Octopus - a tasty food or an alien invader?

craftsman · 20 Nov 2006

Last week I decided to experiment with something new. I went on a night time octopus hunt along the shores of Yakushima. I caught one with my bamboo pole and struggled with it (It escaped out of my bag twice) until I got home.

It was only after studying it carefully the next day that I realised how much it looked like an alien creature - with its huge head, bulbous eyes and long tube for a mouth. I really did not want to eat it but felt like I had to after all the effort the night before.

I was told to boil it with a little salt so put it in a saucepan with hot water and put it on the gas.

I then watched as its head burst open and bits of brain-like things snaked their way out.

Its eye balls also popped.

No way was I going to eat it now.

In fact, I was no longer curious about octopuses and now felt positively nauseous.

The results of my experiment all boil down to one question: How on earth can people eat octopus?

miki78 · 20 Nov 2006

I think Octopus's are beutiful magestic creatures

I have the same question as you but for totally diffrent reasons ^^

But yes they do look like alions ^_^

Gentleman10 · 20 Nov 2006

lol, I eat small bit of the tentacles, so I don't think I can get the full effect of what happened to you

leonmarino · 20 Nov 2006

craftsman said:
I then watched as its head burst open and bits of brain-like things snaked their way out.

That's pure poetry!! I love it..

Anyways, I once cooked an octopus minus head. I didn't quite know how to do it, so I phone my mother first, who asked me if I had cut off the first few centimeters of its tentacles yet. Well I hadn't, to which she replied: "oh, you have to, because the first centimeters are poisonous!!"

So I hope you did that too. Anyways, I boiled some water, and lowered the octopus into the hot water. As the tentacles touched the boiling water it curled up, which seems very logical but at that time it looked like it came back to life and wanted to attack me!! Scary man..

Octopusses (octopi?) are delicious, but cooking them is a whole different story..

Davey · 20 Nov 2006

I first of all don't think a lot of people catch their own Octopus themselves and then boil them and watch how their head explodes haha.

That would be the same as catching a cow, kill it and bake it all by yourself... WHY WOULD SOMEONE EAT MEAT?

I rather buy a death one, and than boil it myself and than eat it haha

Kinsao · 20 Nov 2006

hmmm that sounds like an interesting experience!
I have never eaten octopus but I'd be curious to try.
I dunno if you are supposed to boil the entire thing though? :?
If it was me, I'd be inclined to cut it up into pieces before trying to cook it, rather than just put the whole thing into the pan... although I guess that depends on how big it is.
One of my friends who is Japanese has eaten octopus and she says it is ok but a bit chewy.
It seems a bit risky just to catch something and cook it with the idea of eating it... a lot of sea creatures have bits that are poisonous... I had no idea you have to cut the ends off the tentacles first, for example. :shiver: Isn't there some book with instructions about how to cook it best for optimum flavour?

Hiroyuki Nagashima · 20 Nov 2006

A method before cooking an octopus is wrong.
I take the internal organs first.
I remove slime of an octopus in rice bran.
I wash in water and do voile.
辻調理師専門学校：基本技法・日本料理・蛸、いかの下処理

miki78 · 20 Nov 2006

Ow God i think i'm going to faint *goes green*

Ow man no i'm way to squimish for this thread

Please tell me vegetarionism is big in Japan errr *faints*

craftsman · 20 Nov 2006

Hiroyuki san - super pictures in your link. Thanks. My octopus was lighter and redder but pretty much looked like that alien foetus in the basket of picture 1.

Ah! So that's how you do it. I think however that after picture 4, I would have to throw in the towel and chunder.

thistle · 20 Nov 2006

'Tako-yaki' in a word!

The only way to eat Octopus!

craftsman · 20 Nov 2006

Thistle, you're not suggesting that the smooth roundness of a tako-yaki ball is any substitute for the back-to-basics getting elbow deep into slimy octopus brain matter and gooey green entrails are you?

(Hang on - I think I need to throw up again)

Davey · 20 Nov 2006

Haha great pictures Hiroyuki!!! Too bad that they are to small to really faint.

thistle · 20 Nov 2006

Only if you are squeamish!

The7thSamurai · 20 Nov 2006

Oh man, lately tako has been on my great new Japanesey things to eat list. Karaage tako was sooo good...not sure if I can do it again after reading this post!!

hkBattousai · 21 Nov 2006

craftsman said:
I was told to boil it with a little salt so put it in a saucepan with hot water and put it on the gas.

Tell me you didn't boil it alive, did you?

justin · 21 Nov 2006

Best way to eat octopus is have someone else deep frie the thing or turn into sushi.

miki78 · 21 Nov 2006

hkBattousai said:
Tell me you didn't boil it alive, did you?

I was too scared to ask that i think i would lose my temper

bezz · 21 Nov 2006

茹で蛸

Prep on the ship:

Left: remove internal organs, eggs and eyeballs
Right: wash out slimy skin surface with salt and sea water

Boil&serve:

miki78 · 21 Nov 2006

Why is it i'm the only person in the world these look like murder photographs to

I don't judge people for eating meat but these pics make me angry hmm

That and that i want i want to faint lol

craftsman · 21 Nov 2006

hkBattousai said:
Tell me you didn't boil it alive, did you?

It was as dead as a dodo.

Miki78, I know what you're saying. I was a fisherman for six months and worked on a Japanese flying fish catching boat. I sat and watched untold thousands of little fish die and it was not a pleasant experience. Some of them very cute (sea horse), and some very ugly (dolphin fish) and some of them both cute and ugly (puffer fish).

Bezz, great pictures. I am going to write 100 lines in a text book:
I will not forget to remove internal organs, eggs and eyeballs
I will not forget to remove internal organs, eggs and eyeballs
I will not forget to remove internal organs, eggs and eyeballs...

It will never happen again, Sir.

(Well actually, it will never happen again, as from now on I'm going to leave those little martians well alone.....but next week it's squid season!)

bezz · 21 Nov 2006

craftsman said:
(Well actually, it will never happen again, as from now on I'm going to leave those little martians well alone.....but next week it's squid season!)

It might not hurt to know how to "process" squid ahead:

movie

craftsman · 21 Nov 2006

Bezz, you are a genius. What a fantastic film!

Squid here we come!

Supervin · 21 Nov 2006

Haha, this thread reminds me of the infamous scene in the Korean movie, Old Boy, where a big, live octopus was devoured. I heard from a native friend that people love it when the tentacles try to stick to the roof the mouth as they devour it while still alive. That's Korean delicacies for you.

bezz · 23 Nov 2006

miki78 said:
I don't judge people for eating meat but these pics make me angry hmm

Tell that to chefs and gourmands of Mediterranean or Mexican cuisine.

Google

bezz · 23 Nov 2006

simmered octopus with daikon radish

Octopus - a tasty food or an alien invader?

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