Fugu (puffer fish): Would you or wouldn't you?

I'm looking at the puffer picture accompanying this post and want to poke it with a fork and eat it- the damn thing looks tasty. But would I indulge in Fugu? No thank you, there are plenty of other very tasty fish in the sea that don't risk a painful death. Better safe than sorry in my case.

I probably would not. I can't say 100% that given the right time and place I never would, but it is not something I am seeking out.

I would be more likely to eat the non-poisonous variety mentioned in the article, for what it is worth.

As for people who do choose to eat it, well, that's their choice. There are many, many things that are more worth being upset over than other people eating a potentially dangerous fish. If that's what makes them happy, good for them.

I wonder how the numbers of people getting sick and/or dying from eating undercooked hamburgers compare to those eating fugu. I absolutely eat hamburgers rare, and you will not get me to stop, but it is not for the 'thrill'.

I had the pleasure of eating fugu five years ago at a 100+ year old, family-owned fugu restaurant in Tokyo (after a day of hiking on Fujisan, just to make it even more perfect). The meal included fugu soup, fugu face, fugu organs in a gelatin, the "chrysanthemum" presentation of fugu sashimi, and more. It all had a very delicate flavor, more delicate than hamachi or sake. There was no lip tingling that I could sense, and we all survived nicely. The multi-generational aspect of this restaurant was reassuring as I had heard that once your fugu fatally poisons a customer, you're no longer allowed to be in the fugu serving business. I'd eat it again, although it's so expensive, I think your money is better spent on Japan's many less notorious yet still "oishi" delicacies.

I am looking forward to trying fugu sashimi someday. Japan is pretty high on my list of travel destinations.

I think that it makes complete sense to eat something that you know how to cook properly. We all eat meat that we assume has been cleaned properly by a butcher. That same meat can be quite poisonous if the digestive tract is not removed properly.

I also think it is interesting that most Americans are afraid to eat something that is less likely to kill them than their drive home.

I ate fugu when I lived in Japan, and it was quite tasty. However, I didn't think it was a "to-die-for" level of deliciousness. I think it's worth trying once, so that you can impress your non-Japanese friends, but unless someone else is paying, I'm unlikely to eat fugu again.

I really like the fugu picture.
I have never tried fugu, and I don't know if I would. I'm not desperate to try it, but have never thought that I definitely wouldn't eat it, either.
My boyfriend just said from his napping-spot on the couch that he's had it, and that it was okay. He didn't think that it stood out as the most delicious fish he's had, and didn't feel his lips tingle or anything.
When reading a book called 'The Serpent and the Rainbow' (it was also a movie) years ago, I remember the author (Wade Davis) speculating that fugu poison may have been one element used in a poison that created real-life zombies in Haiti and the Caribbean.
Fugu is certainly an interesting food, at least for the mythological and cultural aspects! That said, I certainly hope that those recently poisoned by it get better...

I've been in Japan for a while now but I've never had the chance of trying fugu. I would probably try it if someone else bought it for me but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it myself. Even if I had the chance to try, I would probably just have a tiny bit, just to be able to say that I've tried fugu.

About other people, well it's their lives, so they can do whatever they want. Some people do bungee, other eat fugu. To each its own ;)

I at Fugu several times when I lived in rural Kyoto in 2003-2004. Delicious, light, and didn't seem at all dangerous. The only people we heard of dying at the time seemed to be unlicenced people who had tried to cook it themselves.

I would try fugu, not for any kind of thrill but out of sheer curiosity. I've gotten plenty of snide comments because I like eating raw fish (sushi) and here in Texas, they call that bait. If I'd listened to people trying to get me Not to eat it, I'd have been missing out. You're just as likely to get ill from the other kinds of sashimi and sushi the chef serves as you are from the fugu, in my opinion. Raw fish is, after all, raw. I don't know of any places that serve fugu in my part of Texas, but I haven't been looking either. I'm going to look now, though, just in case the opportunity presents itself for me to try it.

