New, improved fugu: now with less death
I had a friend mention this to me. He really wanted to try Fugu, but didn’t want to die. My suggestion was to wait until he was 70 or something, and was less afraid of dying. Now there’s this new Fugu, but with less neurotoxin. Lame. I mean the whole point of Fugu was that it was like BASE jumping, except with food. Now it’s like jumping on a trampoline, but with food.
New, improved fugu: now with less risk of death! – Slashfood
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.