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00:00Discover Japan and beyond through food experiences with ByFood.com.
00:04Right now I'm holding Japan's most venomous fish,
00:06a disgusting deep-sea creature known as the stonefish.
00:10And soon, I'm gonna eat it.
00:12Tokyo is a city that devours countless species of fish by the shipload.
00:17But today, I'm on a mission to track down the most dangerous and deadly fish I can find in this city.
00:22It has 13 long spikes that can paralyze you and even cause death.
00:28And by the end of this video, I'll find out if pursuing the perfect bite is worth gambling with my health and maybe even my life.
00:36Around 10 people in Australia pass away every year because of getting in contact with this fish.
00:43Welcome to Tokyo, the heartbeat of seafood here in Japan.
00:48Tokyo is where Japan's most prized but also most dangerous seafood ends up.
00:52The type of seafood that, if prepared incorrectly, could kill you.
00:56And right now we're headed to our first dangerous seafood location, so let's move.
01:03Right now we've arrived at our first location where we have our first specimen.
01:07These are known as stargazers.
01:09Now these stargazers look like this.
01:12Like most NHL fans.
01:14These fish have been labeled the meanest fish in creation.
01:18If you are a fish that they want to destroy, they can either electrocute you or they hit you with their venom.
01:24The stargazer's venom can cause intense pain, swelling, and in severe cases, muscle paralysis.
01:30This venom is delivered through these two spines on their back, which underwater could be impossible to avoid.
01:36They're hanging out in the sand.
01:37You're surfing.
01:38You step on it.
01:39It's over.
01:40Even now, a careless touch could result in a painful sting.
01:43So the chef must handle the stargazers with extreme caution, avoiding contact with these dangerous barbs.
01:49After scraping off its rough scales, the chef carefully removes the innards, thoroughly rinsing the stargazers to eliminate impurities.
01:56Then, the delicate process of filleting begins.
02:00Each precise cut separates the tender meat from the skeleton, avoiding waste while preserving texture.
02:06Every remaining bone is meticulously picked out, ensuring a smooth bite.
02:11The skin is peeled away.
02:12Then, each piece is sliced thin, ready for the next step.
02:16To complement the unique flavor of the stargazer, fresh wasabi, grated from the wasabi japonica plant.
02:23Using rice that's been flavored with red vinegar, mirin, and sugar, the chef rolls rice balls, adds a touch of wasabi, and a slice of raw stargazer.
02:31A light brush of soy sauce adds the final umami note before serving.
02:35It's a very rare fish to actually get in Japan.
02:39Usually, it's accidentally caught.
02:41This is what I kind of love about Japan.
02:43People seem to make use of whatever they pull up, including this right here.
02:47Like, Kaya, what are you doing back there?
02:48It's my first day on the job, actually.
02:50Returning to risk her life with me, Miss Universe Japan, Kaya.
02:54I have never seen a female sushi chef ever.
02:57Typically, women are not sushi chefs because they say that we have warmer hands, so it can ruin the taste of the sushi, unfortunately.
03:05Actually, I didn't know that until right now.
03:08This is the stargazer.
03:09Have you ever been stuck by one?
03:11And what happened?
03:13The whole day, I couldn't do my job.
03:15Basically, death.
03:16Please, try with us.
03:18Always make the chef try with you, so you know it's not poisoned.
03:22I mean, the rice is already delicious.
03:30Sour, vinegary, sushi rice.
03:32A little bit of wasabi on there.
03:34The fish itself, it's a nice, thick cut.
03:36It kind of tastes like lobster to me, and also super firm.
03:39Maybe you got the elbow.
03:40This part?
03:41My part was gummy.
03:42It is a unique texture that I've not had before.
03:44Always just nice.
03:44It's like a very nice, meaty texture to it, which I like about it.
03:48Eating this fish right now poses no danger to us.
03:50But the next fish, this fish right here...
03:55This is called a skillfish, and it has a deep, dark secret.
04:02Are you excited for this?
04:03Oh, no.
