Fugu is the most dangerous delicacy in the world because this fish is poisonous. It contains tetrodotoxin, a poison hundreds of times more dangerous than cyanide. But fish, nevertheless, is extremely attractive to gourmets. And chefs have learned to make an incredible dish out of deadly fish.
First you need to get certified. If you are an amateur, do not touch the fish. Most deaths occur due to untrained cooks. In Japan, all chefs who are qualified to cook fugu must be over 20 years of age and have completed a two-year course to obtain a license. About a third of them do not pass the exam.
Photo: Alamy After two years of training, everything else is just flowers. First, you need to make sure that the fishermen caught the right species. If the fish is the same, make an incision around the mouth and remove a layer of greenish scales. Rinse the fish.
Then remove the eyes and cut off the spine in one motion, and then place them in a special tray. Keep a close eye on everything you put in there - this is where all the poisonous parts go.
Most of Fugu contains poison in its ovaries and liver, so you need to be especially careful when gutting it. One wrong move and the most dangerous poison will get into the meat. Once the organs have been successfully removed, place them in the tray.
Place the fish on its belly and make two or three cuts on the head to remove the brain. After this, the head can be safely eaten, having first thoroughly boiled it.
Once you've done all of the above, fillet the rest as you would any other fish. The main difference is that after this you need to take a tray with the poisonous remains of the fugu and professionally burn it.
Now break the bank: customers are willing to pay a pretty penny for a piece of fugu, because what they're really paying for is peace of mind, which a chef's license instills. In some places, a few pieces of fugu can cost $120.
A famous Japanese proverb says: “He who eats puffer fish is a fool, but he who does not eat it is an even greater fool. Fugu fish has many other names - fahak, diodont, pufferfish and dog. Not only the most delicious and expensive dishes of Japanese cuisine are prepared from it, but also deadly ones.
Puffer fish poison, for which there is no antidote
A set meal made from fugu fish costs about a thousand dollars. For this amount you can either enjoy exquisite delicacies or die painfully. The thing is that this fish contains a deadly nerve poison - tetradotoxin. It is 400 times more toxic than strychnine and 10 times more dangerous than curare. Just one fish can kill more than 35 people. Fatal poisoning You can get it even just by touching the especially poisonous insides of puffer fish. Tetradotoxin paralyzes all muscles human body, including the respiratory muscles, resulting in respiratory arrest and death. There is no antidote to this poison. The only way to save the victim is to quickly hospitalize him in the intensive care unit and connect him to an artificial respiration apparatus.
Responsibility of the cook
When you go to a restaurant and plan to enjoy fugu fish, you must understand that you are completely entrusting your life to the skill of the cook. For a long time, even the fishing of this fish was banned in Japan. Only since 1958 has the government allowed it to be served in restaurants, provided that only specially trained chefs with a special license will prepare fugu fish. To obtain this license, they undergo quite a long training and then pass an exam in which they must eat the fish they have prepared themselves. Previously, there was even an unspoken law in Japan according to which, in the event of the death of a restaurant client, the cook was obliged to commit ritual suicide (seppuku).
Fugu fish: preparation
Cutting this fish is a real art. With a very quick movement it is necessary to separate the fins, cut off oral apparatus, and then open the belly. After this, all the entrails, which are the most poisonous parts of the puffer fish, are very carefully removed.
The fillets are cut into thin slices and washed thoroughly under running water, removing any remaining poison and traces of blood.
To prepare fugu fish sashimi (Fugusashi), slices are laid out on a large and beautiful dish. raw fish, creating from them a pearl-colored landscape or an image of a butterfly or bird. Sliced fugu fillets are eaten by dipping them in vinegar sauce (ponzu) or a mixture of red pepper and grated radish (momiji-oroshi).
Fugusushi is only the very first dish of a “set” lunch. This is followed by a soup made from fugu fish and rice, seasoned with raw egg (fugu-zosui). And for the second course - Fried fish fugu.
Pieces of fish must be served by the cook to the guests in a strictly defined order. They start with the least poisonous and more tasty dorsal part. The closer to the abdominal part, the more poison the meat contains. One of the main tasks of the cook is the need to monitor the condition of restaurant guests so as not to allow them to eat more than the safe dose.
When preparing fugu fish, an experienced chef leaves enough poison in it to cause the eaters mild poisoning, manifested by slight narcotic euphoria. According to gourmets who tried fugu fish, as they consumed dishes from it, they experienced a paralyzing wave. It lies in the fact that people lose the ability to move their legs, then their arms and, most recently, their jaws. Only the eyeballs retain the ability to move. But after a few moments, muscle tone begins to recover in the reverse order. It is believed that people take mortal risks precisely in order to experience this moment of “resurrection.”
