"I've stopped eating octopus..." Why?

[Brandon R]

I didn't want to hijack the Costco A5 Wagyu thread but, in there, two people mentioned the fact that they stopped eating octopus. Why? I am clueless, so please help me understand what that was all about and why it come up in the discussion about A5 Wagyu. I don't eat octopus hardly at all, but am still curious. TIA

[Jerry Hey]

The Octopus Teacher??

[T. Melloni]

Intelligent. Genetic marvels.
Sentient beings.
Over-fishing.

Just some thoughts.

[Stephen Faulkner]

I was the one that initially mentioned it in that thread as I was intrigued by the various descriptions of this very expensive meat that seemingly requires a very specific way of preparing and eating so it doesn't just taste like expensive fat/grease. In the realm of "yes, you can do it, but is it necessary", I said I stopped eating octopus as an off the cuff remark.

The Octopus Teacher is just the latest in a large volume of research (although it isn't research, it is still a good story. There was another BBC documentary last year as well) of how amazing and intelligent these creatures are. It is mind-blowing to think of the system required to instantly change not only the color but the texture of your skin to identically match your surroundings and not just one or two colors but mimic a continuum of patterns in three dimensions. And that is only one aspect of their intelligence. It seems like such a wasteful indulgence to eat a creature like that just because we can, but don't need to.

[Glen Gold]

A few years ago my girlfriend and I stopped eating animals cuter or smarter than ourselves. Octopus was the first on the list. And The Octopus Teacher brought it home - very hard to imagine eating one after seeing the film.

[Daniel H]

Whether eaten or not, octopi have it pretty lousy. Most octopus species lose the ability to digest food once they become fertile, and then die of starvation. Some live six months, others two or three years. The giant octopus can live to age five only if it never mates. Talk about getting gypped in the evolutionary sweepstakes!

[Stephen Faulkner]

But on the plus side, you can regrow your arm if you lose one to a shark!

[Brandon R]

Thanks, Guys. This is the first I've heard of, "Octopus Teacher."

[Victor Hong]

I didn't want to hijack the Costco A5 Wagyu thread but, in there, two people mentioned the fact that they stopped eating octopus. Why? I am clueless, so please help me understand what that was all about and why it come up in the discussion about A5 Wagyu. I don't eat octopus hardly at all, but am still curious. TIA

Not too far from why cannibalism is remote.

[Bill Tex Landreth]

Whether eaten or not, octopi have it pretty lousy. Most octopus species lose the ability to digest food once they become fertile, and then die of starvation. Some live six months, others two or three years. The giant octopus can live to age five only if it never mates. Talk about getting gypped in the evolutionary sweepstakes!

In today’s culture some folks might find gypped a perjorative term that disparages Gypsies and the Traveler culture.

Just sayin’

[Mark Y]

I didn't want to hijack the Costco A5 Wagyu thread but, in there, two people mentioned the fact that they stopped eating octopus. Why? I am clueless, so please help me understand what that was all about and why it come up in the discussion about A5 Wagyu. I don't eat octopus hardly at all, but am still curious. TIA

Thx.. saw that comment in the A5 thread and wondered the same.. thanks for following up on the Q Brandon!

[Brandon R]

I'm just here to serve the greater good, Mark!

[Siun o'Connell]

I’ve never had Octopus and they are on my list to skip .... spent some time at Scripps Aquarium talking with the Octopus scientist who explained how their octopus gets really depressed when he doesn’t have interesting challenges to figure out ... sentient beings are not on my dining table. I don’t however comment if dining out with others who do order it.

[Kenny H]

I was the one that initially mentioned it in that thread as I was intrigued by the various descriptions of this very expensive meat that seemingly requires a very specific way of preparing and eating so it doesn't just taste like expensive fat/grease. In the realm of "yes, you can do it, but is it necessary", I said I stopped eating octopus as an off the cuff remark.

The Octopus Teacher is just the latest in a large volume of research (although it isn't research, it is still a good story. There was another BBC documentary last year as well) of how amazing and intelligent these creatures are. It is mind-blowing to think of the system required to instantly change not only the color but the texture of your skin to identically match your surroundings and not just one or two colors but mimic a continuum of patterns in three dimensions. And that is only one aspect of their intelligence. It seems like such a wasteful indulgence to eat a creature like that just because we can, but don't need to.

