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. As the demand for eating octopus increases, including in North America, it's been called an ethical and environmental disaster with a whole new set of controversial issues.
Octopus are commonly caught in trawler nets alongside other more popular shellfish – but they're fantastic eating and are really quite versatile considering their very firm texture.
Location of important common octopus fisheries in Europe: Algarve (Portugal), Andalucía (Spain), Galicia (Spain), Sardinia (Italy), Thracian Sea (Greece).
There are many tasty octopus dishes in French cuisine.
Octopus is a very popular ingredient in the Italian cuisine, especially in the south where towns are surrounded by beautiful coastlines and fresh seafood is abundant.
While eating octopus might seem strange to some, it's a delicacy in Spanish cuisine. There are several ways to eat this seafood delight, but one of the most popular ways in Spain is pulpo a la gallega. Try our this Spanish octopus recipe and bring a little taste of Spain to your kitchen!
Southern Europe
Fried squid (calamari fritti) is a dish in Mediterranean cuisine, consisting of batter-coated, deep-fried squid (fried for less than two minutes to prevent toughness), which is served plain, with salt and lemon on the side.
Octopus is eaten mainly in Greece, Italy, Spain, and Portugal.
Spain. Octopus is a very common food in Spanish culture. In the Spanish region of Galicia, polbo á feira (market fair-style octopus) is a local delicacy.
A Korean raw dish, or hoe in Korean, that features a young live octopus cut into small pieces and served immediately. This is not the food to eat after a screening of Finding Dory.
The octopus is listed as endangered here, so you can't keep a live octopus as a pet. Fortunately (for you, not the octopus), you can eat them in restaurants, or buy them in the fishmarkets, as long as they're not alive.
In fact, it's actually a dangerous food to eat. The tentacles suction cup to almost anything they touch, which means that if you don't thoroughly chew your food, the tentacle can suction cup to your throat on the way down and you could choke to death. So chew well! Everyone seems to ask me what octopus tastes like.
Live octopus is a delicacy in some parts of the world, including South Korea and Japan. But if it isn't prepared properly, it could kill you.
In addition to the classic seafood salad, now widespread throughout Italy, the octopus can be boiled, or stewed in a pan with tomato and basil. Another very typical local baking is grilled. Eating an octopus sandwich on the seafront is an unmissable experience.
Many people think calamari dishes are made from octopus, when in fact calamari is actually made from a type of squid. This confusion could be due to similar tastes when the octopus is prepared.
Moroccan octopus prices have been rising, as the growing demand worldwide has not been met due to falling supplies both from North Africa and the Mediterranean. Demand continues to grow in the United States of America and it is strong in Japan and Europe.
Since the body finds it hard to digest them, they may move through the intestines without being broken down and cause diarrhoea or bloating. According to one veterinarian, chasing an octopus on land is like "chasing a cat.".
Most commonly seen in Seoul, South Korea, "sannakji" is a dish where a live octopus is cut into small pieces and served with its tentacles still squirming, sucking, and grasping on the plate.
Take a pass on squid (aka calamari) from Argentina, China, India or Thailand. Instead, look for California market squid, U.S.-caught longfin and Northern shortfin squid and jumbo squid caught in Chile, Mexico or Peru as they are "Good Alternatives."
Salt and pepper squid is a Cantonese dish on the menu of many Chinese restaurants. It is often ordered as a takeaway dish because it is an easy appetiser and you can cook it at home too!
Portugal remains the absolute champion in terms of per capita consumption. In 2017, the Portuguese ate 56.8 kg of fish and seafood per capita, which is more than twice the EU level. After Portugal, Spain and Malta are the countries in which most fish and seafood is eaten.
China is one of the largest producers of Octopus worldwide.
If you want to try something a classic Greek dish, then octopus is a must! This simple Greek-style octopus recipe means you can cook those tentacles perfectly with a simple process that also enhances their natural flavour!
Best octopus comes from Spain and Portugal (actually portuguese octopus is the best) Viet, China, Indonesia or Mexican octopus live in hot water.