FUGU AQUARIUM RESTAURANT
Sur cette photographie prise à Tokyo, c'est l'espèce Takifugu rubripes (Temminck & Schlegel, 1850) qui est conservée dans l'aquarium de ce restaurant.
Le genre Takifugu est un genre comprenant des poissons appelés fugu, connus pour provoquer de très graves intoxications à la tétrodotoxine.
Description
Le fugu se gonfle d'eau lorsqu'il se sent menacé, ce qui explique son surnom de poisson globe. Le takifugu rubripes est un fugu, une espèce de poissons du genre Takifugu (25 représentants dans le genre), de la famille des Tetraodontidae. Cette espèce est un organisme modèle pour la recherche scientifique.
Toxicité
Le foie, les ovaires et les yeux des fugus contiennent un poison très toxique (actif à des concentrations de l'ordre du nanomolaire) : la tétrodotoxine, contre laquelle il n'existe pas d'antidote, la mort intervenant dans un délai de quatre à six heures. Cette neurotoxine paralyse les muscles et entraîne la mort par arrêt respiratoire. Cette paralysie résulte de l'inhibition des canaux sodiques voltage-dépendant provoquant ainsi des potentiels d'action caractérisés par un niveau de seuil plus élevé, une phase ascendante plus lente et une amplitude moindre. Le fugu ne produit pas cette toxine en milieu d'élévage. En effet, des traces en ont été trouvées dans les algues rouges du genre Jania (Rhodophyta). On peut isoler de cette algue une bactérie qui, cultivée, produira ce poison. Celle-ci est vraisemblablement digérée avec l'algue par les animaux, qui accumulent par la suite la tétrodotoxine. Le fugu y est lui-même résistant.
Cuisine
Au Japon, seuls les cuisiniers disposant d'une licence accordée par l'État sont autorisés à préparer ce plat considéré comme très raffiné. Pour en retirer la toxine, il leur faut enlever notamment la peau, le foie, les intestins et les gonades. Néanmoins en 2011, 17 personnes ont été empoisonnées par le fugu au Japon, et l'une d'entre elles en est morte. En décembre 2011, les autorités ont ainsi retiré sa licence à un restaurant qui avait servi un foie de fugu à la demande du client.
Le genre Takifugu est un genre comprenant des poissons appelés fugu, connus pour provoquer de très graves intoxications à la tétrodotoxine.
Description
Le fugu se gonfle d'eau lorsqu'il se sent menacé, ce qui explique son surnom de poisson globe. Le takifugu rubripes est un fugu, une espèce de poissons du genre Takifugu (25 représentants dans le genre), de la famille des Tetraodontidae. Cette espèce est un organisme modèle pour la recherche scientifique.
Toxicité
Le foie, les ovaires et les yeux des fugus contiennent un poison très toxique (actif à des concentrations de l'ordre du nanomolaire) : la tétrodotoxine, contre laquelle il n'existe pas d'antidote, la mort intervenant dans un délai de quatre à six heures. Cette neurotoxine paralyse les muscles et entraîne la mort par arrêt respiratoire. Cette paralysie résulte de l'inhibition des canaux sodiques voltage-dépendant provoquant ainsi des potentiels d'action caractérisés par un niveau de seuil plus élevé, une phase ascendante plus lente et une amplitude moindre. Le fugu ne produit pas cette toxine en milieu d'élévage. En effet, des traces en ont été trouvées dans les algues rouges du genre Jania (Rhodophyta). On peut isoler de cette algue une bactérie qui, cultivée, produira ce poison. Celle-ci est vraisemblablement digérée avec l'algue par les animaux, qui accumulent par la suite la tétrodotoxine. Le fugu y est lui-même résistant.
Cuisine
Au Japon, seuls les cuisiniers disposant d'une licence accordée par l'État sont autorisés à préparer ce plat considéré comme très raffiné. Pour en retirer la toxine, il leur faut enlever notamment la peau, le foie, les intestins et les gonades. Néanmoins en 2011, 17 personnes ont été empoisonnées par le fugu au Japon, et l'une d'entre elles en est morte. En décembre 2011, les autorités ont ainsi retiré sa licence à un restaurant qui avait servi un foie de fugu à la demande du client.
Depuis octobre 2012, tous les restaurants peuvent proposer du fugu, à condition qu'il ait été préparé et nettoyé par un chef agréé. Un occidental pourra le trouver un peu fade, mais la texture particulière, la rareté du mets et le folklore lié à sa préparation font de sa dégustation un événement singulier. Il se sert en sashimi (coupé en tranches fines, on peut voir la vaisselle à travers le poisson) et en nabe. En 2012, un plat de fugu coûtait de 5 000 yens (environ cinquante euros) auprès de la chaîne Torafugu-tei, jusqu'à plusieurs dizaines de milliers de yens dans de grands restaurants. Les Polynésiens préparent le fugu, dans l'archipel des Tuamotu, c'est une tradition qui se transmet de génération en génération. Il est également préparé à Taiwan, en particulier dans les îles Pescadores où il est pêché en grande quantité.
