Fukutora pufferfish, a new winter specialty product from Soma

Pufferfish skin has lots of collagen, which melts in your mouth together with house-made ponzu sauce.

Kappou Yamashita has been serving pufferfish since it was opened about 40 years ago, but only a few were harvested locally each year before the 2011 disaster. Today the restaurant only carries wild torafugu caught off the coast of Soma, which has a deep umami flavor, great texture, and a high level of quality recognized by experts in the National Fugu Federation. Soma’s torafugu has earned the support of people in Shimonoseki, the most famous region for this type of fish. Only licensed chefs can butcher pufferfish, and it wasn’t frequently eaten in Soma until now. We need more of these artisans today, so we are working to train chefs and pass down these skills.

Tessa, a flower-like arrangement of sashimi, highlights the distinctively delicious flavor and texture of pufferfish. The sashimi has a more transparent color from January to February, when the water is colder.

Unlicensed chefs can prepare pufferfish using “migaki” portions sold with the poisonous components already removed. The first step to establishing a new food culture is having lots of people try this fish, which is why we offer an affordable pufferfish meal at lunch. I’m sure that Fukutora, a new Soma specialty product, will help promote this culture. If you want to try it, I recommend starting with sashimi. The dish called “tessa” looks like a large flower and makes a delicious conversation piece.