It’s one of the most intelligent sea creatures and it tastes delicious! But before you go all PETA on me, I’m proud to say it’s local, sustainable, and available Ocean Wise. Yes, there is a lot of unsustainable octopus being served in Vancouver too, but change is gradual.
I listed octopus as one of the top 10 food trends of 2014, and as much as I dislike the word “food trend” (since octopus didn’t get suddenly discovered or invented yesterday), there’s a newfound love for it in Vancouver.
It’s a common protein in Korean, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, and Mediterranean cuisine (as well as others), but it only started making its way onto West Coast menus over the last few years. Some West Coast menus were doing it before, but it’s certainly more popular now as people are warming up to this ingredient, which tastes very similar to squid.
The texture varies depending on size and of course how it’s cooked, but it shouldn’t be tough and chewy. If it is, it’s usually overcooked, poorly sourced, or a combination.
The often unsustainable octopus sourced from Japan tend to be a bit bigger and tougher since currents in Japan are often faster and stronger. It causes the muscles to develop and can be harder to cook properly.
If you’ve had a bad experience, don’t let that stop you from trying it again. Octopus is rich in calcium, potassium, iron, and vitamins A, B, and C, and is low in fat and calories – about 140 calories per 85g of octopus, with 1.8g of fat.
It still has cholesterol, so moderation is key, but otherwise I recommend enjoying it sustainably at the following restaurants. (Note: sustainable octopus is not limited to these restaurants)
1) L'Abattoir's barbecued octopus with fried jalapeno, smoked pepper sauce, bread crumbs, toasted in pork fat.
2) Espana's grilled octopus and chorizo with roasted pepper, sun dried olive & caper bread salad, romesco sauce.
3) Secret Location's octopus with burnt onion purée and chorizo.
4) Bishop's carpaccio of BC octopus, confit potato and chips, lemon dressing, and mixed sprout salad.
5) Grilled octopus at Farmer's Apprentice with romesco, fennel, rose jelly, snap peas, and kohlrabi.
Find Mijune at the Deighton Cup July 26. She will also be at the Summer Wheat Harvest and Rustichella d'Abruzzo pasta’s 90th anniversary in Abruzzo, Italy with La Grotta Del Formaggio’s Corporate Chef, Alex Tung. Follow their adventures at #RustichellaPasta and #FMFinAbruzzo.
Find out more about Mijune at FollowMeFoodie.com or follow her on Twitter and Instagram @followmefoodie.
