Because the amino acid content in puffer fish meat is very high, it can give people a strong "umami" taste.

According to measurements, the protein content in 100g of puffer fish meat is as high as 18.7g. , and the fat content is only 0.26g, which is the lowest fat content among fish. In addition, the content of umami amino acids (glutamic acid, aspartic acid, alanine, glycine) in puffer fish is 7.05, which is higher than other freshwater fish, so it tastes very delicious.

Unlike glutamic acid, which directly reflects the umami flavor of MSG, pufferfish also has some complex flavors. Because pufferfish has less fat, the delicious taste of pufferfish meat is not the mellow taste of the glutamic acid and fat in the soup stock, but more of a sweet taste.

Due to the increased efforts to protect the ecological environment of the Yangtze River in recent years, puffer fish are now farmed. Although pufferfish can be eaten 365 days a year, the seasons are particular. Around the Qingming Festival, it is the best time of the year to taste pufferfish, because this is the time when pufferfish spawns, and it is also the time when pufferfish is most poisonous and plump. .

Extended information:

There are more than 200 kinds of puffer fish in the world, and there are about 40 species in China. Different types of puffer fish have different parts and abilities to deposit toxins. If tetrodotoxin is concentrated in the liver, blood, ovaries, etc., then after carefully removing these areas, the remaining meat can be eaten. This is why cooking fugu requires a specially trained chef.

Some types of puffer fish have a very low ability to deposit toxins. After artificial cultivation and controlled breeding conditions, they are actually non-toxic. In 2016, the state liberalized the management of red-finned pufferfish and dusky pufferfish. Units that have obtained operating qualifications can legally operate these two kinds of farmed puffer fish, and consumers can eat them with confidence.

Baidu Encyclopedia - Pufferfish (common name for teleost fishes, order Pufferidae)