Fugu description. The poisonous Fugu fish is a dangerous delicacy. What body parts of fugu are poisonous

14.06.2019

poisonous fish fugu (dog-fish, pufferfish, diodont or fahak) is a legend of Japanese cuisine - the subject of horror, curiosity and admiration of foreigners.

Poisonous puffer fish (dog-fish, pufferfish, dyodont or fahak) is a legend of Japanese cuisine - the subject of horror, curiosity and admiration of foreigners. This most famous, expensive and dangerous dish of Japanese cuisine is considered to be one of the oldest. Judging by the findings of archaeologists, even before our era, the Japanese ate the poisonous puffer fish, apparently knowing that the poison is contained only in certain parts of its body.

The liver, milk, caviar, intestines, eyes and skin of puffer fish contain a deadly natural nerve poison - tetrodotoxin. In its action, this poison surpasses both the famous curare and cyanide. One fish has enough poison to kill 30-40 people. There is still no effective antidote for fugu poisoning.

Meanwhile, in microscopic proportions, fugu poison is considered an excellent means of preventing age-related diseases and even, according to rumors, a cure for prostate diseases. Therefore, poisonous fugu fins (grilled until charred) are dipped in sake for one or two minutes. This health drink is individually dosed and served before meals to customers who want to taste fugu. The chef acts as an anesthesiologist, assessing the complexion and health status of each guest. They say that intoxication from such an infusion is felt akin to a drug: all feelings are aggravated, the ability to see, hear and touch much more than usual appears.

Butchering a pufferfish is a filigree art. With quick strikes knife, the chef separates the fins, cuts off oral apparatus and opens the belly of the fugu. Poisonous parts are carefully removed from the abdomen. The fillet must be cut into thin pieces (not thicker than paper) and thoroughly rinsed under running water, removing the slightest traces of blood and poison.

Fugusashi (fugu sashimi) is a very special taste and very beautiful dish. Mother-of-pearl slices of raw fugu are stacked petals on a round dish. Often the chef creates a picture from pieces of fish: a landscape, an image of a butterfly or a flying bird. The fish is eaten by dipping the slices in a mixture of ponzu (vinegar sauce), asatsuki (chopped chives), momiji oroshi (shredded daikon radish) and red pepper.

Puffer is also served as a "set lunch". In this case, "fugusashi" is only the beginning of the meal. In addition to it, “fugu-zosui” is served - a soup made from a broth of boiled puffer fish, rice and a raw egg, as well as lightly fried puffer fish.

Pieces of fugu fish are served by the chef in a strictly defined order. Start from the back - the most delicious and least poisonous. Pieces are served in order of approach to the peritoneum. The closer to it, the stronger the poison. The duty of the cook is to vigilantly monitor the condition of the guests, not allowing them to eat more than a dose that is safe for them. Aerobatics when cooking pufferfish is to leave exactly as much poison as necessary in order to evoke a feeling of mild drug euphoria in consumers. Gourmets who have tried fugu fish claim that as this dish is eaten, a paralyzing wave rolls over the eater: first the legs are taken away, then the arms, then the jaws. Only the eyes retain the ability to move. However, after a moment, everything comes to life in the reverse order: the gift of speech returns, arms and legs begin to move. It is said that it is for the sake of this moment of "resurrection" that people take a mortal risk.

Pufferfish are prepared and served only in Japan. According to statistics collected since the 19th century, from 1886 to 1979. more than 12.5 thousand people suffered from fugu poison, more than half of whom (almost 7 thousand) died. True, it is not known whether cooks are also included in the number of victims: after all, it is believed that the cook in the event of the death of a client must make himself a hara-kiri. However, they claim that most of poisoning occurred due to non-professionals (for example, among fishermen who decided to feast on a dangerous catch). In 1980, the Japanese Ministry of Health introduced compulsory licensing chefs who have the right to butcher and serve fugu. Today, about 70,000 people in Japan have such diplomas. The number of victims among gourmets has decreased to two dozen a year, and only a few die from this dish. However, since fugu is a very expensive dish, rich and famous people become its victims. Each such death is a loud scandal.

