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Kurobuta Pork is the most highly prized pork in Japan and comes from the ancient breed of pig known as Black Berkshire. The meat from the pure oriental strains of Black Berkshire, found in Japan, is regarded as the highest quality pork in the world.
Hypocenter Park
Restaurant Type Japanese cuisine Average Cost JPY 4,500
Japanese food maker Haisky Food Corporation has made an announcement to release a unique imitation food made of konnyaku, a jelly-like food made from the starch of konjac.
Image picture by yto via flickr
The imitation food is a liver sashimi called Man-nan Liver. Haisky Food has created the imitation liver in reaction to the recent outbreak of E. coli bacteria in raw meats, which had been served at Japanese barbeque restaurant in Toyama, Japan.
In Japan, there is a culture of eating raw meats and livers of beefs and horses. In fact, raw meat dishes are very popular at Japanese barbeque and Izakaya restaurants.
Since the lethal food poisoning from eating raw beef meats in April, an opinion of administration is leaning towards regulating consumption of raw parts of beef at restaurants. Prefectural government offices are also calling out to general public to refrain from consuming raw meats.
Unlike the real raw liver, Man-nan Liver is perfectly safe to be eaten raw because it is a plant food. Haisky Food have added liver-like color and flavor to the deodorized konnyku made by their original method. They claim that the texture and taste of their imitation liver resemble real beef liver sashimi.
Man-nan Liver will be available for commercial purposes in late August 2011. A package of 20 slices (400 grams) will be sold for 960 yen (about 12 USD).
Haisky Foods has also developed imitation caviar and tuna using the same method. It is already available for sale to restaurants.
The image of Man-nan Liver can be found on Haisky Food Press Release (PDF in Japanese)
The image of other imitation foods are found here.
Haisky Food Corporation (Japanese)
Phone: 087-898-1125
Fax: 087-898-6027
Emal: hishitani(at)haisky.co.jp
Japan is a country of exotic cuisine, much of it consumed raw—up to now. Raw beef liver, human flesh, and foie gras—have all been served to Nippon’s gourmands in the last three months, but as of July 1, one of these three is no longer on the menu, and it's not the canapés for cannibals.
While the Ministry has issued a firm rules against human consumption of raw beef liver, there is no such prohibition in Japan against the consumption of human flesh. Although, after an artist charged customers ¥20,000 ($250) for a plate 
However, while Japanese people still may be able to savor human flesh, raw beef liver is definitely off the menu when dining out. But they can take solace in knowing they're still better off than the people of California, 
