Octopus
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Seafood
Octopus
Latin:
Octopus vulgaris
Origin:
Octopus refers to any eight-armed cephalopod (octopod) mollusk of the order Octopoda, belonging to the family Octopodidae. The true octopuses are members of the genus Octopus, a large group of widely distributed, shallow-water cephalopods.
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Octopuses vary greatly in size. The largest and smallest octopuses are found off the United States. The largest is the North Pacific Octopus (Octopus dofleini) that may grow to over 6 m in length and have an armspan of almost 9 m, and weighs more than 35 kg. The smallest is the Californian (Octopus micropyrsus) which only reaches 1 cm in length.
The typical octopus has a saccular body: the head is only slightly demarcated from the body and has large, complex eyes and eight contractile arms. Each arm bears two rows of fleshy suckers that are capable of great holding power. The arms are joined at their bases by a web of tissue known as the skirt, at the centre of which lies the mouth. The latter organ has a pair of sharp, horny beaks and a filelike organ, the radula, for drilling shells and rasping away flesh.
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The octopus takes water into its mantle and expels the water after respiration through a short funnel called a siphon. Most octopuses move by crawling along the bottom with their suckers, though when alarmed they may shoot swiftly backward by ejecting a jet of water from the siphon. When endangered, they eject an inky substance, which is used as a screen. The substance produced by some species paralyzes the sensory organs of the attacker.
The best-known octopus is the common octopus, Octopus vulgaris, a medium-sized species that is widely distributed in tropical and temperate seas throughout the world. It lives in holes or crevices along the rocky bottom and is secretive and retiring by nature. It feeds mainly on crabs and other crustaceans. This species is thought to be the most intelligent of all invertebrate animals. Octopus vulgaris also has highly developed pigment-bearing cells and can change its skin colors to an astonishing degree with great rapidity.
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Octopuses have separate sexes, and the male has a specially modified arm, called a hectocotylus, by means of which it inserts spermatophores, or packets of sperm, directly into the mantle cavity of the female.
Octopus vulgaris mates during the winter, and the eggs, about 0.3 cm long, are laid under rocks or in holes; the total number of eggs amounting to more than 100,000.
During the four to eight weeks required for the larvae to hatch, the female guards the eggs, cleaning them with her suckers and agitating them with water. Upon hatching, the tiny octopods, which closely resemble their parents, must spend several weeks in the drifting plankton before taking refuge on the bottom.
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Octopuses feed mainly upon crabs and lobsters, although some are plankton feeders, and they are fed upon by a number of marine fishes. They have long been considered a culinary delicacy by peoples of the Mediterranean, the Orient, and other parts of the world.
Octopus is sold fresh or frozen, whole (clean and debeaked) or as octopus legs, and raw or cooked. Octopus is available year-round in fish markets and specialty stores.
, 百拇医药 Properties:
Sweet and salty in flavor, cold in nature, it is related to the liver and kidney channels.
Functions:
Stabilizes and obstructs, benefits qi (energy) and the blood, nourishes muscles, benefits the liver and the kidneys.
Applications:
Octopus is used for energy deficiency, blood deficiency, chronic skin eruptions that fail to heal.
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Dosage and Administration:
To prevent a minor skin rash, use rubber gloves when handling raw octopus. If the octopus hasn't been cleaned, cut off the top of the head, scoop out and discard the interior, cut off the beak, and separate the tentacles from the head.
Octopus flesh is tough and chewy. The secret to successful octopus cookery is to marinate or precook it to tenderize the meat.
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To marinate, rub octopus with grated daikon radish, slice thin, and marinate in mirin and soy sauce for one to two hours.
To precook, bring a pan of salted water to a boil. Put octopus in boiling water, turn down heat, and simmer until the skin can be peeled, about 30 to 60 minutes. Remove from heat and led stand in cooking water until cool.
Baking: Cut precooked octopus into 7.6 to 10 cm lengths and place in a greased baking pan. Brush with melted butter or oil and season with salt and pepper, or cover with a piquant sauce. Bake in a preheated 230° C oven 10 to 20 minutes.
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Broiling: Cut precooked octopus into 7.6 to 10 cm lengths and dredge in crumbs, or cornmeal or flour coating. Preheat broiler and adjust oven rack so octopus is 10 cm from the element. Broil, turning once, until coating is brown and crispy and octopus is warmed through.
Deep frying: Pour oil into a wok or deep fryer; it should be at least 3.8 cm deep, and the cooker should be less than half full of oil. Heat oil to 190° C, using a thermometer to monitor temperature. Cut precooked octopus into 7.6 to 10 cm pieces. Dip pieces in batter, drain, then slip them into hot oil. Cook until brown, two to three minutes.
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Stewing: Cut precooked octopus into 7.6 to 10 cm lengths and stew in red wine, with herbs and spices, for two hours. During the last 30 minutes, add vegetables.
Most octopus has been frozen and thawed. It should be free of any off odor.
To store thawed octopus, unwrap, place in a bowl covered with a wet paper towel, refrigerate, and prepare it to be eaten the same day. Store frozen octopus in its original wrappings in the freezer for up to two months.
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To thaw, unwrap, place octopus in a bowl or pan, cover, and let thaw overnight in the refrigerator. To thaw more quickly, wrap octopus in waterproof plastic and place in a sink with cool running water, allowing about 30 minutes per 450 g. For fastest thawing, use the defrost cycle of your microwave, allowing two to five minutes per 450 g, with equal standing time in between zaps.
Cautions on Use:
Reference Materials:
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Toxic or Side Effects:
Modern Researches:
Every 100 g of raw octopus contains 17.9 g protein, 1.3 g fat, 120 mg sodium, vitamin B6, niacin, and is rich in selenium (76 mcg), iron (8.1 mg), vitamin B12 (30.6 mcg) and zinc (2.8 mg).
When cooked (moist heat), octopus provides 0.314 grams of omega-3 fatty acids, derived from EPA (0.152g) and DHA (0.162 grams), per 100 grams of octopus., http://www.100md.com