Blow fish eating culture
What is your image of blow fish? A food or a prohibited fish to eat? Blow fish alone is dangerous and can cause death. Many countries prohibit serving blow fish to eat. However in Japan, blow fish is popular to eat as an expensive gastronomic food in winter.
The story of the beginnings of eating blow fish
Blow fish eating had been officially prohibited for a long time from the 16th century, but common people had eaten it behind officials backs. In 1887 then prime minister, Hirofumi Ito, stayed at a high class Japanese hotel in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi prefecture. However bad weather prevented all fishing, so that the hotel had no fresh fish to serve to the prime minister. In the end the woman master, who was confronted with the problem of having no fresh fish, served their blow fish, probably it might have been kept in their pool, and prepared to receive a heavy punishment. On eating the blow fish dish, Hirofumi admired it, finally he abolished the prohibition of eating blow fish dishes in Shimonoseki. Nowadays people can eat blow fish dishes anywhere in Japan, but Shimonoseki maintains its popularity as the land of blow fish.
Lovely food for Japanese people
Japan is a country surrounded by seas. We can get blow fish everywhere. Japanese people have eaten blow fish since ancient times. And many people have died by the poison of blow fish. Well, Japanese people have known the risk of death by eating blow fish, and yet we have loved blow fish. The reason is simple. It is very delicious.
A renowned poet, Basho Matsuo who wrote “The Narrow Road to Oku”, made a poem while eating blow fish dishes. Basho is noted for his original comfortless style, but the poem below is filled with his appetite.
“Yeh, I’m living!
Blow fish sashimi yesterday was wonderful.
Blow fish bowl today is something to looking forward to.”
The delicacy of blow fish is supreme.
The sashimi is sliced thinly and put on a dish beautifully.
Deep-fried blow fish and grilled testicle of blow fish.
A cup of sake with grilled blow fish fins.
Finally, a blow fish bowl and “ojiya”, an after-bowl food with egg wash, boiled rice and blow fish soup.
All the dishes of blow fish are delicious!
The characteristic of blow fish dishes is to eat up all the parts which are edible, and to elaborately cook each part. Or else, if an eater were died, the gastronomic soul couldn’t rest in peace. Old Japanese people might think so. Many Japanese cooks tried to develop a more delicious blow fish dishes over a period of time.
The taste is kind of thin and “umai”, which was figured out by Japanese people. On eating it in your mouth it brings pleasure to you, in sending it to your stomach its taste vanishes from your mouth and the afterimage of the taste is in your mind. In my opinion, blow fish goes with Japanese rice. Nonetheless, in my experience I can’t judge whether blow fish dishes go with bread. Then I recommend you to eat blow fish in Japanese-food style. Whether you can eat blow fish or not is likely to be based on courage regardless of food styles. If you have the courage to eat blow fish, blow fish dishes will bring you to the culinary world of a delicious taste which was relinquished in a moment, but remains in your mind without any effort on your part.
Eating a poisoning part
The ovary of blow fish is a poisonous part. If you eat it, you shall run on the way to death. Nonetheless there is a way to eat it, “kasuduke”. Blow-fish-kasuzuke is made by pickling in with “Koji”, Japanese fermentation material made from rice, for a couple of years. It is salty and tastes strong. You can enjoy it with pasta.
The story of the beginnings of eating blow fish
Blow fish eating had been officially prohibited for a long time from the 16th century, but common people had eaten it behind officials backs. In 1887 then prime minister, Hirofumi Ito, stayed at a high class Japanese hotel in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi prefecture. However bad weather prevented all fishing, so that the hotel had no fresh fish to serve to the prime minister. In the end the woman master, who was confronted with the problem of having no fresh fish, served their blow fish, probably it might have been kept in their pool, and prepared to receive a heavy punishment. On eating the blow fish dish, Hirofumi admired it, finally he abolished the prohibition of eating blow fish dishes in Shimonoseki. Nowadays people can eat blow fish dishes anywhere in Japan, but Shimonoseki maintains its popularity as the land of blow fish.
Lovely food for Japanese people
Japan is a country surrounded by seas. We can get blow fish everywhere. Japanese people have eaten blow fish since ancient times. And many people have died by the poison of blow fish. Well, Japanese people have known the risk of death by eating blow fish, and yet we have loved blow fish. The reason is simple. It is very delicious.
A renowned poet, Basho Matsuo who wrote “The Narrow Road to Oku”, made a poem while eating blow fish dishes. Basho is noted for his original comfortless style, but the poem below is filled with his appetite.
“Yeh, I’m living!
Blow fish sashimi yesterday was wonderful.
Blow fish bowl today is something to looking forward to.”
The delicacy of blow fish is supreme.
The sashimi is sliced thinly and put on a dish beautifully.
Deep-fried blow fish and grilled testicle of blow fish.
A cup of sake with grilled blow fish fins.
Finally, a blow fish bowl and “ojiya”, an after-bowl food with egg wash, boiled rice and blow fish soup.
All the dishes of blow fish are delicious!
The characteristic of blow fish dishes is to eat up all the parts which are edible, and to elaborately cook each part. Or else, if an eater were died, the gastronomic soul couldn’t rest in peace. Old Japanese people might think so. Many Japanese cooks tried to develop a more delicious blow fish dishes over a period of time.
The taste is kind of thin and “umai”, which was figured out by Japanese people. On eating it in your mouth it brings pleasure to you, in sending it to your stomach its taste vanishes from your mouth and the afterimage of the taste is in your mind. In my opinion, blow fish goes with Japanese rice. Nonetheless, in my experience I can’t judge whether blow fish dishes go with bread. Then I recommend you to eat blow fish in Japanese-food style. Whether you can eat blow fish or not is likely to be based on courage regardless of food styles. If you have the courage to eat blow fish, blow fish dishes will bring you to the culinary world of a delicious taste which was relinquished in a moment, but remains in your mind without any effort on your part.
Eating a poisoning part
The ovary of blow fish is a poisonous part. If you eat it, you shall run on the way to death. Nonetheless there is a way to eat it, “kasuduke”. Blow-fish-kasuzuke is made by pickling in with “Koji”, Japanese fermentation material made from rice, for a couple of years. It is salty and tastes strong. You can enjoy it with pasta.
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