![Hunting the Giant Octopus of Namekawa in Etchu Province (orange)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0f/Hunting_the_Giant_Octopus_of_Namekawa_in_Etchu_Province_%28orange%29.jpg)
People of some cultures eat
octopus
An octopus ( : octopuses or octopodes, see below for variants) is a soft-bodied, eight- limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda (, ). The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids, cuttle ...
. The arms and sometimes other body parts are prepared in various ways, often varying by species and/or geography.
Octopuses are sometimes eaten or prepared alive, a practice that is controversial due to
scientific evidence that octopuses experience pain.
Dishes by geography
Japan
![Takoyaki](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Takoyaki.jpg)
Octopus is a common ingredient in
Japanese cuisine
Japanese cuisine encompasses the regional and traditional foods of Japan, which have developed through centuries of political, economic, and social changes. The traditional cuisine of Japan (Japanese: ) is based on rice with miso soup and other ...
, including ''
sushi
is a Japanese cuisine, Japanese dish of prepared , usually with some sugar and salt, accompanied by a variety of , such as seafood, often raw, and vegetables. Styles of sushi and its presentation vary widely, but the one key ingredient is " ...
'', ''
sashimi
is a Japanese delicacy consisting of fresh raw fish or meat sliced into thin pieces and often eaten with soy sauce.
Origin
The word ''sashimi'' means "pierced body", i.e. "刺身" = ''sashimi'', where 刺 し = ''sashi'' (pierced, stuck) ...
'', ''
karaage
is a Japanese cooking technique in which various foods—most often chicken, but also other meat and fish—are deep fried in oil. The process involves lightly coating small pieces of the meat or fish with flour, or potato or corn starch, and f ...
'', stew, sour salad, ''
takoyaki
is a ball-shaped Japanese snack made of a wheat flour-based batter and cooked in a special molded pan. It is typically filled with minced or diced octopus
An octopus ( : octopuses or octopodes, see below for variants) is a soft-bod ...
'' and ''
akashiyaki
is a small round dumpling from the city of Akashi in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. The dumpling is made of an egg-rich batter and octopus dipped into '' dashi'' (a thin fish broth) before eating. Modern style akashiyaki first started selling in t ...
''.
Takoyaki is a ball-shaped snack made of a
wheat flour
Wheat flour is a powder made from the grinding of wheat used for human consumption. Wheat varieties are called "soft" or "weak" if gluten content is low, and are called "hard" or "strong" if they have high gluten content. Hard flour, or ''bread ...
-based
batter and cooked in a special takoyaki pan. It is typically filled with minced or diced octopus,
tempura
is a typical Japanese dish usually consisting of seafood, meat and vegetables that have been battered and deep fried. The dish was introduced by the Portuguese in Nagasaki through fritter-cooking techniques in the 16th century. The word ''tem ...
scraps (''
tenkasu
are crunchy bits of deep fried flour- batter used in Japanese cuisine, specifically in dishes such as '' soba'', ''udon'', ''takoyaki'' and ''okonomiyaki''. Hot plain ''soba'' and ''udon'' with added ''tenkasu'' are called ''tanuki-soba'' and ...
''),
pickled ginger, and
green onion
Scallions (also known as spring onions or green onions) are vegetables derived from various species in the genus ''Allium''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions and their close relatives include garlic, shallot, leek, ...
.
Takoyaki are brushed with takoyaki sauce, similar to
Worcestershire sauce, and
mayonnaise
Mayonnaise (; ), colloquially referred to as "mayo" , is a thick, cold, and creamy sauce or dressing commonly used on sandwiches, hamburgers, composed salads, and French fries. It also forms the base for various other sauces, such as tartar ...
. The takoyaki is then sprinkled with
small strips of laver and
shavings
Swarf, also known as chips or by other process-specific names (such as turnings, filings, or shavings), are pieces of metal, wood, or plastic that are the debris or waste resulting from machining, woodworking, or similar subtractive (material-r ...
of dried
bonito
Bonitos are a tribe of medium-sized, ray-finned predatory fish in the family Scombridae – a family it shares with the mackerel, tuna, and Spanish mackerel tribes, and also the butterfly kingfish. Also called the tribe Sardini, it consists of ...
.
Korea
Giant octopus
''Enteroctopus'' is an octopus genus whose members are sometimes known as giant octopus.
Etymology
The generic name ''Enteroctopus'' was created by Alphonse Tremeau de Rochebrune and Jules François Mabille in 1887 and published in 1889, join ...
,
long arm octopus, and
webfoot octopus are common food ingredient in
Korean cuisine
Korean cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient agricultural and nomadic traditions in Korea and southern Manchuria, Korean cuisine reflects a complex interaction of the natural envi ...
