption peaked after the World War II due to the scarcity of other food sources.

"It will never appear on a dining table at home for the majority of Japanese again," Mr Kobayahi said.

"I sometimes ate whale meat during my childhood from the late 1950s to 1960s, when animal foods products were scarce and expensive."

For Australians such as Lachlan, from Sydney, who tried the animal in Iceland while on holiday, it was a curiosity he is not in a hurry to try it again.

"It tasted like a normal beef steak, very rich, and the meat was quite red but it had sort of a small fishy smell," he said.

"I probably won't try it again, it is not that special of a meat and it is not worth all the trouble."

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