fish that looks fresh but is actually spoiled
Describes fish that appears fresh on the outside but has begun to rot internally. Often used in food safety contexts.
Fish that is spoiled while looking fresh is often hard to spot by appearance.
Be careful not to buy fish that looks fresh but is actually spoiled at the market.
Compound of 生き (iki, 'living, fresh') and 腐れ (kusare, 'rotting, spoilage'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word literally suggests 'fresh-rotten'.