Yin Yang fish


Yin Yang fish is a dish which consists of an oil-fried whole fish whose head remains alive even after its body has been cooked. During preparation, the fish is scaled and gutted before its body is dipped into frying oil that its head is protected from. The fish is then covered in sauce and served on a plate, with its mouth continuing to gasp and eyes continuing to move, especially when irritated by the sauce.
The dish was invented by a restaurant owner in Chiayi, Taiwan. One video shows a diner jabbing at a fish's eyes and mouth with their chopsticks in order to prompt the fish, whose mouth and gills opened as it tried to breathe, to move. The dish has received much criticism and was condemned by one Chiayi city official, with the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals calling a video showcasing it "disgusting".
The dish relies on a phenomenon where the heads of certain types of fish, including catfish and carp, continue moving even after being separated from their bodies, since they only need minimal oxygen and nutrients to stay alive within the short time in which their brains remain functional after decapitation.