Deadly dish that unless cooked exactly right has potential to kill

A dish that is more poisonous than cyanide is something I would steer clear of on the menu - even if it is supposedly to die for.

But some daring diners are willing to take the risk to chow down on this delicacy, despite warnings it could lead to their demise.

Chefs preparing the grub have to complete at least three years of hardcore training to know how to cook it without killing their customers.

But even with all these red flags, adventurous foodies are still willing to take the gamble to tantalise their tastebuds.

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Fugu - also known as pufferfish or blowfish - is one of the most poisonous foods in the world.

The bloated-looking underwater creatures are brimming with tetrodotoxin, which is said to be a whopping 10,000 times more toxic than cyanide.

This is predominantly found in the liver, ovaries, intestines, eyes and skin of a pufferfish - and there is no known antidote.

If this is consumed, diners are said to descend into 'rapid and violent' sickness.

The poison, which is a sodium channel blocker, effectively works by paralysing the muscles while the victim stays fully conscious.

The unlucky individual is then left completely unable to breathe and eventually dies from asphyxiation.

But believe it or not, people still want to devour this deadly dish.

It is banned in the UK, the US and across Europe, so you would have to journey across the globe to try it.

Fugu remains on menus in Japan, China and South Korea, but there are strict regulations surrounding its serving.

As you can imagine, handling this fish isn't for amateurs.

It has to be prepared and cooked with the utmost care and precision to ensure the poisonous parts are removed.

On top of that, chefs have to avoid contaminating the non-toxic parts of the flesh - rather them than me.

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First, the skin of the pufferfish is removed and the jelly is washed off. Yum.

Its spine and eyes are then taken out, before the hard work really kicks in.

Expert chefs then gut the fish, taking extreme care to avoid puncturing one of its internal organs and unleashing the lethal tetrodotoxin.

If they burst, the toxins will be released into the flesh, rendering it as inedible.

The fish is then filleted to make sashimi and is commonly presented as a flower.

There's nothing like a petal formation to take your mind off the life-threatening poison, is there?

If it wasn't obvious before, it goes without saying that you should not try this at home.

But if you're heading out to a fugu serving establishment, make sure you take plenty of cash - as it's extremely pricey.

Topics: Food And Drink, Weird, World News, Animals

Olivia Burke

Olivia is a journalist at LADbible Group with more than five years of experience and has worked for a number of top publishers, including News UK. She also enjoys writing food reviews (as well as the eating part). She is a stereotypical reality TV addict, but still finds time for a serious documentary.

@livburke_