Octopus - a tasty food or an alien invader?

[craftsman]

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]

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]

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]

I then watched as its head burst open and bits of brain-like things snaked their way out. That's pure poetry!! :D 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!!" :p

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!! :blush: Scary man..

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

[Dutch Baka]

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]

hmmm that sounds like an interesting experience! :D
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. :worried:
One of my friends who is Japanese has eaten octopus and she says it is ok but a bit chewy. :D
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? :D

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

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.
http://www.tsuji.ac.jp/hp/gihou/japan/ika_tako/home.html

[miki78]

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]

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]

'Tako-yaki' in a word!

The only way to eat Octopus!

[craftsman]

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)

[Dutch Baka]

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

[thistle]

Only if you are squeamish!:-)

[Bucko]

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]

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]

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

[miki78]

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]

Prep on the ship:

http://www.jf-net.ne.jp/jf-net/column/shiki2004/16-5madako/img/09.jpg http://www.jf-net.ne.jp/jf-net/column/shiki2004/16-5madako/img/10.jpg
Left: remove internal organs, eggs and eyeballs
Right: wash out slimy skin surface with salt and sea water

Boil&serve:

http://www.jf-net.ne.jp/jf-net/column/shiki2004/16-5madako/img/14.jpg http://www.jf-net.ne.jp/jf-net/column/shiki2004/16-5madako/img/15.jpg

[miki78]

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]

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)http://images.google.co.uk/images?q=tbn:6Jr1N7xWc2jRkM:http://klissurov.dir.bg/black_sea/7%2520-%2520konche/big/sea%2520horse%25203.JPG, and some very ugly (dolphin fish) http://images.google.co.uk/images?q=tbn:L8qZ7HrnrHVjtM:http://gallery.orchidspng.com/albums/nathalie/261-Dolphin-Fish.jpgand some of them both cute and ugly (puffer fish).http://scd.mm-c1.yimg.com/image/1376603355

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]

(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:

http://www.jf-net.ne.jp/jf-net/syun/sabaku/ika/img/sabaki_shita006.jpg
movie (http://www.jf-net.ne.jp/jf-net/syun/sabaku/asx/IKA_384.ASX)

[craftsman]

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

Squid here we come!

[Supervin]

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]

I don't judge people for eating meat but these pics make me angry hmmTell that to chefs and gourmands of Mediterranean or Mexican cuisine.


Google (http://www.google.com/search?q=recipe+%28Mediterranean+OR+Mexican%29+oct opus&num=100)

[bezz]

http://www.jf-net.ne.jp/jf-net/syun/recipedb/data/907/707.jpg
simmered octopus with daikon radish

[miki78]

Tell that to chefs and gourmands of Mediterranean or Mexican cuisine.
Google (http://www.google.com/search?q=recipe+%28Mediterranean+OR+Mexican%29+oct opus&num=100)

I would right to there face amounst a few other things >.<

[taehyun]

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.
"Old boy " is difficult, full of metaphors and symbols , multilayered movie.The man said he wanted to devour something living.
I'm vegetarian, and in Japan, when I happen to ask if something contains meat, or if they have something without meat, I get one very puzzled look and whispers behind my back.And the reasons I give for being vegetarian(I don't want any animal hurt) are just "hen"(strange).
I remeber a TV show I watched some time ago. One young, cute Japanese girl was preraring Takoyaki but she had to start from the begining.The octopus was still alive,when she decided to cut one of its legs. It tried to run, with its leg nearly cut off, and the girl panicked, began sqweaking "Dou shiyo"(What shall I do?) and kept cutting its leg. One of the professional cooks there stopped her saying that this is too cruel,and she looked very disapointed.

[名無し]

They admire octopi and pray for souls of what people ate at least, at Anrakuji temple in Himaka island.


http://www.himaka.com/sightf/imgf/img02.jpg
related post (http://www.jref.com/forum/showpost.php?p=403644)

[miki78]

Wow a cook with a heart thats rare

To eat meat is one thing to take delight in an animals pain and suffering is about as low as you can get

Theres no convincing these people either thay already ditached themselves from reality and empathy years ago

I'm sorry if i sound angry i don't mean to i just can't help it

Really i never knew that the temple thing

one of the things i like about the Japanese the most is that they show respect even to a creature they eat

Thats a rare and noble thing

You know something i think that is wonderful the temple

The one thing people like me look for is not people to be totally vegetarion but to have respect and knowledgment

[nurizeko]

If I ate octopus I would make sure it was thoroughly dead and in many peices as to make sure I couldnt recognise it as a whole thing.

I went to a Japanese sushi resturaunt once, alot of stuff was just pushing my limits of what is edible, when I saw a little lobster or whatever on a block of rice comming past on the conveyor, seemingly staring at me, I decided I had had enough. :blush:

The problem with Japanese food is alot of it looks alive or like it could re-animate.

Natto looks like it could hatch into something alien and nasty. :p

[tampopo]

No I couldn't eat squid. too hard and rubbery. Love a nicely done, easy off the bone steak

[craftsman]

tampopo,

Just as you ordered: A nicely done, easy off the bone squid steak...

http://img.alibaba.com/photo/11405228/Giant_Squid_Fillet___Daruma.jpg

Oh you meant beef?

[hkBattousai]

Is that squid steak?
It looks like butter, or creamy chese...:okashii:

[craftsman]

Is that squid steak?
It looks like butter, or creamy chese...:okashii:

That is giant squid fillet steak. You could try spreading it on your sandwiches but I fear the worst.

Here it is dried:

http://img.alibaba.com/photo/50252423/Dried_Squid_Fillet.jpg

Yum.

[BrennaCeDria]

I actually thought about buying Old Boy this weekend; a friend told me about the scene with the "I want to eat something living" and while that would be... odd... the movie itself sounds good.
Now, on the topic of space aliens, I'm a little surprised nothing Cthulhu has been posted before now:

http://www.phobos-deimos.com/Cthulhu/cthulhu.jpg

It was the first thing I thought of when I read your post. :p

[Kyoko_desu]

Octopusses are good but I prefer squids and here is the picture of the fried squids which I like very much.

http://images.google.co.jp/images?q=tbn:WjNgawRlXnNjbM:https://www.satoh-web.co.jp/souzai/image/ikaring_img.jpg

It's called イカリングフライ (ika ringu furai)　in Japanese, literally "fried squid rings". Tastes a bit like a fried chicken and it's really good!
:cool:

[Glenn]

It's gotta be better than that fishy, bitter tasting squid that my friend ordered the other night and enjoyed so much. I could hardly get the one I tried down.

[powerplantop]

As much as I like taco sushi I prefer Korean San Nakji. Do a search for it on You Tube.

[craftsman]

As much as I like taco sushi I prefer Korean San Nakji. Do a search for it on You Tube.

Thanks for that powerplantop. I searched and found it here. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIDEY1DXVO4)

That's seriously revolting.

[Emoni]

... damn this is a weird thread, but quite funny. I have to say the exploding head and eyeball thing freaked me out a bit.


one of the things i like about the Japanese the most is that they show respect even to a creature they eat
Thats a rare and noble thing


Is this sarcastic? Go to Tsukiji sometimes and watch them hack at a fish or something then let it bleed to death while it twitches. I'm not getting on Japan, as America is far worse, but this sounds a bit off.