04:04The skillfish belongs to a family of fish that's heavy with wax esters,
04:09a type of fat that's indigestible for humans,
04:11and that can cause Armageddon-level diarrhea.
04:15Kaya.
04:16Sunny.
04:17We are going to be putting our bodies on the line today.
04:20One member of this family, the oilfish, made hundreds of patrons sick in Hong Kong
04:25after it was intentionally mislabeled as cod in 2007.
04:29The oilfish is now banned here in Japan.
04:32The skillfish, while not banned, is still highly potent.
04:36Just three pieces could wreak havoc on your digestive system.
04:39Your body isn't able to process it, and instead what happens is it shoots right through you.
04:43But he says it's like the highest class of tuna that you can get, so it's super nice and fatty, but...
04:48In this area, it's a good experience.
04:51Elsewhere, not so much.
04:52Are you excited for this?
04:53Oh, no.
04:56From here, I guess we just see how it works.
04:58I can't wait to see the meat and to see, well, really, what happens after the meal.
05:02I don't know what to say to that.
05:04That's awful.
05:05The chef works his knife skills to break down the hefty skillfish into deceptively harmless-looking slices.
05:11From here, the fish fillet will both be grilled and made into soup.
05:14Let's start with the soup.
05:17First, a foundational broth is prepared by combining sake, mirin, and sugar with water.
05:23In goes the skillfish, and five minutes is all it takes for the heat to gently firm up the flesh,
05:28while absorbing the essence of the broth it's bathing in.
05:31After removing the fish, the broth is reduced to concentrate its flavors,
05:35and it's made thick with a slurry of flour paste.
05:38Then the skillfish returns to the pot.
05:40Keep in mind, while heat does kill bacteria, it does nothing to the wax esters.
05:52There's a thick layer of fat, and that's from the skillfish.
05:56Can our body handle it?
05:57I'm not sure, but the skillfish, nabe, still.
06:02Ah, smells good.
06:03Slightly fishy, rich, and sweet.
06:05There's like a punch of the ginger, which I really like.
06:08In a moment, we're going to put this in our mouths.
06:09But I want to tell you what I found in my research.
06:12What makes this one of the most dangerous fish in Tokyo?
06:14It contains high levels of indigestible wax esters, which can cause...
06:19Not diarrhea.
06:19There's a different word, actually.
06:21Is it cari...
06:22Cariuria.
06:23Yes.
06:23Which means a type of uncontrollable oily diarrhea.
06:28There's a type of...
06:30It's worse.
06:31Part of me wants to cheat and just take a little nibble.
06:33I'm going to go for a full bite.
06:34Respect.
06:35Cheers.
06:36Me too.
06:41Sorry.
06:42It's so soft.
06:47Wait, what?
06:49That bite was even better than some of the most fatty tuna I've ever had.
06:52It's really delicious.
06:53I can't believe it.
06:54I get why people eat it.
06:55This could have dire consequences.
06:58But right now, in this moment, that tastes really good.
07:01It's amazing.
07:02It is a buttery, soft fish.
07:04You've got the skin on there, so that's even more fat.
07:07You've got some of the sake in there, the ginger.
07:10That's really impressive.
07:11Do you want to know another dangerous fact about this fish after we ate a bite?
07:15Yes.
07:16It has been linked to having a high amount of magnesium sometimes.
07:20That's good, right?
07:21Sorry.
07:22Mercury.
07:23Oh.
07:23So next, we're going to be trying this one here.
07:26What can you tell me about this preparation?
07:28So they have just grilled it over fire and added a lot of salt to it.
07:32And I think that this way, it just prepared simply, and we can actually taste the fish itself.
07:38No masking agents.
07:39And what I like about it is we have a lot of volume here, so we can really fill up on this.
07:43Am I going to regret this later?
07:52It's so good.
07:54Oh, no.
07:55Oh, I see why people eat it.
07:57Wow.
07:57It's really, from being grilled over charcoal, that charcoal is imbued the perfect, almost
08:02sweet smokiness onto that meat.
08:04I feel like the oil even has a light flavor to it.
