MATSUYAMA, Ehime Pref. — Thrill-seeking gourmets have long lusted after the poisonous "torafugu" blowfish, a winter delicacy in Japan that can be lethal unless prepared by a highly skilled chef.
But a fish breeding company in the town of Ainan, Ehime Prefecture, has found a way for anyone to try fugu, as it is commonly known, without the risk of paralysis and death.
Optima Foods Corp. has succeeded in breeding 50,000 of the nonpoisonous "takifugu rubripes" species and is now selling them online.