Repost: Zombies!

Zombies.  The very word conjures up visions of mysterious drugged-up humanoids, stiffly moving with no facial expressions, nor are they able to speak.  Kids love them.  The movie industry loves them.  But where did they come from?

The popular culture connotation is a dangerous but lethargic once-human creature that bids the requests of a controlling (usually malevolent) figure.  Folklore suggests that a sorcerer can put a spell on a dead body and gain control of it.  Tales of zombies come primarily from Haiti and Africa, although they appear in other cultures as well.  The etymology of the word is questionable; it most likely came from West Africa, meaning either "fetish" or "god".  Originally it was the name of a snake god, but later came to mean a reanimated corpse in voodoo cult.

Haitian folklore contends that bokors, voodoo black magic priests, can resurrect the dead through the use of coup padre, a powder issued orally.  This powder is said to be derived from the fou-fou fish, a poisonous fish similar to the pufferfish that the Japanese call fugu.  Consumption of this powder would cause a shallowness in breathing and a drop in heart rate and body temperature.  These victims would be buried by their kin, but the bokor would exhume them, then erase their memories, thus turning them into mindless drones.  They remain under the bokor's power until the bokor dies.

Actually there are several drugs that could produce the appearance of a stupor and/or death.  One of them is certainly the poison of a pufferfish or blowfish.  There are also poisons from frogs that are deadly and could cause similar symptoms.  However, people who have consumed the poison of pufferfish and live eventually return to normal, not a zombie-like state. 

Datura, also known as jimson weed, is a genus of perennial plants that have been used as hallucinogens as well as a poison for centuries.  Unlike blowfish poison, this one has an antidote.  The symptoms of ingestion of this plant is a kind of delirium, and possibly amnesia, hyperthermia, or tachycardia.  Since it has hallucinogenic properties, the victim may think (s)he's been made a zombie, and that claim could keep the myth alive.

Other ingredients of "zombie powder" include, as well as the above, the usual parts of lizards, snakes, toads, human parts, etc., found in recipes for traditional "witches' brew".

However, since none of the poisons mentioned produce the trance or stiffened movement of the classic Zombie connotation, we can correctly assume the standard movie depiction has been exaggerated in detail to add to the fright factor.  Haiti, does however, have strong beliefs in zombies.  Papa Doc, the Haitian dictator who ruled from 1957-1971, claimed to have a private army, called tonton macoutes, that answered his beck and call.  He also claimed he would come back after his death to rule Haiti forever.  He still hasn't returned after dying of a heart attack, but even so a lock and chain was put on his tomb and a guard placed there just in case.  Padlocking tombs is a common practice in Haiti, where it is a crime to make a zombie:

Haitian Penal Code:

Article 246. It shall also be qualified as attempted murder the employment which may be made against any person of substances which, without causing actual death, produce a lethargic coma more or less prolonged. If, after the person had been buried, the act shall be considered murder no matter what result follows.

Anthropologist Wade Davis has written a couple of books on zombies - it was the focus of his graduate studies and PhD dissertation.  Although ethnologists and pharmacologists pooh-poohed his books, some scholars find parts of them intriguing.  

There IS a zombie you can believe in.  It is the name of a cocktail that is supposed to make you feel like one.  So this Halloween, you can get into the swing of things and consume a zombie or two:

1/2 oz 151-proof rum

1 oz pineapple juice
1 oz orange juice
1/2 oz apricot brandy
1 tsp sugar
2 oz light rum
1 oz dark rum
                      1 oz lime juice

First, make sure you have a designated driver.  Blend all ingredients with ice except the 151-proof rum.  Pour into a tall glass and float the 151-proof rum on top.  Garnish with a fruit slice, sprig of mint, and a cherry.  (Makes one serving.)

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Of all the fish in the sea...

There is a traditional saying in Japan: 

Those who eat fugu soup are stupid.

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

One of the most dangerous foods offered for gormandizing anywhere in the world is the Japanese dish, fugu - the meat of the poisonous pufferfish or blowfish.  It is also known in Japan as “teppo”, or gun, a testament to its potential for harm.   It has a long history of consumption in Japan, and mounds of pufferfish bones have been found dating back 2,300 years ago to the Jomon period.  Shimonoseki, a city in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan has the largest wholesale market for fugu.  It also holds a Fugu Festival each February.

Considered the most delicious of fishes, it is also the most feared, as improper preparation can result in death to the diner.  The identification of the poisonous parts, of which the liver and ovaries are but two, has greatly decreased the number of fatalities, but its consumption is still risky.  In 1975, a famous Kabuki actor died after eating some.

There are roughly 100 kinds of fugu in the world, of which 38 are found in Japan.  Fugu has been eaten in China for thousands of years.  Yet in all this time, no antidote has been found for the poison.  The estimated lethal dose for an adult – one to two milligrams – can be placed on a pinhead, and is 1,250 times deadlier than cyanide.  The toxin paralyzes muscles by blocking sodium channels in the nerve tissues, causing death by respiratory arrest.  It has begun to be used in modern neurological research, for in a diluted dose it can be a painkiller for those suffering from rheumatism, neuralgia, or arthritis.

A lot of fugu sold, however, is non-toxic, and many fish farmers are breeding the fish.  It is thought that in the wild, the poisonous fish eat other creatures that have the bacteria responsible for creating the poison.  Since pufferfish move very slowly, the production of poison may be a natural defense against predators.  Farm-grown fish are said to be non-toxic.  The tiger blowfish is the most poisonous of the species.  A pinch of the white powder processed from one adult tiger blowfish, can potentially kill 30 people.

Fugu commands a high price, as the chefs that are licensed to prepare and serve it must complete a two-three year apprenticeship, and then must pass a strict test.  Approximately 30% pass.  Some of these licensed chefs  actually include a tiny amount of the poison in their sashimi, producing a prickly and numbing sensation on the lips and tongue.  These dishes are often served in the shape of a chrysanthemum flower, which in Japanese culture signifies death.  Fugu chefs in the U.S. likewise undergo the same training as in Japan.  

The fugu served in the small number of restaurants that offer it comes from Japan, where it is usually shipped frozen.  Occasionally it is shipped fresh, with the mouths of the fish sewn shut as they have a habit of attacking each other when in close confinement.  Fresh fugu is very expensive. A single frozen  fish can cost from $50-$150, and cut up into serving portions it can bring in $200.  Milt, the roe of the pufferfish, is considered a highly prized delicacy. 

If you feel like playing Russian Roulette with your food, fugu is the way to go.  Plus you get lifetime bragging rights.

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