08:07It doesn't feel like eating wagyu, where the oil from the beef can start to make you feel
08:10sick.
08:11It's like I want to keep going.
08:13Oh, that was my stomach.
08:15Soft, buttery, so smoky, so delicious.
08:22I've never had a fish like it.
08:24And it's so dangerous that I like it now.
08:26For sure, we probably stop eating.
08:28I'm going to have one more.
08:28It's so good.
08:30I can't believe it.
08:31So, from here, we have two more locations lined up with two more dangerous fish.
08:40Our last fish might send us to the toilet, but our next fish could send us into a coma.
08:45Tokyo, I would wager to guess, probably has more variety of fish than any other city in
08:49the world.
08:50Would you agree with that?
08:52Everyone wants to eat in Tokyo because it's like an accumulation of all the seafood possible.
08:57What do you think is the most dangerous fish you've ever served or seen someone eat?
09:04I said, you can be honest.
09:07He's like, wow.
09:10Introducing our second source of poison, the serpentine moray eel.
09:15You have a nice specimen right here.
09:16Do you know what would be helpful for the camera?
09:17Could you pick up the whole thing?
09:19Me?
09:20Yeah.
09:21Okay.
09:21Uh-huh.
09:24How does it feel in your hands?
09:26It's fleshy, wet, and it doesn't smell great.
09:31What makes the moray eel so dangerous?
09:35There is poison in the blood of the eel.
09:39The moray eel's blood carries toxins throughout its body.
09:42If you ingest its blood, the best case scenario is stomach issues, numbness, and muscle pain.
09:48The worst case, ending up in a coma or the afterlife.
09:52It will also cause neurological problems, such as temperature reversal.
09:57If you get bitten, the mucus it secretes is an anticoagulant, so you won't stop bleeding.
10:03What's the third most dangerous thing that could happen?
10:05It's our favorite one.
10:07Mercury poisoning.
10:08This is why the CDC advises against eating the moray eel.
10:13But here in Japan, danger is just another flavor.
10:16Why do people insist on still eating this?
10:18It's delicious, right?
10:19Because it's yummy.
10:20If we eat the blood, that could be dangerous for us.
10:23But then how do you get rid of the blood?
10:24After he cuts it, he thoroughly cleanses it with water.
10:27What about soap?
10:29A little.
10:29Okay.
10:31Our neurotoxic moray eel is served over two courses.
10:35One is raw sashimi.
10:36And while I build up the courage for that, I opt to start with the cooked version.
10:41The moray eel fillets get 15 minutes of steaming.
10:43Then they're cold shocked in an ice bath to preserve the eel's texture.
10:47Our chef torches the skin to refine its texture and add some smoky flavor.
10:51Then he slices the fillets into bite-sized pieces to serve a base of julienne, cucumber, and ginger,
10:58creating the final resting place for our eel friend.
11:04Kaya.
11:04Sunny.
11:05The chef is standing right behind you.
11:07Yes.
11:08So please be polite when you eat this food.
11:10I have never had a moray eel.
11:12Most people in Japan haven't had anything like this.
11:15What if we tried just the naked cooked eel first and then we flavor it afterwards?
11:20That sounds great with me.
11:21Let's try it.
11:24Mmm.
11:25Mmm.
11:27The skin is very distinct, a little gelatinous, and almost gummy.
11:32It's very soft in my mouth, but I do taste a little bit of eel.
11:36The freshwater eel that you're used to?
11:37I would agree, a little bit, even though this is an ocean animal.
11:40So now we're going to hit it with a little bit of ponzu sauce.
11:42Ponzu is kind of like a lighter, more fragrant soy sauce.
11:49Mmm.
11:50I've never had anything like this.
11:51It's a new flavor with the ponzu sauce, actually.
11:54Much brighter, but there's two distinct parts to the eel.
11:57When you get the actual meat, it's very flaky and kind of falling apart, but then the skin
12:01stands out.
12:02It makes it very unique.
12:03It's very thick.
12:04It's heavy.
12:05It's fat, rubbery.
