Blowfish meals are revered in Japan, and are very expensive. Cost may be even higher in the US since the fish is prepared in Japan and then sent by air to the US. They complain the fish has a bland taste. Others, especially in Japan consider it an extraordinary delicacy and celebrate its flavor and the inherent dangers of eating it. It should be noted that few cases of fugu poisoning occur when licensed chefs prepare the fish, though the rare case does occur.
Yet Japan clearly perceived the danger, especially when homeless people sought meals in the garbage cans of restaurants and died from accidental poisoning. This led to regulations regarding safe disposal of all unusable parts of the fish. Also, the Japanese do not allow their Emperor to eat any type of fugu, and there have been times in Japanese history when consumption of the fish in any form was forbidden, most notably during the Tokugawa Shogunate which lasted from the early 17th century through the mid 19th century.
The European Union bans the sale of any type of pufferfish. There are varied accounts of the number of deaths attributed to fugu poisoning each year. There are over species of puffer fish, and 22 different kinds are approved by the Japanese government for use in restaurants. But one is more prized, and more poisonous, than the others: torafugu, or tiger puffer fish. Wild torafugu is often found at high-end restaurants, where it's served as perfectly thinly sliced sashimi, deep-fried, and even used to make a hot sake called hirezake.
Yamadaya has been serving puffer fish for over years. Their fugu is caught in southern Japan and airlifted alive to their Tokyo restaurants. In Haedomari Market the fugu is auctioned off using a bag and hidden hand signals.
Each potential buyer puts their hand in the bag and makes their bid secretly, before a successful bidder is chosen. When selling such a dangerous food, safety is paramount. In , a supermarket accidentally sold five packets of the fish that hadn't had the poisonous liver removed, and the town used its missile-alert system to warn residents. The tetrodotoxin found in fugu is more toxic than cyanide, and each year about 20 people are poisoned from badly prepared fish. It takes a lot of skill and training to prepare the fish safely and know which parts are poisonous.
The poisonous parts can vary by species, and hybrid species are appearing now that are even harder to tell apart. This stat is pumped up by inexperienced fisherman or at home cooks trying to create fugu dishes.
So is it worth the risk? If you are the adventurous type and want to add a little chance to your dining experience — maybe it is. But there is also something else noteworthy — farmed fugu, called Takifugu.
No, they become toxic from the bacilli bacteria in seawater. According to lore, one gram of fugu poison is enough to kill up to people. The actual time it takes to kill varies from person to person and how much of the poison you consumed. Then maybe some numbness of the mouth and lips. This is where one can become confused. Because I have heard even safe fugu can cause a tingle in your lips. Continuing, you may also have symptoms such as weakness, nausea, diarrhea, sweating, cramps, and more.
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