.
In Korea, some small species are sometimes
eaten raw as a novelty food. A raw octopus is usually sliced up, seasoned quickly with salt and sesame seeds and eaten while still squirming posthumously.
''
Nakji bokkeum'' is another popular dish in Korea. It is a type of stir-fried food made with chopped octopus.
Maldives
''
Miruhulee boava'' is a
Maldivian delicacy made of octopus tentacles braised in
curry leaves
A curry is a dish with a sauce seasoned with spices, mainly associated with South Asian cuisine. In southern India, leaves from the curry tree may be included.
There are many varieties of curry. The choice of spices for each dish in tradit ...
,
chili,
garlic
Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus ''Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Allium fistulosum, Welsh onion and Allium chinense, Chinese onion. It is native to South A ...
, cloves,
onion
An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion ...
,
pepper
Pepper or peppers may refer to:
Food and spice
* Piperaceae or the pepper family, a large family of flowering plant
** Black pepper
* ''Capsicum'' or pepper, a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae
** Bell pepper
** Chili ...
, and
coconut oil
frameless , right , alt = A cracked coconut and a bottle of coconut oil
Coconut oil (or coconut butter) is an edible oil derived from the wick, meat, and milk of the coconut palm fruit. Coconut oil is a white solid fat; in warmer climates duri ...
.
Mauritius
In
Mauritius
Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label=Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It incl ...
and
Rodrigues, octopus, known by its
Mauritian Creole name "Ourite" is commonly eaten especially in coastal regions as it is found abundantly in Mauritian waters, although a sharp decline has been observed recently. Popular octopus dishes include the masala octopus curry or boiled octopus in spicy tomato sauce, known as the "Daube".
Mexico
In
Baja California
Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...
, octopus is commonly grilled and eaten on its own or as a component of tacos, tostadas, and ceviche.
Greece
A common scene in the Greek islands is octopuses hanging in the sunlight from a rope, just like laundry from a clothesline. They are often caught by spear fishing close to the shore. The fisherman brings his prey to land and tenderizes the flesh by pounding the carcass against a stone surface. Thus treated, they are hung out to dry, and later will be served grilled, either hot or chilled in a salad. A common preparation technique involves classic Greek spices and seasonings, often including olive oil, garlic cloves, oregano, pepper, and lemon juice. On the whole, octopus is considered a superb ''
meze
Meze or mezza (, ) is a selection of small dishes served as appetizers in the Levant, Turkey, Greece, the Balkans, the Caucasus and Iran. It is similar to Spanish tapas and Italian antipasti. A mezze may be served as a part of a multi-course me ...
'', especially alongside ''
ouzo
Ouzo ( el, ούζο, ) is a dry anise-flavored aperitif that is widely consumed in Greece. It is made from rectified spirits that have undergone a process of distillation and flavoring. Its taste is similar to other anise liquors like pastis, ...
''.
Spain
Octopus is a very common food in Spanish culture. In the Spanish region of
Galicia, ''
polbo á feira
''Polbo á feira'' (literally meaning " fair-style octopus", ''pulpo a la gallega'' in Spanish, meaning Galician-style octopus), alternatively known as ''pulpo estilo feira'', is a traditional Galician dish.
This dish is prepared by first bo ...
'' (market fair-style octopus) is a local delicacy. Restaurants which specialize or serve this dish are known as ''pulperías''.
Portugal
![Barcelos L1180577 (24588420973)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Barcelos_L1180577_%2824588420973%29.jpg)
In Portugal octopus is eaten ''à lagareiro'' (olive oil miller style — roasted with potatoes, herbs, onion, garlic, and olive oil), or stewed with rice (''arroz de polvo''), as well as breaded and then deep fried, with rice and beans.
Tunisia
Octopus is a common food in
Mediterranean cuisine
Mediterranean cuisine is the food and methods of preparation used by the people of the Mediterranean Basin. The idea of a Mediterranean cuisine originates with the cookery writer Elizabeth David's book, ''A Book of Mediterranean Food'' (1950) ...
such as
Tunisian cuisine
Tunisian cuisine, the cuisine of Tunisia, consists of the cooking traditions, ingredients, recipes and techniques developed in Tunisia since antiquity. It is mainly a blend of Mediterranean and native Punics-Berber cuisine.
Historically, Tuni ...
.
