# Octopus farming: They're that good to eat? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 9, 2022, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-farming-theyre-that-good-to-eat/962585 "2022-04-09T17:34:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-farming-theyre-that-good-to-eat/962585/61 "2022-04-11T00:16:01Z")
^^ Well, it’s debatable what’s more useful, two bony hands with ten fingers or eight tentacles. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-farming-theyre-that-good-to-eat/962585/62 "2022-04-11T00:35:02Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > They do some hunting on land. The narration was perfect. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-farming-theyre-that-good-to-eat/962585/63 "2022-04-11T02:02:25Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Good thing they don’t have opposable thumbs or the equivalent… _or do they??!!!_   > [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Well, it’s debatable what’s more useful, two bony hands with ten fingers or eight tentacles.   Eight prehensile tentacles _with hydraulic suction cups!_ Find me an ape that has _that_. What we apes have that the octos lack are the [opposable thumbs](https://www.theonion.com/dolphins-evolve-opposable-thumbs-1819565718). ETA: Waitaminnit! The photo isn’t there anymore! WTF? Try this link instead: [Opposable thumbs!](https://jontnorwood.com/news/dolphins-evolve-opposable-thumbs-mankinds-days-numbered/) ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-farming-theyre-that-good-to-eat/962585/64 "2022-04-11T02:02:42Z")
They sell octopus at Costco around here. They have to be fairly popular. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-farming-theyre-that-good-to-eat/962585/65 "2022-04-11T02:12:56Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > > [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > > > They do some hunting on land.   > > The narration was perfect.   But the videography not so much. Wonder why anyone was making video of that crab in the first place. Like they knew what was about to happen? (Cthulhu sleeps dreaming no more!) ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-farming-theyre-that-good-to-eat/962585/66 "2022-04-11T02:31:28Z")
Octopus infanticide! [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/CbUubjhh2rU/maxresdefault.jpg "Eat Whole Baby Octopus In This Unique Take On Takoyaki") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbUubjhh2rU) ---
**Author:** ![abcdefghij](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/43a26b/32.png) [@abcdefghij](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abcdefghij)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-farming-theyre-that-good-to-eat/962585/67 "2022-04-11T13:01:50Z")
> [@ekedolphin](#): > > I won’t eat them. I mean, they have advanced puzzle-solving capabilities. Norwegians have advanced puzzle-solving capabilities and it doesn’t stop us from eating them. Was I not supposed to say that out loud? ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-farming-theyre-that-good-to-eat/962585/68 "2022-04-11T13:57:31Z")
> [@Didi44](#): > > What if the farmed ones are bred to be so dumb they couldn’t survive without human intervention like chickens, turkeys and cows? We could go the other direction - cut through the whole tangled problem and breed an animal that actually wants to be eaten and is capable of saying so clearly and distinctly. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-farming-theyre-that-good-to-eat/962585/69 "2022-04-11T14:10:58Z")
> **[Ameglian Major Cow](https://hitchhikers.fandom.com/wiki/Ameglian_Major_Cow)** > > The Ameglian Major Cow (also referred to as the Dish of the Day) was one example of a race of artificially created, sentient creatures which were bred to want to be eaten. It appeared in the television adaptation of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the... ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-farming-theyre-that-good-to-eat/962585/70 "2022-04-11T14:25:11Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > We could go the other direction - cut through the whole tangled problem and breed an animal that actually wants to be eaten and is capable of saying so clearly and distinctly. I for one do not welcome our new penis inspired food. 😁 ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-farming-theyre-that-good-to-eat/962585/71 "2022-04-11T14:32:37Z")
