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Eating Fugu, the World's Most Dangerous Meal

nymag.com — Our chief restaurant critic travels to Tokyo to eat the world ’s most dangerous meal. So what does fugu taste like? And what’s that funny tingling in his throat?

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  • MookiBlaylock, on 05/01/2008, -2/+25Very fascinating to say the least.
    • mtwoar, on 05/01/2008, -4/+2FTA "Even better, tonight, I’ve been told, he’ll be serving that most prized portion of the fugu anatomy known as shira-ko, a.k.a. the engorged fugu sperm sac." Fascinating indeed. Sounds scrumptious!
    • Stroggoth, on 05/01/2008, -3/+0Banzai Fugu: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gNJ1z-ulB4
    • Jackosx, on 05/01/2008, -6/+4fascinating... try boring, eat the damn fish already, All I wanted to know if it tasted chewy, poisoney, ect...
      • devin_mm, on 05/01/2008, -1/+8Have you learned nothing, it's not about the taste it's about the experience.

        I thought the article was great, it makes me want to go to Tokyo.
    • Jackosx, on 05/01/2008, -1/+2More interesting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBc8e7fkc6E
    • diabolicdiablo, on 05/01/2008, -0/+1Well, that looks easy enough; Excuse me while I just going to go out an fry me up a deadly, poisonous, puffer fish now.
  • muncle, on 05/01/2008, -3/+65Simpsons did it!
    • AzeemAhmed, on 05/01/2008, -15/+4i did your mum :P

      and Megan Fox

      and then i woke up :(
    • SuperVepr308, on 05/01/2008, -3/+1Blinky?
    • yohnstoppable, on 05/01/2008, -0/+4Like most things, Homer's problem was due to women being whores. had the main chef not been banging Mrs. Krabopple (spelling?), he'd have been able to cut the fish himself.
      • peestandingup, on 05/01/2008, -0/+2"But, master. We need your skilled hands."

        "My skilled hands are busy!!"
    • stevea1210, on 05/01/2008, -1/+2My mouth tastes like burning.
    • zodieman, on 05/01/2008, -0/+1Where's my FUGU !! ??
    • longbow486, on 05/01/2008, -0/+2But Sir the Fugu fish...
      I SAID FUGU ME!
    • ride912, on 05/01/2008, -2/+0dugg for southpark reference
    • jstem1994, on 05/02/2008, -0/+1Poison. Poison. Poison. Good fish!
  • prezzy, on 05/01/2008, -4/+74fug u im not eatin that
  • AdamZC, on 05/01/2008, -18/+3I know guys that have eaten something much more dangerous than Fugu. Funny enough it smelled about the same.
  • PueSi, on 05/01/2008, -2/+8I heard that some a lot of people die not because they eat badly prepared fugu, they die because they eat too much fugu (even good fugu contains some toxins)
  • DiscoLando, on 05/01/2008, -3/+58"fugu is derived from “fuku,” which means “to blow” in Japanese"

    How appropriate... on many levels.
  • Ndiggnation, on 05/01/2008, -11/+2I think the worlds most dangerous meal would be Polar or Grizzly bear, maybe African lion..
    • weatherbred, on 05/01/2008, -1/+2only if they're alive.
    • logan074, on 05/02/2008, -0/+0They aren't that dangerous once you shoot them with a rifle from a few hundred yards.
  • krets, on 05/01/2008, -9/+117Why does an article about eating a freaking fish need to be six pages long?

    My ADD will not allow such things!
    • sircomix, on 05/01/2008, -3/+6Someone is paid by the column inch/word, that's why...
    • danthegrant, on 05/01/2008, -6/+19because not a news media has to abide by the 4th grade reading standards set by USA Today
      • krets, on 05/01/2008, -2/+3O_o
      • sdcarter, on 05/01/2008, -1/+6No, I get that. But six pages about eating an engorged sperm sac from a blowfish? That's like watching the Star Wars prequels... it might be the best thing ever or it might kill me... either way, I know how the story ends.
    • jazzboyrules, on 05/01/2008, -1/+11I enjoyed reading these six pages. It was a smooth light-humor read.
    • digggggggggg, on 05/01/2008, -0/+11Well, here's the gist of the story in 3 sentences:

