Around here, northern puffers are mostly known as an accidental curiosity: a fish occasionally caught when you're looking for something else, and — unlike any other fish — it blows up like a balloon.
![Breaded sweet toad. Think of it as a cross between a chicken drumstick and a butterflied shrimp.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/01429c6/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1512x2016+0+0/resize/880x1173!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F27%2F66%2F196c02fa4cd4a1ca9035e0cfff2a%2Fsweet-toad2.jpeg)
But don't throw it back so quickly! They're also tasty.
Jimmy Fee of On The Water joins us to talk about the fish known in the Mid-Atlantic states as "sweet toad." When it's prepared, he compares it to a cross between a chicken drumstick and a butterflied shrimp. Check out the picture of breaded sweet toad on the plate.
Jimmy points out that other types of puffers are well-known to contain deadly toxins. The smooth puffer, which is much bigger and has different coloring and is found offshore, is an example of a toxic puffer that should not be eaten. But the northern puffer is easily identifiable and the only one you're likely to find inshore. And now you know: it's good to eat, too!
We've got tips on targeting sweet toad. And a roundup of the false albacore action. Give a listen.