Michelin-star chef shocks fans with plan to add semen-based dish to his menu

Of all the dishes you might expect to find at a Michelin-star restaurant, one with fish semen in it doesn’t spring to mind.

But Spanish chef David Muñoz, who has three Michelin stars, is planning to add such a concoction to the menu of his renowned DiverXO restaurant in Madrid.

Muñoz, 43, was so inspired by his experience tasting Shirako – a white paste made from fish semen – with Japanese chef Hiro Sato that he wants to bring the ‘indescribable’ taste to diners in Madrid.

‘Grilled Balloon Fish Shirako, indescribable,’ Muñoz wrote on Instagram after tasting the delicacy. ‘It blew my mind.’ 

But the Japanese dish might be a bit too outlandish for his customers with some saying just the thought of the fish semen-based dish was making them feel sick.

One social media user said Muñoz was ‘doing too much bro’ while another said: ‘Just thinking [about shirako] gives me a stomachache, and I eat everything.’

Shirako is revered in Japan for its creamy texture – similar to custard – and is mainly taken from pufferfish, monkfish and cod.

The semen is extracted from the fish in small sacs – usually white or light pink in colour before either being eaten raw or after its grilled or fried. It is usually served on top of rice. 

One social media user wrote in response to Muñoz’s plans to add shikaro to his menu, ‘This is animal abuse! How do they get it? Is it worth it?’

However, one user disagreed with the outrage and said: ‘I don’t understand, so much mental nonsense in the head when roe, female fish eggs, has been eaten for centuries.’

Muñoz is known for his daring approach to dishes as well as his creativity at his popular DiverXO restaurant.

He worked at Spanish restaurants in Spain as well as renowned Asian fusion eateries such as London’s Nobu and Hakkasan before opening his restaurant in 2017. 

Muñoz provides his customers with a 12-course tasting menu where he incorporates Asian and Spanish flavours to create new dishes.

When I first started cooking like this, people were very surprised with the food, they didn’t quite know what to make of it or what they were eating,’ Muñoz said two years after the restaurant opened.

‘But a few months after we opened in 2007, we became very busy, so I guess there are a lot of people out there who love diversity and enjoy different food and are willing to have fun with it.’