The fish that almost killed Homer Simpson
I went a little crazy with the spending this past week and have unfortunately gone into the negative on my account until pay day. I did however manage to pick up all the things I wanted (Wii) and needed (camera charger and batteries). If only I could sell my bike and golf clubs on craigslist already!
I’ve also just posted a new featured article to Fishing Fury, all thanks go to Adam Guy.
To be poisoned by Fugu is to be shot with a musket: both are deadly.
So goes the old Japanese saying, revealing how even in the age of black powder the potency of the poison of the Fugu was known to the natives of these shores. In the West too, Fugu poison has been known for many years; Captain Cook documented its effects (and those of Ciguatera poisoning) in his second voyage of discovery in the 1770s. However, the flesh of the Fugu is not poisonous and is a highly prized and very expensive delicacy in Japan. In purely culinary terms, Fugu is quite a versatile ingredient that possesses a unique texture, lending it to a number of different methods of preparation. The very high prices paid for Fugu meals give it a rather hallowed status and is considered quite the indulgence, whilst the apparent danger associated with such a poisonous fish imbues the diner with a sense of daring or adventure. In fact, the gourmands name for raw Fugu, tessa, is an ironic term derived from the phrase teppō sashimi, or musket sashimi. However, with the correct preparation Fugu can be enjoyed quite safely and here in Japan, especially in the eastern Kantō region, the hungry fisherman can indulge himself in Fugu dishes that normally command prohibitively high prices in exclusive restaurants.
