A question for Sushi lovers

[Hordakfan]

Is it true that Fugu is now being safe with some Japanese fish farmers raising Fugu to be non-poisonious? i heard somewhere there is.

Is it worth eating?

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

I don't know. What I will say is if Fugu is prepared by a licensed sushi chef in a reputable establishment it should be safe. If your Fugu is being prepared improperly the rest of the sushi wouldn't be looking or tasting too good either. Only a handful of people die every year from ingesting improperly prepared Fugu (and it's usually fugu they prepared themselves, aka not from an eatery). It's like the culinary equivalent of plane crashes and shark attacks, in that people worry about it far more than they should (in comparison to far more probable dangers like choking to death on fish bones).

I've had Fugu once during one of my trips to Japan. It's good, but frankly I found it a bit bland compared to tuna, salmon and my other favorites. It's slightly dangerous, so I think that's why it's so highly regarded.

(And fugu is not even the craziest thing I've had there; that would be ba sashi… or horse sashimi, which is great with some garlic sauce)

 

[Hordakfan]

Have you seen that Simpsons episode?

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

Have you seen that Simpsons episode?

Yes. What about it? Its exaggerated the danger of Fugu, like 'Jaws' did for sharks.

 

[Teelie]

I didn't think this was true but doing some searching it might be true. Either they are raising an identical non-toxic species or the fish don't produce the toxin themselves but eat other organisms that carry the bacteria producing the toxin and are raised on a different diet.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Now I want sushi

 

[Doctor Evo]

The TTX is the whole point of fugu. Properly prepared fugu comes with a tiny amount of the toxin - that's the art behind its preparation. You want just enough to create the sensation of tingling and numbness on your tongue, but not enough to have serious consequences.

 

[jonathancrane]

No idea; I only eat vegetable sushi.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

No idea; I only eat vegetable sushi.

Blasphemy. That's like having decaf coffee...

 

[Warhammer]

I'm not enough of a food enthusiast to want to eat fugu. People eat it merely for the of the sensation of the tongue afterward? Eh, it ain't for me.

 

[Warhammer]

And fugu is not even the craziest thing I've had there; that would be ba sashi… or horse sashimi, which is great with some garlic sauce)

I usually eat a lot of weird stuff, but damn.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

I usually eat a lot of weird stuff, but damn.

That's just in Japan. I had live, wriggling octopus tentacles in Korea.

 

[KevanG]

The weirdest I've had is frogs legs.