Video from YouTube on the topic of the article:
Fugu fish is a national dish of the Japanese with a thousand-year history and an incredible exotic for tourists. The specificity of this delicacy of Japanese cuisine is that, having tasted such fish, you may not live to see another day. According to statistics, every year in Japan there are up to 30 cases of poisoning with this exotic dish, 60% of which end very badly. The fish itself is not poisonous, but its insides contain poison, which is many times more dangerous than many other toxic substances. A portion of poison, which may well lead to fatal outcome, is not difficult to obtain even by simply touching the insides of this fish, and one fugu can send almost fifty people to the next world.
Heavenly pleasure equivalent to death
One of the reasons for such a peculiar game with death is the exquisite taste of fugu dish. Fresh fish fillets are cut into pieces and eaten raw, dipped in a specially prepared sauce, which adds additional piquancy to this dish. Stripes of fish, reminiscent of their appearance translucent plates of lard that taste more like chicken than fish, and simply melt in your mouth. But the price to pay for this heavenly pleasure may be excessively high.
The presentation of the dish will also comply with all the refined traditions of the Japanese, who strive to express their attitude to beauty in everything, including in the design of food. Fugu sashimi will be laid out on a round dish in the form of some symbolic composition or landscape. Then it is supposed to serve soup from this fish. Fugu fins are fried until charred and added to sake, which is served with the main meal of this fish.
But it’s not just taste that’s responsible for this increased love for a more Russian roulette-like meal. The fugu fish dish is considered a kind of business card, demonstrating to everyone the prestige of its owner, because it is very expensive. For the Japanese, an invitation to dinner with such a dish is a broad gesture, because the portion “ probable death or heavenly pleasure” will cost at least 500-750 dollars. Moreover, for a long time a traditional dish For the Japanese, fugu fish serves as a symbol of fearlessness and a delicacy that is available only to a select few.
Culinary art that doesn't forgive mistakes
The sky-high prices for fugu in Japanese restaurants are not due to the rarity of this fish (there is plenty of it in these parts), but to the complexity of its specific preparation. Cooking fugu can only be entrusted to a certified specialist who for a long time learns the art of cooking this national dish Japanese cuisine and passes difficult exams to obtain the right to cook it. Everything is so complicated, because the fish must be cut so that the insides remain completely intact, and not a drop of poison penetrates into the dish prepared from this difficult fish, because even the smallest mistake can cost someone’s life. The training takes about 2 years, and at the final exam, the future master of fugu cooking needs to cut the fish in 20 minutes and serve it to the table.
In ancient times, the Japanese did not particularly hesitate to send to their forefathers, after the people who had tasted poisoned fish, the cook himself who made a mistake. Now times are more civilized, and the cook may not be in danger of death, but the end of his culinary career is inevitable in this case. However, in modern restaurants in Japan you can taste fugu fish without much fear, but cases of poisoning are not uncommon when self-taught people get down to business and want to cook this fish at home.
In the spirit of the best samurai traditions
The Japanese have a fundamentally different attitude towards death from the views of Europeans on this issue. Perhaps that is why they treat puffer fish with their inherent philosophical attitude. A true samurai should not be afraid of death, therefore, eating fugu fish can be considered the duty of a true samurai, whose spirit lives in the blood of every Japanese. And death from such a meal is often equated to death on the battlefield, considering it the highest honor and the ability to die gracefully and tastefully.
The most poisonous is fugu liver, which is strictly forbidden to be served in Japanese restaurants, but chefs do not dare to contradict particularly demanding customers. One of the most known cases fugu fish poisoning that occurred in 1975 was associated with famous actor traditional Japanese kabuki theater, which ended fatally. Talented actor he ordered fugu liver three times, and the fourth time (it is worth noting that 4 for the Japanese is similar to the fatal 13 for Europeans) the game with death did not end in his favor.
The taste of life and death in one dish
No matter how carefully Japanese chefs prepare fugu, even with the most advanced processing, it retains a certain miniature amount of poison, which acts on the eater like a drug, thereby complementing the effect of enjoying the dish, bringing it to real euphoria. True gourmets who have tasted the taste of puffer fish claim that as you eat so much exotic fish a feeling of gradual complete numbness rolls in - from the arms and legs to the tongue, but after moments all the usual sensations return. For the sake of this effect, many people decide to try fugu, because the interest of Russian roulette is inexhaustible: either a temporary killing effect, or real poisoning. This is a game of chance between the fine line of existence and non-existence, which sometimes goes precisely towards the latter.
