The World’s Most Deadly Feast?

Fugu has been consumed in Japan for centuries, although its historic origins are unclear. Bones of fugu have been found in several shell mounds called kaizuka in Jōmon period that date back more than 2,300 years. The Tokugawa shogunate (1603–1868) prohibited the consumption of fugu in Edo and its area of influence, yet it became common again as the power of the shogunate weakened. In Western regions of Japan, where the influence of the Government was weaker and fugu was easier to get, various cooking methods were developed to safely eat these fish. During the Meiji Era (1867–1912) fugu was again banned in many areas of Japan. Fugu is also the only delicacy officially forbidden to the Emperor of Japan, for his own safety.

The most prestigious edible species is the torafugu or Tiger Blowfish (T. rubripes), which is also the most poisonous. Other species are also eaten, as for example T. pardalis, T. vermicularis, and T. porphyreus. The Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare has created a list which shows which species contain body parts that can be consumed. Other genera that can be consumed according to them include the puffers Lagocephalus and Sphoeroides, and the related porcupinefish of the genus Diodon.

Strict fishing regulations are now in place to protect the fugu populations from being depleted. Most fugu are now harvested in the spring during the spawning season, and then farmed in floating cages in the Pacific Ocean. The largest wholesale market for fugu in Japan is in Shimonoseki.

Fugu prices rise in autumn and peak in winter, which is the best time to eat fugu, as they fatten to survive the cold. The fugu is shipped to the restaurant alive and stored in the restaurant in a large tank, usually prominently displayed. Because fugu are aggressive and have sharp teeth, in captivity the mouths of fugu are often sewn shut to keep the fish from injuring each other.[citation needed] Prepared fugu is also often available in grocery stores, which must display official documents that license them to distribute fresh fugu. Whole fish of the species in question may not be sold to the general public.

Since 1958, only specially licensed chefs can prepare and sell fugu to the public. The fugu apprentice needs a two- or three-year apprenticeship before being allowed to take an official test. The test consists of a written test, a fish-identification test, and a practical test of preparing fugu and then eating it. Only 30% of the applicants pass the test.[citation needed] This, of course, does not mean that 70% die from poisoning; rather they made a small mistake in the long and complicated procedure of preparing the dish. Due to this rigorous examination process, it is generally safe to eat the sliced fugu sold in restaurants or markets.

Furthermore, most fugu sold nowadays comes from fish with only a small amount of toxin. Selling or serving the most toxic liver is illegal in Japan, but this “forbidden fruit” is still sometimes eaten by amateur cooks, often with fatal results. After the years following Japan’s defeat in World War II, when several homeless people died from eating fugu organs that had been discarded into insecure trashcans, restaurants in Japan were required to store the poisonous inner organs in specially locked barrels that are later burned as hazardous waste.

A dish of fugu can cost easily ¥5,000 (approx. US$50) but it can be found for as little as ¥2,000 (approx. US$20), and a full course fugu meal can cost between ¥10,000 and ¥20,000 (approx. US$100 to US$200) or more. Due to the expense of fugu, the fish is sliced very carefully to obtain the largest possible amount of meat without the poison. A special knife called fugu hiki is traditionally used to slice fugu and it is usually stored carefully in a separate location from other knives.

Some professional chefs prepare the fish so there is a minute amount of poison in the meat, giving a prickling feeling and numbness on the tongue and the lips.[citation needed] The most popular dish is fugu sashimi, also called Fugu sashi or tessa, sliced so thin that the pattern of the plate can be seen through the meat. These plates are often decorated so removal of the slices will be aesthetically pleasing as well. The fins of the fish are also fried and served in hot sake, a dish called Fugu Hire-zake.

Vegetables and fugu can also be simmered as Fugu-chiri, also called techiri, in which case the very light taste of the fish is hard to detect among the taste of the vegetables and the dip. Fugu can also be eaten deep fried as Fugu Kara-age. If the spikes in the skin are pulled out, the skin can also be eaten as part of a salad called yubiki.In several remote locations, complex pickling processes have been devised, which allow the poisonous parts of the fugu to be eaten. While the exact methods are kept secret, they involve long and heavy saturation in sake and salt for over three years.(Setsuko Yoshizuka)

 

Ikan Buntal, Menu Paling Berbahaya di Dunia

Ikan Buntal, boleh saja tidak berharga samasekali di Indonesia.  Namun di negara Sakura, Jepang, Ikan Buntal adalah menu makanan yang sangat mahal harganya, sekaligus merupakan makanan yang paling berbahaya di seluruh dunia!

Racun dalam ikan buntal sangat berbahaya, bahkan dapat menyebabkan kematian mendadak, sehingga hanya koki yang berpengalaman dan berizin saja yang boleh mengolah masakan ini. Untuk mendapatkan izin,  seorang koki harus memiliki kemampuan dan pengetahuan tertentu mengenai ikan fugu ini.

Setiap ikan fugu memiliki racun yang berbeda di setiap bagian tubuhnya, sehingga pengetahuan para koki berizin dapat mencegah penikmatnya terhindar dari kematian.

Walaupun resikonya adalah kematian, namun penikmat masakan Fugu dalam bahasa Jepang ini sangat banyak. Sehingga muncul pemeo “Aku mau makan fugu, tetapi aku tidak mau mati”.

Huruf kanji untuk penulisan nama ikan ini, jika diterjemahkan secara harfiah berarti “babi sungai”. Di daerah Jepang Barat, fugu disebut “fuku” yang berarti “meniup” atau “kebahagiaan”.

Tidak hanya itu, harga seporsi ikan fugu berkisar antara  US$ 100-200 (sekitar Rp. 1-2 juta dengan kurs Rp. 10000)

Jenis ikan Fugu Tora yang paling mahal harganya karena dagingnya memiliki rasa yang berbeda dari ikan sejenis. Bahkan telur ikan buntal ini sangat lezat dan sangat mahal harganya. Harganya dapat mencapai Rp. 1 Juta per ekornya dipasar ikan setempat. Berbagai masakan yang dapat diolah adri ikan buntal ini antara lain; fugu sashi, fugu chiri, ikan buntal rebus dicampur sayuran dan rumput laut, fugu kara age atau ikan buntal goreng tepung dan fugu hire zake, yang tiap potongannya direndam dalam arak khas Jepang atau sake.(vb/01)

 

 

 

 

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