In my experience, octopus is OK. Sort of a bland filler protein, analogous to chicken breast, tends to be expensive for what it is. I’ll have it If it’s the chef’s signature dish, or part of a bigger plate. But I won’t be driving across town for it. However there are many people in Asia who will tell you that octopus is delicacy. That’s who the farms are for, not westerners like (I presume) you and me. OTOH, high-quality squid is worth it in my opinion. Unique flavor and texture, and there’s an obvious difference between good soft squid and cheap rubbery squid. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-farming-theyre-that-good-to-eat/962585/72 "2022-04-11T14:37:48Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > My uncle is a marine biologist. He has told me stories about an octopus at one of the facilities where he worked. It would climb from the tank at night and wander around. This was somewhat annoying, but also somewhat amusing. It wasn’t taken too seriously. Then it figured out how to pull the drainage plug on one of the other tanks. This was NOT fine. Octopus containment measures became more serious after that. I heard a story about fish mysteriously disappearing from aquariums at a research facility. They finally figured out the culprit was an octopus sneaking out after dark and raiding the other tanks, after tracing damp suction cup-prints back to its lair. > [@abcdefghij](#): > > Norwegians have advanced puzzle-solving capabilities and it doesn’t stop us from eating them. Norwegians eat lutefisk and sheep’s heads, so they’re not suitable to eat in turn. The prospect of eating cats seems far yuckier than consuming octopus. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-farming-theyre-that-good-to-eat/962585/73 "2022-04-11T14:47:05Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > I heard a story about fish mysteriously disappearing from aquariums at a research facility. They finally figured out the culprit was an octopus sneaking out after dark and raiding the other tanks, after tracing damp suction cup-prints back to its lair. Seattle Aquarium: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Q36_8s5z6S8/maxresdefault.jpg "Octopus Kills Shark | National Geographic") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q36_8s5z6S8) ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-farming-theyre-that-good-to-eat/962585/74 "2022-04-11T14:56:21Z")
Squid are said to have 500 million neurons in their brains, on a par with dogs. So no more calamari for _you_. Plus, they don’t require long walks and belly rubs. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-farming-theyre-that-good-to-eat/962585/75 "2022-04-11T15:54:41Z")
> [@kk\_fusion](#): > > The ink sacs are under high pressure (as I found out the hard way) and there’s two of them (as I found out shortly after cleaning up the mess). Okay. I LOL’d at that. Thanks for brightening my Monday. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-farming-theyre-that-good-to-eat/962585/76 "2022-04-11T17:41:55Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > WRT their intelligence it seems to me worth mentioning their reproductive habits… Just a matter of time before somebody Worked Blue ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-farming-theyre-that-good-to-eat/962585/77 "2022-04-11T19:30:19Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > The prospect of eating cats seems far yuckier than consuming octopus. And yet, remember the song “Wimoweh”? As described by [The Kingston Trio at the “Hungry i”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyMjx1ivyK0), the words mean:      Hush hush,      The lion is sleeping.      The lion is sleeping.      Creep up softly on him,      For if we are successful,      There shall be lion meat tonight" ---
**Author:** ![Uniqueorn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uniqueorn/32/2807_2.png) [@Uniqueorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniqueorn)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-farming-theyre-that-good-to-eat/962585/78 "2022-04-13T22:50:31Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Norwegians eat lutefisk and sheep’s heads, so they’re not suitable to eat in turn. Are you saying that Norwegians are not kosher? ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-farming-theyre-that-good-to-eat/962585/79 "2022-04-13T23:54:39Z")
I’ve eaten a fair share of octopuses (and they are delicious!) but I’ve grown soft in my old age. I couldn’t eat an animal that intelligent anymore when there are plenty of other more ethical choices. And, yes, my reasons are probably silly to some but there ya go. > [@iiandyiiii](#): > > I prefer octopice, like mouse/mice. I’m of the Mr. “I hate meeses to pieces” Jinx camp so I’m going with Octopeeses. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-farming-theyre-that-good-to-eat/962585/80 "2022-04-13T23:55:17Z")
> [@Uniqueorn](#): > > Are you saying that Norwegians are not kosher? Abso-lute-ly! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-farming-theyre-that-good-to-eat/962585.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-farming-theyre-that-good-to-eat/962585.md?page=5)