Octopus
Octopi are cephalopods, related to squid, cuttlefish, and nautili. Cephalopods are a type of marine mollusk with tentacles. Octopi are found across the world.
We have a number of species in the Pacific Northwest, but there are two main species that are of culinary interest: the giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) and the ruby octopus (Octopus rubescens). These two are of more interest because of their size, the fact that they are more easily accessible, and the fact that they are already included in regional fishing regulations.
Neither species is frequently targeted commercially, and there is very little tradition of cooking with them in the Pacific Northwest. However, the giant Pacific octopus is commonly eaten eastern Asia, as well as small octopi similar to the ruby octopus. The better-known common octopus, Octopus vulgaris, is found in many parts of the world, and traditionally consumed in the Mediterranean and eastern Asia. Not found in the waters of the Pacific Northwest, this is the species most commonly found in restaurants today. It is similar enough to our octopi that cooking methods should be applicable to the giant Pacific octopus and the ruby octopus.
Cooking with octopus
The tentacles are the part most commonly eaten. The mantle (body) can also be eaten. Octopus can be cooked in a variety of ways. It is boiled, steamed, grilled, baked, and eaten raw (even live, in some cases).
Octopus is similar to other shellfish: it can easily be tough if cooked improperly. As with squid, this means either cooking it very quickly or for an extended period of time. In the case of octopus, a long cook is opted for in most situations.
The innards are usually removed, but not necessarily in the case of small octopus species. They do have a stronger flavor and carry the risk of containing heavy metals, however.
Other parts
Like squid, octopus have an ink sac used to produce a dark cloud when escaping from predators. Octopus ink is sepia in color. It can be cooked with similarly to squid ink.
Octopus eggs are eaten in Japan and Korea. They are sold in the egg sac, which looks like a large yellow, soft orb. Inside, it contains elongated, small eggs that can be eaten raw or cooked. I have not been able to determine what species is most commonly eaten, but I have found examples of both unidentified large egg sacs and the smaller egg sacs of the webfoot octopus (Amphioctopus fangsiao) being prepared, which would point to the eggs of various species of octopus being eaten.
Species
Octopus
Giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini)
Ruby octopus (Octopus rubescens)
Giant Pacific octopus
Enteroctopus dofleini, the giant Pacific octopus, is the largest species of octopus in the world besides the seven-arm octopus. It can grow to weights in excess of 100 lbs. Adults generally weigh around 30 lbs, with tentacles up to 14 feet in length. They live slightly longer than other octopus species, between 3 and 5 years. They are predators, commonly found in rocky areas, hiding in dens.
E. dofleini ranges from eastern Asia (Japan, China, Korea, and Russia) across Alaska, and down to Baja California. It lives from shallow intertidal zones all the way to 5,000 ft deep. Preferring cold water, it is found in deeper water in the southern parts of its range. It preys on a wide variety of sea creatures, including fish, crustaceans, and other mollusks.
Giant Pacific octopus are not often eaten in the Pacific Northwest, although they are commercially fished. They are widely eaten in eastern Asia, especially in Korea and Japan. In Korea, they are known as dae-muneo (대문어), meaning “large octopus”. In Japan, they are known as mizudako (水鮹), meaning “water octopus”.
Here, rather than eat the giant Pacific octopus, we import most of the octopus in restaurants from Europe. The species commonly found in restaurants is the common octopus, Octopus vulgaris. Even though its quick lifecycle and high reproductive rates make it generally resistant to fishing pressures, the common octopus is being overfished in many areas, especially off the coasts of Morroco, western Africa, and Vietnam, where octopus is caught using bottom trawls. A better alternative is octopus caught with pots off of the coast of Spain, which has lower bycatch levels and is better managed, but because it can often be difficult to determine the origin of octopus sold in the U.S., authorities such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium recommend avoiding it. So why not eat our local species instead?
Historically, giant Pacific octopus have been hunted in small numbers by divers or caught as bycatch, either from traps or trawls targeting other species such as shrimp or bottom fish. A large portion of the catch was used as halibut bait in the 1960s and 1970s.
Exact catch numbers are hard to come by, but overall the fishery remains a very small one in the Pacific Northwest. Records from the 1960s showed landings of between 1,000 to 11,000 lbs in Oregon and 24,000 to 41,000 lbs in Washington. Other records from British Columbia put landings in the mid-1990s at around 500,000 lbs, but had apparently declined since then.
Sustainability
With experimental or small fisheries, the question of whether it is sustainable or not is can be more difficult to answer.
When the giant Pacific octopus lays its eggs, it guards them until they hatch, after which the adult female octopus dies. I’ve read that only 1% of the eggs that hatch will make it to maturity, but the octopus lays anywhere from 18,000 to 75,000 eggs at a time, even up to 100,000 eggs. That would mean anywhere from 180 to 1,000 octopi would reach maturity from one octopus laying eggs. The question is, is that enough to replace populations with the added pressures of fishing?
One potential issue with fishing for giant Pacific octopus is that population numbers are not well-known to science. At present, the species is not considered endangered and populations are thought to be stable, but a cautious approach has been taken to fishing regulations due to the lack of information available.
Cooking with giant Pacific octopus
I think that one of the reasons giant Pacific octopus isn’t often eating in the Pacific Northwest is due to a lack of cultural knowledge and infrastructure for processing the animal, unlike in Japan and Korea.
After watching various videos of giant Pacific octopus being broken down at fish markets in Korea, I can make glean some information about the process. I don’t speak the language, however, so my understanding of it is purely observational.
In Korean fish markets, giant Pacific octopus appear to most often be held in tanks, alive, until they are prepared. The first step is to sever the connection of the brain from underneath the mantle (body) of the octopus, thereby killing. The organs in the mantle and the eyes are generally removed, although in some instances, a couple of parts are kept and cooked along with the rest of the octopus. I am uncertain what these are exactly, though I’m fairly sure this includes the ctenidia (gills) and one other part that I can’t quite pinpoint.
Octopus continue to move quite a bit after death due to the large number of neurons throughout their bodies (similarly to a chicken with its head cut off). It can be difficult to break down the uncooked octopus. In most cases, the octopus is taken whole and simmered in hot water until it turns bright red. It is then removed, placed in an ice bath, then hung up to drain. Then, it is broken down and the mantle and tentacles are cut up into pieces or sliced thinly. The red skin is mostly removed (only left around the suction cups) due to its chewiness and texture. Whether this is absolutely necessary seems to be a matter of personal preference, but most videos showed it being removed.
Ruby octopus
Octopus rubescens, the ruby octopus, is a small octopus found from Alaska down to Baja California in intertidal zones up to about 600 feet deep. O. rubescens generally grows to about 3.5 to 5 oz in weight, with a mantle length of 3 to 4 inches and 12 to 16-inch tentacles.
Similarly small species of octopus are eaten around the world, often marketed as “baby octopus”. Such octopus are commonly cooked quickly to prevent overcooking. Stir-frying or grilling are popular techniques. The ruby octopus seems like a good candidate for similar use.
In the Pacific Northwest, ruby octopus are not commercially targeted, but are often caught as bycatch by trap fisheries targeting shrimp and crabs. The species is included in octopus fishery regulations in Oregon.
