6 Dangerous Delicacies That Can Totally Kill You

Gustavo Coelho | February 26, 2015

Fugu KPG_Payless / Shutterstock

Fugu

To say fugu is a peculiar fish would be an understatement. This fish is notorious for its potential to kill when consumed without proper preparation. Fugu contains a deadly poison called tetrodotoxin, a toxin much more potent than cyanide. This poison causes heart failure and asphyxiation, and its presence within the fish’s internal organs is a defense mechanism to ward off potential predators. Fugu is also known as a type of blowfish, for its ability to puff itself up and expand in size. This is likely an evolutionary mechanism: a wild display to other fish, notifying them it’s the type to be avoided.

Fugu needs delicate preparation by highly trained chefs, and is a popular meal choice among the Japanese. In fact, close to 4,000 different restaurants serve over 10,000 tons of fugu in Japan each year. Preparation is a delicacy and intensive training is required by chefs to gain the certification required to prepare the fish for human consumption.

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