Not All Pufferfish Are the Same: Beware of Toxic Hybrid Pufferfish
Creatrip Team
a month ago
Pufferfish (blowfish) are prized in Korea for their umami taste, high protein and low fat, and are eaten year-round in dishes like bokjiri (clear pufferfish soup) and thinly sliced pufferfish sashimi. However, rising sea temperatures have increased sightings of hybrid and non-edible puffer species around Korea and Japan. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety warns that some hybrids and non-approved species can carry tetrodotoxin (pufferfish poison) in skin and organs at levels above safety limits, so they are classified as non-edible. Even approved edible pufferfish have toxic organs (liver, ovaries, testes) that are not neutralized by cooking, so only licensed chefs should prepare pufferfish. The ministry published a pufferfish guidebook detailing appearance and toxicity by body part to help consumers identify safe options.
