![]() ![]() ![]() “It’s contained in things such as microorganisms and accumulates in puffer fish, making them poisonous. “Tetrodotoxin is not something that the fish produces,” said Kaneko. Realising that saltwater fish could be cultivated in hot spring water, he contacted Professor Toyoji Kaneko, a fish physiology specialist who researches fish osmoregulation at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences.īut how does the water ensure that Yumesozo’s fish aren’t toxic? Although they all grew well, tiger puffer was chosen after profitability and species value were compared. #Fugu japanese seriesNoguchi zeroed in on these advantages and began a series of rearing experiments with filefish, sea bream, flatfish and tiger puffer. It also contains sodium and potassium, with no sulphur or other noxious minerals. At about 20☌, the water is cooler than at most hot springs, with a salt content of 0.9 – 1.2 percent, or one third that of seawater. Late President Katsuaki Noguchi came up with the idea of farming puffer fish after he discovered springs of warm water in the mountains, around 500m below ground level. Yumesozo is located in the rural, mountainous town of Nasu-karasuyama, in Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo. Some farms rear the fish on a controlled diet that doesn’t contain the microorganisms and smaller species that puffer fish ingest at sea. While it may seem far too risky to eat puffer fish, what appeals to many people is the thrill of having what could be their last meal.īut is that thrill now disappearing? Thanks to advances in puffer fish research and farming, Japanese fisheries and university laboratories have started to cultivate a non-toxic version of the rare and expensive tiger puffer ( Takifugu rubripes). The key for chefs is making sure that poison from the organs doesn’t reach parts of the fish that are edible, such as the meat and fins. As little as two milligrams is enough to kill an adult human. It’s found in several of the fugu's organs, including the liver and gonads. ![]() The poison in puffer fish is a powerful neurotoxin called tetrodotoxin, which is thought to come from microorganisms and smaller sea life, such as shrimp and shellfish, that the fish ingests. Chefs undergo strict training, followed by an extensive exam, before they are legally allowed to prepare the species. Every plate is a work of art, every dish is a work of science,” Hata said.Īccording to Western Australia’s Department of Fisheries, puffer fish are the second most poisonous vertebrate in the world after the golden poison frog.The highly toxic puffer fish, or fugu, is the most dangerous meal you can have in Japan. “Master chefs cut them into the shapes of chrysanthemum petals, Mount Fuji or into animals like peacocks, turtles and butterflies. Toshiharu Hata, a fugu wholesaler in Japan previously told CNN it is traditionally served as transparent paper-thin strips on porcelain pates. Mizuno added that the supermarket told the quarantine office that their licensed employee who cut the blowfish thought this type of fugu was not poisonous as they had previously sold it with its liver before.įugu meat is sold regularly for sashimi and hot pot ingredients. The office has since launched an investigation into the supermarket, Mizuno said.Ī third pack was later returned accounting for all five packages. Two packs of the recalled fish were located and returned on Monday night after the city’s quarantine office was alerted by a consumer who had bought the product and found the liver still inside. The liver should never be eaten because only testing can detect the poison. Mizuno told CNN that this particular type of blowfish usually has very weak or no poison, but the food hygiene laws prohibit the sale of any liver given its potentially poisonous implications. However, Gamagori city activated an emergency warning to its citizens alerting them through all wireless systems, including community loud speakers, against eating the fugu and recalling the product. The two people who consumed the fish have not reported any health problems as this time. Japanese chef Shigekazu Suzuki slices up a pufferfish, known as fugu in Japan, to remove toxic internal organs at his Tokyo restaurant 'Torafugu-tei.' YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/GettyImagesĪn intoxicating tour of Japan's deadly puffer fish capital ![]()
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