Fugu

[cabrales]

Do you mean "Fugu"(globefish)? What a loss!

Poisonous parts are to be removed by the skilled chefs (It's the state of art, actually!), then no need to worry! Fugu is too yummy to be ignored when discussing Japanese cuisine.

BON -- Can I infer from your post that I have finally identified someone who has tasted Fugu and who can describe it?   Do the limited amounts of poison taken in give some sort of "thrill"?

[BON]

BON -- Can I infer from your post that I have finally identified someone who has tasted Fugu and who can describe it?   Do the limited amounts of poison taken in give some sort of "thrill"?

cabrales

Fugu is with white flesh.

It is eaten Sashimi (raw-sliced). Fugu sashimi is sliced much

thinner than other fish, like paper and garnished like flower

petal. Fugu sashimi is harder than other fish and gives a

pleasing texture, though its flavor is too subtle.

Fugu is eaten in hot-pot, too.

Actually, I'll be thrilled if you invite me Fugu dinner.  

It is very expensive in Tokyo.

[Blue Heron]

I vicariously enjoyed Anthony Bourdain's experience eating poisonous blowfish fugu on his foodTV series A Cook's Tour, as well as the book by the same name.  He chose Nibiki restaurant in Tokyo to try it, run by chef/owner Kichiro Yoshida (whose father was the first licensed fugu chef in Japan).  Bon, have you been there?  They showed close ups of the carving, cleansing & preparations, as well as the disposal of remnants (held under lock & key, lest they fall into the wrong hands).  He had the paper thin sashimi and hot pot as described by Bon, as well as batter-fried fugu.  While tasty, he said fugu was rather bland.  He also did not get any tingly feeling, which was a good thing.  He also mentioned about 10 people in Japan die each year from eating fugu (I think from eating the liver).

[cabrales]

about 10 people in Japan die each year from eating fugu (I think from eating the liver).

Speaking of liver, BON or other members, do Japanese people tend to eat fish liver other than monkfish and fugu? I recently had a liver of cod at a friend's place, and it was very yummy (not at all reminiscent of cod liver oil).

Leads on fish liver sampling (incl. monkfish liver) in NYC, London or Paris would be appreciated.  

[BON]

Speaking of liver, BON or other members, do Japanese people tend to eat fish liver other than monkfish and fugu? I recently had a liver of cod at a friend's place, and it was very yummy (not at all reminiscent of cod liver oil).

Fugu liver is poisonous and we do not eat it by any

means. I suppose it it "orchis". It is bland in taste but

gives marshmallow-like texture.

Bonito's entrails are fermented by salt and eaten in Japan.

It is called "Shutou" meaning sake stealer!

[cabrales]

I'd appreciate members' input on reputable restaurants serving fugu in each of Tokyo and Kyoto. Please discuss, if available, the extent to which fugu is the specialty of the restaurant in question.

In the November 2002 edition of Food & Beverage International, GraceAnn Walden's Chefs' Chat column relates to "What's the Strangest Thing You Have Ever Eaten?" Alan Wong of Honolulu notes:

"Fugu, a blackfish, native to Japan, that if not prepared and cleaned properly can cause death by respiratory paralysis. People enjoy the slight tingling sensations that eating it produces. 'I had it in Tokyo, at a restaurant where it is the only item on the menu' . . . . 'For the first one [dish], the server started off the meal by putting a match to the dry tail of the fish. After the flames were extinguished, the tail was set in a glass and then it was filled with sake. It was refilled many times that night.' 'Interestingly, every part of the fish was prepared using different cooking methods. One of the shabu shabu style dishes contained a fish part called "Shirako" which looks like a pale yellow cooked egg yolk. It is the fish's sperm-producing organ. It reminded me of foie gras.' 'The second shabu shabu dish featured a rectangular piece from the mouth of the fish which included the gums, lips and teeth. I had a hard time wtih this part and as you can imagine, a lot of sake was consumed with that fish.'"

[tissue]

When I had fugu, at the end of our meal the waitress added rice, scallions to fugu broth, cracked an egg to make a type congee.

The broth was very sweet and it was wonderful.

[cabrales]

tissue -- Where did you have fugu?

[torakris]

For some info on peoples fugu experiences check out the following sites

http://cygnus.uwa.edu.au/~mccormax/japan/fugu.html

http://www.travelintelligence.net/wsd/arti...s/art_1784.html

I have eaten fugu on numerous occasions, and don't really get all the "hype" surrounding it. It is a very bland fish, almost tasteless and the very few deaths that do occur are usually by people who tried to prepare it by themselves. More deaths occur every year by people eating the traditonal mochi (sticky rice) cakes at New Years. When the New Years holidays are over there is always an article in the newspaper erporting how many mochi deaths there were. However fugu, another common New Years food is never listed in the list of fatalities during the holidays (BTW the #1 is of course car accidents).

