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The Fanciest Foods That Will Kill You
You may say you would die for fashion, but would you die for fashionable foods? Some of the most gourmet dishes in the world are actually poisonous. Other traditional foods present such a health hazard that they’re banned in the United States. Should you go traveling and encounter these delicacies: eat at your own risk!
Fugu
Pufferfish is on many Japanese tables at the high price of $200 a pop — and X people die by consuming the fish, called fugu, every year. That’s because the pufferfish contains tetrodotoxin, a powerful neurotoxin. A lethal dose is smaller than a pinhead, and only proper cooking technique can deactivate the toxin. Expert chefs must train for at least two years to be licensed to prepare fugu. So far, there have been zero fatalities at Japanese restaurants, but about one person per year dies of tetrodotoxin poisoning, usually after catching their own pufferfish. Moral of the story: leave the preparation of the murder fish up to the experts.
Casu Marzu
If your cheese just hasn’t been wiggly enough recently, perhaps you should try Casu Marzu, a traditional Sardinian cheese brimming with live maggots. The food is…
