Barry -

I googled him up, The Abalone King!

http://www.newsgd.com/enjoylife/livi...0307290019.htm




ww

wrote:
While I find that article very informative and interesting, I find your
comment strange


--- I won't argue with you about that, M, sure my comment was sort of
silly, just reflected my own very limited personal experiences such as
they are, that's all.



considering
how long Octopus has been eaten in Japan, and the fact that apart from
Americans of mediterranean
background, the first time many American taste octopus for the first time in
their lives is often in a sushi bar.



--- Octopus in sushi bars always tastes rubbery and tasteless to me,
even in the best places. Other people seem to like it, I don't.




The the medierranean countries have a very different approach to preparing
Octopus from Japanese. I've had
Octopus in Italian, Greek, Spanish and Portuese cooking, with my personal
"most tender" octopus having
been Portugese. Literally melt in your mouth tender.



--- Yup, I like Mediterranean-style slow cooked tender flavorful
spiced-up octopus.




But Octopus in Japanese cuisine isn't suppose to be like that. It's supposed
to have a firm texture and
be flavorful. Raw Octopus Sashimi for obvious reasons is more tender than
any Octopus cooked anywhere in the world.



--- But the o. in sushi bars is almost always cooked (and rubberized).
Why is that, some health reason? I don't know what it tastes like
really raw (or if I ever even had it really raw for that
matter...probably tastes like rubber! )


Also, with regard to your comment, I've never had octopus in Chinese
cuisine. Although I don't doubt it exists
particularly in seafood oriented areas and I would wager that it is tasty,
as is most Chinese dishes.


--- I've had it a couple of times, on one infamous occasion in a
rather fancy place on Long Island, NY. I remember that time because we
were gonna try to bounce the stuff on the floor!

--- You can just google up Chinese stir-fried octopus or some such and
get a lot of hits...here's one place that seems to know how to do it
right..."fork tender" it says:

http://honghuafinedining.com/hhr/Rev...Year_inuse.htm


--- ww

If octopus is tough it's been overcooked.

wrote in message
ups.com...

While I find that article very informative and interesting, I find your
comment strange


--- I won't argue with you about that, M, sure my comment was sort of
silly, just reflected my own very limited personal experiences such as
they are, that's all.


No problem. I am frequently accused of taking things too literally.

considering
how long Octopus has been eaten in Japan, and the fact that apart from
Americans of mediterranean
background, the first time many American taste octopus for the first
time in
their lives is often in a sushi bar.

--- Octopus in sushi bars always tastes rubbery and tasteless to me,
even in the best places. Other people seem to like it, I don't.


I agree to the extent that for the most part the Tako served at the vast
majority of sushi restaurants
are poor to mediocre, as you say tastless and rubbery. Sometimes I find it
too salty.
But I have certainly had octopus in the very upper-end sushi places that was
tender (reasonably), moist,
non-rubbery and most of all deep in flavor. A flavor that comes out the more
you chew.

The the medierranean countries have a very different approach to
preparing
Octopus from Japanese. I've had
Octopus in Italian, Greek, Spanish and Portuese cooking, with my
personal
"most tender" octopus having
been Portugese. Literally melt in your mouth tender.

--- Yup, I like Mediterranean-style slow cooked tender flavorful
spiced-up octopus.


While I enjoy Octopus sashimi at home, in the summer I always make an
Italian pulpo salad at
least once.

M



But Octopus in Japanese cuisine isn't suppose to be like that. It's
supposed
to have a firm texture and
be flavorful. Raw Octopus Sashimi for obvious reasons is more tender
than
any Octopus cooked anywhere in the world.



--- But the o. in sushi bars is almost always cooked (and rubberized).
Why is that, some health reason? I don't know what it tastes like
really raw (or if I ever even had it really raw for that
matter...probably tastes like rubber! )


Also, with regard to your comment, I've never had octopus in Chinese
cuisine. Although I don't doubt it exists
particularly in seafood oriented areas and I would wager that it is
tasty,
as is most Chinese dishes.


