The octopus is a mollusk and is biologically one of the most unique marine species on planet Earth. Its scientific name is Octopus vulgaris because it has eight limbs, and its Italian name derives from the Latin polypus , meaning "many feet." In the kitchen, especially in the Mediterranean region and in Southeast Asian countries, it is a very important product and is used and transformed in hundreds of culinary recipes.

What is the octopus and where is it found?

The octopus, also called octopus or rock octopus , is a cephalopod mollusc, An organism from the mollusk family that does not have a shell. This creature is found primarily on the ocean floor , especially near coastal areas . There are different types of octopuses, with varying lengths and weights, but we know that this mollusk can weigh up to 20 kg and has an average length of 3 meters. Its color varies depending on the area in which it is found and, as mentioned, it has eight very long tentacle-like limbs or arms, suitable for catching other fish. It has multiple brains in each limb, making it highly intelligent and one of the most eccentric aquatic animals. Its natural habitat is the Mediterranean Sea, so it gravitates around southern Italy, Greece, and North Africa; however, the octopus can also be caught in the Atlantic Ocean, especially off the coasts of Spain and Morocco.

Biological differences between octopuses and other cephalopods

The Octopus vulgaris is not the only cephalopod present on Earth: there is also the dormouse, very similar to the octopus, but smaller and with fewer suckers on its tentacles: in fact, the dormouse is called the " sand octopus "; furthermore, molluscs such as cuttlefish and squid can also be found, which are also widely used in cooking. Dormouse have a characteristic in common with the octopus: they are benthic organisms: this means that they live in close contact with the seabed . Cuttlefish and squid, in addition to differing in shape, color and length, are defined as nektonic organisms: this means that they are not tied to close contact with the seabed, but that they also swim actively in areas close to the surface of the water.

Scientific curiosities

A team of internationally renowned scientists from the University of Ruhunaera in Sri Lanka has theorized that this marine creature may actually be an alien creature. This doesn't mean it comes from another planet or owns a spaceship, but rather that this mollusk is a genetic mutation of a simple squid, which occurred 500 million years ago, via an alien virus that arrived on our planet via the meteors that frequently hit it. The octopus, in fact, changes its appearance thanks to its DNA sequences to adapt to its surroundings and has a heterogeneous nervous system unlike any other terrestrial creature.

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History of the octopus and ancient culinary recipes

This cephalopod has a very ancient history of culinary use. In fact, ancient Sicilians were already eating this dish at least 2,000 years ago, according to some evidence. Even the ancient inhabitants of Pompeii used it in their cooking: the discovery of a Pompeii mosaic depicting a whole octopus on a serving dish attests to this practice. Furthermore, the Greeks on the island were already using it in their cooking as early as 1400 BC: an example of cephalopod cooking was found on a Cretan vase; it is fascinating and incredible that octopus was already being used 3,400 years ago.

But what is one of the reasons why this food was so widely used, besides its easy availability in the Mediterranean Sea?

Properties and virtues of the octopus

The ancient Greeks and Romans attributed healing and nutritional properties to the octopus, which is true, as it possesses numerous benefits for the human body. However, this mollusk was also considered an aphrodisiac by the ancients, like oysters. This unique concept is found in several ancient texts: In the "Dipnosophists" or "Banquet Scholars" by Erudito, a Greco-Egyptian writer of antiquity, an impotent man is mocked by claiming that not even the octopus can help him heal. In one of Cicero's letters, the octopus is compared to the virility of Jupiter. But similar ideas also exist in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance: both Giovanni Boccaccio in 1300 and François Rabelais in 1500 cite the octopus as a luxurious and aphrodisiac food.

Historical recipes

There are a couple of ancient recipes with octopus that are still used today by chefs and cooks in the Mediterranean area:

- octopus salad or octopus salad : it is an ancient Sicilian recipe, in which parsley and lemon were originally used (about 2000 years ago), and then modified over the years to become tastier: it was around 1600 that potatoes arriving from the New Continent began to be added.

- Octopus carpaccio : a recipe found in the book De Re Coquinaria by Apicius, a Roman writer and chef, which describes a simple yet tasty recipe. Apicius recommended seasoning the octopus, after boiling, with black pepper, garum, an ancient fermented fish sauce similar to modern anchovy sauce, and silphium resin, an ancient condiment widely used by the Romans, the plant of which has been extinct for about 1,850 years. Today, a similar version is made, but instead of garum and resin, lemon and oil are used.

- Luciana-style octopus tentacles : an ancient Neapolitan recipe from the 17th century, created by the fishermen of the village of Santa Lucia, who caught octopus in amphorae (according to an ancient Roman method of octopus fishing) connected to strings, cooked for a long time in water to make it tender and seasoned with piennolo tomatoes, olives, capers, garlic and various herbs.

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Contemporary culinary recipes

Octopus, as we've noted previously, has been a popular food in the Mediterranean region for centuries. This doesn't mean it's not also a popular product in Southeast Asian countries, especially Korea and Japan. There are several unique Asian recipes using octopus species different from the Atlantic-Mediterranean variety, but similar in appearance and flavor.

Asian recipes

Below is a list of Asian recipes that can transform this product:

- Takoyaki : this recipe is very famous and important in the land of the Rising Sun; in fact, the Japanese are fond of these fried octopus balls, which are seasoned with a thick soy sauce.

- Akashiyaki : these are Japanese ravioli filled with octopus and egg batter, to be dipped in a dashi broth .

- Nakji-bokkeum : is a Korean recipe that uses octopus tentacles, spices, and vegetables; all these ingredients are fried without batter: it is a very popular dish .

- San-nakji : is a raw octopus tentacle dish from South Korea, seasoned with sesame; it is eaten as a light appetizer and served with lager beer .

Mediterranean recipes

Let's move on to Mediterranean cuisine . Here's a list of some recipes for cooking this mollusk:

- Octopus stew : it is a liquid sauce , which cooks for several hours, made with octopus, tomatoes, potatoes and other herbs; the mollusc is served with its stew as a simple dish, or as a condiment for other dishes, including first courses.

- Octopus Carpaccio : mentioned above, this dish is the Italian version of the Korean dish listed above, in which the octopus is served raw and can sometimes be seasoned with very little seasoning.

- Genovese Octopus : This recipe is a seafood variation of the Neapolitan version, which uses meat. After the mixed soffritto, the octopus is boiled with the white onion for 2 or 3 hours, until it becomes a creamy sauce that can be used as a pasta sauce.

- Grilled octopus : This is a complex process, as the octopus must first be seared or left to dry in the sun, before being placed on the grill. As with other fish, it shouldn't be overheated for too long, as it requires light cooking and smoking.

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You can purchase octopus in various cuts and sizes on the platform, both ready for delivery and to order.

Ready for delivery:
-whole cooked octopus, frozen and vacuum-packed (1.2-1.5kg)
- whole frozen raw octopus (1.45kg)
- cooked and frozen octopus tentacles (100-150g)

Made to order:
- whole raw and frozen octopus (0.8-1.2kg)
- cooked and frozen octopus tentacles (50-80g)
- cooked and frozen octopus tentacles (50-100g)

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