Maki, I hate all fish. I won't eat it. That being said, I went to a ryokan up in Nagano and most of the courses for dinner were fish. When fugu came along I figured "Why not?" It was deep fried, which is the most tolerable form of fish in my opinion and it was DELICIOUS. I loved it! I had heard that fugu gives a slight numbing sensation to the lips and mouth but I guess this had no poison. It tasted, well, like fried chicken. Not fishy at all. Light and juicy. Loved it!

I would. But cautiously and at a reputable fugu place.

I read "The Serpent and the Rainbow", a book by an ethnobotonist searching for the ingredients to the Caribbean zombi powder. Two main ingredients were blowfish poison, to simulate death, and datura, to force mindlessness. He had a section about blowfish consumption, specifically fugu, and since then I have really wanted to try it. Not for the intent of reaching a near death state, but because of the risk/thrill of it.

I have extremely bad luck so i know if i ever did try it something bad would happen. Im not ready to risk death for a good meal lol. Besides, the fish itself is too cute to eat. xD Id rather keep it as a pet haha.

When I was in Japan as an exchange student ten years ago, my host father's birthday celebration include fugu sashimi, fugu hotpot and champagne. I found it rather decadent and knew it would be a great story to take back with me to the States. I would indulge again so long as I had no reason to suspect the preparing establishment. In terms of food-related deaths, I think you're almost more likely to choke to death on mochi. Perhaps not, but still, the risk of death from fugu is extremely low when compared to one's risk in general.

I would probably not unless I went to Japan and to a reputable place. I love sashimi but am considering only eating sustainable fish. There are a couple of sushi restaurants in Seattle that offer this choice. :O)

We had Fugu at Sushi Yasuda (in NYC) in May but it was the domestic type, bred poison-free. It was nice but not note-worthy. The Chef told me it tastes different in Japan so I'll likely try it when I'm in Japan one day, but I'll be doing a lot of research first.

I had the chance to eat fugu several times during my time living in Japan. The first time was at a lovely restaurant in Osaka, and the other times were in Tokyo. I thoroughly enjoyed it every time. It's a mild, somewhat sweet fish, very nice as sashimi, and really good fried (but then, what isn't good fried?). I think that as long as the people who are preparing and serving it are licensed, then it's fine. If you look at the statistics of deaths from fugu, around 98% of the deaths from fugu were those where the fugu was prepared by people at home, uneducated in what they needed to know about preparing fugu. So while that does leave a small chance of going from poisoning at a restaurant, to me, it's not worse than the chances I take otherwise in life. I'm actually putting together a trip to take friends to a restaurant in NYC to partake of some fugu.

I had the chance to eat fugu several times during my time living in Japan. The first time was at a lovely restaurant in Osaka, and the other times were in Tokyo. I thoroughly enjoyed it every time. It's a mild, somewhat sweet fish, very nice as sashimi, and really good fried (but then, what isn't good fried?). I think that as long as the people who are preparing and serving it are licensed, then it's fine. If you look at the statistics of deaths from fugu, around 98% of the deaths from fugu were those where the fugu was prepared by people at home, uneducated in what they needed to know about preparing fugu. So while that does leave a small chance of going from poisoning at a restaurant, to me, it's not worse than the chances I take otherwise in life. I'm actually putting together a trip to take friends to a restaurant in NYC to partake of some fugu.

I have been to Japan on 2 separate occasions and was offered by my gracious Japanese friends a chance at eating Fugu, and I had refused both times. Fugu is so expensive, I certainly did not feel at all nice if we ate this dangerous dish and something happened- somehow the locals never felt it was dangerous, it probably was a Gaijin thingy.

I most certainly would not eat Fugu. There are so many fantastic food and simple delights at every corner in Japan that cost very little so why commit your life to something so expensive and possibly fatal.