Fugu is a true legend of Japanese cuisine, providing a keen interest, combined with a good dose of fear and an adrenaline rush for less philosophical Westerners about death. The Japanese, who even immortalized this fish in a monument in one of the parks in Tokyo, claim that those who have never tasted fugu are fools, but those who have tasted them are also fools. If you eat fugu, you can unexpectedly quickly go to your forefathers; if you’ve never eaten it, you don’t know what it’s like to walk on a razor’s edge, which means you’re not a real samurai. This is such a contradictory Japanese food philosophy.
Fugu is a small fish, only about the size of your palm, that can swim tail first. Instead of scales, she has thin elastic skin. If the fugu is frightened, it will instantly swell and take the shape of a ball studded with sharp spines. In this state, it is three times its original size. This happens due to the water that the fish abruptly sucks into itself. The deadly poison - tetrodotoxin - is found in the milk, caviar, genitals, skin and liver of fugu. This substance has a nerve-paralytic effect. It is about 1200 times more dangerous potassium cyanide. The lethal dose for humans is just one milligram of tetrodotoxin. One fish contains enough of this substance to kill forty people. Moreover, an effective antidote still does not exist. In microscopic portions, fugu venom is used as a means of preventing age-related diseases and as a cure for prostate diseases. Here is one of the ancient recipes for preparing a healing drink based on pufferfish - the poisonous fins of the fish are first fried until charred, and then dipped in sake for two minutes. They say that the intoxication from such an infusion is very specific and resembles a narcotic dope with accompanying hallucinations and aggravation of all senses. By the way, sake prepared in this way is required to be served to clients who want to taste fugu. It is believed that this ritual gives, albeit a small, but still a chance to survive in case of poisoning.
Lunch in the name of death
The owner of a restaurant that aspires to have fugu dishes on its menu is required to provide detailed reports to the sanitary inspectors of the Ministry of Health on the quantity and storage conditions of stocks of this fish in his establishment. Cutting a pufferfish – unique art, which takes a long time to learn, and only a few master it. Back in 1598, a law appeared obliging a cook who wants to cook this fish to obtain a state license. In order to enter the circle of the elite, you must pass two exams - written and practical. Approximately three-quarters of applicants are eliminated in the first test, which requires an understanding of dozens of varieties of fugu and knowledge of all detoxification methods. And during the final exam, the candidate must eat what he himself prepared.
It is not surprising that prices for such delicacies range from $100 to $500 per serving. One of the most famous fugu dishes is fugusashi. Mother-of-pearl slices of raw fish are arranged in petals on a round dish. Often the chef creates a real picture from the pieces: landscapes with butterflies or a flying bird. The fish is eaten by dipping the slices in a mixture of ponzu (vinegar sauce), asatsuki (crushed chives), momiji-oroshi (grated daikon radish) and red pepper. As a rule, customers who come to specialty restaurants order only fugu. The meal begins with fugusashi, followed by fugu-zosui, a soup made from pufferfish broth decorated with rice and raw egg, as well as lightly fried slices of the same fish. The fugu pieces are served by the chef in a strictly defined order. They start from the back - the most delicious and least poisonous, then approach the peritoneum - the place of the main accumulation of poison. The cook's duty is to vigilantly monitor the condition of the guests, not allowing them to eat more than a safe dose. To do this, it is necessary not only to know the intricacies of preparing this dish, but also to have medical knowledge, since the intensity of the effects of the poison depends on the client’s build, temperament and even skin color.
The most famous death fugu occurred in 1975. Legendary kabuki actor Mitsugoro Bando the Eighth, who was called a "living national treasure", died of paralysis after eating fugu liver in a Kyoto restaurant. This was his fourth attempt to try the dangerous dish.
Who needs this?
The most main mystery fugu - for which people take mortal risks. Fans extreme cuisine they say that the taste of pufferfish is reminiscent of Japanese silk paintings - something refined, elusive and smooth. Kitaoji Rosannin, the creator of the delightful pottery, wrote: “The taste of this fish cannot be compared with anything. If you eat fugu three or four times, you will become a slave to fugu. Anyone who refuses this dish for fear of dying deserves deep sympathy.” In addition to its incredible taste, fugu is believed to have a narcotic effect. Aerobatics when preparing puffer fish, leave just enough poison to give the eater a feeling of mild euphoria. Gourmets who have tried this fish claim that as the dish is consumed, a paralyzing wave rolls in: first the legs are taken away, then the arms, then the jaws. Only the eyes retain the ability to move. However, after a moment everything comes to life: the power of speech returns, arms and legs begin to move. Related to this is the third reason why the Japanese love fugu so much. It's all about special treatment to death. The samurai also believed that passing away from life is the apotheosis of beauty. Fugu allows you to touch the Japanese understanding of perfection and, with a successful combination of circumstances, return back. Not long ago, extremely proud scientists announced that they had bred a non-poisonous pufferfish.