      Top critic and his translator cohort go to extremely small restaurant run by one guy in Japan to try Fugu. Critic freaks out because his tongue feels numb, but finishes all the courses anyway. Critic feels somewhat disappointed, a bit disgusted, but most of all, relieved that the whole thing is over.
    • whisperedlie, on 05/01/2008, -1/+3i felt the same way at first, but it's actually a pleasant and quick read. his description of everything temporarily transported me there with him. i'd love to go to japan and check out places like that.
    • Daiken, on 05/01/2008, -1/+2Yeah, I think this is the first time I actually went ahead and READ all six pages. It was well written, and the experience was interesting.
  • EwMo, on 05/01/2008, -1/+17Dugg for "most likely to kill me dead"
  • ssmith2k3, on 05/01/2008, -1/+8also the favorite food of Bell Biv & Devoe
  • TheThirdLevel, on 05/01/2008, -17/+8Six pages? ***** that.
    • SubaruPowah, on 05/01/2008, -2/+1Well, I pulled it up just to see if he said what the fish tasted like, but I agree... 6 pages...

      Warning, not for anyone without even mild dedication.
      • simpleid, on 05/01/2008, -0/+1i wasn't dedicated, i just couldn't stop once i started. /sigh - that must be a cursed trait
    • Rikkochet, on 05/01/2008, -0/+9The summary is that he ate a fish.
  • chkdg8, on 05/01/2008, -11/+1***** you, I'm Vegan.
  • stillasleep00, on 05/01/2008, -5/+6I had a teacher once tell me about the time he ate blowfish. He described much of the same thing, but added that it was $100 for one bite
    • ParaSwarm, on 05/01/2008, -1/+2lol. It's about $4.00 for a bite in Okinawa. Your teacher got ripped off.
      • bhavinp, on 05/02/2008, -0/+1I would rather have the expensive one, the one you mentioned might kill.
        • *jooloop*, on 05/02/2008, -0/+1Either one could kill. One might say the cheaper option is more likely to kill...

