While the fish is itself immune to the toxin, it nevertheless concentrates the substance in its organs and skin, much to the chagrin of would-be predators, or sushi enthusiasts. The poisonous nature of the dish comes from marine microorganisms that produce the neurotoxin, which travels up to food chain, eventually finding its way into the puffer fish. The organs are sometimes available as fugu no shirako, however they are specially treated to remove the toxins and are not commonly available. The fish is usually served as sashimi, called fugu-sashi, or tessa, and is sliced thinly and placed so that the pattern of the plate is visible through the fish. Due to the specialty nature of the dish, a chef is careful to prepare the fish gathering the most meat possible, and a special knife called a fugu hiki is employed for the task. The dish is somewhat expensive, with servings in the range of US$20 to US$50 and a full course meal costing up to US$200. Approximately 70% of the applicants fail their examination, which is quite complicated however this ensures that only the most skilled and knowledgeable of applicants become certified for the task. An approximately three year apprenticeship is required before a chef is allowed to take the examination to ensure they have the proper skills to prepare the dish safely. Preparing Fuguįugu is a delicacy which only licensed chefs are allowed to prepare in Japan. Death is not an uncommon result for those who accidentally consume the toxin, to which there is no antidote. While the meat itself is not innately poisonous, the organs contain lethal amounts of a particular tetrodotoxin which may contaminate the meat if the fish is not prepared by a chef skilled in the art of fugu preparation. It has become synonymous with risk taking, a culinary Russian roulette, due to that, if incorrectly prepared, a diner risks death from even a single bite due to a potent neurotoxin found in the fish. Fugu (foo-goo) is a dish made from the pufferfish (blowfish) or Porcupine fish that has achieved an almost mythological status in western cuisine.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |