BajaNomad

anyone eating pufferfish?

Don Pisto - 12-3-2021 at 04:19 PM

no not Fugu sashimi but simple breaded and fried Globo. yesterday in our rosarito fish market I was surprised to see stacks of puffers they were calling "pollito del mar", a east coast name that I believe came from looking like a chicken drumstick when skinned and de-poisoned. a quick search revealed many people find this to be one of the best eating reef fish there is, who knew? this is a very legit market and im sure these fish have been made safe to eat, at 99/p a kilo might give it a try!

David K - 12-3-2021 at 04:53 PM

Some suspect we lost the a wonderful human, Pancho of San Rafael, from his eating one???

RFClark - 12-3-2021 at 05:27 PM

“Those who eat fugu soup are stupid. But those who don’t eat fugu soup are also stupid.“

BAJA.DESERT.RAT - 12-3-2021 at 06:31 PM

Hola,

seems kinda dangerous to me.

in japan, the fugu chefs are specially trained to prepare this delicacy, but people do still die from it.

if they are selling it in the fish market in mexico, i guess we'll just WAIT AND SEE !

BIEN SALUD,

DA RAT



hombre66 - 12-3-2021 at 07:10 PM

Thats like, $2.50 a lb? (Rock cod in my Oregon coast village is $18 lb.)

100X - 12-3-2021 at 07:29 PM

About 30 years ago a sushi chef in La Jolla, CA died from it, and he was a "pro." Just sayin...

Bajazly - 12-3-2021 at 08:01 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Some suspect we lost the a wonderful human, Pancho of San Rafael, from his eating one???


According to him, he didn't eat fish and of all the times I was there eating fish, he never partook and all I offered was halibut.

Replace puffer fish for tequila and I think we have our culprit.

vandy - 12-3-2021 at 08:28 PM

Botete are great!
On the eastern US coast it's called "sea squab".
I've had many bullseye puffer fish in Baja.
Doesn't taste like chicken,
but the shape of the meat is right.

BornFisher - 12-3-2021 at 08:57 PM

Hola Don-- I`m wondering where is the Rosarito fish market? Don`t think I`ll try puffer, but might be interested in shrimp, WSB, halibut, swordfish, reds or ??? thanks.

Don Pisto - 12-3-2021 at 09:44 PM

Quote: Originally posted by BornFisher  
Hola Don-- I`m wondering where is the Rosarito fish market? Don`t think I`ll try puffer, but might be interested in shrimp, WSB, halibut, swordfish, reds or ??? thanks.


directly across from the Corona hotel, blue building called La Playa fish market, same outfit as the large tijuana 6th street market

Mulege Canuck - 12-4-2021 at 08:50 AM

i went out for a day on the water on Conception Bay. My friend paid for a guide to take us out there. I think his name was Daniel. We were out spearfishing for Triggerfish for lunch but i could not get one. Daniel went out and came back with three large Pufferfish. He said they were "great eating". He made two small cuts behind it's head and pushed out two strips. Who needs to be an Japanese chef he said.

We did not want to eat the stew he made for us. He ate first, we waited, he did not drop dead so we all dug in. It was actually really good but i don't think i will eat Pufferfish again.

BornFisher - 12-4-2021 at 11:13 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Don Pisto  
Quote: Originally posted by BornFisher  
Hola Don-- I`m wondering where is the Rosarito fish market? Don`t think I`ll try puffer, but might be interested in shrimp, WSB, halibut, swordfish, reds or ??? thanks.


directly across from the Corona hotel, blue building called La Playa fish market, same outfit as the large tijuana 6th street market


Thanks. I`ll have to check that out. I usually catch enough fish to eat and buy shrimp at Popotla. But I don`t get many halibut and no WSB where I fish (off a cliff with a rocky/sandy mix).

Don Jorge - 12-5-2021 at 12:48 PM

Surprising to me is the fact puffer fish is commercially fished here in the Puerto San Carlos/Puerto Chale area.

Currently it is worth 70 pesos a kilo for the "troncha" which is basically the gutted fish body only. It is distributed throughout Mexico especially to DF and Guadalajara.

I have never and will never sample it as a food item. I liked the puffer fish best as lamps crafted by the Prieto family of Bahia de Los Angeles back in the 70s and 80s.

Skipjack Joe - 12-5-2021 at 02:07 PM

They say the liver is the first to go ....

vandy - 12-5-2021 at 06:18 PM

Botete is the one we eat, called the bullseye puffer fish,
NOT the spiny puffer or any other variety.
Slice it down the back, snip the backbone by head and tail,
lift out the meat and backbone,
leave the poisonous guts and skin.

C205Driver - 12-6-2021 at 08:07 AM

My Filipina wife has eaten lots of them & still alive…..

bajarich - 1-29-2022 at 10:14 AM

There's and old saying: "There are many other fish in the sea"

dizzyspots - 4-6-2022 at 10:55 AM

East Coast 'blowfish" are a different variety and do NOT carry the toxin and are completely safe to eat ...the Pacific variety a simply aquatic Russian roulette!!

Allwaters - 10-5-2024 at 06:28 AM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Some suspect we lost the a wonderful human, Pancho of San Rafael, from his eating one???

Hi David K, do you anything know about this Gentleman (Vandy) whom last posted this on the yr 2021? I know him as Kayak John and met him many yrs ago... have not seen him in the normal Baja wanderings of fishermen, nor heard about/from him... Last I know he was hanging out in Asuncion... Had an old phone number but long since disconnected. 🤷🏻‍♂️

shari - 10-5-2024 at 02:15 PM

Botete is one of the most delicious filets I have eaten! In Guerrero Negro the cooperativas fish for it and sell it and lots of locals eat it alot.

shari - 10-5-2024 at 02:17 PM

I havent seen VAndy in a few years now...he was a regular here in Asuncion who always camped out in San Roque. Wonder where he got to?

surfhat - 10-6-2024 at 10:57 AM

Dearest Shari, does any restaurant offer Potete in GN?

Best wishes on your off-whale season in BA. I know I hope for a return visit at your La Bufadora Inn one of these years when I can share the wonderfulness of your locale with a few friends.

Having your own blowholes out front is just scratching the surface of all that you and BA have to offer to any visitor.

BeachSeeker - 10-7-2024 at 08:17 AM

Quote: Originally posted by 100X  
About 30 years ago a sushi chef in La Jolla, CA died from it, and he was a "pro." Just sayin...


To be fair, the whole point of eating fugu in sushi restaurants is to leave just enough poison in to make your tongue tingle, but not enough to hurt you.

Cancamo - 10-7-2024 at 10:35 AM

Quote: Originally posted by shari  
I havent seen VAndy in a few years now...he was a regular here in Asuncion who always camped out in San Roque. Wonder where he got to?


John Vanderbilt sadly passed away a couple years ago. I visited him briefly in Asuncion the fall of '21?. He was complaining of health issues at that time. Shortly afterwards he traveled to Arizona to be with his brother, where he was hospitalized, then passed. I believe he had heart issues.
John was always cheerful, ready with a corny joke or greeting, he is missed in BCS, (Asuncion, Agua Verde, Los Frailes).

DEP Juan

shari - 10-9-2024 at 09:30 AM

Oh gosh...yes he did mention some health concerns. He was always real positive and we shared a love of San Roque....I wish him well on his travels on the other side. thank you for letting us know.



John Vanderbilt sadly passed away a couple years ago. I visited him briefly in Asuncion the fall of '21?. He was complaining of health issues at that time. Shortly afterwards he traveled to Arizona to be with his brother, where he was hospitalized, then passed. I believe he had heart issues.
John was always cheerful, ready with a corny joke or greeting, he is missed in BCS, (Asuncion, Agua Verde, Los Frailes).

DEP Juan [/rquote]

shari - 10-9-2024 at 09:40 AM

Quote: Originally posted by surfhat  
Dearest Shari, does any restaurant offer Potete in GN?

Best wishes on your off-whale season in BA. I know I hope for a return visit at your La Bufadora Inn one of these years when I can share the wonderfulness of your locale with a few friends.

Having your own blowholes out front is just scratching the surface of all that you and BA have to offer to any visitor.


I dont really know if any restaurants serve it but I bet asking around town you could find out. The cooperativa sells it so there is a market for it.

Thank you for your well wishes...it is shaping up to be a wonderful season and we hope to see an increase in population and babies!