what is chum from spongebob

Chum is the signature ingredient in all of Planktons menu items. In real life, chum is bait used by fishermen, made out of chopped fish. However, in the world of SpongeBob SquarePants, chum is a type of food that is generally considered to be disgusting and unappetizing. Despite this, there are instances of certain characters eating chum and being perfectly fine afterward. For example, Squidward, who is an octopus, cooks a gourmet dish titled Chum Fricassee in the Season 8 episode of the same name where he quits the Krusty Krab to go work for the Chum Bucket. Chum contains salmon, which octopi have been known to eat in the wild, so it makes sense for Squidward to be okay with eating chum. Another chum-eating Bikini Bottom resident is Patrick, who is a sea star and, like octopi, primarily a carnivore. They are scavengers by nature who can survive on both animal and plant life, which explains how Patrick has been seen eating at both the Krusty Krab and the Chum Bucket without getting sick from either.