Famous Japanese Dish， Fugu

Jessie

导读：凡品尝过河豚（Fugu）的人都说：“不吃河豚，不知鱼味。”但河豚有剧毒，一定要小心处理才能食用。

Fugu is the Japanese word for pufferfish. Fugu can be poisonous， and therefore， it must be carefully prepared.

The restaurant preparation of fugu is strictly controlled by law in Japan and several other countries， and only chefs who have qualified after three or more years of training are allowed to prepare the fish. Some consider the liver the tastiest part， but it is also the most poisonous， and serving this organ in restaurants was banned in Japan in 1984.

Japanese have eaten fugu for centuries.The Tokugawa shogunate （1603-1868） prohibited the consumption of fugu in Edo and its area of influence. It became common again as the power of the shogunate weakened. In western regions of Japan， where the governments influence was weaker and fugu was easier to get， various cooking methods were developed to safely eat them. During the Meiji Era （1867-1912）， fugu was again banned in many areas.Fugu is the only food the Emperor of Japan is forbidden to eat， for his safety.

A dish of fugu usually costs between US$20 and US$50.A full-course fugu meal （usually eight servings） can cost US$200. The expense encourages chefs to slice the fish very carefully to obtain the largest possible amount of meat. The special knife， called fugu hiki， is usually stored separately from other knives.

Most Japanese cities have one or more fugu restaurants. A famous restaurant for fugu is Takefuku， in the Ginza district in Tokyo. Zuboraya is another popular chain in Osaka.

Vocabulary

chef n. 主厨

Tokugawa shogunate n. 德川幕府

Meiji Era n. 明治时代

（Do you want to have a taste of Fugu？）