Notwithstanding, being with the Japanese people and having studied your culture, I think everything Japanese is set in rigid rules and regulations. There is also so much protocol to follow for everything one undertakes- from traveling (Japanese guidebooks tell you specifically what to do, what to eat etc) to the trivial (there is a shocking number of guidelines available).

I think the act of eating Fugu equalizes everyone. While there is ranking outside but at the table, everyone is an equal, partaking an equal amount of risks and of their own choice.

Also, since everything has a rigid sort of outcome, the risks of eating Fugu provides a romantic notion of something different. While the outcome could be quite disastrous but I think from reading enough Japanese literature, that death is a romantic ideal too.

Fugu. Yes I have tried it but wouldn't go out of my way to have it again. My father occasionally prepares it and feeds it to the family. He eats it first before he served it up to the rest of the family. But he's catches the blowfish himself and has been fishing and preparing fish since he was able to walk. Taste fairly light and pleasant but there are tastier things in the world that don't have the chance to kill me instantly.

I don't think I would try this, I think it's too risky and I'm not really attracted to danger in general.

In my pre-Vegan days I have eaten fugu in Dotonbori, Osaka. Totally underwhelming. I had sashimi and tempura. Really not a big deal, I have eaten weirder stuff than fugu.

While I would be curious to taste fugu and have trust in the chefs to prepare it in a non-poisonous way, I recently saw a documentary about fugu on tv, that shocked me. Apparently they cut up the fish while it is still alive to have it served as fresh as possible! The fish is fileted in full consciousness, with the chefs taking care not to pierce any of the inner organs so it will stay alive as along as possible! I find that so incredible, nightmarishly cruel, I would never eat this fish at a restaurant, where this way of preparing fugu is practiced. (This reminded me of a 'recipe' from the middle ages I once read, that had instructions for roasting a duck in a way that it would be still alive while being eaten. Horrible and unnecessary!)
The fish would not be any less fresh if it had been killed right before cutting it up and serving, so I don't understand why it is done that way?

But I would certainly try fugu if I knew they had killed it BEFORE cutting it up.

first i was going to say no , but on second thoughts i probably would , it's the same thing with wild mushrooms which are one of my favorites

i think if a fugu dish was ordered at my table, and everyone was sampling some, i would try a little piece too. just out of curiosity. but i doubt i would do it more than once - i don't see any reason to tempt fate. and anyway i would probably be very anxious about it, enough so that i'd start imagining the onslaught of poisoning symptoms. and what kind of way is that to enjoy a meal? my boyfriend had it when he was in japan and said it was ok, but that it really wasn't delicious enough to be worth the risk.

You'd have to pay me to eat it- and even then I might turn you down. I like fish as much as the next person but really, no meal is worth chancing death over.

Just think about it this way- would you eat a cake if you knew there was poison around the edges? Sure, you could eat from the center and probably be fine but is that cake really worth it?

Someone seeking "adventure" might try other avenues.

I lived in Japan for 7 years and have been traveling there for over 20 years. During this time I have had the opportunity to eat Fugu many times and in many forms. During the time I lived in Japan I learned that most people who get sick or die from Fugu poisoning are people who Have gone fishing and caught the fish and attempted to clean it themselves. It is a relatively common fish, easy to catch and because it is such an expensive delicacy some people who catch one think it is worth the risk to prepare it themselves often with fatal results. I enjoy the delicate taste and beautiful presentation of Fugu sashimi. One of my favorite Fugu related things is called Fugu Zake which is the fin of the Fugu fish after having been deep fried is immersed in warm sake so that the sake becomes infused with the flavor of the fish. It is an unusual but very delicious way to drink sake and I highly recommend it to anyone if you ever have a chance to try it. Personally I would never pass up an opportunity to eat Fugu in a certified restaurant.

Ohhhh HELL NO!!!!

