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Monday, October 4, 2010

“Strange dish from Japan | Fugu dish”

Do you like to taste “strange dishes” from all over the world ?   It's one of the fun hobbies to do in our leisure time. If the answer is yes, you should try this. Fugu fish, the most delicate, dangerous, and expensive fish in the world that, in spite of being extremely poisonous, continues to be the most stimulating delicacy for special feast in Japan. Fugu is the Japanese word for pufferfish and the dish prepared from the meat of pufferfish. It can be lethally poisonous if prepared incorrectly. It contains lethal amounts of the poison Tetrodotoxin in the organs, especially the liver and ovaries and the skin.
The poison can paralyzes the muscles while the victim stays fully conscious, eventually dying from asphyxiation. There is no known antidote. The standard treatment is to support the respiratory and circulatory systems until the poison dissipates



There is an old expression "I want to eat fugu, but I don't want to die" in Japan. Since fugu's poison can lead to instantaneous deaths of diners, only licensed chef are allowed to prepare it. You must have special skills and knowledge about fugu to be licensed. Poisonous parts of fugu are differ, depending on the kind of fugu. Because of the strict regulations, the number of deaths is decreasing
So the next question is “What does fugu meat taste like in reality?” Some people who’ve tried describe it as one of the most sublime flavors in the world. Others, apparently less enthusiastic, or simply more objective, describe fugu meat as a cross between chewy and crunchy, said by the Japanese  “shiko-shiko” in one’s mouth when absolutely fresh. That’s what some consider the main attraction of the risky meal. But taste isn’t everything. Many say that fugu is simply addictive!
People who’ve tasted fugu report a funny feeling in their mouths, as if they had been shot with a dose of dentist’s novocaine. After a licensed Japanese chef carefully cleans the poisonous puffer, removing the 11 deadly parts of the fish, including the skeleton, skin, ovaries, intestines, and liver, enough of the neurotoxin remains to produce a mellow tingling glow, a flush, and a drug rush.
Fugu dishes are usually expensive. One meal can cost $100 to $200 per person at a famous restaurant. But there are inexpensive fugu dishes (from $15 to $20) available at some restaurants. It's said that the most poisonous fugu, "Tora-fugu," is the most delicious. Tora-fugu is expensive and can cost over one hundred dollars at a fish market.You can find the dish not only in Japan of course, but also in other parts of the world.
In United States for example, as of 2003 only seventeen restaurant serve it, twelve are in New York.
Find other interesting in Japan  here

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