Was this the poison I was experiencing? Would my nervous system begin powering down one vital function after another? Was I, in fact, eating my last meal? And then I felt a tingle, a “lightness.” The feeling was exhilarating but also unsettling. The drink tasted like a soup-salty and savory, with a heady sweetness from the sake. I brought the large cup to my lips and slowly sipped. It had an alien appearance: murky white liquid with a fin or two jutting up like icebergs. Each feathery piece was placed on an ornate platter so that the design underneath was still visible as if through a fog.įor starters, I was served a fugu sake drink made with hot sake and fugu fins. The slices were tissue thin, almost transparent with grayish-white flesh. This, I thought, was a good time for the chef not to cross-contaminate anything-especially your California roll. With that factoid in mind, I watched the chef unwrap his prized fugu hiki, a long, sharp, polished knife whose sole purpose is the preparing of fugu. The tetrodotoxin level of a torafugu when compared with a common fugu is dramatic: A single common blowfish contains enough poison to kill up to 30 adults, while the torafugu’s ovary alone has enough deadly neurotoxin to kill 20. The exact type of pufferfish I ingested is called torafugu, or tiger pufferfish, because of its tigerlike markings. What qualifies as a special occasion? Who knows? But my first time facing off with fugu was certainly not unspecial, by any means. By FDA rules and cooperative agreement with the Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare, only properly processed fugu by a licensed fugu chef may be imported for “special occasions.” My own experience with fugu was at the now-shuttered Hump sushi restaurant in Santa Monica-the place notorious for being stung by the feds and eventually shut down for serving illegal whale meat.Īt Hump my fugu sashimi, or sashi, meal was prepared by a highly trained sushi chef, though not a fugu-licensed one. Except at a fugu ryotei, there’s much more at stake than a burning mouth. In fact, there are fugu ryoteis (fugu restaurants) in Japan that display banners signifying the amount of tetrodotoxin served in their fish, sort of like the chili symbols at your favorite Thai hole-in-the-wall letting you know how piquant a particular plate is. Some adventurous diners and fugu aficionados purposefully ingest small amounts of the poison for the tingling sensation and the feeling of “lightness” that may result. And well, it all goes downhill from there. A tingling sensation typically starts in and around the mouth and tongue. If you’ve had bad fugu, you know within five minutes. Fugu is a Japanese delicacy most commonly served sashimi style. Tetrodotoxin is the neurotoxin found in fugu, or pufferfish. If a rapid onset of one of the following neurologic and gastrointestinal signs or symptoms occurs, the clinical description for tetrodotoxin poisoning has been met: 1) oral paresthesias (might progress to include the arms and legs), 2) cranial nerve dysfunction, 3) weakness (might progress to paralysis), or 4) nausea or vomiting.” In severe poisoning, dysrhythmia, hypotension, and even death might occur. “The consumption of toxic amounts of tetrodotoxin results primarily in neurologic and gastrointestinal signs and symptoms. You can also customize your vacation into a foodie tour to sample all the best flavors Japan has to offer.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s clinical description of tetrodotoxin is as follows: Heard of Fugu but never wanted to risk trying it? The staff at Japan Deluxe Tours can arrange an authentic fugu meal for your vacation with our affordable range of add-on's and day trips. Although it makes sense some travelers in Japan would be afraid to try fugu, properly sliced fugu is highly recommended for it's unique flavor. Fugu hot-pots are also a popular choice in the winter time. The technique of cutting fugu into these thin translucent slices is called usuzukuri, and takes years of dedication and practice from an expert sushi chef to cut. Fugu is most commonly enjoyed as sashimi, cut extremely thin to the point it appears clear or translucent. When preparing a fugu dish, whatever it may be, it is important the chef knows how to properly handle and cut the fish. Fugu contains Tetrodotoxin in its organs, a highly potent poison. Fugu, Japanese pufferfish, is well-known around the world for its risky poisonous nature, but is a common delicacy in Japan when prepared correctly.
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