I would definitely try it at least once. Even citing the risk involved, I think it would be neat to say that one was not afraid and tried it anyway in an attempt to understand more about the food and culture of Japan. When I have Japanese food it tells me a lot about the people that created it and the area that it came from, and in a way I feel like I'm a little closer to the Japanese (as silly as that might sound).
Having something besides sushi and miso soup does worlds of good for people in helping form their opinions of things, and eating fugu would give a thrill on top of furthering their knowledge and respect.
I also like the idea of being able to tell my family and friends that I tried it and didn't die from it. I'm the one in my family notorious for trying new and crazy things, and I would love to add fugu to my list! It would be right up there with the grilled fishheads I had in Kyoto and the jellyfish salad I had in Tokyo. I loved those, and I'm sure I'd love the fugu!

Absolutely. On my death bed. Just to brag to the other angels that I tried it, and they're all sissies! ;P

Never. What's the point? There are so many things that you can eat, why choose something that can be bad for you?

I don't think that many other cultures in the world would start eating poisonous stuff, unless they have to.

Having lived in Japan; especially in the late 80's when lavish corporate spending was at its height, there were a lot of foods being highlighted in Japanese cuisine. Especially to "shock and awe" Western Businessmen-women. I believe that it is now also the season for Dojo as well? Watching the little guys scramble into a block of tofu in a hot pot, although very tasty, was not my idea of a good time. I'm getting less "comfortable" with live things flailing around on a grill, or Sashimi rituals for that matter. Fugu falls into that category for me. I DO understand the reverence for freshness, and the almost ritualistic delight that is taken in "How fresh can it get"? Japanese cuisine is my favorite because of this.
Maybe I did have fugu at a corporate Kaiseki dinner, but my point here is that it is also Matsutake Mushroom season. Here in LA, they're going for $60 a lb. If I were in Japan, at a Ryokan in Kyoto, I would be begging for dobin-mushi right about now.

I would be happy to try Fugu some day. The only reason why I have not yet is due to the price. It can be quite expensive, correct?

The fact that there is a small chance that you can become very ill or even die from eating it has no bearing on my desire to eat it whatsoever. Nowadays eating just about anything that you or a well trusted person has not grown and prepared yourself/themselves is risking severe illness or even death. Look at the number of food scares that we had last year in the United States for example. There was that whole spinach thing and the peanut butter thing. It is true that Fugu is different in that there is an inherent danger and not a manmade danger like the produce we get from factory farms, however I am quite confident that any reputable establishment will serve Fugu properly and the risk associated with it is no greater than the risk of eating just about any other food.

I think I would very much like to try fugu. Reading the blogs made me curious on what it taste like.

Last december we went to a restaurant in Osaka specializing in fugu dishes and I was quite thrilled about trying it for the first time.

We ordered one of their kaiseki meals and had fugu prepared in many different ways, including being fried, as sashimi and in a hotpot.

I must say that I wasn't very impressed by the taste though. It seemed overly rubbery when raw but a little bland otherwise.

It might be because we had been having the popular and definitely much more savoury crab kaiseki meals and expected that same richness in flavour. If I had to try it again I would, but at a more traditional restaurant to highlight the experience.

Thanks for including the great info on fugu :)

I had it quite a few times with co-workers when I was living in Japan. Nabe, sashimi, tempura, shirako, hire-zake, multi-course tora-fugu meals, etc. I even went to Shimonoseki to try it. I kept trying to experience this tingling sensation that everyone kept talking about. But nary a twinge. While the novelty factor is appealing, I'm not sure what all the fuss is about. For the same amount of money, there are so many other tastier delicacies in Japan to try.

I've had fugu once, back in my homeland, Singapore - it was served as part of a sushi a la carte buffet. The variety offered at that place was amazing - even awabi, although that day they had unfortunately ran out of stock - but my dining partner and I got a serving of fugu nigiri served to us as part of the standard flow of dishes. It was chewy, mild and delicately sweet - and I can say I've already tried it, heh. And we didn't know it was fugu until we asked the chef.

