Blowfish testicles in the news

[CoolBreeze]

Blowfish testicles prepared by an unauthorized chef sickened seven diners in northern Japan and three remained hospitalized Tuesday after eating the poisonous delicacy.

The owner of the restaurant in Tsuruoka city, who is also the chef, had no license to serve blowfish and was being questioned on suspicion of professional negligence, police official Yoshihito Iwase said.


Interesting Blowfish Facts:

The arrangement of the muscles in the jaw gives it huge amounts of crushing force, but little speed or suction. Some of the fish's organs - the ovaries, testicles, skin, muscles and particularly the liver – contain tetrodotoxin, a powerful poison. Tetrodotoxin is 1,200 times deadlier than cyanide, and one fish contains enough poison to kill 30 people. Acting mainly on the nervous system, the symptoms in order of severity are:


Chefs have to be specially trained and licensed to prepare and cook fugu, as there are many different types of fugu and the poisonous parts vary. There is a written and practical test; only a quarter of applicants pass the written test, and the practical test includes eating the fish that has been prepared.

The preparation requires a 30-step process, leaving just enough of the tetrodotoxin so that the mildest effects tantalise the diner, yet leaving them safe from the devastating and irreversible effects of a fatal amount.

Deaths do, however, still occur. From 1974 until 1983 there were 646 reported cases of fugu fish-poisoning in Japan, with 179 fatalities. It is a continuing problem in Japan, with between 30 and 100 cases of poisoning reported every year, although most of these cases are caused by home preparation.

The rules for preparing fugu are extremely strict. There are rules for cleanliness and preparation, storage of the toxicparts, and careful reporting on the amount of fish handled and the distribution of the internal organs. People with poor vision or who are colour blind are not eligible to train as fugu chefs.

Eating fugu is an experience, and not something to be rushed through.

Typical of Japanese, there is a sort of ritual built around fugu consumption, not unlike a buddhist tea
ceremony. First, the blowfish to be eaten is shown to the diners. The sushi chef opens the fish and removes all of its organs, specifically the liver which contains the deadly poison.

The fins are then removed and fried, then served in hot sake, known as Fugu Hire-zake. The blowfish skin is painstakingly removed, and de-spiked with pliers, and the skin is then placed in a salad known as Yubiki,
flavored with a vinegar/soy dressing called Ponzu. After the skin is removed, the head is cut off, the fish filleted and then paper-thin slices are served as sashimi to the guests.

One more odd thing about blowfish: of all the species of fish, blowfish are the only ones who can Close close their eyes.

The attractions of this fish are many and varied. Some say that the delicate flavour is the main attraction, others say that the testes in a glass of hot sake are a powerful aphrodisiac. Part of the experience of eating the fish is the warm tingling and slight numbing of the lips that is one of the symptoms of eating the toxin. But without a doubt, the biggest thrill is the kudos gained from eating a meal that could cost your life, and surviving.