Delicious But Deadly, Here’s Why Japanese Still Eat Fugu

A dish made from Fugu fish is one of the most popular extreme dishes in Japan. However, some parts of Fugu contain 30 poisons that can kill humans. Until now, there is no antidote for the poisons.

Also, the price is very expensive but why do the Japanese eat Fugu?

Has Its Own Value

For the Japanese, this poisonous Fugu fish has a high value and the delicious taste of the fish fillet makes it an exotic dish.

Chef Undertakes 10 Years of Fugu Fish Preparation Art Training

The Japanese dare to eat Fugu fish because the chef must undergo the training of preparing Fugu fish for seven to ten years.

Each fish must be one hundred percent free of toxins and most parts can be eaten except the gills, head, teeth, and cheeks. The skin surface of the Fugu fish must be scraped using special tools.

Strict License Control

Chefs need to take an extensive exam before they’re legally allowed to serve the fish. This rigorous regulation means that while the fish can be lethal, far more people die from eating oysters than fugu each year.

Japanese Culture

A famous Japanese poet Yosa No Buson, wrote a haiku (poem) about fugu fish:

I can’t see him tonight

I have to let him go

So I will eat fugu

The inhabitants of Japan have eaten fugu for centuries. Fugu bones have been found in several shell middens, calledkaizuka, from the Jōmon period that dates back more than 2,300 years.

Sources: KCPinternational.com,