We talk a lot about food on this blog and most of our recommendations are fairly cheap and not dangerous at all. Today though, we will talk about a dish that, if not prepared correctly, is potentially deadly. Let’s take a look at the world of the Japanese pufferfish (河豚).
Fugu is the Japanese word for pufferfish and the dish prepared from the species Taifugu. Fugu can be lethally poisonous due to the venom a pufferfish has stored in its liver, therefore, it must be carefully prepared to remove toxic parts and to avoid contaminating the meat.
The inhabitants of Japan have eaten fugu for centuries. The Tokugawa shogunate 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 fugu was again banned in many areas. Fugu is the only food the Emperor of Japan is forbidden to eat, for his safety.

Since 1958, fugu chefs must 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.
A dish of fugu typically costs between ¥2,000 and ¥5,000, a full-course fugu meal can cost ¥10,000–20,000.

The restaurant preparation of fugu is strictly controlled by law in Japan and several other countries, and only chefs who have qualified after three or more years of rigorous training are allowed to prepare the fish. Domestic preparation occasionally leads to accidental death. 
Fugu is served as sashimi. Some consider the liver to be 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. 

Due to the strict control on Fugu and its chefs, it is fairly safe to eat fugu in a fugu restaurant. Its taste is phenomenal so you might wanna try the food the emperor is forbidden to taste.