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Fugu (河豚 or 鰒; フグ, literally "river pig") is the Japanese word for pufferfish and the dish prepared from it, normally species of genus Takifugu.
Fugu can be lethally poisonous due to its tetrodotoxin; therefore, it must be carefully prepared to remove toxic parts and to avoid contaminating the meat. The restaurant preparation of fugu is strictly controlled by law in Japan and several other countries, and only chefs who have qualified through rigorous training are allowed to deal with the fish. Domestic preparation occasionally leads to accidental death. Fugu is served as sashimi and chirinabe. 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. Fugu has become one of the most celebrated and notorious dishes in Japanese cuisine.
Toxicity
Fugu contains lethal amounts of the poison tetrodotoxin in its organs, especially the liver, the ovaries, and the eyes whereas skin is usually non-poisonous. The poison, a sodium channel blocker, paralyzes the muscles while the victim stays fully conscious. The victim is unable to breathe, and eventually dies from asphyxiation. There is no known antidote. The standard treatment is to support the respiratory and circulatory systems until the poison is metabolized and excreted by the victim's body. Advances in research and aquaculture have allowed some farmers to mass-produce safe fugu. Researchers surmised that fugu's tetrodotoxin came from eating other animals that held tetrodotoxin-laden bacteria and that the fish develops immunity over time. Many farmers now produce 'poison-free' fugu by keeping the fugu away from the bacteria. Usuki, a town in Ōita Prefecture, has become known for selling non-poisonous fugu.
Consumption
History
The inhabitants of Japan have eaten fugu for centuries. Fugu bones have been found in several shell middens, called kaizuka, from the Jōmon period that date back more than 2,300 years. 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 government's 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 also the only food the Emperor of Japan is forbidden to eat, for his safety. Fugu was and is one of the favorite dishes in China where its name was mentioned in the literature as early as circa 400BC. Fugu comes as the first in the three most delicious fish from The Yangtze river.
Regulations
Strict fishing regulations are now in place to protect fugu populations from depletion. Most fugu are now harvested in the spring during the spawning season and then farmed in floating cages in the Pacific Ocean. The largest wholesale fugu market in Japan is in Shimonoseki. Fugu prices rise in autumn and peak in winter, the best season, because they fatten to survive the cold. Live fish arrive at a restaurant, surviving in a large tank, usually prominently displayed. Prepared fugu is also often available in grocery stores, which must display official license documents. Whole fish may not be sold to the general public. Since 1958, fugu chefs must also earn a license to prepare and sell fugu to the public. This involves a two- or three-year apprenticeship. The licensing examination process consists of a written test, a fish-identification test, and a practical test, preparing and eating the fish. Only about 35 percent of the applicants pass. Small miscalculations result in failure or, in rare cases, death. Consumers believe that this training process makes it safer to eat fugu in restaurants or markets. Also, commercially available fugu is sometimes grown in environments in which it grows to be less toxic. Beginning in October 2012, restaurants in Japan can sell pre-packaged fugu which has been prepared by a licensed practitioner elsewhere.
Poison
Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a potent neurotoxin that shuts down electrical signaling in nerves by binding to the pores of sodium channel proteins in nerve cell membranes. Tetrodotoxin is not affected by cooking. It does not cross the blood–brain barrier, leaving the victim fully conscious while paralyzing the muscles. In animal studies with mice, the median lethal dose was found to be 8 μg tetrodotoxin per kg body weight. The pufferfish itself is not susceptible to the poison because of a mutation in the protein sequence of its cells' sodium channel. As previously mentioned, commercially available fugu in supermarkets or restaurants is very safe; and, while not unheard of, poisoning from these products is very rare. Most deaths from fugu occur when untrained people catch and prepare the fish, accidentally poisoning themselves. In some cases, they even eat the highly poisonous liver as a delicacy. Recent evidence has shown that tetrodotoxin is produced by certain bacteria—such as Pseudoalteromonas tetraodonis, certain species of Pseudomonas and Vibrio, as well as others—and that these are the source of the toxin in pufferfish.
Treatment
The symptoms from ingesting a lethal dose of tetrodotoxin may include dizziness, exhaustion, headache, nausea, or difficulty breathing. The victim remains conscious but cannot speak or move. Breathing stops and asphyxiation follows. There is no known antidote, and treatment consists of emptying the stomach, feeding the victim activated charcoal to bind the toxin, and putting the victim on life support until the poison has worn off. Japanese toxicologists in several medical research centers are now working on developing an antidote for tetrodotoxin.
