Fugu is a species of Japanese pufferfish. I felt I got more enjoyment and satisfaction from eating a rare and potentially dangerous dish, than from the taste itself. Am I missing something and why are restaurants serving fugu sets that cost a bomb? Fugu is one of Japan’s most notorious foods, a delicacy famous for containing a toxin 1,200 times more deadly than cyanide and which has no known antidote. Yet, in Japan, its delicious taste has made it so popular that for many fugu is a fish to die for! Though you do get a kind of tingling/numbing sensation from the bits of lingerin poison. But with fugu, perhaps, taste is not the point. It’s a cute fish, and its smooth skin looks very tasty. A fugu menu starts with a plate of very thin slices of raw fugu, sashimi of sublime translucent flesh. If you want to taste Fugu, there are some restaurants in American that serve the fish. I was pleasantly surprised, I really enjoyed the texture and not being a fan of overly fishy tastes it was just right for me. If Fugu is the correct species and is properly prepared and cleaned, it is heaven to taste; if not, it is hell -and possibly heaven ever after. The site may not work properly if you don't, If you do not update your browser, we suggest you visit, Press J to jump to the feed. So technically, free for me. Are You Willing to Risk Your Life for a Taste of Fugu Sashimi? You are correct, it is bland. I've also heard most of the fatal cases of consuming fugu were the times it was done unprofessionally. I don't know! My mouth felt mildly numb a few seconds after I ate it though. TIL they've developed ways of raising Fugu that keeps it from becoming poisonous... New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, Looks like you're using new Reddit on an old browser. The restaurant preparation of fugu is strictly controlled by law in Japan and several other countries, and only chefs who have qualified after three or more years of rigorous training are allowed to prepare the fish. Very good with a light crunchy crust, fresh lemon squeezed over the top and fresh wasabi. … However, it isn’t the only type of fugu worth trying because of the fact that each and every kind and serving of the fugu taste and feel a certain way. Now I'm dying to go back! Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, Looks like you're using new Reddit on an old browser. We dipped it in a sauce to give it more taste. Fugu (puffer fish) is a luxury food ingredient in Japan, and can only be prepared by specially licensed chefs because of the toxins stored within its body. Hey dude. We use cookies on our websites for a number of purposes, including analytics and performance, functionality and advertising. Acclaimed for its distinctive texture, fugu is delicious whether raw, boiled, or fried, and is sure to get you hooked once you try it. Learn some trivia about fugu before trying it at some of the recommended restaurants below. In the country's capital, fugu, also known as Japanese puffer fish, blowfish or globe fish, is a seasonal delicacy.Highly sought after in winter when fugu are at their plumpest, Tokyo's fugu restaurants proudly display the latest bulbous catch in highly-visible tanks, later to be served up as fugu sushi, sashimi or in hot pots. The reviews are all over the board. If you can find it now, the puffer fish was probably bred in captivity and non-toxic anyway, so there's no risk (also, no point?). The appearance of Fugu (Pufferfish, or Blowfish) is very interesting (there are more than 100 species, from about 2 cm to 1 meter!). 322. Pinterest. Overall, it's not a particularly flavor forward fishy type of fish. Blowfish (Fugu) isn't a delicacy to be taken lightly, given that the poison within the fish can cause paralysis. I have thought about trying it for a long time but I think I'm a bit more reserved. Majority of fatalities, fishermen who prepared their own catch. That being said, the dining experience overall, the chef, the gracious Japanese friends, all of us around one big table in a small dimly lit smoky hole in the wall off the beaten path, drinking beers, sharing laughs... it was a fantastic meal. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Fugu (“河豚”) means “River pig”. If you're in the states, this is rare. Posted by 8 years ago. Its texture will vary significantly depending on how it is cooked. I really want to try it, but from what I've heard, only a few places in the states are allowed to serve it. I'm pretty sure it is tasty, but can you please describe the taste? A sushi chef I befriended a number of years ago asked me to come in on a weeknight because he had something special for me. It was similar to a very loose risotto and the flavor was light and clean, not overly fishy. The delicacy, which comes from the flesh of the puffer fish, can be deadly if the chef preparing it doesn’t know how to remove the piscine parts that contain tetrodotoxin. Served raw as sashimi, it is chewy and resilient, a little like squid that’s been on the heat a few seconds too long. The site may not work properly if you don't, If you do not update your browser, we suggest you visit, Press J to jump to the feed. Sashimi and skin were somewhat bland, you eat it by rolling the thin pieces around a scallion and dipped into yuzu or soy sauce, or both. Cite this: C&EN 97, 4, 11. One should enjoy all the parts. The deadly fugu, a taste to die for! Abstract. The fugu meat had a very subtle