Eat Your Heart Out: Fugu, the only food forbidden to Japan's Emperor

Often dubbed the most dangerous dish in the World, Fugu is a Japanese pufferfish infamous for containing a poison 1200 times more dangerous than cyanide in its’ organs. Originally a gourmet delicacy reserved for the upper classes, the dish was banned from the 16th to 18th centuries following the deaths of a number of samurai; while it is now available to the public, only licensed chefs who have undertaken extensive training can legally prepare the fish using a special knife known as the ‘fugu hiki’. Once it is safe for consumption, a firm texture, subtle flavor and a slight tingling sensation round out this one of a kind dining experience.