Most restaurants that serve fugu, specialize only in fugu and there are about 3,000 establishments in the country. Making it not quite as rare or special as people believe.

During the winter months plates of fugu sashimi can be found in any supermarket along with various body parts to be made into a nabe (one pot meal) right in your own home. I have had both the supermarket fugu and restaurant fugu and admit that the pricier one tastes better, but it is still not really good.

[David Dowell]

Certainly among the best: Tentake in Tokyo.

telephone: 81.3.3541.3881

having said that, the card I have from Tentake is otherwise in Japanese so I can't give you the address. and it may be a long shot that anyone who answers the phone speaks english.

Tentake's speciality is fugu.

typically, it's a large plate of translucently thin slices

followed by the broth described in previous post.

good luck with this one!

I was hosted, so don't know the price, but would expect typically spendy high end Tokyo. maybe $100 / person.

[torakris]

Certainly among the best:  Tentake in Tokyo.

telephone:  81.3.3541.3881

having said that, the card I have from Tentake is otherwise in Japanese so I can't give you the address.  and it may be a long shot that anyone who answers the phone speaks english.

Tentake's speciality is fugu.

typically, it's a large plate of translucently thin slices

followed by the broth described in previous post.

good luck with this one!

I was hosted, so don't know the price, but would expect typically spendy high end Tokyo.  maybe $100 / person.

Here is a link to the above mentioned restaurant.

http://www.x-media.co.jp/gourmet/gnet/shop..._WTN_0475.shtml

It is only in Japanese, sorry.

It seems like a very reasonably priced restaurant with courses starting at 5,900 yen (about $50) and various items a la carte.

[tissue]

Cabrales-

Sorry I don't remember the name. I was still in high school when I went, was quite a long time ago...

[torakris]

I posted the below post in the Fugu in Seattle thread (

but feel that it has relevance here as well, the reply is to one person's question as to why I don't see fugu as a risky food.

Fugu in Japan is treasured because it is a seasonal delicacy, no different than the way they feast on matsutake in the late summer/early fall. I have never heard the Japanese talk about the dangers of fugu or see eating it as a risk. If it is prepared properly there should be no risk. We have just entered fugu season in Japan and fugu can be found in any supermarket, fugu sliced up as sashimi, fugu to be deep fried, fugu for nabe, etc. Not all fugu are poisonous and those that are vary in their toxicity and where it is located. This is a reason it should be prepared by a professional.

Here is a chart of some of the fugu varities and their toxic parts (in both English and Japanese):

http://www.coara.or.jp/~sueyoshi/data03/fugu03.html

Here is a chart of teh # of fugu related deaths in Japan for the years 1993 to 2001:

http://www.kenkou.metro.tokyo.jp/shokuhin/hugu/sirouto.html

(this is only in Japanese)

scroll down just a little and you will see a chart with 4 columns, the first column which contains numbers are the years 5 is 1993 and it ends with 13 (2001), the next list is the # of incidents of fugu poisoning (nationwide for that year), the next is the # of people treated for the poisoning, and the last column is the # of deaths.

scroll down a bit more and they will compare the number fugu poisonings (first line) with the number of poisonings from mushrooms. The result are from the same ten year period.

Most of the fugu poisonings (same as for the mushrooms) are due to people trying to prepare the fugu themselves. As you say in the first chart there are close to 20 varieties and teh toxic levels are very different, eat the wrong part of the wrong fish and you could die. Leave it to the professionals and you will be fine.

I find the fugu itself to be very bland and it is only with the addition of the various condiments(dipping sauces, etc) that is served with that make it a fugu meal a pleasurable experience. What I meant in my other post was I don't find it worth the money.

[SG-]

Certainly among the best:  Tentake in Tokyo.

telephone:  81.3.3541.3881

having said that, the card I have from Tentake is otherwise in Japanese so I can't give you the address.  and it may be a long shot that anyone who answers the phone speaks english.

Tentake's speciality is fugu.

typically, it's a large plate of translucently thin slices

followed by the broth described in previous post.

good luck with this one!

I was hosted, so don't know the price, but would expect typically spendy high end Tokyo.  maybe $100 / person.

Here is a link to the above mentioned restaurant.

http://www.x-media.co.jp/gourmet/gnet/shop..._WTN_0475.shtml

It is only in Japanese, sorry.

It seems like a very reasonably priced restaurant with courses starting at 5,900 yen (about $50) and various items a la carte.

Looks like the place I came across around Shibuya or Harajuku somewhere in that vicinity. Can anyone confirm? Couldn't read the address.

I peered inside but did not see any patrons, so not knowing anything decided to pass. Ended up at some okonomiyaki place instead. Now I have no bragging rights!!!! Darn!

