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2 techniques
Fugu — Puffer Fish Preparation and Poison Safety (河豚)
Japan — fugu consumption has been practised in Japan since at least the Jomon period (10,000–300 BCE), with fugu bones found in shell midden sites. The first known recorded prohibition on fugu eating was issued by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the 1590s after too many of his soldiers died from fugu poisoning. Osaka (and the general Kansai region) lifted prohibitions earliest and established the licensed fugu chef tradition that spread nationally in the 20th century.
Fugu (河豚, puffer fish, Tetraodontidae family — primarily Takifugu rubripes, the tiger puffer) is Japan's most regulated food ingredient: the fish's liver, ovaries, and skin contain tetrodotoxin (TTX), a potent neurotoxin for which there is no antidote. A licensed fugu chef (fugu-shi, 河豚師) requires 3+ years of supervised training and must pass a rigorous practical examination to obtain a licence from the relevant prefecture's health authority. Despite (or because of) its danger, fugu is considered one of Japan's highest culinary expressions — the delicate, almost translucent flesh and the light, clean flavour are pursued by connoisseurs who value the dish's combination of extreme refinement and genuine existential risk.
Teppanyaki — Iron Griddle Theatrical Cooking (鉄板焼き)
Japan — teppanyaki was developed as a restaurant format by Misono restaurant in Kobe in 1945, specifically as a way to cook Western-style beef for an audience more comfortable with Japanese eating norms (counter seating, watching the cook). The theatrical American format was created by Rocky Aoki (founder of Benihana) in 1964 in New York, adapting Japanese teppanyaki for American entertainment preferences.
Teppanyaki (鉄板焼き, 'iron plate grill') is the Japanese cooking style using a large, flat iron griddle (teppan) heated to high temperature, on which seafood, steak, vegetables, and noodles are cooked at the table by a chef in front of seated diners. The style ranges from the theatrical Western 'Benihana-style' teppanyaki (with spinning knives, onion volcanoes, and tableside entertainment) to the refined Japanese teppanyaki restaurants where a skilled chef produces quietly exceptional results through mastery of temperature control, seasoning, and timing. In Japan, teppanyaki is primarily a steakhouse format — the teppan's flat surface produces a different sear than a grill, creating a more uniform crust across the entire protein surface. The flat griddle is also used for yakisoba (fried noodles) and yakiniku-adjacent preparations.