Fugu no Ko Nukazuke
Pufferfish ovaries pickled until no longer lethal
Think of it as: Like bottarga's saltier, funkier, riskier cousin
Deadly poison, patiently pickled into a delicacy.
What does it taste like?
Intensely salty, with deep umami and a fermented rice-bran tang.
SweetSpicySourSaltyFunkSmellTextureSticky and fine-grained, like dense roe
What is it?
Ovaries of the deadly pufferfish, salted for a year and then pickled in rice bran for two more, until the toxin fades away. Made only in Ishikawa, and nobody fully knows why it works.
How locals eat it
Sliced thin, lightly toasted, and nibbled with sake or crumbled over rice with green tea.
Watch it
More videos on YouTubeWhere is it from?
🇯🇵Japan
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MusicJ-pop Japanese pop that pairs perfectly with anime
SportBaseball
Shohei Ohtani (baseball; a two-way star pitching and hitting in the Major Leagues) World HeritageHimeji Castle and more National animalGreen pheasant (national bird) National flowerCherry blossom and chrysanthemum (unofficial) FestivalGion Matsuri (July, Kyoto)
Ingredients
- Pufferfish ovaries
- Lots of salt
- Rice bran
- Rice koji
- Ishiru (sardine fish sauce)
How to make it (one way)
- Bury the ovaries in heaps of salt for about a year.
- Rinse off the salt and pack them in rice bran, koji and fish sauce for two years or more.
- During the long fermentation, the toxin breaks down.
- Every batch is tested for toxin before sale.
- Slice thin, toast lightly, and serve with sake or over rice.
⚠️ Never attempt this. Pufferfish ovaries are lethally toxic; only licensed makers in Ishikawa may produce it.