The Puffer Fish

Most people avoid eating dangerous foods. They don't want to get sick. However, there is one food that can be deadly, yet some people eat it on purpose. It's called the puffer fish.

This kind of fish, called fugu in Japanese, lives in the Pacific Ocean. Some people die every years from eating fugu. In fact, Emperor of Japan is not allowed to touch it. Why? Well, the insides of the puffer fish are very poisonous. They contain a poison 275 times more powerful than the deadly poison cyanide.

Usually, nothing bad happens when fugu is on a restaurant's menu. Customers feel great after the meal. That's because chefs are trained to remove the insides of the puffer fish before they give it to customers. If they miss even a small amount, the fish is not safe to eat.

Puffer fish is very expensive. A plate of fugu costs more than 200$ in some restaurants in Tokyo. Besides being dangerous to eat, the fish is very ugly, with spines all over its body. Also, it can puff, or blow, itself up to double its normal size. Why do the Japanese risk so much for such an ugly and dangerous fish? Well, some people like taking risks. And fugu tastes wonderful.