When is the puffer fish the best?

It's spring now. The ancient poem says well, "Peach blossoms are three or two outside the bamboo, the duck is warmed in spring, and the reed buds on the ground are short, which is the time when the puffer fish wants to go up." The season for eating puffer fish is usually between January and February. Most Japanese think that puffer fish tastes the best at this time and is most suitable for raw food.

The common cooking method is the so-called "chrysanthemum stuffing", that is, the puffer fish is first cut into thin, almost transparent chrysanthemum petal-shaped slices, then placed in a plate and stacked from outside to inside in the shape of chrysanthemums.

When eating, peel it from the outer layer to the inner layer with chopsticks, and be extra careful to avoid destroying its shape prematurely. Although this way of eating can't be enjoyed, at least the "fish king" atmosphere formed from it is really extraordinary.