According to an article about Fugu at Maldova Welcome:
Some people who’ve tried puffer dishes describe it as one of the most
sublime flavors in the world. Others, apparently less enthusiastic, or
simply more objective, describe fugu meat as a cross between crunchy
and chewy, said by the Japanese to go “shiko-shiko” in one’s mouth
when absolutely fresh. That’s what some consider the main attraction
of the risky meal. But taste isn’t everything. Many say that fugu is
simply addictive!
According to YQ Travelling: "Long answer: like rubber when raw but like silk when cooked."
At New York Food (in an indepth article), Adam Platt says:
Hashimoto’s fugu indeed has a certain clean sashimi quality to it, and
a resilient chewiness, but otherwise it’s a letdown. It tastes
flavorless and gummy, like a cross between Reichl’s fluke and day-old
squid.
[ ... ]
And then the tingling sensation begins. It starts on my lips and seems to be quickly tracking
down the back of my throat. I put down my chopsticks and shift my legs
under the table. I bring the tips of my fingers to my mouth and begin
touching my lips in a tender, slightly agitated way, like a d
dental patient shot full of Novocain.
[ ... ]
our next course, which is a little helping of deep-fried fugu ribs. The bony ribs (“These look
like hamster ribs,” I tell Shinji) are hacked in little pieces, tossed
in flour, and seasoned with sea salt and a sprinkling of the dried
kelp called kombu. The ribs have the nice meaty texture of monkfish,
they’re perfectly fried, and they’re delicious. (This may simply prove
that anything tastes good fried, including bony, potentially fatal
fish ribs.)
However, I suspect the popularity of fugu, especially in Japan is a complex amalgam of factors including:
- Pride in cultural heritage, since this is a uniquely Japanese practice, although it is spreading
- The enjoyment of the feeling of numbness that properly prepared fugu leaves in the mouth, from just the tiniest traces of the toxin
- Popularity of extremely expensive items, which therefore must be special
- The art of the presentation, which (as the dish is very expensive) is at its highest levels
- Some people are crazy :-)