【Reading】ふぐ

【English Name】Pufferfish

Fugu is a general name for fishes of the family Tetraodontidae of the order Tetraodontiformes, of which there are about 120 species. In sushi and Japanese cuisine the torafugu (tiger pufferfish) is treated as an especially high-grade ingredient, and mafugu and others are also eaten. Many species accumulate a deadly poison called tetrodotoxin in their bodies, and the poisonous parts differ by species. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare limits the fugu permitted for food use to 21 species and stipulates that the edible parts be only the muscle, skin, or testes. Cooking requires a specialized qualification certified by the prefecture.

For wild catch, Fukuoka Prefecture has the largest landings, followed by Yamaguchi and Shimane Prefectures. In aquaculture, Nagasaki Prefecture accounts for about 60% of the total. Shimonoseki City is the place where fugu eating was first officially licensed in Japan in the Meiji era, and ever since it has become a major center where processing businesses are concentrated. Consumption is overwhelmingly high in Osaka, with about 60% of the total consumed in that region.

Representative dishes are tessa (thin sashimi), tecchiri (hot pot), and grilled milt (shirako-yaki). The season is mainly winter, but with the spread of aquaculture it has become possible to eat it year-round. Fugu poison does not break down even at 300°C or higher, and since no effective antidote exists, cooking by unqualified persons is regulated by law.