Eating Pufferfish... Tetrotoxin.

Xtasia · #1 02-17-2006, 11:30 PM

was watching Survivor last night. They were fishing and caught pufferfish. Was hoping one of them would eat it... no, I'm not evil.

http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2001/sep21-01.html

dirtyreefer · #2 02-18-2006, 12:48 AM

I didn't realize this is the same poison that is found in blue ringed octopus or flatworms. This must be the same toxin that's in the flatworm planaria (sp?) that is released when they die after dosing Flatworm Exit, but of course in extremely small doses.

10,000 times more poisonous than cyanide? Pretty deadly stuff.

Tarolisol · #3 02-18-2006, 01:23 AM

I hope they didnt just throw the fish on the beach and forget about them. Im going to assume they let me go, just for my own sake.

allincuddy · #4 02-18-2006, 02:02 AM

Hey, I worked in Japan for a year and a half, one of our last meals was puffer, seved raw with sauce. The meal consisted of five thin sliced pieces about the size of a thumb nail. You put it in your mouth and let it kind of dissolve. It takes about 2 min. and you start feeling the poison going into your tonue and mouth. Itdidn't taste overly good, but feeling the tingle intoyour tongue was different and it was a rush (why???).
We were told that the cooks go to school for 5 years to learn how to prepare it.
That's my story, and for desert we fished an eel out of a little pool and the had abunch of common eels with one or two colorful ones. The object was to catch the colorful ones as they said they tasted better. After you catch it you give it to the cook and he BBQs it up for you on a stick.
Mark

PS. the meal which wasn't filling cost $1700.00USD per person

Myanth · #5 02-18-2006, 06:26 AM

$1700 bucks .....

You bring the pufferfish, I'll BBQ.

I'll even wear a kimono for that price.

And you can drop a line in my tank.

But seriously, I said the same thing to my wife when we saw them catching the puffers. I had to believe they would let them go too.

Mike

bulletsworld · #6 02-25-2006, 05:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Myanth

$1700 bucks .....

You bring the pufferfish, I'll BBQ.I'll even wear a kimono for that price.And you can drop a line in my tank.

ROTFL...HAHHA!!

Yeah I never unstood the fascination with the rush of death by eating puffer. I'm happy to hear they are finally banning capture & serving up puffer in places all around the world. It's about time as so many people had died eating puffer. I think its natures way of getting us back really. What a stupid gamble with your life. I didn't imagine it tasting any good either. So thanks for now confirming it.