It turns out that the secret was in the natural diet of the fish. Fugu does not produce toxic substances in its own body - it becomes toxic by eating poisonous starfish and shellfish. If you put a pufferfish on a diet from birth, you will get a completely safe resident depths of the sea. However, the expected sensation did not happen. After all, without its toxin, the puffer fish becomes just another type of fish - quite tasty, but not anything special. It is not for nothing that it is in the spring, when fugu is considered the most poisonous, that gourmets pay the highest price.
Despite the fact that "fugu" is translated as "river pig", this fish is only caught in the ocean. This delicacy looks absolutely harmless, but in reality it is poisonous and life-threatening. The fish contains the poison tetrodoxin, which has a nerve-paralytic effect. Basic concentration toxic substance is in internal organs fugu and in her skin. The poison begins to act in the body 10 minutes after ingestion. In more than half of cases of intoxication, a person cannot be saved. Tetrodoxin paralyzes the muscles and the person loses the ability to breathe. In Japan, in the 16th century, fishing for this fish was prohibited throughout the country. Then the ban was lifted and then renewed again. Nowadays, fugu fishing is allowed in Japan, but only those chefs who have a special license can cook it.
Fugu meat has no fiber; it tastes like chicken and has a jelly-like consistency. Like other fish, fugu contains protein, iodine, phosphorus and other substances that are beneficial to the body. But this is not what attracts people who are willing to pay a lot of money for the meat of such fish. The extreme sensations that a person feels while eating fugu is the main motivator that forces a person to risk his life.
In Japanese cities there are laws that restrict the right to trade such fish. Most strict rules operate in Tokyo. In the capital, an entire department of the mayor's office is dealing with this issue. Until recently, only specialists could trade fugue that had undergone a processing process to remove poisonous parts. Now fish can be purchased from regular dealers. This can also be done via the Internet. Every year, several dozen Japanese become victims of fugu.
Fugu is the most expensive product of Japanese cuisine. Instead of scales, the fish has thin and elastic skin. And this is not just like that. The frightened fish sucks in air and immediately swells up. Thus, it takes the shape of a ball, increasing three times in size. If the shark does not see the danger in this, it will die due to poisonous properties fish. The venom of one fugu can kill about 40 people, and there is no antidote for tetrodoxin. A cook preparing such fish must pass special exams in theory and practice. After successful completion As a test, the cook must eat the fugu he has prepared. Only after this he is issued a license.
Processing fugu aims to reduce the effect of tetrodoxin to a minimum. Fish dishes can be tasted in special restaurants. A fugu dinner can cost $1,000 or more. The cook serves pieces of fish in in the prescribed manner which must be strictly followed. The meat from the back is served first. It has the best taste qualities and contains the least amount of poison. Meat in the peritoneal area is the most poisonous and is served last. The cook is obliged to constantly monitor the condition of restaurant visitors and tell them how to properly consume the dish.
The highest aerobatics is considered to be preparing fugu in such a way that an amount of poison remains in the fish, causing a state of mild euphoria in the eater. Gourmets who have tried fugu more than once say that while eating the fish, a paralyzing wave hits. First the legs are taken away, then the arms, then the jaws. As a result, only the eyes can move. After a moment, the body parts resume the ability to move. First the gift of speech appears, then the arms and legs come to life. There is an opinion that it is for the sake of such experiences that people agree to take risks and eat deadly fish.
In fact, fugu becomes poisonous due to the peculiarities of its diet - the fish feeds on poisonous inhabitants of the ocean. If you change the diet of the fugu, it will no longer be deadly, but then there will be nothing special about this fish and it will lose its popularity. The bulk of fugu fans are thrill seekers.
Gourmets who love the dangerous fugu say that the taste of this fish can be compared to the impression you get from looking at a Japanese painting painted on silk. He is just as sophisticated, fleeting and gentle.
If a person is poisoned by fugu, he is taken to the hospital and his ability to breathe is maintained there until the tetrodoxin stops working. According to the rules, the cook must dispose of the insides of the fugu, but some experts know the secret secret on how to make the fish’s liver edible. Fugu liver can be secretly tasted in some establishments. It is not included in the menu.
Fugu is a Japanese dish that is culinary feature countries. Very often, fish is used to prepare sashimi - slices of chopped raw fish fillet. It is customary to soak fugu in soy sauce, and then enjoy the melting taste of the deadly delicacy, while simultaneously experiencing fear, delight and tenderness.
Loading...
