Fugu

Japan’s riskiest dish might be frightening for some, but the idea of eating poisonous pufferfish is a rush for others. A dangerously delicious local delicacy, carefully prepared pufferfish is known as fugu, famous for its incredible texture and unique flavor. Cooked a variety of ways, fugu can be smoked, seared, fried, or thrown into a hot pot, but its best eaten raw. Using exceptionally thin knife blades, fugu can be enjoyed as finely sliced sashimi, strangely textural and ghostly translucent. As the toxic areas of the fish must be skillfully removed, only licensed restaurants can sell fugu in Japan, deadly poisonous if not prepared absolutely precisely. Also enjoyed in fresh sushi, people in Japan have challenged fugu for well over 2000 years, risky business that’s too tasty to pass up.

Outside of specialty restaurants in Osaka, big pufferfish mark the entrances with a matching hefty price tag. This delicacy doesn’t come cheap, but its a culinary wonder that’s prized in Japan. In order to prepare pufferfish in Japan, chefs are required to have a minimum of three years of professional training. For foodie adrenaline junkies, brave a dining experience with us to taste fugu at a qualified restaurant in Osaka, or learn about fugu sashimi in-depth during a fish cutting class in Tokyo. Don’t fear the fugu, delicate sashimi from poisonous pufferfish is possible, but only in Japan.