Not so long ago, extremely proud scientists announced that they had bred a non-poisonous puffer fish. Turns out the secret was natural diet fish. Fugu does not produce poison in its own body: it becomes toxic by eating poisonous starfish and shellfish. If you put a puffer fish on a non-toxic diet from birth, the content of tetrodotoxin in the fish will be zero. However, the expected sensation and flow of gratitude to scientific thought did not happen. After all, without its toxin, the pufferfish becomes just another type of fish - quite tasty, but not representing anything special. The secret of the popularity of fugu lies precisely in its poisonousness, in the acute sense of risk that a person experiences when playing this gastronomic version of Russian roulette. It is not for nothing that it is in the spring (when puffer fish is considered the most poisonous) that gourmets pay the highest price for it - up to 0 per kg. The Japanese assure that "the one who eats fugu is a fool, but the one who does not eat is also stupid." To die from fugu poison is a worthy death by Japanese standards.

Fugu is a fish of the pufferfish family (Tetraodontidae) containing the poison tetrodotoxin. We have a common name "fish-dog" or "fish-ball". Those who wish to catch this fish will have to cast their line into the Atlantic, Indian or Pacific Ocean. Fugu prefers to stay around islands and coral reefs. The fish moves slowly in the water and, if desired, can swim with its tail forward. Bumping into an unfamiliar object or in case of danger, it abruptly sucks in a large amount of water, and because of this it becomes 3 times larger, taking the form of a ball.

The puffer fish is calling card» extreme Japanese cuisine. Many consider this fish to be very poisonous, and they are really right, because the poison is collected from one adult This fish is capable of killing 40 people. Tetrodotoxin is a nerve poison that is 1200 times stronger potassium cyanide. The process of preparing fish for food is reduced to a significant decrease in the content of the poison to an acceptable concentration. However, there is still no effective antidote for poisoning. The only chance for salvation is the artificial maintenance of the respiratory and circulatory systems until the poison stops, the main thing is to call resuscitation in time.

The Japanese have been fond of eating puffer fish since ancient times. To prepare puffer fish dishes, the chef must pass two exams (written and practical) and obtain a license. Back in 1598, Japan passed a law obliging all cooks who cook fugu to obtain a state license for this. The examinee must be well versed in dozens of types of fugu and be able to put into practice several ways to reduce the concentration of poison in fish. A fish cooking license can only be obtained by eating what the student was able to cook in the exam.

Processing puffer fish before cooking

Processing fish before cooking is a rather complicated process. The main skill is to quickly cut the fish without damaging it. internal organs in which the poison is concentrated. Then the fish meat is washed with running water and beautifully served on a platter. Prices for puffer fish dishes range from $100 to $400. To date, in any major city In Japan, you can find a large number of restaurants offering "deadly dangerous" delicacies. Despite the statistics of victims from eating this mysterious fish, purchasing a dish in an expensive, well-established restaurant, the risk of poisoning is minimal. But he still exists! Maybe that's what makes puffer fish so popular. A special skill among cooks is the ability to leave a very small amount of poison in the fish, which can cause mild drug intoxication.

If we talk about poisoning, then according to statistics, about 50 Japanese die every year from eating fugu, although it is correct to say from the inability to cook this fish properly. The main victims are fishermen who try to cook fish at home that accidentally fell into their nets or too rich self-confident people who, for an additional reward, persuade cooks to cook for them the most tender part of the fish - puffer liver. The maximum concentration of poison is concentrated in the liver, and by eating the liver, you are already at a very serious risk.

Fugu fish without poison?

There is an opinion that if puffer fish is artificially grown, then the accumulation of poison in its body can be avoided. This is achievable by changing the feeding regimen. Studies have confirmed that the accumulation of tetrodotoxin poison occurs as a result of fish living in their natural environment. However, Japanese traditions and commercial interests in this issue remain stronger today.

One Japanese proverb says: "The one who eats fugu is a fool, but the one who does not eat is also stupid." To die from fugu poison is a beautiful and quite dignified death for a Japanese.

Apr 23, 2010 Marina

Fugu fish - five popular dishes .

Japan is a country rising sun"- always could
Surprise the world with your unusual, gourmet dishes.

One of these dishes - exquisite, exotic can be
say mystical is - a delicacy dish FUGU .

Fugu dish- prepared from deadly, poisonous
puffer fish of the pufferfish family. Despite all its
danger, fugu is very popular,
and many tourists coming to Japan wish
try this unusual dish.

puffer fish has an exquisite taste, but with all this, it
contains a very dangerous poison. Poison in large quantities
contains liver, caviar, gallbladder and skin. puffer fish
can only be eaten after careful, special cleaning
and processing.

When used puffer fish, a person gets easy
euphoria effect and no matter how expensive this
an exquisite delicacy, there are always those who wish
tickle your nerves.

Only in special restaurants can you find this dish.
Fugu is prepared by Japanese chefs who have passed
special training and received a license to work with
this kind of fish. In the hands of these chefs in the literal sense
lie a man's life, as wrong
cooked fugu is life-threatening.

Previously, there was a tradition in Japan - if a visitor
poisoned by puffer fish, then the cook had to finish it himself
dish, or committed ritual suicide.

When processing puffer fish cook fast and accurate
with knife blows (hocho) separates the fins and mouthparts
fish, reveals the rapid movement of the belly of the fish. After
which very carefully pulls out the most poisonous
entrails, then cuts the prepared fillet into
thin, even slices.

The next step is to wash the meat in
running water to completely remove any remaining blood
and poison. Sliced puffer fillets should be
thin as paper, translucent, matte.

People who have tasted fugu say that
Fugu tastes more like chicken than fish. Meat
Fugu does not feel the fibers at all, but in consistency
looks more like gelatin.

Five of the most popular fugu dishes:

1 - Sashimi (Fugusashi)- Is one of the most
popular dishes. From thin, translucent slices
raw puffer fillet, the cook lays out pictures on a dish.
The fish fillet is dipped in vinegar sauce (vinegar, finely
chopped onion, grated daikon radish and red pepper).

2 - Fugu-chiri- Fugu fillet stewed with vegetables. Served
together with stew puffer fish and potatoes.

3 - Kara-age- deep fried puffer fish fillet -
fried in oil pieces of puffer fillet, preliminarily
rolled in wheat flour.

4 - Hire - zake- hot sake drink with the addition
fried and grilled fugu fish fins.

5 - Fugu-zosui– It is also an extreme dish –
broth cooked on the basis of puffer fish, with the addition of
eggs and spices.

many fans national cuisine Japan, not
decide to try traditional fish dishes
fugu. Since they are only interested in the answer to one question:
Is there really a chance of death?
eating food from puffer fish? And the answer, unfortunately,
be affirmative.

A famous Japanese proverb says: “A fool is one who eats puffer fish, but who does not eat it is an even greater fool. Fugu fish has many other names - fahak, diodont, puffer fish and dog. Not only the most delicious and expensive dishes of Japanese cuisine are prepared from it, but also deadly ones.

Fugu fish poison for which there is no antidote

A set lunch made from puffer fish costs about a thousand dollars. For this amount, you can both enjoy delicious delicacies and die painfully. The thing is that this fish contains a deadly nerve poison - tetradotoxin. It is 400 times more toxic than strychnine and 10 times more dangerous than curare. Just one fish can kill more than 35 people. Deadly poisoning can be obtained even just by touching the especially poisonous innards of puffer fish. Tetradotoxin paralyzes all muscles human body, including the respiratory muscles, resulting in respiratory arrest and death. There is no antidote for this poison. The only way to save the victim is to quickly hospitalize him in the intensive care unit and connect him to an artificial respiration apparatus.

Responsibility of the cook

Going to a restaurant and planning to eat puffer fish, you must understand that you are completely dedicating your life to the skill of the cook. long time In Japan, there was a ban even on fishing for this fish. Only since 1958 has the government allowed it to be served in restaurants, on the condition that only specially trained chefs with a special license will cook puffer fish. To obtain this license, they undergo a fairly long training, and then pass an exam in which they themselves must eat the fish they have cooked. Earlier in Japan there was even an unspoken law, according to which, in the event of the death of a restaurant customer, the cook was obliged to commit ritual suicide (seppuku).

Fugue fish: cooking

Cutting this fish is a real art. With a very quick movement, it is necessary to separate the fins, cut off the oral apparatus, and then open the belly. After that, all the insides, which are the most poisonous parts of the puffer fish, are very carefully removed.

The fillet is cut into thin slices and thoroughly washed under running water, removing the remains of poison and traces of blood from them.

To prepare sashimi (Fugusashi) from fugu fish, slices of raw fish are laid out on a large and beautiful dish, creating a mother-of-pearl landscape or an image of a butterfly or a bird from them. Puffer fillet slices are eaten by dipping them in vinegar sauce (ponzu) or a mixture of red pepper and grated radish (momiji oroshi).

Fugusushi is only the very first dish of the "complex" lunch. It is followed by a soup made from puffer fish and rice seasoned with raw egg (fugu-zosui). And for the second dish - fried puffer fish.

Pieces of fish must be served by the chef to guests in a strictly defined order. Start with the least poisonous and tastier back. The closer to the abdominal part, the more poison is contained in the meat. One of the main tasks of the chef is the need to monitor the condition of the guests of the restaurant, so as not to allow them to eat more than a safe dose.

An experienced cook, when preparing puffer fish, leaves enough poison in it to cause mild poisoning in eaters, manifested by a slight narcotic euphoria. According to gourmets who have tried puffer fish, as they consume dishes from it, they have a paralyzing wave. It lies in the fact that people lose the ability to move their legs, then their arms and, at the very last moment, their jaws. Only the eyeballs retain the ability to move. But after a few moments, muscle tone begins to recover in the reverse order. It is believed that people take mortal risks precisely in order to survive this moment of “resurrection”.

Video from YouTube on the topic of the article:

Takifugu, or fugu (Takifugu) - representatives of the genus ray-finned fish belonging to a rather extensive family of pufferfish and the order of pufferfish. The Takifugu fish genus today includes a little less than three dozen species, two of which are endangered.

Description of puffer fish

Poisonous species of the pufferfish family (Tetraodontidae) also have other, less well-known names:

skalozubovye (with a monolithic structure of teeth that are fused together);
four-toothed, or four-toothed (with teeth fused on the jaws, due to which two upper and two lower plates are formed);
dog fish (with a well-developed sense of smell and the ability to identify odors in the water column).

Fish belonging to the genus Takifugu occupies a very honorable place in modern Japanese art and Eastern culture. The mechanics of action of the toxic substance will pump into paralysis muscular system living organisms. In this case, the victim of the poison retains full consciousness until the moment of death.

Lethal outcome is a consequence of fairly rapid suffocation. To date, there is no antidote for takifugu fish venom, and standard medical measures when dealing with such victims are attempts to maintain the functioning of the respiratory and circulatory system until the symptoms of intoxication disappear.

It is interesting! Unlike most other fish, puffer fish do not have scales, and their body is covered with elastic, but rather dense skin.

Appearance, dimensions

A significant part of the species of the genus Takifugu described to date are inhabitants of the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean. Several representatives of the genus inhabit freshwater rivers on the territory of China. The genus includes omnivorous fish with strong teeth, which often have relatively large sizes, which is due to the absence of abrasive feed in the diet of such an aquatic inhabitant. In the presence of danger, poisonous fish may well bite their offender.

At present, not all representatives belonging to the Takifugu genus have been studied in the most detail, and the largest number Reliable information was collected only on the species Brown puffer (Takifugu rubripes), which is explained by commercial breeding and rather active use of such fish in cooking. Throughout its life, the brown puffer is able to change color from more dark color for light shades. This feature is directly related to environment in the habitat.

The general indicators of the body length of an adult Takifugu rubripes reach 75-80 cm, but most often the size of the fish does not exceed 40-45 cm. In the area of the sides and behind the pectoral fins, there is one fairly large rounded black spot, which is surrounded by a white ring. The surface of the body is covered with peculiar spines. The jaw teeth of representatives of the species, located in a small oral cavity, merge into a pair of single plates resembling a parrot's beak.

The dorsal fin contains 16-19 light rays. Their number in the anal fin does not exceed 13-16 pieces. At the same time, the ovaries and liver of fish are extremely toxic. The intestines are less poisonous, and the meat, skin and testicles do not contain toxins. There are no gill covers covering the gill openings. Before pectoral fin you can see a clearly visible small hole that leads to the gills, directly into the body of the fish.

It is interesting! Now representatives of the Brown puffer species are a popular model organism used in a wide variety of biological studies.

Lifestyle, behavior

Thanks to scientific research managed to find out that pufferfish cannot swim at a decent speed. This feature is explained by the aerodynamic characteristics of the body of the fish. Nevertheless, representatives of the species have good maneuverability, thanks to which they can quickly turn, move forward, backward, and even sideways.

Representatives of the genus have a characteristic pear-shaped body, are rarely found in open water conditions, prefer to stay close to the seabed, where they explore the complex environment represented by oysters, grassy meadows and rocky reefs. Pufferfish quite often congregate in shallow water and sandy areas near estuaries or channels, as well as near reef and kelp areas.

Curious and very active fish can sometimes be aggressive towards members of their own genus and other aquatic inhabitants. Sensing danger, the fish inflates to the state of a ball as a result of filling its extremely elastic stomach with air or water. This process is controlled by a special valve located in the lower part of the fish's mouth.

It is interesting! Despite the relatively small eyes, the fugu sees quite well, and thanks to a large number receptors on the tentacles under the eyes, members of the genus have an excellent sense of smell.

How long does puffer fish live

The average lifespan of the brown puffer fish in natural conditions very rarely exceeds 10–12 years. It is assumed that among other representatives of the Takifugu genus, there are also no centenarians.

Fugu fish poison

It is difficult to name a more expensive and at the same time very dangerous dish in Japanese cuisine than cooked puffer fish. average cost one medium-sized fish is about $300, and the price of a set meal is $1000 or even more. The incredible toxicity of representatives of the species is due to the presence in the tissues of fish of a huge amount of tetrodoxin. The meat of one fish can cause fatal poisoning in three dozen people, and the level of toxicity of tetrodoxin is higher than strychnine, cocaine and curare poison.

The very first symptoms of intoxication with fugu poison appear in the victim after a quarter of an hour. At the same time, numbness of the lips and tongue, the appearance of profuse salivation and impaired coordination of movements are noted. During the first days comes fatal outcome more than half of those who were poisoned, and 24 hours is considered a critical period. Sometimes there is vomiting and diarrhea, severe pain in the abdomen. The degree of toxicity of fish varies depending on its species characteristics.

Tetrodoxin does not belong to the category of proteins, and its action causes a complete stop in the transmission of nerve impulses. This blocks the passage of sodium ions through cell membranes without the negative effect of the active components of the poison on potassium ions. Toxins in poisonous freshwater pufferfish are found in the skin. Such a specific interaction of the toxin with cellular structures in recent times often considered by pharmacists and may well be used as a pain reliever.

The high cost of poisonous fish does not reduce its popularity. The pricing of an exotic and dangerous dish is influenced not by the rarity of fugu, but by the incredible complexity of preparing such a fish. In special restaurants, only licensed chefs are engaged in cooking pufferfish, who extract caviar, liver and other entrails from fish. A clean fillet contains some toxin that allows you to feel the symptoms of poisoning, but is not capable of causing death.

It is interesting! The use of properly prepared fugu fish is accompanied by a state that resembles a slight drug intoxication - numbness of the tongue, palate and limbs, as well as a feeling of mild euphoria.

Range, habitats

Representatives of the low-boreal subtropical Asiatic species live in brackish and sea waters northwest Pacific Ocean. Such fish has become widespread in the southern part of the Sea of Okhotsk, in the territory of the western waters of the Sea of Japan, where it lives near the mainland coast, up to Olga Bay. The puffer population can be observed in the Yellow and East China Seas, near the Pacific coast of Japan from Kyushu to Volcano Bay.

AT Russian waters related to Sea of Japan, the fish enters the northern part of Peter the Great Bay, up to South Sakhalin, where it is common water dweller in summer time. Demersal (bottom) neritic non-migratory fish inhabits waters up to a depth of 100 m. At the same time, adults prefer bays and sometimes penetrate into brackish waters. Juveniles and fry are most often found in brackish waters river mouths, but as they develop and grow, such fish try to move away from the coast.

It is interesting! Of the fresh natural reservoirs inhabited by puffer fish, the Nile, Niger and Congo rivers, as well as the Amazon and Lake Chad stand out.

Fugu fish diet

The usual diet of poisonous puffer fish is represented by not very appetizing, at first glance, bottom dwellers. Representatives of the pufferfish family and the pufferfish order prefer to feed on relatively large starfish, as well as hedgehogs, a variety of mollusks, worms, algae and corals.

According to many domestic and foreign scientists, it is the peculiarities of the diet that make the fugu poisonous, very dangerous for human life and health. Toxic Substances from food actively accumulate inside the fish, mainly in the cells of the liver and intestines, as well as in caviar. At the same time, the fish itself does not suffer at all from the toxins accumulated in the body.

When kept under conditions home aquarium, for feeding adult takifugu, a typical diet is used, represented by bloodworms, worms, mollusks and fry, all kinds of crustaceans with hard shell, as well as tubifex and coretra. For feeding juveniles and fry, ciliates, cyclops, daphnia, crushed egg yolk and Artemia nauplii.

It is interesting! Japanese scientists from the city of Nagasaki bred a special, non-poisonous type of fugu, since toxins in the meat of such fish are not present from the moment of birth, but are accumulated from the diet of an aquatic inhabitant.