I would probably eat fugu only at a place that's been established for a fairly long time and has a good reputation - and then, not all that readily. Give me sashimi or shioyaki over fugu anytime, any day.

Speaking of fugu, I was at Amanohashidate recently, and saw bunches of them, all dried and sold as ornaments, supposedly to ward off evil.

I certainly would. Though I would definately go somewhere that I know has a good chef, because I want to be able to trust them not to poison their diners.
As far as the weird and wonderful world of Japanese cuisine goes, I admire them for their sense of taste. When I am cooking it feels like I'm being surrounded by this amazing culture and it's tastes. Some of the choices appear bizzare, yes, but they are also quite tasty and, I find, very healthy. This is what food is all about. As far as eating a poisonous fish goes, well, it's not that weird when you think about all the other foods we cut around, such as rubarb leaves.
I hope when I finally visit Japan I will be able to try fugu myself!

I personally wouldn't try it. No delicacy is worth dying over, and there is plenty of other tasty sushi to be had.

I am a bit ashamed to say that I, and I think many other Americans, think of Japan as having a pretty repressed society in a lot of ways. So, culturally-sanctioned daring feats like eating poisonous fugu seems like a way for very conservative businessmen, etc. to do something really really daring, especially if they're adding poison to the dish!

I wouldn't. Even if I love fish, there are (literally) other fish in the sea ! I don't think that any food is worth dying for.
I'm Brazilian, and in Brazil you can find a close cousin of the fugu, it's called "baiacu". I've caught some myself when I went fishing with my dad as a kid. But we always put it back into the sea, we never ate it. I do know that quite a lot of people in Brazil eat it, as it's an easy catch, and not only certified chefs cook it. It's said to be delicious and the people who eat it also mention the thrill of eating poisonous stuff. I'm quite curious and I've tasted a lot of things that may look/taste weird, but I'm not tempted at all by fugu nor baiacu!

As much bad luck as I've had with food poisoning, (three times), I wouldn't try it, because I have a feeling I'd be that unlucky person who really would get poisoned. I'm pretty adventurous in trying foods too. I love ox tail soup and squid.

I've spent a pretty lengthy period of time in Japan and I never tried fugu. However, before I went this was always something people talked about; will you eat blowfish? Of course I know of the dangers of eating this type of meat but, at the same time it seems to be one of those cultural experiences I'd want to have only once. After that, assuming I enjoyed the experience, I wouldn't want to test fate any further.

Great post!

It's like mountain climbing or some other extreme sport, you might die, but at least you had fun doing it. When I see that it's deadly and people eat it anyways, it makes me think of the history of samurai in Japan. Although I am not Japanese, and probably don't know 1/1000 of the information about Samurai as a Japanese person would, I do remember learning that the Samurai were very brave and had high morals. The chance of dying in eating fugu makes me think that the samurai culture might subtly still be alive Japan today, although I really wouldn't know. Please pardon my ignorance.

As for me, I don't think I could bring myself to try fugu. But when I think more about it, I think that maybe if I went to Japan, and that if it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I would. Just so I wouldn't feel like a wuss compared to everyone else. :]

Given how lax the American food regulation departments are at actually REGULATING the poisons, toxins, and fatal diseases in the foods that make it onto our tables, I feel that taking a once a year stab at death by fubu is far outshadowed by my former days shopping at major markets where the meats, canned veggies, or, frick, peanut butter (!) are getting recalled because someone got sick and died from these staple grocery items.
Would I take the chance? Probably not. Cuz if you can't tell... I don't take chances with the food I eat now, but it's not any scarier than high fructose corn syrup.

::steps down from soap box::

http://www.foodpolitics.com/2009/12/food-agencies-at-work-or-not-usda/

I would definitely try it. I don't know why, maybe the thrill of eating something dangerous may taste good.