    • anewname, on 05/01/2008, -1/+3He got ripped off... $100 bought me 2 plates of fugu sashimi and some other side dishes in Kochi.
  • dabura, on 05/01/2008, -9/+2i remember caught that fish along time ago. Then put it into a hot plastic bag ( swelling him up) to the point it look like a tenis then BAM! /kick back to ocean
  • zenithmbr, on 05/01/2008, -15/+5insert rick roll link, 'OM NOM NOM', 'fail', 'i can't believe this wasn't an onion article'...i leave anything out? please digg my comment, i want to feel popular and relevant :(
  • vexingmodstwo, on 05/01/2008, -3/+16With so many great tasting things available to eat without risking immediate death, why would you risk your life for something that doesn't even taste good?
    • MiDri, on 05/01/2008, -1/+12Same reason people do a lot of things, it gives them something to gloat about.
    • frepnog, on 05/01/2008, -1/+6because people with tons of money are ***** bored. that's why.
    • campigenus, on 05/02/2008, -0/+0The thinly sliced sashimi is not at all spectacular, but the deep fried kind is. It among the best, if not THE best, fish I have ever had.
  • Rezistik, on 05/01/2008, -13/+66 pages on eating a single fish? Learn the web admin some HTML and maybe have him put all that one page.
    • cowsgonemadd3, on 05/01/2008, -0/+1Or just summarize a bit...
    • thanakar, on 05/01/2008, -0/+4In this case the 6 pages weren't so bad. I actually had to scroll down on each page for the next button. Not every article is going to fit on one page.
  • Senturion, on 05/01/2008, -10/+3If something was covered by the Simpsons 15 years ago it isn't newsworthy.
  • eboy, on 05/01/2008, -8/+3just give me some carrots.
  • petrodollar, on 05/01/2008, -12/+4There are too many people in Asia. If this is what it takes to thin the herd, I'm all for it.
  • lpmiller, on 05/01/2008, -2/+73People who think fugu is the most dangerous food haven't eaten my mother in laws cooking.
  • Jackosx, on 05/01/2008, -5/+5I found my self reading this and thinking, "Eat the damn fish already!". Seriously how can someone draw out a big article about eating some damn fish!
    • Matt2k, on 05/01/2008, -0/+7It's narrative flair. Go back to the article about RSS feeds.
    • 507projex, on 05/01/2008, -0/+5Maybe because fugu is such a novelty in Japan, the writer tried to reflect that...
    • jazzboyrules, on 05/01/2008, -0/+10It's the art of writing. It shows how "You know what! I ate a deadly fish in Japan and lived!" can be transformed to a pleasant, humorous, and informative read. It's wonderful how he starts off with the summary of the whole incident, gives a history on this delicacy and then proceeds with his story in detail, inserting his interpreter's and chef's funny innuendos that told him: "You can die, this is risky, someone could have died of this dish in my restaurant, I'm not telling you." Give reading this article a try :)
      • codwif, on 05/01/2008, -0/+2agreed, its well written and worth taking the time to read.
    • mdcarso, on 05/01/2008, -1/+1paid by the word...
  • cykyc, on 05/01/2008, -2/+3You're more at risk dying from a car accident, it seems. I've had fugu sashimi style and also in a broth. It's more about the risk taking, but it seems it's a controlled risk. My Japanese companion told me restaurants that serve fugu are heavily regulated at least in Tokyo. I'd rather eat toro or uni; at least those have tastes and textures. But, heck, might as well do it if you're in Nippon...
    • ParanoydAndroid, on 05/01/2008, -0/+1As far as I'm concerned, uni is the single most horrible food designed by the Japanese. I hate natto, but I can stand it. Uni is like rotten snot ice cream.
      • campigenus, on 05/02/2008, -0/+0I used to think the same. Then, I had fresh uni that I "scooped" out of the sea. Quite a different experience, it's actually VERY good.
  • farTart, on 05/01/2008, -4/+4Overpriced and overrated. Bluefin Tuna - now *that* is damn good sashimi.
    • texpundit, on 05/01/2008, -1/+3I prefer unagi (eel).
      • campigenus, on 05/02/2008, -0/+0Not bad, but anago - sea eel - is even better. For me, anyway. Of course, nothing beats "ankimo" - monk fish liver.
    • ParanoydAndroid, on 05/01/2008, -0/+1Is Bluefin Tuna the same thing as Ahi Tuna? Ahi is by far the most common sashimi in Hawai'i but I have no idea what the english type would be. And either way, tako is the best (but unagi comes a really close second)
  • scy1192, on 05/01/2008, -1/+12poison...poison...tasty fish!
  • ybotoby, on 05/01/2008, -2/+2halibut tastes good too.
  • IWDA4, on 05/01/2008, -7/+2Why, those Japaneses would eat just about anythin', wouldn't they?
  • Meekus, on 05/01/2008, -0/+18aka porcupine puffer. I was considering getting a saltwater fish tank (70g) for one. They are the cutest fish. They actually follow you around from in the tank begging for food. Their eyes are very expressive, and owners are often reminded of a puppy. So much personality, I could never eat one of these cute little guys.
    • AngeloM3, on 05/01/2008, -0/+5If you ever interested in getting one started... send me a messege. I'm a saltwater tank freak! I got a 90g and a 20g. Very nice to have... A LOT of maintenance/up-keep.
  • michael43, on 05/01/2008, -3/+9Why would anybody want to eat something called a "sperm sack", irregardless of the poison?
    • BitKid, on 05/01/2008, -1/+3That is what struck me the most after reading the article. Who cares about the poison...why would u want to chew on a bloated sperm bag??
    • venuspcs, on 05/01/2008, -1/+4I was beginning to wonder if anyone actually RTFA but alas you have shown me faith again in DIGGERS reading before speaking.
    • 7come11, on 05/01/2008, -1/+6Why would someone use the word irregardless when it obviously means the opposite of what you think it does?
      • michael43, on 05/01/2008, -1/+2Why would someone be correcting people on digg when they should be at school teaching somewhere?

        Irregardless is primarily found in North America, most notably in Boston and surrounding areas, where for instance, it was used in the title of a poetry evening 'irregardless of content' at The Baron of Srebrenica, primarily to keep it in circulation. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, and was first acknowledged in 1912 by the Wentworth American Dialect Dictionary as originating from western Indiana. Barely a decade later, the usage dispute over irregardless was such that, in 1923, Literary Digest published an article titled "Is There Such a Word as Irregardless in the English Language?"