12:06There's nothing like it.
12:07It looks like pig ears.
12:08What would he compare the skin to?
12:10What is it?
12:12What is it?
12:14What is it?
12:14Right here, we have the moray eel sashimi.
12:19Sashimi, as the name suggests, involves no cooking at all.
12:23Just pieces of fish nearly as toxic as your ex, thinly sliced and served to thrill-seeking
12:28stunt eaters.
12:29As a fun accompaniment, the chef boils the eel skin, chocks it in ice, then slices it up.
12:35Consider it a final treat before you settle into a soothing coma.
12:45Hmm.
12:48I would almost compare that to the raw cone of the squid in the way that it's kind of
12:52a soft, gummy, chewy texture almost.
12:54Almost has a crunch to it, too.
12:56No, that's the texture.
12:57As far as the flavor, nothing.
12:59It's just a very, very light flavor profile.
13:02Just an incredibly clean taste, but then there's the skin.
13:07Oh, boy.
13:08Oh, and it sticks together.
13:09It looks gelatinous.
13:10That's nice.
13:20Certainly more flavor.
13:21Yeah.
13:22Briny?
13:23It tastes like what an aquarium smells like.
13:25A little bit of fish food and cool aquarium water.
13:27It's fishy, but in a smell way.
13:29But not a strong funk.
13:30From what we've experienced here, it feels fairly innocuous.
13:33At least, that's how it presents itself for now.
13:36We'll find out for sure.
13:37In half a day.
13:38Chef, we'll email you if there's any issues.
13:40Email.
13:41I'll send you an email.
13:41Like, it's a disease.
13:45Our scariest challenge of the day has arrived.
13:49The most terrifying, the deadliest, the most venomous fish not only in Japan, but in the world.
13:56Oh, God.
13:57Oh, wow.
14:00This is the stonefish.
14:04As soon as he picks it up, you can see its back fin pop up, and you can see those are the spines.
14:09And if you pull it down, that is the barb that delivers the venom.
14:14Oh, ho, ho, ho.
14:16Those barbs need just a split second to deliver a venom potent enough to cause anything from excruciating pain to paralysis, respiratory failure, or even death.
14:25Around 10 people in Australia pass away every year because of accidentally getting in contact with this fish.
14:33You can see why it would blend perfectly into the coral, the rocks.
14:36The stonefish can live up to 24 hours out of water in the sand.
14:41Oh, that's insane.
14:41You're not safe anywhere near the beach, basically.
14:43In the kitchen, even with the concentration and precision of a Japanese chef.
14:47Just the tiniest of mistakes, and this fish could be your last.
14:51Ladies and gentlemen, what you're about to see next is the most dangerous part of preparing the stonefish.
14:55One thing that you can't do is put your hand on top of the fish like that.
14:58The chef is going to have to carefully maneuver around this fish, turning it from a live creature into something delicious.
15:04Chef, take it away.
15:08Oh, well, that's pretty easy.
15:09He lays a towel on top of the spikes.
15:11Diabolical.
15:12Then he goes back kind of on the shoulder blade of the fish.
15:15He's turned the fish around.
15:16Half the filet has been pulled off of the fish, and it's not putting up much of a fight.
15:22Ooh.
15:22He puts down one fat-looking filet.
15:25Now he works on the other side.
15:27So these two fat filets have been removed, and from here he's going to be making two dishes.
15:31Stonefish sashimi and stonefish hot pot.
15:34Let's get to it.
15:35To prepare the most venomous raw sashimi Kaya and I have ever eaten,
15:40the chef slices the filets into thin, bite-sized pieces and plates them beside the stonefish's skeleton
15:46for an added layer of psychological terror.
15:48But the horror doesn't stop there.
15:51He then beats the stonefish liver into a deranged mayonnaise, which will be the macabre condiment
15:56for our raw fish.
15:57I don't regret any of my ex-fishes, because every ex-fish that I dated and broke up with
16:03led me to this fish.
16:06Do you ever feel that way?
16:07No.
16:08At this point, the barbs are still here, so there's still an element of danger to this meal.