I'd totally try it if it were prepared by an experienced chef in an established restaurant. But I think I'd only try it once, just to see what it tastes like. There are so many other wonderful things to eat - it doesn't make sense to risk one's life over a mere fish!

ponzu no aji

I lived in Japan for several years and for my birthday decided to go to a fugu restaurant. I had a five course meal with fugu in various states - sashimi, deep fried, etc. I enjoyed it tremendously but on the balance I feel it's mostly a dish that you have for the back-story that surrounds it ( a type of food I have a real weakness for, having tried foods as wide-ranging as battered huhu grubs ( a New Zealand native grub ) to raw horse meat sushi and honey roasted locusts ).

Definitely a delicious fish but not worth all the fuss in my opinion.

I would love to have the chance to try it, but only in Japan at a certified restaurant. I'm a big fan of sashimi, and I love the chance to try new things. As for what people think of me for wanting to eat it, I already have enough people who think I'm crazy for eating raw fish and put me down for it, adding fugu to that list really won't change anything.

I'd probably not, but I'm also the kind of person that actually waits for the green light at crossings. =)

We'll see though - still saving up for that big Japan trip!

[PS: Your sukiyaki recipe rocks - just made it for dinner =) ]

I would try it! If it tasted delicious, I would eat it again. My husband and I have had this on our list of things to do when we visit Japan.

I think I would try it, if only for the story factor--to be able to say that I had tried it.

It seems a much pleasanter sort of thrill than, say, bungee jumping, which is also perfectly safe if done correctly, and lethal if something goes wrong. (I only say that because I am afraid of heights, and hold nothing against people who like to bungee jump.)

It's like Russian roulette to me, even if the odds are slightly better. I find it irresponsible that anyone would eat it, and only slightly less so than someone committing suicide.

i am going on a trip to korea and then to japan during CNY... and i am definitely definitely putting "eat fugu" on my list of things to do. the first time i visited japan, i was too scared (and probably too cheap), but this time i am ready! i really want to try this special delicacy, to know what all the fuss is about! :)

Both I and my significant other adore Japanese food. He's willing to try anything once and to a far less braver extent so am I. However, if we both agreed we were going to try Fugu it would be only one way. One plate, two forks. One feeds the others bite at the same time. If our number is up, well... it's not Shakespeare but at least the risk was fair on both ends.

I have had Fugu. We tried fugu sashimi and fugu served 'KFC style' at Morimoto's in Philadelphia.

I would say, other than knowing in advance what we were ordering, there was nothing particularly mystical or especially memorable with the dishes we tasted. Don't get me wrong, they were tasty enough. But if you had told me after the fact that we had tasted fugu, I wouldn't have known much difference.

Does a culture that eats something potentially poisonous say something about that culture? Maybe that the first person to try it was pretty hungry. Cassava root and Hakarl, both poisonous unless processed correctly are good examples of it.

We ordered fugu mainly just to say we did. I'm a big proponent of trying new things regardless of how different or weird it maybe. But then again, I'm asian so I'm used to eating strange things. :)

I'm actually quite surprised by the number of people here who say that they've eaten fugu, but I guess that's what I get for reading comments on a food blog ;)

Anyway! To answer the question, I would never try it. Ever. I'm just not willing to take that risk! As for any 'weird' perceptions of Japanese people about eating it for the risk... I can't really consider it weird since there are plenty of others (from other cultures) who are only interested in eating it for the risk. Basically I can't consider it strange in a uniquely Japanese sense, as I think that it's strange for anyone to want to try it. That's my opinion, anyway.

To be honest, I don't believe I would! It doesn't really even look appetising.

Naimah,
CoolBlackChef.co.uk

Yes indeed I would! All the descriptions of people who've tasted it have said it was delicious, and I just love fish. It would be a taste I would like to have and remember.

That being said I would group in to the "haggis" and "black sausage" category of things I've tasted. Tasty and glad I tried it but never again.