On the
Tunisia
)
, image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
, image_map2 =
, capital = Tunis
, largest_city = capital
, ...
n island of
Djerba
Djerba (; ar, جربة, Jirba, ; it, Meninge, Girba), also transliterated as Jerba or Jarbah, is a Tunisian island and the largest island of North Africa at , in the Gulf of Gabès, off the coast of Tunisia. It had a population of 139,544 ...
and
Kerkennah islands
Kerkennah Islands ( aeb, قرقنة '; Ancient Greek: ''Κέρκιννα Cercinna''; Spanish:''Querquenes'') are a group of islands lying off the east coast of Tunisia in the Gulf of Gabès, at . The Islands are low-lying, being no more than abo ...
, local people catch octopuses by taking advantage of the animals' habit of hiding in safe places during the night. In the evening, they put grey ceramic pots on the sea bed. The morning of the following day they check them for octopuses sheltered there. Also unlike its other Maghreb neighbour, seafood, including octopus is used extensively in Tunisia, grilled, roasted, in
couscous
Couscous ( '; ber, ⵙⴽⵙⵓ, translit=Seksu) – sometimes called kusksi or kseksu – is a Maghrebi dish of small steamed granules of rolled durum wheat semolina that is often served with a stew spooned on top. Pearl millet, sorghum, ...
, pastas or
chorba
Chorba or shorba (from dialectal Arabic ; from , 'to drink') is a broad class of stews or rich soups found in national cuisines across the Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent. It is often prepared w ...
s.
Turkey
In Turkey, octopus is widely used as a food ingredient for
''mezes''. In fish restaurants octopus salad (''ahtapot salatası'') is one of the most popular cold mezes along with eggplant. Grilled or as a casserole, it can also be prepared hot.
United States
Octopus is eaten regularly in
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
, since many popular dishes are Asian in origin. Locally known by their Hawaiian or Japanese names (''he'e'' and ''tako'', respectively), octopus is also a popular
fish bait
Fishing bait is any substance used to attract and catch fish, e.g. on a fishing hook. Bait items are both selected from and placed within the environment to achieve enhanced prey capture success. Traditionally, fishing baits are natural fish foo ...
.
Nutritional value
According to the
USDA
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...
Nutrient Database (2007), cooked octopus contains about 56 kilocalories (Calories) per 100 grams, and is a source of
vitamin B3,
B12,
potassium
Potassium is the chemical element with the symbol K (from Neo-Latin ''kalium'') and atomic number19. Potassium is a silvery-white metal that is soft enough to be cut with a knife with little force. Potassium metal reacts rapidly with atmosphe ...
,
phosphorus
Phosphorus is a chemical element with the symbol P and atomic number 15. Elemental phosphorus exists in two major forms, white phosphorus and red phosphorus, but because it is highly reactive, phosphorus is never found as a free element on Ear ...
, and
selenium
Selenium is a chemical element with the symbol Se and atomic number 34. It is a nonmetal (more rarely considered a metalloid) with properties that are intermediate between the elements above and below in the periodic table, sulfur and tellurium, ...
.
Octopus heads are high in
selenium
Selenium is a chemical element with the symbol Se and atomic number 34. It is a nonmetal (more rarely considered a metalloid) with properties that are intermediate between the elements above and below in the periodic table, sulfur and tellurium, ...
and are a risk for
cadmium poisoning
Cadmium is a naturally occurring toxic metal with common exposure in industrial workplaces, plant soils, and from smoking. Due to its low permissible exposure in humans, overexposure may occur even in situations where trace quantities of cadmium ...
, even in small amounts. In 2010, over 29 mg of cadmium—14 times higher than the permitted level—was found in the heads of octopus imported to South Korea from China.
See also
*
Eating live animals
*
Eating live seafood
The practice of eating live seafood, such as fish, crab, oysters, baby shrimp, or baby octopus, is widespread.
Oysters are typically eaten live. The view that oysters are acceptable to eat, even by strict ethical criteria, has notably been propo ...
*
List of seafood dishes
This is a list of notable seafood dishes. Seafood dishes are food dishes which use seafood (fish, shellfish or seaweed) as primary ingredients, and are ready to be served or eaten with any needed preparation or cooking completed. Many fish or ...
*
Pain in invertebrates
Pain in invertebrates is a contentious issue. Although there are numerous definitions of pain, almost all involve two key components. First, nociception is required. This is the ability to detect noxious stimuli which evokes a reflex response th ...
*
Seafood
Seafood is any form of sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of molluscs (e.g. bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters and mussels, and cephalopods such as octopus an ...
*
Squid as food
Squid is eaten in many cuisines; in English, the culinary name calamari is often used for squid dishes.''Oxford English Dictionary'', 3rd edition, 2002''s.v.''/ref> There are many ways to prepare and cook squid. Fried squid is common in the Me ...
*
Squid lū'au
References
External links
*
*
{{Seafood
Greek cuisine
Korean cuisine
Molluscs as food