        Really though, I used that word just to piss you off, you and only you.
    • icecycles, on 05/01/2008, -1/+12"irregardless" is technically not a word
  • flogistan, on 05/01/2008, -2/+2Fugu! Eat me!
  • XxsomeguyxX, on 05/01/2008, -5/+5OM NOM NOM NOM
  • D166DU66, on 05/01/2008, -6/+0I've always wanted to try fugu and someday i will i heard they sometimes leave enough poison to make your tung and lips tingle.
  • thedude1181984, on 05/01/2008, -1/+5Stimutacs anyone?
  • everfresh59, on 05/01/2008, -1/+1I'll stick to the software... pass on the meal....
  • MerryMortician, on 05/01/2008, -3/+15More dangerous:
    drink the water while in Mexico.
    • drachemorder, on 05/01/2008, -0/+5That probably won't kill you, but it will make you wish you were dead.
    • PueSi, on 05/01/2008, -0/+1You are not supposed to drink water from the tap, nobody does that.
    • Kypt, on 05/01/2008, -0/+3I used to drink tap water from there when I lived there (Reynosa, Tamaulipas) and I never got sick. Then again, I was there all my life, so I assume my immune system was stronger than most people that are not exposed to it?
      • drachemorder, on 05/02/2008, -0/+1Yeah, I think the reason for Montezuma's Revenge is that people who travel to Mexico (or many other countries, for that matter) don't have immunity to the local micro-organisms in the water. Once you've been there for a while you build up your natural defenses, so people who live there don't have that problem.
  • dcmcderm, on 05/01/2008, -0/+1Fan-fugu-tastic!
  • AngeloM3, on 05/01/2008, -3/+1Ok I wanted to read that... it's interesting, just not "6 pages" interesting.
  • RSS14, on 05/01/2008, -0/+2This is the cutting of a fugu (pufferfish). When it is open, something is moving, I believe it is the heart .. .
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBc8e7fkc6E
  • TJ11240, on 05/01/2008, -0/+24Very well written. Its not that often that a 6 page digg article holds my interest.
    • EwMo, on 05/01/2008, -2/+1Well stories of sperm sacks can do that...
  • Beeferr, on 05/01/2008, -1/+3It's like a koala crapped a rainbow in my brain!
  • icecycles, on 05/01/2008, -1/+5The best line of the whole article "As we examine them politely, however, Shinji’s eyes light up. 'That’s a really nice sperm sac,' he says."
  • Chunken, on 05/01/2008, -0/+5Fugu is on my long list of animals to eat before I die.
    • credence, on 05/01/2008, -0/+7save it for last, just in case.
    • pjkli, on 05/01/2008, -0/+4Along with Dolphin, Siberian Tiger, Mountain Gorilla, Bald Eagle and Human right? RIGHT!?
  • reddragonlf, on 05/01/2008, -0/+1I loved it. That was a brilliantly written piece of work. However, it's still not going to get me to touch that deadly fish, let alone eat it.
  • kahnspiracy, on 05/01/2008, -0/+4Here's a video of how it's prepped (be forewarned the thing is alive while it's being cut up -it's not too bad though):
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBc8e7fkc6E
    I don't know about you but I wouldn't want my fugu chef working that fast! Trust me I can wait.
  • wanderingsun, on 05/01/2008, -5/+1i'm not reading all that - what does it taste like?
  • Paranoidmarvin, on 05/01/2008, -1/+5A really interesting read - a great piece of journalism, something you don't see often on Digg.
  • loquax, on 05/01/2008, -0/+2Tetrodotoxin is also one of the main ingredients in the stuff Voodoo/Vodou practitioners use to create zombies. It apparently causes a deep cataleptic state that resembles death; and if dosed right, it can cause minimal brain damage when you are buried.
  • RioDJNarrow, on 05/01/2008, -2/+1I was getting excited reading this because I thought the ***** was going to die, but then I realized that he wrote and published the article so he had to survive.
  • DeepFriedFetus, on 05/01/2008, -0/+4Very, very interesting...I like how this aspect of culture can bring the relationship between cook and customer to a whole new level. The dish looks really good actually, I would love to try it.
  • fireseedstudios, on 05/01/2008, -1/+5" The tingling feeling in the back of my throat is now reaching defcon 2 levels. "
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