taste and a very slight chewy consistency. The consistency is somewhat rubbery. One of my favorite parts of this meal was the expensive bottle of sake we consumed. This gives it a citrus/salty flavor. Good luck and don't die from curiosity. People who attempt to eat the organs are most at risk for poisoning. Original post removed but to answer a question, "why would you risk for such a small reward?" Finally, after a couple of beers to try and eradicate the fugu taste, the dessert came and never have I been so pleased for plain vanilla ice-cream. level 2. I mean, it's not even delicious. I'm pretty sure it is tasty, but can you please describe the taste? Rather than dissuade diners, the prospect of eating Fugu prepared by a convicted chef has only made Sawahara’s upscale restaurants more popular. Original Poster 2 years ago. (8 years in Japan) If you're in the states, this is rare. 7. share. I guess it if you are going to a restaurant for that purpose, it might be more exciting but I was pretty glad I got to try it when someone else was footing the bill. Nothing particularly stood out in flavor to set it wildly apart from other standard clean white fish. Actually, its taste is very elegant. The reviews are all over the board. The consistency is somewhat rubbery. Riskier parts are served at some places upon request. For this reason, the eating of fugu was banned from around 1570 to 1870. Just wondering if any of you guys have tried Fugu in the traditional Japanese way. As it was initially unknown how to properly prepare the fish, there were many fatalities from fugu consumption. We Blind Taste Tested a Single $5 Strawberry Against the Grocery Store Variety Share This Article Pin It Reddit WhatsApp Tumblr Print Talk Photo: courtesy Wikimedia Commons. Email. These days fugu … It's true that it's quite bland, and can be TERRIBLE if not fresh. Even without going to Shimonoseki or Oita, there are very … For the (probably) outrageous price you're gonna pay, you might as well eat something else. Now that my meal is over, I feel like I’ve finished the culinary equivalent of bungee jumping, or shooting class-V rapids in an inner tube. Marlin (Kajiki) would be a far better choice, as it is fatty and rich with a naturally salty taste. It's alright. Sushi joints usually only serve it during the winter because the levels of poison are at its lowest. Bonus points for it being on the chef/foodie bucketlist **Extra bonus pts if your list already had more stuff after that... Lots of odd parts and things considered unusual to most in the west are on the list. Fugu 1 point 2 points 3 points 3 days ago If it's not about survivability then it's about damage, and if it's about damage you're saying that your merc is frozen so often that the moderate increase in damage that you'd get from cham vs. not cham when your merc is frozen outweighs the small but literally always present damage bonus from using a different option. Fugu is not for the faint of heart. To enthusiasts, the paper-thin slices of fugu flesh, eaten raw, have … Altogether it was great, textuarally speaking, a tad chewy but nothing close to tendon or cartilage, and not off putting, more of a snap to the texture. I had some fugu sashimi last weekend. Advertisement. We had it 3 different ways, sashimi (pictured), the tails fried, and in a rice porridge (similar to a very loose risotto). Despite its deadly potential, fugu has been eaten in Japan for hundreds of years. Reddit; Email; Bethany Halford C&EN, 2019, 97 (4), p 11 January 28, 2019. Some call the flavor a more delicate version of chicken, or downright uneventful. For taste, it's quite plain and does not hold a candle to many other fishes that won't kill you. What does fugu taste like? Had you told me it was just a good quality white fish, I wouldn't have guessed fugu aside from the sashimi due to the texture. Continue this thread level 1. I hope to one day experience this. Fugu lovers, though, would say it has a distinctive taste, and, even more importantly, texture. I certainly didn't know we were having it that night and the owner of the restaurant showed up with a plate of it so there was no exciting build up. Its taste is subtle which is fairly unique for seafood, and is part of why the dish is sought after. Later we were served fried fugu (not pictured) and that was very delicous. TIL that "Fugu", the Japanese delicacy made from the blowfish, is 200 times more poisonous than cyanide, chefs require a license to cut and serve Fugu, and there have been 23 reported fatalities in Japan since 2000 from eating poorly cut Fugu. Fugu is actually an amazing window into the intimacy of some symbioses--the puffer contains these bacteria from the moment its egg is laid, to the point where they're practically genes, like mitochondria. How does fugu taste? I was surprised at how much meat there was to eat on these pieces. More. This is awesome. From our recent trip to Japan (March 2016) - Pauline and I tried the infamous "Fugu", ie: blowfish. Fugu can be lethally poisonous due to its tetrodotoxin, meaning it must be carefully prepared to remove toxic parts and to avoid contaminating the meat.. In Japan, food is thought to taste better that way, and that is the ideal frame of mind to adopt, when sitting down for a fugu dinner. Fugu, the blowfish or globefish, offers taste, health and adventure in every bite. The 3rd dish was a rice porridge made with fugu stock, egg, herbs, scallions.