Did you know that eating a Pufferfish can be deadly?

The Pufferfish (known as Fugu in Japanese) is extremely toxic. Despite its high toxicity, the Pufferfish is a very popular and expensive dish in Japan. Because the fish is so poisonous, it must be prepared in such a way that all toxins are removed and the fish becomes edible. During the filleting process, the toxic parts (mainly the eyes, intestines, organs, and blood) are removed. Only specialized chefs with a license are allowed to prepare the fish, and there is a special training program through which only 30% of students pass.

Each year, about 50 people die from the effects of improperly prepared Pufferfish. In the past, the toxic waste from the preparation was simply discarded as garbage, which led to occasional poisoning of homeless people who foraged for food in the trash. Eating Pufferfish is considered such a great risk that it is forbidden for the Emperor to consume it.

The image accompanying this article is created by Leszek Leszczynski via flickr.com.