Fugu Travel Guide

Japan’s riskiest dish might be frightening for some, but the idea of eating poisonous pufferfish gives others a rush. A dangerously delicious local delicacy, pufferfish is known as fugu in Japanese, famous for its incredible texture and unique flavor. Fugu can be cooked in a variety of ways: smoked, seared, fried, or thrown into a hot pot, but it is best eaten raw. Using exceptionally thin knife blades, fugu can be enjoyed as finely sliced sashimi, strangely textural and ghostly translucent. As the toxic areas of the fish must be skillfully removed, only licensed restaurants can sell fugu in Japan, a fish that is deadly poisonous if not prepared absolutely precisely. People in Japan have been challenging themselves with fugu for well over 2000 years, risky business that’s too tasty to pass up.

Big pufferfish balloons mark the entrances of specialty restaurants in Osaka. This delicacy doesn’t come cheap, but it’s a culinary wonder that’s prized in Japan. In order to prepare pufferfish in Japan, chefs are required to have a minimum of three years of professional training. For foodie adrenaline junkies, brave a dining experience with us to taste fugu at a qualified restaurant in Osaka, or learn about fugu sashimi in-depth during a fish cutting class in Tokyo. Don’t fear the fugu, delicate sashimi from poisonous pufferfish is a major delicacy, but only in Japan.