Oh, and the sushi chefs who are mandated to taste it before serving it. It has a silky feel and is rich in taste. People who think the thrill of eating sushi should equal the rush found in engaging in unarmed hand-to-hand combat with a pride of African lions. It has a springy and juicy texture and a delicate taste.įinally, “shirako” which is a soft roe. For decades, handling and preparing the fish in restaurants has been the job of licenced chefs, but.
All chefs currently preparing fugu for consumption are required to be certified to do so. The most toxic of marine creatures, the Fugu or Blowfish has a poison that can kill instantly. Incidentally, deep-fried fugu is a delicacy. The chefs preparing the fish are very careful and masters of their craft. Hence, boiled fugu is so much more flavorful compared to boiled seasfood. It is an absolutely perfect dish to warm you up in winter. However, it is a bit more springy compared to most raw fish.įor one thing, I love “tecchiri”, which is a hotpot. The taste is slightly sweet and the texture tender and gelatenous. It is a very thinly-sliced raw fugu arranged beautifully like flower petals. Notably, Zuboraya was founded in 1920 and on its menu are four items that have been a staple of this place: Tessaįirst of all, let’s start with my favorite dish, namely, “tessa”. The sign of this restaurant: a papier-mâché “fugu” blowfish is a landmark. If you are up to it, then look no further and head to Zuboraya. At the end of the training, there is a test in which the chef must prepare a fugu dish – and eat it! Needless to say, the preparation of this fish leaves no room for error! Zuboraya – The Best Fugu Restaurant Fugu chefs must go through rigorous training for years to gain the certification that allows them to prepare the fish for human consumption. Preparation of fugu fish is strictly controlled by law. Tetrododoxin is found in the skin, skeleton, ovaries, intestines and particularly in the liver of fugu fish. (There is no antidote for fugu poisoning). This can lead to asphyxia, and possibly death. Tetrododoxin first produces dizziness and incoherent speech, then paralyzes the muscles. As a result, the poisoned victim remains fully conscious while their central nervous system gradually shuts down. What is known about tetrododoxin is that it does not cross the blood-brain barrier. The second fact, probably even more known, is that it contains a deadly poison.
The first known fact about fugu is that it can puff up, to make itself look bigger and more dangerous. Fugu – Pufferfish, Blowfish or Globefishįugu meaning “river” and “pig” is also known as the pufferfish, blowfish or globefish. Their expertise lies in a complicated preparation of fugu. Specifically, they are renowned as the best fugu restaurant. Zuboraya, located in the neighborhood of Shinsekai, is one of the best known culinary names in Osaka. The area is particularly known for its preparation of anglerfish liver, sometimes called the “foie gras of the sea,” and creamy sea urchin dishes.This site uses affiliate links, meaning that if you make a purchase through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Other famous dishes include fried fugu, fugu hot pot, a fugu rice porridge, and hirezake (a hot sake with a grilled fugu fin in it).įugu may be the main attraction in Shimonoseki, but the city - and the Yamaguchi Prefecture in general - is also home to many other seafood delights. Sometimes, the slices are so thin they become transparent. Today, the most common way to eat fugu fish is to cut it into thin slices, wrap it with spring onions, and dip it in vinegar and soy sauce. Shunpanro may have been the first restaurant in Japan to be officially licensed in preparing dishes with fugu, but many others now serve the poisonous puffer. He was so impressed by its flavor that he decided to lift the ban and declared Shimonoseki the “home of fugu.” In 1888, Itō Hirobumi, the first Japanese prime minister, ate a dish with the blowfish during a visit to the Shunpanro restaurant in Shimonoseki. In fact, eating fugu is so dangerous that it was outlawed in Japan in the 16th century, though many secretly kept the tradition alive. If improperly prepared, fugu can be toxic to those who consume it - perhaps you remember the classic Simpsons episode when Homer is given 24 hours to live after eating raw blowfish improperly prepared by a trainee chef? In real life, only registered chefs with special licenses are allowed to create meals with this finicky fish. It’s also the one that Shimonoseki is most known for. Blowfish, or fugu in Japanese, is by far the country’s most dangerous dish. In Yamaguchi Prefecture of Japan, that could mean trying a dish that’s potentially life-threatening. Sometimes, that means eating parts of an animal they’re not used to or chomping on insects and unfamiliar fruits. Photo by gyro/Getty Images/CanvaįOR MANY TRAVELERS, part of the fun of exploring the world is trying new-to-them foods that are unavailable back home.