Some years ago I ordered soup at a small to middling-sized Chinese restaurant. There was a small and fully (or mostly) intact octopus floating in the soup, and evincing no obvious signs of life, although I counted eight little tentacles. It was very purple looking. An even shade of purple with a matte-finished look to it, if memory serves me. I can't remember seeing either of its two eyes. Had they been removed in the kitchen? I couldn't say, now.
I think I spooned it into my mouth whole and then chewed and swallowed it in parts. I'm not at all certain. Maybe I picked it out and ate it like finger-food, holding it up to my mouth and biting off a part at a time.
It didn't have any distinctive flavor. I remember it as a "texture" food. Like squid or calamari.
How many people can say that they've eaten an entire octopus, looking like it just came from the sea? People in this country, who are not of the AAPI-ethnicity or lineage, and not married into it? I guess it could also be a familiar thing in Spanish or Mexican or other Central and South American-style seafood soups and stews, at more upscale or at smaller and less-Americanized establishments.
I have never eaten a whole octopus, but I know that some cultures eat them live. Although I have eaten live goldfish with tequila, I don't think I would eat a whole live octopus.
I do like octopus. It is very common in a coctel campechana, one of my very favorite dishes.
Now we are getting into the chocolate covered bees, ants, crickets, and meal worms arena! The taste (what one can taste over the chocolate flavor) is OK with me and you do sometimes get a delightful crunch.
My days in Asia, it was mostly the smells I remember and only part of them were from the food. I do remember tho, the little dried squid sold in Thai movie theaters in a tied up sandwich bag instead of popcorn. Very salty and not quite dried..pretty chewey, about like soft rubber. It smelled about like you would think it would. nasty
Balute. Considered a great delicacy in the Philippines and a couple other Asian nations. Partially incubated then fermented duck egg is the usual explanation. I've seen them eaten but didn't have the nerve or hunger to try them myself.
