Chinese man nearly dies after eating soup made from deadly pufferfish
Restaurant owner admits she didn’t the properly clean the fish’s liver, which can be fatally toxic
PUBLISHED : Monday, 14 March, 2016, 2:44pm
UPDATED : Monday, 14 March, 2016, 3:17pm
Catherine Wong
[email protected]
A pufferfish, or fugu, in Japan, where only licensed chefs are allowed to prepare and serve them. Photo: SCMP Pictures
A tasty meal of pufferfish soup almost cost the life of a man in eastern China, who survived the ordeal only after having his stomach pumped eight times.
The victim, who is only identified by his surname Wang, had dinner with his friends at a local seafood restaurant in Jinjiang, Fujian province on Saturday, according to the Xiamen-based Straits Herald.
Pufferfish are called “river pig” – hetun in China and fugu in Japan – and are considered a delicacy. But their liver, ovaries and other parts extremely toxic. Only licensed chefs are allowed to prepare and serve them in Japan some other countries, including the United States. It is rumoured that it is the only food that the Emperor of Japan is prohibited from eating.
Consumption of Pufferfish was banned in the mainland until 2010, although it has been farmed in the country and exported for many years.
Today it is legal to serve the fish and there are no restrictions on its preparation.
A plate of fugu sashimi in Japan. Photo: SCMP Images
The owner of the restaurant, who is also identified only by her surname Li, bought the pufferfish from a wet market after taking Wang’s order and made a soup with it.
Wang started feeling dizzy and began vomiting about three hours after he left the restaurant, and his family rushed him to a local hospital.
His condition stablised on Sunday afternoon after his stomach was pumped eight times. His doctor confirmed that Wang had suffered pufferfish poisoning.
The restaurant owner later admitted that she did not clean the pufferfish liver properly and that the meat may have been contaminated which caused Wang to be poisoned.
Local authorities are investigating the restaurant.
