Blowfish testicles poison 7 diners in Japan

Deadly Sushi

Formerly The Giant Mojito
Hmmmmm....... I should REALLY cut back on Blowfish Testicles :unsure:



090127-blowfishsashimi-hmed-8a.hmedium.jpg




Fugu sashimi, or thin, raw slices of blowfish are seen on a plate.


TOKYO - Blowfish testicles prepared by an unauthorized chef sickened seven diners in northern Japan and three remained hospitalized Tuesday after eating the poisonous delicacy.
The owner of the restaurant in Tsuruoka city, who is also the chef, had no license to serve blowfish and was being questioned on suspicion of professional negligence, police official Yoshihito Iwase said.
Blowfish, while extremely poisonous if not prepared properly, is considered a delicacy in Japan and is consumed by thrill-seeking gourmets.



Iwase said the seven men ordered sashimi and grilled blowfish testicles at the restaurant Monday night.
Shortly after, they developed limb paralysis and breathing trouble and started to lose consciousness — typical signs of blowfish poisoning — and were rushed to a hospital for treatment, Iwase said.
A 68-year-old diner remained hospitalized in critical condition with respiratory failure and two others, aged 55 and 69, were in serious condition, he said.


"It's scary. If you go to a decent-looking restaurant that serves fugu, you would assume a cook has a proper fugu license," Iwase said, using the Japanese term for blowfish.
Blowfish poison, called tetrodotoxin, is nearly 100 times more poisonous than potassium cyanide, according to the Ishikawa Health Service Association. It can cause death within an hour and a half after consumption.
Three people died and 44 others were sickened by blowfish poisoning in 2007 — most of them after catching the fish and cooking it at home — according to the Health Ministry.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28874327/
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Yep, me too, GM!

That's it, all my blowfish testicles are going right in the trash!

Lee
 

Maverick2272

Stewed Monkey
Super Site Supporter
I really really really want to know... just how hungry was the first person to try all these different types of animal testicles???

I mean, how did that conversation go? "Hmmm, I am starving but the only thing left is... well heck lets give it a shot!"
 

chowhound

New member
Wait a minute here.....
I've caught lots of fish :fishing: and never saw any testicles hanging down. Is this article even real?

:huh::yum:
 

lilylove

Active member
:yum::yum::yum: oh yes! You can believe EVERYTHING YOU READ!!!

Woman gives birth to three headed baby with seventeen eyes! :yum::yum:
 

The Tourist

Banned
Unfortunately, this thing is very real. Improperly prepared fugu kills three or four people every year.

The trick is that you want just a bit of the toxin to still be left in some of the slices. It gives you a "heady feeling" of being high, and little tingling in your finger tips. That's the thrill.

In Japan you have to go to a culinary school to learn how to slice and prepare blowfish.

As a tinker, I'm not crazy with the idea of sharpening a knife for that operation. I would hate to leave any kind of a nick or roughness on the bevel which might drag against an organ and spill toxins.

This might be one job I pass up. The threat is very real.
 

chowhound

New member
The trick is that you want just a bit of the toxin to still be left in some of the slices. It gives you a "heady feeling" of being high, and little tingling in your finger tips. That's the thrill.

Thanks. I wondered what the attraction was for eating something that could be toxic.
 

PieSusan

Tortes Are Us
Super Site Supporter
Yes, the thrill is like Russian roulette--not knowing if you will live or die--being on the edge and you feel a bit high and numb.
 

Maverick2272

Stewed Monkey
Super Site Supporter
Lets not go all Jerry Springer here where your first cousin is both your mom and your sister and you are engaged to be married...:shock:
 

Deadly Sushi

Formerly The Giant Mojito
What, you a member of the Polar Bear club and went for a dip in Lake Michigan this past week,,,,,,,,


LOL!!!!!!!! :yum::yum::yum: Noooooooo.... they were deep fried little balls of a mixture of shrimp and ehhhh..... stuff. WAY over cooked too. :rolleyes:
 

Attachments

  • bite_me.jpg
    bite_me.jpg
    47.2 KB · Views: 111
Top