Note: Konjac and Fugu — Unusual Ingredients in Japan

Many people may have the image that Japanese people eat just about anything.
I am Japanese myself, and this is my personal opinion, but I think Japanese people are among the most adventurous eaters, second only to Chinese people.

When people think of foods that are unique to Japan, things like raw fish and natto often come to mind. Recently, however, I have heard that people outside Japan have begun eating these foods as well.

With that in mind, I would like to introduce a few foods that I believe are still not very well known overseas.

There is a food called konjac.
It is a processed food made from the konjac yam.
The konjac yam is a troublesome ingredient that only becomes edible after going through a series of steps: grinding, hydration, and alkaline coagulation.
Other types of yams can be eaten quite easily, so it is rather puzzling why anyone would go out of their way to search for such a complicated method just to eat this one.
That said, konjac is used in a wide variety of dishes and is a common ingredient in Japan.

Another food that often surprises people from overseas is fugu.
As many people know, this fish contains poison and has been eaten in Japan since ancient times, resulting in many deaths.
Of course, during the Edo period, official orders were issued saying, “Fugu is poisonous, so do not eat it,” but it seems that ordinary people continued to eat it anyway, even using the slang term teppō—a word meaning “gun,” based on the idea that if it hits you, you die.
Thanks to this long and dangerous history, fugu can now be eaten safely, for which I am grateful, but I still find myself thinking that risking one’s life for food might be a bit much.
Just to be clear, the preparation of fugu is strictly regulated by law.
By the way, I personally like fried fugu.

Even adventurous Japanese people do not eat poisonous mushrooms.
However, it seems that the fly agaric mushroom (Amanita muscaria) was eaten in very limited regions.
It is said that if it is salted and preserved for about five years, the poison somehow disappears, although this has not been scientifically explained.
Even so, there are cases where the poison does not fully disappear.
For that reason, it should not be eaten as a general rule.
Apparently, there are people who knowingly prepare and eat it despite being prepared to suffer various symptoms of poisoning, but I find that hard to understand.
If things go wrong, it can be life-threatening.

This may come as a surprise, but insect eating is almost nonexistent in Japan today.
Of course, there are regions where insects are eaten as local dishes, and there are also people who eat them without hesitation.
Still, since the insects are served in their original appearance, I personally have absolutely no desire to try them.

There are also manga series that focus on unusual ingredients.
One such series is titled 「桐谷さん ちょっ それ食うんすか!?」, but unfortunately, it seems to be available only in Japanese.
In this work, the author actually eats dishes made with unusual ingredients and depicts the cooking process through high school characters.
I enjoy reading it, and within the series there are dishes that I would like to try and others that I would absolutely never want to eat, which really makes me realize how deep and varied the world of food can be.
Since it is a commercially published comic, it naturally does not include any dangerous foods.

These days, Japan’s delicious cuisine is widely introduced around the world, but there are also many unusual delicacies.
If you ever get the chance, I encourage you to try them.
Just not poisonous mushrooms.

See you again.