Can I Interest You in Tonight's Special? Deep-Fried Sugar Toad

This unique claymation film explores the story of a little known Chesapeake Bay fishery. The northern puffer Sphoeroides maculatus, now landed primarily as bycatch by small-scale and recreational fishers, once supported thriving commercial fisheries along the eastern seaboard. Unlike its toxic Pacific relatives, the fugu fishes, sugar toads are sweet and can be safely prepared by anyone. Following successful remarketing from the unappetizing “peasant fish,” this unassuming little fish was featured in restaurants from Chicago to New York during the 1950s and 1960s. We trace the history of this unlikely delicacy from its origins as a low-cost meat substitute during WWII to its modern day cult following in the Chesapeake Bay region.