Yet another F'ed Nihonjin dies from do-it-yourself Fugu

[Kanchou]

I just happened to notice this on Yahoo Japan, but I thought it was kind of amusing, in a sick way.

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20080105-00000212-yom-soci

60 year-old man dies after eating the Fugu he caught himself.

His wife who also ate it was OK.

I wonder what the American equivalent of this kind of news story is?

[Charles]

I wonder what the American equivalent of this kind of news story is?

I see stories every once in a while about mushroom hunters that eat a poisonous Amanita by mistake. Maybe that's the equivalent.

[Kanchou]

Yeah, but mistaking a mushroom is one thing. There are a lot of edible ones, and quite a few you can't eat, but only handful of ones that will actually kill you.

Eating something you know will almost certainly kill you is something else.

Plus, I think Japanese kill themselves with mushrooms once in a while too.

[FG Lurker]

Eating something you know will almost certainly kill you is something else.

Fugu will only kill you if you eat the poisonous parts. Most poisonous is the liver, but the skin, ovaries, and blood aren't too healthy either.

[Kanchou]

Yeah, but if you aren't a professionally trained, licensed, and bonded fugu chef, you can just assume that you WILL probably kill yourself if you make it yourself.

(or at least that's the way I see it when it comes to something I would eat)

For the same reasons that most people don't make their own spacecraft...

I mean, the poison is lethal in incredibly small doses (although pro's still leave enough to numb your lips, apparently. I'm too cheap to buy fugu).

[Charles]

Yeah, but if you aren't a professionally trained, licensed, and bonded fugu chef, you can just assume that you WILL probably kill yourself if you make it yourself.

(or at least that's the way I see it when it comes to something I would eat)

For the same reasons that most people don't make their own spacecraft...

I mean, the poison is lethal in incredibly small doses (although pro's still leave enough to numb your lips, apparently. I'm too cheap to buy fugu).

I heard that fugu poisoning is no longer considered fatal, as long as you get the victim on life support before he stops breathing. It paralyzes the muscles used to breathe, so as long as they're on a ventilator for a few days, until the poison wears off, they'll survive.

[Kanchou]

You can survive for about 5 minutes without air... and about 2-3 before you suffer brain damage, IIRC.

So unless you live next door to the hospital...

Although I wonder how long it takes before you go from first realizing you've been poisoned to total respiratory failure.

[DrP]

A friend of mine's father (japanese) has cut his own fugu for years. The only issue I've ever had with it is that lately he's gone blind and still continues to prepare his own fish. It's actually kind of fun playing fugu roulette by having a blind man cut the fish. No one in their family has died and they eat it almost every week. Just stay away from the liver or skin and you're probably fine. Since he buys the fish already gutted and skinned - there's very little risk. Personally I just find it yet another exercise of Japanese conspicuous consumption ranked up there with paying 30,000y to buy JINRO in a hostess club, or ridculous tee-fees at a shit golf course.

[amdg]

Got a question. What is that really creamy part of the fugu? We have techiri every New Year, and there's a certain part of the fish that is really soft and glutinous - a bit like creme brule. Anyone know what that is?

[Adhesive]

Got a question. What is that really creamy part of the fugu? We have techiri every New Year, and there's a certain part of the fish that is really soft and glutinous - a bit like creme brule. Anyone know what that is?

That's the gland that secretes the poison.

[Choeki]

I was under the impression that the poison was discounted if the fish was cooked verses eaten raw. I've seen fugu restaurants in Tokyo that sell fried fugu sets fairly cheaply as well... Perhaps it's not actually fugu they're serving?

[Greji]

That's the gland that secretes the poison.

Actually, when I used to ocean fish a lot, we would be around the fish markets and an old guy that I asked about fugu when he was cleaning some, showed me the gland which sits right on the liver. It is that gland that does secrete the poison and must be removed. If you rupture the gland while doing it. The poison gets into the fish and it is supposedly, no longer edible. It looked very easy to remove, but damned if I would want to try it unless I was feeding it to Guy Jean.

[ttjereth]

I've never eaten anything that I thought was so delicious that I would be willing to risk dying to eat it again

[amdg]

I've never eaten anything that I thought was so delicious that I would be willing to risk dying to eat it again

I did. Married pussy.

[TennoChinko]

I heard that many of the farm-raised fugu are actually toxin-free - and that some researchers believe the tetradoxin is caused by the diet of the fish.

I tried it a couple of times and came away disappointed. Not even the "tingling sensation" that some experience. My barbaric gaijin palate was apparently unable to appreciate the subtle flavors...

[Adhesive]

I did. Married pussy.

Ha!

[kurohinge1]

I was under the impression that the poison was discounted if the fish was cooked verses eaten raw. I've seen fugu restaurants in Tokyo that sell fried fugu sets fairly cheaply as well... Perhaps it's not actually fugu they're serving?

Good question. It seems that some marine poisons are neutralized by heat (like the poison in a stingray barb that ended up in my brother's leg one time) - but some are not. According to this site, the fugu poison is not, and can withstand even extreme heat.

And from today's SMH, a possible example (as they ordered both sashimi and grilled fugu):

Blowfish poisoning sends seven to hospital in Japan

Related thread:
Blowfish testicles poison seven