However, there are also many specialty restaurants that offer fugu-centered course meals. Why Is the Pufferfish So Delicious?Īn individual can expect to pay anywhere from 3000 yen to several thousands of yen for fugu sashimi, depending on market value. From then on, fugu cuisine had the official seal of approval, although it became a requirement for chefs serving fugu to have a special cooking license. Fortunately, the prime minister thoroughly enjoyed the fugu dishes - he is said to have even been smacking his lips because of them. Due to the instability of the region then, fugu were the only fish that could reliably be caught in Shimonoseki at the time, and the proprietress of the restaurant had no choice but to offer the prime minister fugu-based dishes. Japan's first prime minister at that time, Itou Hirobumi stopped by a traditional restaurant in Shimonoseki (a place famous for its fugu). Because of this there was a long period of history wherein eating fugu was forbidden, and this fish and its related cuisines all but disappeared from Japan.īut about 150 years ago, fugu cuisine reached a turning point.

Loved by foodies as a high-class food, fugu are perhaps most infamous for the toxin found in their liver and ovaries. Where to Eat Fugu The History of Fugu Cuisine Delicious Fugu Dishes That You Just Have to Tryħ. Today we will be taking a look at the history of fugu and its main forms of preparation, as well as reporting on fugu specialty shops. The word 'fugu' closely resembles 'fuku', which is the Japanese word for 'good fortune' and as such is treated like a lucky charm and served during celebrations and at other auspicious occasions. A very strange-looking fish, the white flesh, as well as the skin, fillet, milt and other parts of fugu are used to make sashimi, or are deep fried, and used in an extensive range of dishes that are eaten with gusto.įugu are internationally known for being a highly poisonous fish, which is why these dishes can only be prepared by exceptionally skilled chefs that have studied for years and undergo vigorous certification processes regularly. One of the most luxurious foods in Japan is fugu or puffer fish (also called blowfish), which is a seafood that the Japanese have been familiar with since ancient times.

Fugu foods