I was free-diving in the Caribbean this last February and saw this happen right before my eyes, Champagne Reef, Dominica. The octopus was basically white as I came over a coral head. When I stopped about 6 feet away to look at it, presto chango. I REALLY had to look to see it and I was 6 feet away! The texture they create is simply unbelievable.

[RichardFlack]

After watching the dinner scene in January Man

[Tom G l a s g o w]

I’ve never had Octopus and they are on my list to skip .... spent some time at Scripps Aquarium talking with the Octopus scientist who explained how their octopus gets really depressed when he doesn’t have interesting challenges to figure out ... sentient beings are not on my dining table. I don’t however comment if dining out with others who do order it.

You’re vegetarian?

[Siun o'Connell]

You’re vegetarian?

Nope though I was for a long time years ago until I started having dreams about "hot roast beef sandwiches on a hard roll" .... it seemed a sign. My children were raised initially as vegetarians but always with the ability to chose whenever they wanted and by then I ate meat in the house and my ex had decided to become a vegetarian so the kids had options. My son has been one his entire life, my daughter stopped when she was around 6 and became a chef cooking all sorts of things. I have a clearly hypocritical list of animals I do not eat that is probably close to Glen's above (cuter/smarter),

And you?

[Tom G l a s g o w]

I’m thinking about giving up octopus, probably will not give up calamari.

[Stephen Faulkner]

I was free-diving in the Caribbean this last February and saw this happen right before my eyes, Champagne Reef, Dominica. The octopus was basically white as I came over a coral head. When I stopped about 6 feet away to look at it, presto chango. I REALLY had to look to see it and I was 6 feet away! The texture they create is simply unbelievable.

Very cool!

[Bdklein]

There are probably 8 reasons why.

[Kevin Porter]

A few years ago my girlfriend and I stopped eating animals cuter or smarter than ourselves.

I'd have to become vegan.

[Marshall Manning]

A few years ago my girlfriend and I stopped eating animals cuter or smarter than ourselves.

I'd have to become vegan.

And maybe vegetables are just intelligent on a different level? They do get us to water them, right?

[Brandon R]

There are probably 8 reasons why.

Care to elaborate?

EDIT: Har har. Now I get it. Good one!

[Jay Miller]

While I haven't abandoned it entirely as it's one of Arnold's favorite foods I have stopped ordering it if it's just for myself. For reasons mentioned above.

[Eric Ifune]

I still eat octopus. I've eaten dog and whale in the past. I still eat horse (in Europe) and enjoy it.

[David K o l i n]

Love octopus.

[Victor Hong]

There are probably 8 reasons why.

I grab it by the arms. You can do that, if famous and rich, like me.

[Joe Chanley]

Thanks, Guys. This is the first I've heard of, "Octopus Teacher."

Just watched this last night....interesting story. I honestly can't imagine doing something like that every day for 300+ days.

[George Hejna]

I still eat octopus. I've eaten dog and whale in the past. I still eat horse (in Europe) and enjoy it.

Were they out of panda and tiger?

George

[Brent C l a y t o n]

I still eat octopus. I've eaten dog and whale in the past. I still eat horse (in Europe) and enjoy it.

Of course, everyone is free to do as they wish with their diet for whatever reasons they choose. I have come to the conclusion that if if I am not going to go vegetarian/vegan, I don't see much point in discriminating about what I eat other than the two groups 'things I like' and 'things I don't like.'

[GregT]

I still eat octopus. I've eaten dog and whale in the past. I still eat horse (in Europe) and enjoy it.

Of course, everyone is free to do as they wish with their diet for whatever reasons they choose. I have come to the conclusion that if if I am not going to go vegetarian/vegan, I don't see much point in discriminating about what I eat other than the two groups 'things I like' and 'things I don't like.'

+1

Well said.

The Octopus Teacher was a nice movie. And notice how the shark ripped off one of her legs? He wanted something to eat. Just like me.

Besides, there are also tales of a deer that comes to your door in the morning, pigs that apparently "love" their owners, cows that come over to see you, etc. And and people still love bacon and Flannery steaks. For some reason, there have been some fairy stories about how octopuses are utterly brilliant thinkers. They aren't. They, like all other creatures, have adapted to fill their niche, just like a trout, and a trout in a stream is probably more intelligent in that environment than an octopus would be in that stream. Or a human, except if the human was smart, he'd catch that trout and fry him and not try to compete with him.

[Jason Crawford]

I would not order octopus on a menu, but I have had octopus plenty of times on tasting menus in the past. Never really cared for it and so I started requesting substitution. Wally Joe, in Memphis, convinced me to try it at his new restaurant a few years ago. Turned out to be one of the best things that my wife and I have ever eaten. We did a tasting menu that night and all of our dishes were perfect. Wally Joe kept peeking around the corner to watch us eat and judge our satisfaction. So, quality and skill come into the equation. My wife has always been a huge fan of him and his buddy Bob Waggoner.

[K_F_o_l_e_y]

A few years ago my girlfriend and I stopped eating animals cuter or smarter than ourselves. Octopus was the first on the list. And The Octopus Teacher brought it home - very hard to imagine eating one after seeing the film.

I've stopped eating animals that are uglier and dumber than me.

You should all be very relieved.

[Victor Hong]

A few years ago my girlfriend and I stopped eating animals cuter or smarter than ourselves.....

Michael Douglas cited that as causing his throat cancer.

[A Dotson]

You’re vegetarian?

Nope though I was for a long time years ago until I started having dreams about "hot roast beef sandwiches on a hard roll" .... it seemed a sign. My children were raised initially as vegetarians but always with the ability to chose whenever they wanted and by then I ate meat in the house and my ex had decided to become a vegetarian so the kids had options. My son has been one his entire life, my daughter stopped when she was around 6 and became a chef cooking all sorts of things. I have a clearly hypocritical list of animals I do not eat that is probably close to Glen's above (cuter/smarter),

And you?

My wife and I generally eat a "Jain Diet," but cheat and have meat or fish twice per week. I still love me some steak and seafood!

It's not philosophy based, I just can't eat allium family items, so this style of eating is 'safe.'

I don't care if wine was fined with eggs or stuff like then...we are pretty loose about specifics.

[Drew Goin]

This reminds me of the controversial "Consider the Lobster" article (Gourmet magazine?).

[David K o l i n]

Just had an excellent Octopus dish from The Gundis here in Chicago. Most tender ever

[Stephen Faulkner]

Of course, everyone is free to do as they wish with their diet for whatever reasons they choose. I have come to the conclusion that if if I am not going to go vegetarian/vegan, I don't see much point in discriminating about what I eat other than the two groups 'things I like' and 'things I don't like.'

+1

Well said.

The Octopus Teacher was a nice movie. And notice how the shark ripped off one of her legs? He wanted something to eat. Just like me.

Besides, there are also tales of a deer that comes to your door in the morning, pigs that apparently "love" their owners, cows that come over to see you, etc. And and people still love bacon and Flannery steaks. For some reason, there have been some fairy stories about how octopuses are utterly brilliant thinkers. They aren't. They, like all other creatures, have adapted to fill their niche, just like a trout, and a trout in a stream is probably more intelligent in that environment than an octopus would be in that stream. Or a human, except if the human was smart, he'd catch that trout and fry him and not try to compete with him.

Yes, everyone is free to do as they wish and we all rationalize. However, I don't understand the rationalization that I can eat anything I want just because it tastes good, including rare and endangered organisms or pets like dogs and cats, in the same way I can't comprehend people who brag about the killing/eating of rare animals. There are choices humans can make that demonstrate we have more awareness, understanding, and empathy than a shark. And the research on octopuses aren't "fairy stories", but rationalize away.

[Brandon R]

Easy, Stephen. While I don't disagree with what you've said, the purpose of this thread wasn't to give anyone a green light to talk trash about another person's eating habits.

[Stephen Faulkner]

No worries. I wasn't intentionally "talking trash" and didn't feel like others were about me, even though they expressed a different view. There have been a lot different comments so I wanted to clarify mine to counter some of those points.

[David K o l i n]

It’s OK. I don’t understand vegetarians, like my wife

[Brandon R]

Fair enough, Stephen, thanks for posting. Cheers.

[A Dotson]

We watched that movie last night.

I'd sure like to know what goes on in an octopus's mind.

They play, they seem to take solace from others, quite sentient.

I guess if you are gonna eat 'em, you are gonna eat 'em, but just don't waste them like stupid Red Wings fans.