16:13And hopefully I don't slip and fall at the table.
16:15First, let's try out the meat of the stonefish, the raw meat.
16:19It is a very white fish with a hint of pink.
16:28Hmm.
16:32A little squishy.
16:33A little sandpapery on my tongue.
16:36Oh, really?
16:36Like when a cat licks your finger.
16:38The texture is very unique and strange.
16:40It kind of stays on your tongue.
16:41Not a strong flavor.
16:42No.
16:42Right now, I think what this really requires is some of that liver.
16:45Yay.
16:45Grab a piece of sashimi, hit it with a little bit of liver.
16:49Mmm.
16:50You don't like how that looks, do you?
16:51From here, we roll it up a little bit.
16:53Oh.
16:54Don't think too much.
16:54Hit it in the ponzu sauce.
17:00Something completely different.
17:02Very soft.
17:03Creamy.
17:04The ponzu just brightens it up.
17:05It's not that strong or that intense, I don't think.
17:08I think you should try some of the liver alone.
17:11Almost like uni.
17:13Mmm.
17:13But not briny.
17:14I love uni too.
17:16Now that you say it, it makes you like it more.
17:18It's good.
17:19It has a little seafoodiness to it, but very mild.
17:21It's similar to the taste of the flesh, but it has actually more flavor than the flesh.
17:27Right here, we have the stonefish hot pot.
17:29Let's take a look.
17:30To make the stonefish hot pot, quickly blanch the stonefish, then wash off its slime.
17:41In a pot, arrange the fish with tofu, white cabbage, enoki mushrooms, and pea sprouts.
17:47Concoct the broth by combining bonito stock, made from dried fermented tuna, mirin, and soy sauce.
17:52Pour the broth into the fish pot and serve.
17:55Should we taste that broth?
17:56Yes.
18:01Oh, it's so good.
18:03It's warm.
18:03It opens up your chest.
18:05It's inviting.
18:06It smells amazing in here.
18:07We do have some of the meat of the fish, but we also have some fins of joints.
18:14Whatever that is.
18:15So right here, we have thick kind of fillet chunks.
18:18It's white.
18:19It's kind of shrunk up a little bit.
18:24It's so light.
18:25Oh, I love that texture.
18:27It's got like a nice bounce to it as you bite through it.
18:29It's good.
18:29This part, I bet we could eat.
18:30It's gelatinous.
18:32When you squeeze it, it looks like there's five bones.
18:34We have five bones.
18:36Oh.
18:36I think we used to be stonefish.
18:37What happened to the venom in my spine?
18:40Okay.
18:42Oh, God.
18:43Did you get some off?
18:44Barely.
18:44It's hard, and it's actually basically just skin.
18:48The skin is half gelatinous, but then part of it's like crispy, but in an exoskeleton kind
18:52of way.
18:53It tasted just fine.
18:54The texture on that was really weird.
18:55It's like half bone, half cartilage.
18:58A very rewarding experience.
19:01Do you think so?
19:02I mean, we didn't get killed, and we were able to enjoy the food.
19:07I really couldn't think of one seafood that folks in Japan would be like, actually, that's
19:11too much.
19:12Literally anything, whether it's big or small or from the deep seas or the shallow depths,
19:18innocuous or super dangerous, folks here will find a way to make it delicious.
19:22Oh, yeah, and we'll find a way to eat it, even through trial and error.
19:25This meal is finished, but this video is not.
19:28From here, you and I are going to go outside and report what symptoms we are feeling from all
19:31the strange food we ate today.
19:34In the end, did we have any bad repercussions or side effects or symptoms?
19:38No, I did not.
19:39Did you, Sunny?
19:40Well, I don't think I suffered any consequences.
19:42I think the chefs here, they are experts when it comes to seafood.
19:45That makes me happy.
19:46For you, which seafood was your favorite?
19:48For me, it's definitely the skill fish.
19:50Same.
19:51Discover Japan and beyond through food experiences with BuyFood.com.
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20:18I've never had anything like this.
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