[torakris]

The address for the restaurant is Tsukiji, not very close to the Shibuya/Harajuku area.

[smallworld]

I like fugu- I wouldn't exactly call it bland, it's kind of sweet and mild. And the texture is great- the crunchy skin; the firm sashimi; the meaty, chicken-like cooked flesh; the soft rich shirako- ummmm! And the broth leftover from fugu nabe is really delicious and delicate tasting- it makes great zousui (like a congee, as described by Tissue.

But I agree 100% with Kristin- it's not really worth the money. It's fine as a once in a lifetime meal, or at the most every few years or so, but I definately wouldn't want to eat it regularly. It is also over-hyped in the west- I have never felt any tingling sensations and wouldn't want to- the tingling is the first sign of poisoning!

That said, recently several restaurants have popped up offering very reasonably priced fugu. Portions are small and they don't use the highest-quality fish, but they allow you to try authentic fugu without breaking the bank.

One popular place is called 'Genpin Shimonoseki Fugu', with branches throughout Tokyo. 'Techiri', a kind of fugu nabe, is available for the low price of 1980yen and courses are offered for 3700yen and 4980yen.

http://www.tettiri.com/ (Japanese only, sorry)

We tried to go one of their places a few years ago but found it badly over-crowded so we opted for another place instead, with courses from 3500 to 8000yen. It was excellent and I'd recommend it to anyone except that it's way out in Kichijouji. Let me know if you want details (the website is Japanese).

http://daibizen.co.jp/ikesu-kichijoji/

Finally, the English version of Gourmet Navigator lists nine restaurants that serve fugu in the Tokyo area. Can't get a direct link to work but you can search here (they call it 'globefish'):

http://gnavi.joy.ne.jp/kanto/index-e.htm

[torakris]

I recently posted this on the Ishikawa Prefecture thread (http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=55889)

but thought is should be here also:

Kanazawa is also the only place in Japan that sells the ovaries from the fugu or blowfish, these are one of the most poisonous parts of the fish but the method they use for pickling them renders them harmless:

Today, the production of pickled fugu ovary begins

with the selection of the ovary. Instead of throwing

away ovaries left over when fugu flesh is pickled in

nukamiso or mirin, these remaining ovaries are set

aside.

Next, the ovaries are placed in fresh

water to remove any surface dirt, and the unwanted

stringy tubes attached to the ovary’s chorion are

removed along with other extraneous materials. The

ovaries are then placed in a tub and a 30% mix of salt

is added. The resulting mixture is set aside for

between six months and a year.

The ovaries are then removed and pickled in

nukamiso that contains a small amount of rice koji and

some salted sardine or mackerel broth. They remain

there, fermenting beneath a stone weight, for over two

years before finally being shipped out or pickled in

sake lees for another month.

The traditional explanation is that this approach removes

the poison and indeed, the highly poisonous

tetrodotoxin found in fugu before pickling has

completely disappeared from the end product. Not

only have there been no reported cases of death after

eating this dish, it is nowadays sold as a regional

delicacy at local souvenir stores in Kanazawa, as well

as at pickle stores and specialty shops.

much more info over here (page 2):

http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:VyXXYK2...lang_en|lang_ja

[Kiem Hwa]

Yaki-Fugu and Fugu-Nabe.

These are the dishes I had in Osaka (Dontonbori Ave) recently. The prices were ok... about 5,000Yen/2 people.

It was quite fun, they brought out a small table-top charcoal grill and grilled fugu, dipping it into a lemony sauce - ponzu maybe. We also had a hotpot with fugu in it.

They also put the cheek of the fugu into the hotpot - our waitress seemed to indicate this was something special, though my Japanese was too poor to converse with her about it.

However, I agree that the taste of Fugu is not very exciting. It reminds me most of chilean sea bass, a thick, oily, rich fish, but without distinctive flavor, no tingling either.

Well, at least I can say Ive tried it, though we passed on trying the fugu-sashimi.

[torakris]

Kiem Hwa, welcome to the Japan Forum!

Sounds like you got a good price on that fugu!

[dornachu]

I recently came back from a trip to Tokyo, it was a blast!! And i ate at the aforementioned fugu place; 'Genpin Shimonoseki Fugu'

I didn't get the thrilled that people mentioned, but nonetheless, it was a wonderful experience. It wasn't that expensive, but it was adventorous.

I had a wonderful time!! And no, they don't speak english. :(

I used my limited japanese, but was able to get by.

[smallworld]

I'm glad you guys enjoyed your fugu.

Dornachu, which branch of Genpin Shimonoseki Fugu did you go to? Did you get the full course?

