

The license for its preparation is only given to chefs that pass this test, after written and practical examinations.
FUGU FISH DISH HOW TO
Chefs need to train for nearly three years before they can take the test that checks whether they know how to deal with this pufferfish. It is believed that one year of careful pickling can reduce the toxins level by 90% and after three years, the product has permissible amounts, which are “only sold after having been checked for safety through a toxicity inspection, and other tests.”ĭue to the toxicity of fugu, the Government of Japan and many other countries have very strict laws around its preparation. Only licensed chefs in the Mikawa district of Hakusan City, the Ono and Kanaiwa districts of Kanazawa City, and Wajima City (Ishikawa Prefecture) are permitted to perform this three-year long process. In the region around Hakusan, Ishikawa, the highly toxic fugu ovaries are allowed to be served after a careful pickling process over three years, which is said to reduce the toxin levels. There is no known antidote to this poison. A small sliver cut by an untrained hand can lead to paralysis, with the victim remaining conscious as he loses movement and eventually the ability to breathe. The poison is said to be 200 times deadlier than cyanide.
FUGU FISH DISH SKIN
Thus, consumption of its liver, ovaries, eyes and skin is strictly prohibited. This poison is concentrated in some of its organs. It becomes poisonous by consuming other organisms infested with tetrodotoxin-laden bacteria, to which the fish develops insensitivity over time. The fish has been banned for consumption many times over the centuries and even now is highly regulated and carefully controlled. There are strict laws and stringent processes around the preparation of fugu dishes in restaurants. But like everything else, the Japanese take the handling of this fish very seriously. This inherent need could possibly explain the popularity of fugu in Japan, a pufferfish that is known to be more poisonous than cyanide.įamous and notorious in equal parts, fugu has been consumed in Japan and Korea for more than 2500 years, some tracing its consumption back 8000 years. It gives us an adrenaline rush that we unknowingly crave.
