A woman was hospitalized after eating blowfish in Ibaraki.

The Ibaraki prefectural government said that a woman was hospitalized in
early January after eating Fugu (blowfish).

The woman, 45, suffered poisoning on Jan 11 and has been in the hospital since. She remains in critical condition.

She bought six blowfish and made soup from them at home. The prefectural government has already suspended the shop’s business. The shop said it had sold blowfish for a long time without any incidents.

Brian Wilke, executive chef and director of education at the Oregon Culinary Institute, says Fugu "very bland," with "a texture somewhere between firm and mushy," adding that "fugu is often served in Japan fresh from the tank, but it is still far from the best-tasting thing that swims in the sea."

“All fugu imported into the U.S. has to be prepared by a licensed fugu chef from Japan, and, consequently, the risk of poisoning is virtually zero. Aspiring fugu chefs in Japan must first complete a decade-long apprenticeship under a licensed master chef, and then pass an examination that requires them to prepare a multicourse meal featuring fugu, and then eat it themselves," Wilke says.

Have you ever tried fugu?

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