--- I've had it a couple of times, on one infamous occasion in a
rather fancy place on Long Island, NY. I remember that time because we
were gonna try to bounce the stuff on the floor!

--- You can just google up Chinese stir-fried octopus or some such and
get a lot of hits...here's one place that seems to know how to do it
right..."fork tender" it says:


http://honghuafinedining.com/hhr/Rev...Year_inuse.htm


--- ww

"Ken Blake" wrote in message
...
Musashi wrote:

Very small Octopus are called ii-dako and usually served
marinated in a sauce and cooked.


These are, by the way, very similar to the Italian Moscardini, which are
often seen on restaurant menus in Italy, and which I like very much.
Although the octopus are probably the same, the sauce and flavor are of
course different. However the overall style of the dish is surprisingly
similar. I like both a lot.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup



Yes, I see there is a similarity.
M

http://tasteofsorrento.sorrentoinfo....i_affogati.jpg

http://www.yamato-soysauce-miso.co.j...ko_hesheho.jpg

Ken Blake wrote:
I can't imagine that the
Chinese, who eat everything, refrain from eating octopus

I'm from Hong Kong and the only way I've had octopus there was in a
soup. The octopus is dried and they come flat as cardboard, and usually
less than a foot long. You soak them, and make a soup by slow cooking
with lotus roots and pork bones. I used to love eating the little
suckers first before chewing on the legs.

Tippi wrote:

Ken Blake wrote:
I can't imagine that the
Chinese, who eat everything, refrain from eating octopus

I'm from Hong Kong and the only way I've had octopus there was in a
soup. The octopus is dried and they come flat as cardboard, and
usually less than a foot long. You soak them, and make a soup by slow
cooking with lotus roots and pork bones. I used to love eating the
little suckers first before chewing on the legs.


Interesting, thanks. I'm surpised to hear that in Hong Kong they aren't
eaten any way but dried in soup. I'm had dried squid in soup, but never
dried octopus.


--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

Dan Logcher wrote:


I don't think I've ever had Chinese cooked octopus.. weird. I've had
plenty
of squid and other mullosks.


Around here in central Illinois (home to vast numbers of
real native Chinese students) Chinese dishes with "baby
octopus" are very common on Chinese-language menus at
campus Chinese restaurants. They are delicious. These
critters are about two inches long.

Doug McDonald

Doug McDonald wrote:
Dan Logcher wrote:


I don't think I've ever had Chinese cooked octopus.. weird. I've had
plenty
of squid and other mullosks.


Around here in central Illinois (home to vast numbers of
real native Chinese students) Chinese dishes with "baby octopus" are
very common on Chinese-language menus at
campus Chinese restaurants. They are delicious. These critters are about
two inches long.

Baby octopus are pretty common in Japanese restaurants here.. but I never
see any regular octopus in Chinatown in Boston.

--
Dan

Tippi wrote:

Ken Blake wrote:
I can't imagine that the
Chinese, who eat everything, refrain from eating octopus

I'm from Hong Kong and the only way I've had octopus there was in a
soup. The octopus is dried and they come flat as cardboard, and
usually less than a foot long. You soak them, and make a soup by slow
cooking with lotus roots and pork bones. I used to love eating the
little suckers first before chewing on the legs.



I asked my sister-in-law, who is also from Hong Kong, and she definitely
remembers eating fresh octopus there when she was young.

She hasn't been there in many years, however, and as she points out, it
could be very different now.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

Doug McDonald wrote:

Dan Logcher wrote:


I don't think I've ever had Chinese cooked octopus.. weird. I've
had plenty
of squid and other mullosks.


Around here in central Illinois (home to vast numbers of
real native Chinese students) Chinese dishes with "baby
octopus" are very common on Chinese-language menus at
campus Chinese restaurants. They are delicious. These
critters are about two inches long.


Sounds good to me. I wish they were more widely available.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup