A Japanese 10-year-old has become the youngest person authorized to prepare “fugu” pufferfish — a delicacy that can kill if its poisonous parts are not properly removed.

Fifth grader Karin Tabira passed a test this summer that means she is now certified to slice and gut the fish for consumption.

She recently used her new skills to serve a platter of paper-thin slices of fugu sashimi to the governor of southern Kumamoto region where she lives.

  • Frog@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    35
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    3 months ago

    I’m never going to try this.

    Has anyone tried this? I can’t imagine the taste is much better than sushi grade yellow tail.

    • Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      25
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      3 months ago

      I’ve heard it’s not the taste. It’s a combination of thrill seeking and also even the meat has a bit of ttx apparently and microdosing gives a little tingle or buzz of sorts that is desirable.

      • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        11
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        3 months ago

        Yes, I’ve heard the same. It’s a flavourless, hazardous form of conspicuous consumption. It’s one of those things where if someone dies from it, it’s really hard to feel sad for them.

        • Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          6
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          3 months ago

          I dunno. If prepared by a properly trained chef illness or death from fugu is very very rare. It’s not super high on the risk taking behavior scale. As someone that has a high risk ‘appetite’ I find myself drawn to things like new drugs or the challenge of exceptionally spicy foods I know I won’t find conventionallly pleasurable. I get that most would call these behaviors simply stupid, but I guess I can empathesize a little for others that have a loud Id in their psyche.

          • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            edit-2
            2 months ago

            If you want to take crazy (or mild) risks that’s your prerogative, but a skydiving jump costs around the same, and has nice scenery instead of tasteless white goo.

    • Drusas@fedia.io
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      20
      ·
      3 months ago

      I’ve had it. I didn’t go out of my way for it–it was served to me as something special.

      It doesn’t taste like much. It’s not bad by any means, but not very flavorful.

      • Frog@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        3 months ago

        So worse than like yellow tail.

        Yeah, I figured it.

        • Drusas@fedia.io
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          2 months ago

          I wouldn’t say that. Sometimes a mild flavor is nice. And yellowtail is not special.