To echo most of the other commenters here:

I'd make sure it was prepared by a reputable chef to minimise the chances of poisoning but if you look at the risk, it is probably riskier to drive a car than to eat fugu.

Hmmm...I wouldn´t, just because I pity the fish lying there, it looks so ´whole´, that I wish it would be alive...so no, I wouldn´t eat it for different reasons then the fish being so poisonous

I never gave this much thought, but recently found myself at a sushi place called Origami in Minneapolis, MN, which had the distinction of getting the first license to serve fugu in Minnesota. Maybe if I had read this article first I'd have been more dubious, but I'll eat pretty much anything, so heartily agreed when my fiance suggested we order it. They were offering a sample selection that included fugu sashimi, kara-age (not sure on the spelling), which is the fried jawbone that I think some other folks were talking about above, and, what I found most incredible, a glass of hot sake with the tailfin of the fish in it. Upon arrival, our waiter set fire to the sake and the fin, which imparted an incredible, almost truffley flavor to the sake. While the kara-age just tasted like fried fish, and the sashimi seemed underwhelming, when I tasted it with the sake it took on this ethereal sweet/lightness. The flavor of the fish itself did not amaze me, but the sake/fin combo was pretty wonderful. Not worth dying for, perhaps, but tasty nonetheless. I suffered no ill effects.

Never i would eat them.

Puffer fishes are just too nice fellas. I can not remember who did say it, but it is right. They are little clowns.

Never had a tame one in a tank? Oh you missed something..even when i would not recommend to do that without the right equipment.

A Puffy could bite you badly, but they will get tame very fast and behave much like dogs..in the meaning that they recognize you and you can feed them by hand.

Believe it or not, fishes can itch and love a good scratch. Better not by hand because the bacterias there could cause your puffy an infection. But it is just too nice to watch when the fishes rubs itself with delight against the net, or whatever you hold in your hand when you put it in the water.

Also the sad image of my childhood hunts me when poor puffy was caught by my father and turned into a dangling lantern which moved in the warm air above the masonry heater whenever i had to take a bath.

And i also do not feel any pity with a person who gets ill after eating fugu.
Why have people to eat everything? Like the endangered giant sharks, the small quails which hd been believbed to be vanished until they have been found on a meat market again...maybe even the last of them.

And the eels are so endagered that they may vanish in 5 to 10 years if people do not stop eating them. The eels which are in europe and the hatched youngs are called glass eels and are such a delicacy.

Fishermen are only able to catch 1% of the mass of fish then 50 years before..but people want to eat eel..no matter if it will mean that the eel join the dodo or tasmanian wolf in extinction soon.

If people want to get the *pleasure* of eating dangerous food i can really have no pity if they die. They know the risk, they obviously rather take the risk to kill themselves than care about the people they leave behind in that case. Same with dangerous sports.
Some special food or jumping from a bridge with a rope around your feet is more important then the risk to kill you and leave your beloved ones in mysery..why should i care.

I just feel sad about family and friends and the pain they have to go through.

It is like running on the street without caring for the red light..maybe exciting but everyone knows it will get you killed sooner or later

I tried it years ago when I visited my matriarchal branch in Kyushu. I prefer fattier fish and now that I have a saltwater aquarium with a pufferfish, I would pass... they now fall in the category of pet!

Ever since I saw a live puffer fish accidentally beach itself during low tide in Kauai, I would never be able to eat one. They have the MOST beautiful eyes with such a pure, sweet expression. I know it may sound silly, but it completely touched me. We put it back in the water, of course, by rolling it in gently with a stick we found laying nearby.

I would try Fugu but would want to eat it at a good resturaunt in Japan, not the United States. It is not the risk of death I am after, but the chance to eat a rare delicacy that could stimulate my tastebuds.

This is something I might order if I was about to die anyways. May as well not have to worry about dying right?

