Koreans love their cephalopod. This vendor is selling an assortment of dried octopuses, cuttlefishes, and squids.

Next, take a look at the first picture below. Yes, it shows a fish tank filled with octopuses, which to the Koreans that's a delicacy.

I don't know when was the time I first acquired the taste for octopus but man, do I love this delicacy. During this trip, my hankering for octopus started when I first saw live octopuses swimming in the fish tank of seafood restaurants in Seoul a few nights ago. Particularly, I noticed that people were cooking and eating octopus from a communal hot pot shared at a table. So a thought rang through my mind: I got to have a seafood hot pot with octopus before I leave Korea. But I need to have at least another person to share the hot pot since it is a communal dish. For the first few nights, looking for someone who share my acquired taste at the hostel proved to be futile. Thankfully, I befriended Ed, a professor of philosophy from New Zealand, during a day tour to the Korean DMZ who was more than willing to go for a Korean communal dish with me. After the DMZ tour, we went to a restaurant in Gwancheol-dong for our tentacle treat. After ordering, the waitress brought out a pot filled with broth and an assortment of vegetables, tofu, seafood, and two live octopuses. Next, she turned the stove on and heat the pot for about five minutes. Once everything is cooked, the flame was reduced and the broth was simmered to keep it warm. The taste of octopus hit the spot for me. It was delightful and satisfying. For those who have not tasted octopus before, it tastes like calamari but more succulent and tender. Furthermore, unlike calamari, the tentacles of the octopus make up the bulk of the meat. Give it a try. It is definitely worth it.

6/30/2007 10:55:17 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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