Some of the Fugu’s (or Blowfish) internal parts (ovaries, liver, intestines) and the skin and eyes are 1200 times more poisonous than cyanide which means, chefs that deal with the fish must have gone through intensive training and earned a special license. In Tokyo they will be relaxing that law in October to allow izakayas and even supermarkets to buy and sell already pre-prepared fugu. I am not a big fan of this ugly, prized fish, after tasting many styles of cooking including Sashimi (raw) to judge from. Apart from its slightly crunchy texture I find it quite tasteless, although texture and consistency can be more important to Japanese than taste in some instances, and I suppose the element of danger when eating it counts for something. My first experience was in Osaka where they have many Fugu restaurants. It is the only dish that cannot be served to the Emperor!
A little off topic but . . . my daughter really enjoyed eating tentacles from a live squid below:
