Poisonous Fish Testicles Send 7 Japanese Diners to Hospital

[KapitanSparrow]

TOKYO — Seven diners in northern Japan fell ill and three remained hospitalized Tuesday after eating blowfish testicles prepared in a restaurant not authorized to serve the poisonous delicacy.

The owner of the restaurant in Tsuruoka city, who is also the chef, had no license to serve blowfish and was being questioned on suspicion of professional negligence, police official Yoshihito Iwase said.

Blowfish, while extremely poisonous if not prepared properly, is considered a delicacy in Japan and is consumed by thrill-seeking gourmets.

Iwase said the seven men ordered sashimi and grilled blowfish testicles at the restaurant Monday night.

Shortly after, they developed limb paralysis and breathing trouble and started to lose consciousness — typical signs of blowfish poisoning — and were rushed to a hospital for treatment, Iwase said.

A 68-year-old diner remained hospitalized in critical condition with respiratory failure and two others, aged 55 and 69, were in serious condition, he said.

"It's scary. If you go to a decent-looking restaurant that serves fugu, you would assume a cook has a proper fugu license," Iwase said, using the Japanese term for blowfish.

Blowfish poison, called tetrodotoxin, is nearly 100 times more poisonous than potassium cyanide, according to the Ishikawa Health Service Association. It can cause death within an hour and a half after consumption.

Three people died and 44 others were sickened by blowfish poisoning in 2007 — most of them after catching the fish and cooking it at home — according to the Health Ministry.

Come on, pal! Fugu me!

[JP]

[Mtnman1830]

Great... sushi this weekend, too. Good thing we aren't in Japan.

[KapitanSparrow]

Great... sushi this weekend, too. Good thing we aren't in Japan.

Just don't order testicles

[Randi]

TOKYO — Seven diners in northern Japan fell ill and three remained hospitalized Tuesday after eating blowfish testicles prepared in a restaurant not authorized to serve the poisonous delicacy.

The owner of the restaurant in Tsuruoka city, who is also the chef, had no license to serve blowfish and was being questioned on suspicion of professional negligence, police official Yoshihito Iwase said.

Blowfish, while extremely poisonous if not prepared properly, is considered a delicacy in Japan and is consumed by thrill-seeking gourmets.

Iwase said the seven men ordered sashimi and grilled blowfish testicles at the restaurant Monday night.

Shortly after, they developed limb paralysis and breathing trouble and started to lose consciousness — typical signs of blowfish poisoning — and were rushed to a hospital for treatment, Iwase said.

A 68-year-old diner remained hospitalized in critical condition with respiratory failure and two others, aged 55 and 69, were in serious condition, he said.

"It's scary. If you go to a decent-looking restaurant that serves fugu, you would assume a cook has a proper fugu license," Iwase said, using the Japanese term for blowfish.

Blowfish poison, called tetrodotoxin, is nearly 100 times more poisonous than potassium cyanide, according to the Ishikawa Health Service Association. It can cause death within an hour and a half after consumption.

Three people died and 44 others were sickened by blowfish poisoning in 2007 — most of them after catching the fish and cooking it at home — according to the Health Ministry.

Come on, pal! Fugu me!

Fish have testicles?

[KapitanSparrow]

TOKYO — Seven diners in northern Japan fell ill and three remained hospitalized Tuesday after eating blowfish testicles prepared in a restaurant not authorized to serve the poisonous delicacy.

The owner of the restaurant in Tsuruoka city, who is also the chef, had no license to serve blowfish and was being questioned on suspicion of professional negligence, police official Yoshihito Iwase said.

Blowfish, while extremely poisonous if not prepared properly, is considered a delicacy in Japan and is consumed by thrill-seeking gourmets.

Iwase said the seven men ordered sashimi and grilled blowfish testicles at the restaurant Monday night.

Shortly after, they developed limb paralysis and breathing trouble and started to lose consciousness — typical signs of blowfish poisoning — and were rushed to a hospital for treatment, Iwase said.

A 68-year-old diner remained hospitalized in critical condition with respiratory failure and two others, aged 55 and 69, were in serious condition, he said.

"It's scary. If you go to a decent-looking restaurant that serves fugu, you would assume a cook has a proper fugu license," Iwase said, using the Japanese term for blowfish.

Blowfish poison, called tetrodotoxin, is nearly 100 times more poisonous than potassium cyanide, according to the Ishikawa Health Service Association. It can cause death within an hour and a half after consumption.

Three people died and 44 others were sickened by blowfish poisoning in 2007 — most of them after catching the fish and cooking it at home — according to the Health Ministry.

Come on, pal! Fugu me!

Fish have testicles?

I guess that is a question for LOAH. Sir?

[Cirrus2000]

Sure they do. Up front, inside. Here's a diagram of the location of shark testicles and ovaries:



Quite fascinating, in fact, how the fact that testicles were originally farther forward, inside the body, is responsible for inguinal hernias in humans, as well as the roundabout routing of the vas deferens (sperm duct). But that's a whole other topic...

[Randi]

Sure they do. Up front, inside. Here's a diagram of the location of shark testicles and ovaries:



Quite fascinating, in fact, how the fact that testicles were originally farther forward, inside the body, is responsible for inguinal hernias in humans, as well as the roundabout routing of the vas deferens (sperm duct). But that's a whole other topic...

Nice cross sections! I guess it's one of those things that never really comes up in most conversations. Unless you're a fisherman? Or a Japanese consumer of fish testicles?

Can you imagine over coffee a conversation that goes something like this?
"Man, I caught a fish the other day that had the BIGGEST BALLS ever!",
"What? I didn't know that fish had testicles"
"No man, I mean he was a fighter! Fought like a real champ even after I got him onto the boat", but fish DO have testicles! In fact, testicles in humans were originally farther forward, inside the body, and this is responsible for inguinal hernias in humans, as well as the roundabout routing of the vas deferens (sperm duct).


I learn something new every time I visit Bogley!
Should I tell my son that his inguinal hernia was due to the fact that he had a recessive testicle? I wonder if he knows!?

[JP]

he had a recessive testicle?

Cryptorchidism is the verbiage

[Sombeech]

I've been thinking of a good One Liner response to this story all day.

[Don]

Are just the testicles poison or the whole fish?



Guess that'll teach you to keep the balls away from the lips...

[KapitanSparrow]

Are just the testicles poison or the whole fish?

I hope this will help ya a bit, Don.

[Last Child]

LOL Ball Eaters