I HAVE! It was my first time in japan and I was treated by a friend of a friend and a bunch of his business men friends...(I felt like a zoo animal). Anyways, it was a restaurant that specialized in fugu; I had fugu sashimi, fugu stew, fugu on a grill...etc. I think there were one or two more other ways that it was served to us. It was tasty but I did get a little worried when my tongue felt a little numb but apparently it wasnt a big deal as I am still alive. ^o^
I say try it if you get the chance, eating fugu is safer than driving in a car right? Taking chances makes you feel alive!

my mom and i are from yamaguchi but i think fugu is odd

I love the article, and the site. I don't recommend eating fugu. We lived in Iidabashii for six years. During that time my husband ate fugu at a work-related function, and he became deaf for about three months. I will eat anything, but at this point anything but fugu. --Also we owned a beach house in Kamogawa (where there is excellent Maguro to be had.) Fugu were very common in the water. Full-time residents approached me on a weekly basis to make sure I knew not to allow my son to touch the dead fugu we often found on the shore. While everyone's intention is nice, it got to be a little old to hear the same story.

would and have. the thing you'll want to look for is that the sushi chef has been licensed to prepare this dish because it is rather deadly if it is not prepared with the utmost care but it is a rather interesting one it will leave your mouth slightly numb (the tingling sensation that you get when your foot falls asleep) when you eat it and the flavor is very good

I'm not saying I'd make a habit of it, but I'd like to try. What's life without a little risk? I can understand those Japanese who think that the danger is part of the enjoyment, too.

Last week the school I work at had an enkai at a special fugu restaurant in Kokura. It wasn't my first time by it was definitely the most memorable since the fugu and shirako came in all sorts of forms (raw, grilled, tempura, karaage, boiled in nabe). The shirako, which I presume is the roe (?), was a first for me and it reminded me of eating the inside of a cream croquette. Oishikatta!

I'm from a place called Yamaguchi and even though practically everything is about fuku ( Yamaguchi ben for fugu) I like eating it.

I'm from Guatemala City, and have lived in the Los Angeles, CA area for 25 years. I started eating Sushi about 10 years ago, and let me tell you i'm hooked. Had Fugu at this whole in the wall in Canoga Park called "Go Sushi", "Go's Mart" or just "Go's" (the clientele calls it all those names). The experience was fantastic, Sashimi style with just white truffle oil and French sea salt. It's expensive? yes. it's dangerous? nope, if the chef knows how to handle it!!! Can't wait to have it again.

By teh way shirako is fish milt (fish sperm sack (full of sperm))

I haven't tried it, but I totally would. I'll try almost any food item once (I say 'almost any' because I've heard of some things- cheese filled with live maggots for instance...that even I will not eat.) But if I trust the chef that prepared it knows what he (or she) is doing, I certainly would try it once and probably will. :)

I would not risk my life just to have a tasty fish. But, since there are people in japan who are ready to risk there life just to have a taste of fugu....i am trying to find out an antidote for fugu poisoning so people can enjoy it without any risk and so do I.

If Fugu is so poisonous and takes so much care to even eat them, why did anybody go through the trouble to even figure out how to do it in the first place? Surly starvation couldn't have been the reason? Poison is poison why not just leave it at that and leave them alone?

I wouldn't do it,unless a hot chick was there but then id look pretty stupid when id die.

I would love to try pufferfish, but I would be sure toeat it while lying in hostpital just in case.

Fugu fish are amazing. So is Japan. If only there was a Vocaloid based off a fugu fish...

Will like to taste the fugu shashimi just once. Must be costly with all the proper preparations. Which Japanese restaurant in Singapore serves it?
Have been working for some time in the past in Chikoyotei and Ichiban Sushi Ramen as cook. Never seen fugu, only unagi (eel), ebi (prawn), tako (octopus) saba (type of yellowfin), salmon.

A documentary showed how the poor fish is prepared.

Torn apart - ALIVE - piece by piece. The eyes gouged out, organs removed, while the fish is still conscious.

(So called) 'humans)' do that. The vile practice must be banned.