Purpose. Common octopus is the fishing species with highest economic revenue in Portugal, and its consumption per capita is very high. The majority of catches come from the small-scale fleet with pots and traps.
Traditional Portuguese cooking makes very good use of octopus as one of its favorite seafood ingredients. Because of its other-wordly looks and long tentacles covered in suckers, the octopus is often a creature that inspires a certain dose of intimidation to those who aren't used to seeing it on a plate of food.
In Europe, the common octopus is fished in both the northeast Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea, mainly by small-scale fishing fleets using hand-jigs, pots, traps, fyke-nets, trammel nets and bottom trawls (Lefkaditou et al.
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.
Countries that eat the most octopus are Korea, Japan and Mediterranean countries where they are considered a delicacy.
It is found around southeastern Australia from about Newcastle in the north to Ceduna in SA, and also around Tasmania. It inhabits a wide depth range from shallow sandy bays (in the south) to at least 275 m. The largest Australian octopus is the Maori octopus (O. maorum) with an extended arm span of over 3 m.
Clams, oysters, mussels, lobster, squid and a plethora of Atlantic fish are up for grabs on a summer's evening in one of Portugal's Marisqueiras (seafood restaurants) where you can enjoy the grilled catch of the day and a chilled glass of vinho verde.
Bacalhau (dried, salted cod) is Portugal's national dish, although saying national dish is a bit confusing as there really isn't just one recipe for bacalhau: rumour has it that there are more than 365 different ways to cook bacalhau, and some people say that's even an under-estimation.
The Official National Animal of Portugal. While Portugal does not have a national animal, many residents think of the rooster as the national symbol. Legend says that a horrible crime had been committed. A stranger passing through the town was condemned for a crime that he did not commit.
There are many octopus species that can be found in South Australia's marine parks. A popular one is the Maori, which as its name suggests, is found in the waters around New Zealand as well as southern Australia.
While octopuses generally avoid humans, attacks have occasionally been verified. For example, a 240-centimeter (8-foot) Pacific octopus, said to be nearly perfectly camouflaged, approached a diver and attempted to wrap itself around the diver and his camera.
Squids are also abundant along the coast of Arrábida and Comporta in Setúbal, making themselves noticed in greater numbers in the winter and spring months.
Bacalhau is cod that has been preserved by being salt-dried, and it's Portugal's national dish.
The actual flesh is lovely and tender and has a slightly sweet, delicate flavour. The combination of octopus and batatas a murros (punched potatoes) works very well. These are no ordinary spuds; breaking the skin and allowing the olive oil to soak the insides makes them taste fantastic.
The most common items you'll find in a Portuguese breakfast are: bread, sliced cheese, sliced ham, bread, jam, and a milky coffee. Sometimes it's just toast without the ham and cheese, but the common denominators are almost always bread and a milky coffee like a galão or a meia de leite.
Pera (Pears)
Portugal is known for its variety of pears called “Pera Rocha”.
Typical Lunch in Portugal (12 p.m. to 2 p.m.)
These menus usually include a soup, prato do dia (dish of the day), dessert, and a coffee. If they're really in a rush, they'll order something quick at the counter like a soup and a bifana (pork sandwich).
Highlights. Salmon, tuna, cod, hake and sardines are the fish species most commonly consumed raw in Portugal.
The lagosta, or spiny lobster, is considered by many as the queen of Portuguese seafood, although many prefer its cousin, the lavagante. The cold waters of the Atlantic make Portuguese spiny lobster's meat sweeter than of those from the Mediterranean.
Portuguese dishes include meats (pork, beef, poultry mainly also game and others), seafood (fish, crustaceans such as lobster, crab, shrimps, prawns, octopus, and molluscs such as scallops, clams and barnacles), vegetables and legumes and desserts (cakes being the most numerous).
An elusive squid with long, spaghetti-like strands that lurks in the deep ocean has been spotted in Australian waters for the first time. Researchers from CSIRO and Museums Victoria filmed five bigfin squid in the Great Australian Bight, some more than 3,000 metres below the ocean's surface.
Squid are found in southern Australian waters.