--------------------------------------------
Fugu (河豚 or 鰒; フグ, literally "river pig") is the Japanese word for pufferfish and the dish prepared from it, normally species of genus Takifugu.
Fugu can be lethally poisonous due to its tetrodotoxin; therefore, it must be carefully prepared to remove toxic parts and to avoid contaminating the meat. The restaurant preparation of fugu is strictly controlled by law in Japan and several other countries, and only chefs who have qualified through rigorous training are allowed to deal with the fish. Domestic preparation occasionally leads to accidental death. Fugu is served as sashimi and chirinabe. 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. Fugu has become one of the most celebrated and notorious dishes in Japanese cuisine.
Toxicity
Fugu contains lethal amounts of the poison tetrodotoxin in its organs, especially the liver, the ovaries, and the eyes whereas skin is usually non-poisonous. The poison, a sodium channel blocker, paralyzes the muscles while the victim stays fully conscious. The victim is unable to breathe, and eventually dies from asphyxiation. There is no known antidote. The standard treatment is to support the respiratory and circulatory systems until the poison is metabolized and excreted by the victim's body. Advances in research and aquaculture have allowed some farmers to mass-produce safe fugu. Researchers surmised that fugu's tetrodotoxin came from eating other animals that held tetrodotoxin-laden bacteria and that the fish develops immunity over time. Many farmers now produce 'poison-free' fugu by keeping the fugu away from the bacteria. Usuki, a town in Ōita Prefecture, has become known for selling non-poisonous fugu.
Consumption
History
The inhabitants of Japan have eaten fugu for centuries. Fugu bones have been found in several shell middens, called kaizuka, from the Jōmon period that date back more than 2,300 years. 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 government's 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 also the only food the Emperor of Japan is forbidden to eat, for his safety. Fugu was and is one of the favorite dishes in China where its name was mentioned in the literature as early as circa 400BC. Fugu comes as the first in the three most delicious fish from The Yangtze river.
Regulations
Strict fishing regulations are now in place to protect fugu populations from depletion. Most fugu are now harvested in the spring during the spawning season and then farmed in floating cages in the Pacific Ocean. The largest wholesale fugu market in Japan is in Shimonoseki. Fugu prices rise in autumn and peak in winter, the best season, because they fatten to survive the cold. Live fish arrive at a restaurant, surviving in a large tank, usually prominently displayed. Prepared fugu is also often available in grocery stores, which must display official license documents. Whole fish may not be sold to the general public. Since 1958, fugu chefs must also earn a license to prepare and sell fugu to the public. This involves a two- or three-year apprenticeship. The licensing examination process consists of a written test, a fish-identification test, and a practical test, preparing and eating the fish. Only about 35 percent of the applicants pass. Small miscalculations result in failure or, in rare cases, death. Consumers believe that this training process makes it safer to eat fugu in restaurants or markets. Also, commercially available fugu is sometimes grown in environments in which it grows to be less toxic. Beginning in October 2012, restaurants in Japan can sell pre-packaged fugu which has been prepared by a licensed practitioner elsewhere.
Poison
Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a potent neurotoxin that shuts down electrical signaling in nerves by binding to the pores of sodium channel proteins in nerve cell membranes. Tetrodotoxin is not affected by cooking. It does not cross the blood–brain barrier, leaving the victim fully conscious while paralyzing the muscles. In animal studies with mice, the median lethal dose was found to be 8 μg tetrodotoxin per kg body weight. The pufferfish itself is not susceptible to the poison because of a mutation in the protein sequence of its cells' sodium channel. As previously mentioned, commercially available fugu in supermarkets or restaurants is very safe; and, while not unheard of, poisoning from these products is very rare. Most deaths from fugu occur when untrained people catch and prepare the fish, accidentally poisoning themselves. In some cases, they even eat the highly poisonous liver as a delicacy. Recent evidence has shown that tetrodotoxin is produced by certain bacteria—such as Pseudoalteromonas tetraodonis, certain species of Pseudomonas and Vibrio, as well as others—and that these are the source of the toxin in pufferfish.
Treatment
The symptoms from ingesting a lethal dose of tetrodotoxin may include dizziness, exhaustion, headache, nausea, or difficulty breathing. The victim remains conscious but cannot speak or move. Breathing stops and asphyxiation follows. There is no known antidote, and treatment consists of emptying the stomach, feeding the victim activated charcoal to bind the toxin, and putting the victim on life support until the poison has worn off. Japanese toxicologists in several medical research centers are now working on developing an antidote for tetrodotoxin.