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FOOD&DRINKYAMAGUCHITWENTYYEARSAGO,JUSTASITWASENTERINGITSGOLDENERA,THESIMPSONSINTRODUCEDTHEWORLDATLARGETOFUGU(ORBLOWFISH,ORPUFFERFISH,ORBALLOONFISH).ATLISA’SINSISTENCE,THEJAUNDICEDFAMILYHEADEDOUTTOAJAPANESERESTAURANTFORSOMESUSHI.ALLWASGOINGWELLUNTILHOMERINSISTEDONORDERINGTHEPOTENTIALLYDEADLYFUGU,WHICHAJUNIORCHEFSEEMEDTOBOTCHANDSERVEANYWAY.THEPROGNOSISFORTHEBALDINGFATHERWASNOTGOOD,WHICHISTRUETOLIFE:EATINGTHEWRONGPARTOFAPOISONOUSPUFFERFISHCANBEFATAL.ASYOUMIGHTEXPECTFROMTHESIMPSONS,ITWASN’TALLDOCUMENTARY-ACCURATE.FIRSTLY,HOMERORDERS,ANDISHAPPYWITH,UNI(SEAURCHIN)WHICHOFCOURSEWOULDNEVERREALLYHAPPEN.SECONDLY,DRHIBBERT’SASSERTIONTHAT:“YOU’LLFEELNOPAINATALL,UNTILSOMETIMETOMORROWEVENING,WHENYOURHEARTSUDDENLYEXPLODES,”ISN’TACCURATE.NO,WHENTETRODOTOXIN,THEFUGUPOISON,WORKSITSWAYINTOYOURSYSTEM,YOUAREPARALYSEDCOMPLETELY,AWAKEBUTDYINGANDUNABLETOMOVE–IT’SLIKETHEDREADEDLOCKED-INSYNDROME,BASICALLY.SOTHEREYOUSIT,DYING,KNOWINGIT,ANDUNABLETOACT.HADTHESIMPSONSSTUCKTOREALITY,ITWOULDHAVEBEENTHEBLEAKESTEPISODEOFALLTIME.STRANGELYITISN’TTHEFISHTHATGENERATESTHEPOISON,RATHERITEATSABACTERIATHATISLOADEDWITHTHESTUFF.AGENETICMUTATIONHASALLOWEDTHEFUGUTOBECOMEIMMUNETOITSEFFECTS,PROCESSINGTHEPOISONTHROUGHITSLIVERLIKEANYTHINGELSE.NOWTHATPEOPLEKNOWTHIS,THEREAREPOCKETSOFSELLERSTRYINGTORAISEFARMEDFUGUONSOMETHINGELSE,MAKINGITSAFETOEAT.OFCOURSETHAT’SAVERYRECENTDEVELOPMENT.ITWASBANNEDCOMPLETELYDURINGTHEEDOPERIOD,ANDONLYPARTIALLYAVAILABLEDURINGTHEMEIJIERA.TOTHISDAY,ITISTHEONLYDELICACYDENIEDTOTHEEMPEROR.YOUWOULDN’TKNOWIT’SDANGEROUSINSHIMONOSEKI,THOUGH.ASMICKEYMOUSEISTODISNEYLAND,SOFUGUISTOTHISCITYONTHEDEADLIESTCATCHTHEWESTERNTIPOFHONSHU.YOUFINDTHEWIDE-EYEDFATTIESHANGINGFROMCEILINGS,ONSEAT-COVERSONBUSES,INENORMOUSBRONZESTATUESAND,OFCOURSE,ATVIRTUALLYEVERYRESTAURANTINTOWN.OVERHALFOFALLJAPAN’SPUFFERFISHCATCHPASSESTHROUGHTHISCITY.BEINGSOCLOSETOTHESOURCEHELPSTODRIVEPRICEDOWNALITTLE,BUTTHEDEADLYLITTLEDISHISSTILLFRIGHTFULLYEXPENSIVE:EVENAVERYREASONABLERESTAURANTWILLCHARGE¥2500(£20)ORASMALLPLATEOFFUGUSASHIMI.PARTOFTHECOSTCOMESFROMFUGUCHEFSREQUIRINGANOFFICIALLICENSETOPREPAREANDSELLTHEPRODUCT.SOWITHALLTHEFUSS,WHENWEARRIVEDTOTHEEXCELLENTNAKAKYUSUSHIANDSAT INFRONTOFAPLATEOFTHEINFAMOUSFUGU,WEWEREFILLEDWITHEXCITEMENT.ASINSTRUCTED,WEDELICATELYWRAPPEDAPIECEOFSPRINGONIONWITHTHETRANSLUCENTFISH,THENDIPPEDITINSOMEPONZUANDNERVOUSLYDROPPEDINTOOURMOUTHS.ITWASCHEWY,ANDWECOULDDEFINITELYTASTETHEONIONANDTHESAUCEAND,WELL,NOTMUCHELSE.WETRIEDAGAIN:THESAME.WEDECIDEDTOHAVEABITONITSOWN,WITHOUTANYGARNISH.ITTURNSOUTTHATTHETERROROFTHEEAST,THEWORLDFAMOUSFUGUTASTESOFVIRTUALLYNOTHING.THEREMAYBESOMESUBTLEDIFFERENCESFORPEOPLEWHOKNOWHOWTOLOOKFORSUCHTHINGS,BUTFORTHEGENERALPUNTERIT’SNEARFLAVOURLESS.SOMUCHORTHESASHIMI.WEMOVEDONTOTEMPURA,WHICHTASTEDEXACTLYLIKETEMPURABATTER.ASBRITS,IT’SINOURDNATOLIKEBATTEREDFISH,SOWECERTAINLYWEREN’TCOMPLAININGESPECIALLYASTHETEXTUREWASSOMEATY,BUTAGAIN,THEFUGUITSELFTASTEDOFNOTHING.NEXTCAMEFUGUSOUP.ITATLEASTHADSOMEPUNCH:THESTANDARDPUNGENTSMELLTHATCOMESWITHSTEWINGANYFISH.WITHACOLDCOMINGONFAST,IATLEASTAPPRECIATEDTHEWARMSAKE,WHICHCAMEWITHALITTLEFUGUFININTHEBOTTOM.ASFARASTEABAGSGO,ITWASPRETTYSTRANGE.AFTERALLTHAT,THEKINDPEOPLEATNAKAKYU,TROTTEDOUTSOMEMOREBEERAND12PIECESOFABSOLUTELYSUPERBSUSHI(NONEOFWHICHWEREFUGU).WELEFTVERYHAPPYANDSATISFIEDCUSTOMERS,BUTWECOULDN’TSTOPASKING:WHAT’STHEBIGDEALABOUTFUGU?OTHERTHANTHEFACTTHAT,Y’KNOW,ITCANKILLYOU.DAY85DECEMBER8THSHIMONOSEKI,YAMAGUCHI
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