Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Looking For Dangerous Cuisine? Why Not Try Fugu?

In the wide, wide world of cuisine, there’s not much that can compare to fugu. The traditional Japanese method of preparing pufferfish involves two things humans are apparently always hungry for: A one-of-a-kind dish and a brush with our own mortality.

Within many of the pufferfish’s vital organs is enough cyanide to kill you several times over. Its liver alone is estimated to contain enough of the poison to end five adult humans’ lives. That’s a potent stat, especially given that the fish is about the size of a football.  So dangerous is working with fugu liver that the fish’s organ was banned entirely in Japan in 1984.

Elena Kuzovkova / EyeEm/Getty Images

In the Yamaguchi prefecture of Japan, fugu is legend. Here, there are statues devoted to the spiny sea critter, along with enough mythology to fill up several textbooks. At places like the Karato Market in Shimonoseki, it’s been coveted for ages, sold to bidders and ultimately processed in meticulous ways to remove all toxic parts. Chefs in Japan undergo a rigorous three-year program just to be able to work with the potentially lethal fish. It’s widely viewed as legend and not fact, but some still believe that the best chefs are able to leave a trace amount of poison in the fish, enough to give the diner numb, slightly tingling lips. 

Because it’s not taken lightly, you don’t hear as much anymore about fugu-related fatalities. But every now and then, you do hear about somebody getting ill or even perishing, typically after preparing at home without the proper training. Whatever it tastes like, it’s fair to say that part of fugu’s major draw is the danger element. And it’s hard not to envision a scene like this one from The Simpsons when it’s ordered.

Fugu
Sebastian Kopp / EyeEm/Getty Images

In Tokyo, fugu is still seen as a wintertime delicacy. The dish fetches several hundred dollars a plate, often prepared as sashimi or chirinabe, a Japanese fish stew of sorts. In Japan and China, locals have been cooking with the fish for more than 2,000 years. It’s rumored that ancient Egyptians used pufferfish for a recreational sport something like bowling. The tiger pufferfish is the most poisonous and, historically, also the most revered. You can find the fish and its closest siblings in generally warmer seas all over the planet, from Australia to Hawaii.

It’s easy to see why the fish adores Shimonoseki especially. The coastal southwestern part of Japan looks like the Florida Keys of the Far East, with its turquoise waters and island-spanning bridges.

Modern research has equipped the farmers of today to raise poison-free fugu in parts of Japan. For thrill seekers, it’s a decidedly less sexy version. But for those looking to avoid any chance of what sounds like an awful way to go (paralyzed muscles while remaining completely conscious), it’s a welcome option.

Fugu
Tomono Kenichi / EyeEm/Getty Images

What does fugu taste like? The reviews are all over the board. Some call the flavor a more delicate version of chicken, or downright uneventful. The consistency is somewhat rubbery. But the platings, never mind the inherent thrill, can be gorgeous. And as with so many exotic dining adventures, it’s more about the journey than the first bite.

Prior to the pandemic, a few restaurants outside Japan served the dish, like Restaurant Nippon in New York. Morimoto in Philadelphia and Shiki in Seattle. The full experience, however, seems to involve not only a flirtatious dance with death but a trip to the south of Japan where fugu is king.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Mark Stock
Mark Stock is a writer from Portland, Oregon. He fell into wine during the Recession and has been fixated on the stuff since…
What foods are high in iron? These staples will help you live a healthier life
Add these high-iron foods to your shopping list today
Ribeye caps topped with garlic and herbs cooked in a cast iron pan over charcoal.

What foods are high in iron? We all know that iron is important for a healthy, balanced diet, but did you know you can find two different kinds of iron in food: heme and non-heme. Your body can absorb iron from heme (animal-based) food better than from non-heme (plant-based) food sources. Where can you find heme food sources? Read on to find out about foods high in iron.

If you eat a plant-based diet, you’ll get a lot of non-heme types of iron. As a result, your body might need a bit of help to absorb it properly. Sometimes vitamin C can aid with the absorption of plant-based kinds of iron. Regularly consume both plant and animal-based sources of iron to get the best of both for your body. 
What is iron?

Read more
The Macallan, Bentley serve up a single malt Scotch whisky worth more than a car
The Macallan and Bentley mean luxury
The Macallan

When it comes to luxury, The Macallan and Bentley are two of the biggest names in the world. While one is a single malt Scotch whisky brand and one is a car company, they both carry a certain, fancy weight. It only makes sense that the two brands would collaborate for a special bottle of Scotch whisky. This is likely because a whisky-powered car is more science fiction than reality.
What does the new whisky look like?

It's called The Macallan Horizon, and its bottle was created in collaboration with British automobile brand Bentley Motors. It was designed to meld the worlds of single malt scotch whisky and the sleek, elegant car brand. The result is a horizontal (hence the name) bottle crafted with a breathtaking 180-degree twist.

Read more
Forget wine — Beer and cheese is an unbeatable combination
Put the corkscrew away and crack open a cold one
Beer and cheese

When one hears the term cheese pairings, wine is the beverage that most often comes to mind, we'd wager. Because, of course, it is. The pairing of wine and cheese is as classic a coupling as peanut butter and jelly, bacon and eggs, or chocolate and strawberries. They're meant to be together. But that certainly doesn't mean that wine is the only adult beverage that can dance an alluring tango alongside everyone's favorite dairy product. Beer, as humble as its reputation can be, is also a beautiful balance to cheese's immense offering of flavors. While some may think of beer as not being as multi-dimensional and varied in its palate-pleasing capabilities as wine, this is not the case - especially now that we live in a world with so many exquisite craft beers, stouts, and lagers.
Of course, another classic accompaniment to cheese is bread or crackers. Why might that be, one might ask. Is it because we're simply in need of a starchy vessel to usher the cheese into our mouths? The answer is actually a bit deeper than that. Starches like bread and crackers are made from the same yeasty ingredients as beer, so their pairing makes perfect culinary sense.
This isn't to say, though, that one can simply pick up a hunk of cheddar and crack open a Budweiser and expect culinary artistry. The science is a bit more nuanced than that, so we're here to help you find the best pairings for your favorite beers and cheeses.

How to pair beer and cheese

Read more