Fugu Highly Poisonous Delicacy

Fugu (jap. 河豚) is a pufferfish whose body parts are partially highly poisonous. Maybe that's why it's so popular in Japan? Fugu is said to taste very delicious, though! I've eaten fugu in sushi before, but I couldn't taste it very strongly. It's said to be particularly tasty in soups.

Fugu season is from October to February. However, fugu is only particularly good between January and February. Its meat is very dense and has more protein and less fat than that of other white fish. In the past, wild-caught fugu was mostly consumed. But there are now many fugu farms. Specially bred farm-raised fugu is becoming increasingly popular. This is because it is both cheaper and less dangerous than wild fugu. The pufferfish's poison develops to a greater or lesser extent depending on its diet.

Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fugu

What is dangerous about fugu?

The skin and internal organs of the pufferfish are poisonous. Most of the poison is in the ovaries and liver. The liver of fish is usually eaten in Japan. But the skin and organs of the fugu contain a neurotoxin that would immediately lead to death if consumed, as it paralyzes the nerves and muscles - and therefore also the heart. There is no antidote! By the way, the testicles of the male fugu are non-toxic and are therefore considered a delicacy!

Because so many people died from improperly prepared fugu in the past, the government now monitors the trade and preparation of fugu. Restaurants or chefs who want to cook and offer fugu must have a special license, which can only be obtained through a course. This even concludes with a test. Only with this official license can you buy and prepare raw fugu. There are also strict regulations on how the innards of fugu must be disposed of. Thanks to these laws, the death rate from fugu poisoning in Japan has been reduced to almost zero.

Fugu dishes

Fugu can be eaten raw as sashimi, for example. The fish is sliced very thinly, so that it is almost transparent. Five to ten fugu sashimis are then taken with chopsticks, dipped in soy sauce and eaten. You can also fry fugu. This is called karaage (we also have a chicken karaage recipe on the blog). You can also eat fugu as a soup (nabe) - the meat is said to be very tender!