Fugu, or pufferfish, is a Japanese delicacy whose intrigue has to do as much with its potential hazards as with its actual taste. Fugu liver contains a potent neurotoxin with no known antidote, so licensed fugu chefs must undergo years of rigorous training to seperate the toxic bits from the rest of the flesh. Consuming the liver is completely forbidden. Still, several people die every year from eating improprly prepared fugu - victims remain conscious while becoming completely paralyzed.
Now, Japanese fish farmers have bred a non-poisonous fugu and are trying to get the right to serve its liver, which is said to be even tastier than foie gras. But they're meeting resistance from government officials, who claim it may not be safe, and angering traditional fugu aficionados who say without a risk of death, eating fugu is just no fun. Which frankly, seems like a dumb argument to me. My father and brother ate at a renowned fugu restaurant on a recent trip to Japan, and reported that, while delicious, it was nothing extraordinary. As in, nothing worth dying over. So why not allow toxin-free fugu and get your kicks skydiving, or disarming land mines, or wrangling crocodiles?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-05-2008 @ 1:58PM
SpenceMasta said...
not such a dumb argument since eating fugu is all about getting poisoned, but just barely so you feel the poison numb your body and not die
anyone find it hilariously ironic that the government is stating the altered fish is not SAFE, considering the legit legal version is POISON itself
why would the experts be resisting this anyways, its not like non-alcoholic beer or nicotine free cigarettes are outselling their deadly counter-parts
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5-05-2008 @ 3:32PM
Mike said...
If your whole profession was based on years of training to remove the toxic bits, you might be hosed if the new, not-toxic, fugu can now be prepared by any cook with a good filet knife.
Even with non-toxic livers, going through the motions still keeps them employed. If the livers are deemed OK to eat, it's hard to justify their jobs.
Besides the lip-numbing "almost poisoned" experience, the death-defying aspect of fugu has to be part of it's appeal. If it were really gone, there might be less call for it. Certainly the markup would be much less since you don't have to employ a fugu wizard to prepare it.
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5-06-2008 @ 12:56PM
MJ said...
This has always seems stupid to me! With all the seafood out there to eat..........To eat something that you know you could die from?? Didnt the guy on iron chief die that way??? The young guys uncle...
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