Removing poison and stigma from the world’s most dangerous bowl of soup | CNN

EDITOR’S NOTE: This CNN Travel series may have adjacent ads by the country it highlights. CNN retains full editorial control over subject matter, reporting and frequency of the articles and videos, in compliance with our policy. In a 1991 episode of “The Simpsons,” Homer goes to a Japanese restaurant and eats fugu, or poisonous pufferfish. He becomes convinced that he’s going to die, so he crosses off as many of the items on his bucket list as possible. There’s one wrinkle — the skillful chef managed to remove all the poison, so Homer’s totally fine and has to keep living his life. Pufferfish, though, still has a dangerous reputation. Yes, it’s poisonous. Even a tiny amount of the tetrodotoxin it contains can be lethal. However, the fish can be prepared in a way where the poison is safely removed. In Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city and a major seaside destination, pufferfish restaurants abound. While seafood is popular all across South Korea, pufferfish is a Busan specialty. The fishermen who have long lived in this part of the country easily catch them in the surrounding waters. The seaside Mipo neighborhood in Busan is known locally as “Pufferfish Vi

May 19, 2026 → May 20, 2026