China OKs puffer fish encore on restaurant tables

After nearly 20 years, Chinese authorities have lifted the ban on the sale of puffer fish.

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Agriculture and the China Food and Drug Administration jointly issued a new regulation, allowing certified companies to raise the blowfish, named for their inflated appearance, and sell processed products.

Chinese people regard puffer fish or hetun - "river hog" in Chinese, as one of the most delicious delicacies the Yangtze River offers. The earliest record of puffer fish consumption in the area dates back to Shanhaijing, a collection of mythical legends written more than 4,000 years ago.