Try anything once?

For some reason, I’ve a real hankering for Japanese food at the moment. I’ve no idea why – perhaps it’s due to me going through some old photos from when I toured across the country visiting labs about ten years ago. In one of them, I’m standing underneath a large fibreglass puffer fish outside a restaurant (no, I’m not going to post it).

Puffer fish, in case you didn’t know, is quite the delicacy in many parts of Asia. In Japan, it’s known as fugu. I didn’t eat any, though. Why not? Well, the fish is one of the most poisonous animals in the world. It must be skilfully prepared, or it’s potentially lethal: a slight tingling of the lips, and it’s goodnight. Deaths are rare nowadays, but I didn’t want to take the risk. I try to avoid eating anything that might kill me (although I did once – and only once – eat a kebab).