Kiem Hwa, aren't you lucky! Many folks consider the cheek (of any fish) to be the best part. But considering the size of fugu, I'm surprised it was pointed out to you. I mean, the cheek chouldn't have been larger than a pea! Were you even able to find the cheeks in the nabe, or did they just kind of melt away?

[dornachu]

I'm glad you guys enjoyed your fugu.

Dornachu, which branch of Genpin Shimonoseki Fugu did you go to? Did you get the full course?

I'm sorry for the delay response. I went to the one in the Kabuki district. I got course "B". and added the charcoil broil thing. It was very fun !

[donk79]

In the Frog Sashimi Thread here, the question was raised of Fugu possibly being deliberatley left with minute amounts of poison. A quote from wikipedia (ever the reliable source) was posted about this. I have never eaten Fugu, and have no interest in doing so, but have heard this before. However, I have only heard it in one place, and suspect that it might be the source of the wikipedia information. In Ian Fleming's James Bond novel, You Only Live Twice, James is treated to a Fugu meal.

This webpage talks about Jame's Fugu meal. I believe the information here is is pulled directly form the book.

This is the pertinent paragraph from that page

The fugu is the Japanese blowfish that has the ability to inflate its body to many times its normal size and project protective spikes. Inflated and dried, they are sometimes used as lanterns, particularly outside fugu restaurants. Some of the fish’s organs contain tetrodotoxin, 1,200 times more deadly than cyanide and a pinprick of it can kill. As a result, fugu chefs must be specially licensed to prepare the fish, which produces a numbness of the lips due to trace amounts of the poison remaining. Nearly 100 people die every year from fugu poisoning, mainly because they have prepared it themselves, and preparation is so specialised that the fish costs up to $200 per head. One more curious fact – it is the only fish that can close its eyes. “That’s just what I would have chosen for dinner”, jests Bond when learning of its properties, but the “very thinly sliced and rather transparent white fish” served raw “tasted of nothing, not even of fish”.

So does this idea of minute amounts of posion being deliberately left in Fugu have any more reputable source than a novel?

[JasonTrue]

Well, the "deliberate" part is bunk. People deliberately eat fugu, knowing that there's some risk, but there's no way the chefs are deliberately leaving poison in or intentionally transferring small amounts of it to the flesh.

Japan has liability laws, too...

The organs which have high concentrations of the neurotoxin must be carefully removed or they can cause cross-contamination. Small amounts of the toxin, or some other chemical that produces the numbing effect, may be present in the rest of the fish, but are not intentionally added to other parts of the fish.

This kind of problem also occurs in other animals, with less immediate consequences: butchering cattle, for instance, often cross-contaminates meat with e. coli because of errors when removing the intestines, for example.

(Caveat: I have not, and will not, eat fugu, but this is merely due to my vegetarian habit)

There are also different species of fugu with different toxicity attributes:

http://www.coara.or.jp/~sueyoshi/data03/fugu03.html

This page indicates the gender of the fish also affects the toxicity:

http://www.coara.or.jp/~sueyoshi/data03/fugu04.html

In the Frog Sashimi Thread here, the question was raised of Fugu possibly being deliberatley left with minute amounts of poison.  A quote from wikipedia (ever the reliable source) was posted about this.  I have never eaten Fugu, and have no interest in doing so, but have heard this before.  However, I have only heard it in one place, and suspect that it might be the source of the wikipedia information.  In Ian Fleming's James Bond novel, You Only Live Twice, James is treated to a Fugu meal.

This webpage talks about Jame's Fugu meal.  I believe the information here is is pulled directly form the book. 

This is the pertinent paragraph from that page

The fugu is the Japanese blowfish that has the ability to inflate its body to many times its normal size and project protective spikes. Inflated and dried, they are sometimes used as lanterns, particularly outside fugu restaurants. Some of the fish’s organs contain tetrodotoxin, 1,200 times more deadly than cyanide and a pinprick of it can kill. As a result, fugu chefs must be specially licensed to prepare the fish, which produces a numbness of the lips due to trace amounts of the poison remaining. Nearly 100 people die every year from fugu poisoning, mainly because they have prepared it themselves, and preparation is so specialised that the fish costs up to $200 per head. One more curious fact – it is the only fish that can close its eyes. “That’s just what I would have chosen for dinner”, jests Bond when learning of its properties, but the “very thinly sliced and rather transparent white fish” served raw “tasted of nothing, not even of fish”.

So does this idea of minute amounts of posion being deliberately left in Fugu have any more reputable source than a novel?

←

[Hiroyuki]

I did some googling but found no relevant information. I think this is just a bad example of a story someone said as a joke and someone else believed it was true.

The number of cases of fugu poisoning is smaller, 61 in 2004, and the number of deaths 2.

My family had fugu sashimi on February 9 (Fugu Day)!

For an explanation of the photos, click here.

Edited March 17, 2007 by Hiroyuki (log)