When it comes to food, there’s hardly anything I won’t eat. If it’s edible, I’ll give it a try. However, I draw the line at eating a so called “delicacy” that could kill me in one bite.
The fact that the fugu (puffer fish) is poisonous is nothing new. Neither is the fact that people have been known to eat them. With no known antidote, the tetrodotoxin coursing through the fugu isn’t something to mess with – it’s 1200 times stronger than cyanide at that.
Luckily this fish is controlled by law in Japan, requiring chefs to be certified in order to prepare it – training requires 2-3 years of apprenticeship – and serve it to the public.
Inhabitants of Japan have been eating this fish for centuries, so it’s unlikely to go anywhere any time soon since fugu bones have been found dating back 2,300 years.
