You might be intimidated with Octopus meat due to its unknown flavor and taste. This might make you hesitant in trying it on your next dine-out. Most of the people have a lot of questions like what does octopus taste like, how it is prepared and what are its benefits. After reading this post, you can make an informed judgment about Octopus meat whether it is for you or you should skip the deal.
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Octopus Cuisine
Octopus might be a rare sight in some countries. However, you will find a variety of octopus cuisines in countries like Japan, Portugal, Korea, and China. In Japan, the most popular octopus cuisine is called Takoyaki as it is prepared in a unique Takoyaki sauce. In Korea, it is called Nakji bokken in which octopus is chopped and served as a stir-fried food.
Octopus is a low-calorie meat that has plenty of different nutrients. It is high in protein and iron that is beneficial for your body. Selenium in octopus also helps to protect cells in your body from damage. Also, high amounts of vitamin B-12 aids in the production of red blood cells.
All these benefits and the distinct taste of this cuisine has made it one of the favorite meals in many countries.
What Does Octopus Taste Like
Octopus meat is closer to lobster and chicken when it comes to taste and texture. Before trying, many people believe to experience chewy and slimy meat. However, this is only the case when it is not prepared properly. As octopus tends to be juicier and tender in texture.
Many people confuse octopus with calamari. However, that is prepared with squid which has different taste and texture than an octopus. Squid is a bit tougher than octopus and if cooked right, an octopus would never taste like calamari.
Octopus tends to be an expensive cuisine and considered a delicacy in many countries for all the right reasons. The distinct taste, texture, and preparation of this cuisine requires mastery in the art of culinary.
Let’s break it down for you to have a clear understanding of what does octopus taste like.
Taste
Octopus itself does not have much of its flavor. The taste depends upon the sauces and ingredients used in cooking it. You can compare it to a chicken that does not have much of its own taste and you have to marinate it or add sauces and ingredients to give it a touch of flavors that you like.
Texture
The texture of octopus can be described as chewy. However, not something that requires a lot of effort to break down the food. Less chewy than a gummy candy can be the perfect description of its texture.
Smell
The octopus, when prepared the right way does not have any pungent smell that you might experience in other seafood nor does it carry that particular smell of water and sea.
Tips for Cooking an Octopus
Cooking an octopus is an art mastered by some of the chefs around the world. Even then they struggle to produce the perfect dish at times. However, we have penned down some of the tips and tricks that would help you cook and enjoy one at home.
- Cleaning an octopus for cooking is one of the hardest parts. Thus, to avoid this hassle, you can purchase clean meat from the market. This might be a bit more expensive, however, it would save you time and effort in cleaning the octopus.
- There are two ways of cooking octopus, you can either cook it slowly on low heat or you can use the high heat method where you quicky take-off the meat. This makes sure that you get a perfect dish with the right combination of taste and softness.
- It is important to blanch it to avoid chewy and hard meat. You can either use boiling water or an over for this purpose.
- Always make sure to pick a fresh octopus as it would make sure you get the best taste out of it. It would make it worth the money spent.
Just to make you cautious, octopus tends to smell bad during the preparation phase especially if you have decided to clean it yourself. But don’t be intimidated by the smell as it would go away once you start cooking it and if cooked the right way, it would not have any pungent smell.
Conclusion
Many people are intimidated by the look of an octopus on a dish mainly due to the tentacles. However, if you are a seafood lover then this is a must-try for you especially when you know what does octopus taste like. You must make sure to enjoy it in a restaurant that knows how to cook this delicacy in the right way. As they tend to be on the expensive side thus, you wouldn’t want to waste your money in eating a slimy, chewy and hard octopus.
If you eat it once and didn’t like it, we suggest you give it another try with a different recipe. Just like chicken, the taste of octopus depends upon its preparation and ingredients. Thus, you might hate octopus prepared with a particular recipe and love it when cooked with a different recipe.