Pufferfish or fugu is a luxurious delicacy in Japan, often costing up to 20,000 yen ($125) at high-end restaurants. According to CNN, this potentially "poisonous" yet luxurious fish is now available in a more affordable form, thanks to Japanese instant noodle giant Nissin Foods.
On Monday, July 1, Nissin announced the new pufferfish-flavored cup noodle, which will be available for 298 yen ($1.90).
The new cup noodle features the "essence" of pufferfish condensed into a small packet of oil to be added to the soup base. The first to eat samples of Nissin's new noodles noted hints of seafood broth and yuzu flavor, although the usual mild taste of fugu was not as felt.
Currently, the company has no plans to sell the fugu flavor outside Japan yet.
Nissin's New Pufferfish-Flavored Cup Noodles
The soup itself is flavored with a small amount of yuzu, a citrus fruit widely used in Japanese cuisine, improving the dish's overall taste. Fugu is so expensive in the Japanese culinary world. Still, it is also hazardous since the blood, organs, skin, and even bones of the fish contain tetrodotoxin, a deadly poison. Consumption can cause dizziness, convulsions, respiratory paralysis, and even death.
The company declined to disclose details about preparing the potentially toxic flavoring derived from the fugu fish. Instead, Nissin noted the growing popularity of fugu ramen among enthusiasts as their motivation for introducing this new flavor.
However, it's worth noting that chefs in Japan are required to train for at least two years before they can qualify to prepare fugu.
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