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Octopus

Octopus is a cephalopod seafood commonly grilled, stewed, boiled, or added to salads and soups.

Octopus — illustrative ingredient image

About Octopus

Octopus is the edible body and arms of a cephalopod marine animal. It has a rounded central body, eight muscular arms, and skin that may be reddish, purple-brown, grey, or mottled before cooking. Raw flesh is firm and elastic, while properly cooked octopus becomes tender with a mild, slightly sweet marine flavour and a dense, meaty bite.

It is commonly sold whole, cleaned, fresh, frozen, or cooked, and is boiled, simmered, grilled, braised, roasted, or added to salads, soups, and stews. Cooking method and duration greatly affect texture: brief high-heat cooking can leave it chewy, whereas sufficient moist cooking softens the connective tissue before finishing or serving.

Whole octopus shows a rounded body and eight arms; cleaned or portioned forms show less of that structure. Fresh, frozen, and cooked products differ in surface appearance and firmness. Moist cooking softens the flesh, while grilling, roasting, or other finishing methods can alter the exterior after tenderizing.

Ingredient type
whole food

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Where octopus appears

29 linked foods

Find foods to recognise by country and type. Recipes and products vary; these are recorded ingredient connections.

Showing 1–12 of 29

Main dishes

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for octopus

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

octopus

English

Common cooked octopus

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

Mollusks, octopus, common, cooked, moist heat

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

Mollusks, octopus, common, raw

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

Octopus (Alaska Native)

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

Octopus Aegina

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

Octopus, boiled, no added fat

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

octopus, common

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

octopus, curled

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

octopus, musky

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

piece of octopus meat (raw)

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Octopus nutrition & diet

Octopus nutritional value

Mollusks, octopus, common, raw

Per 100 g of the edible portion in the recorded food form.

Calories
82kcal
Protein
14.9g
Carbs
2.2g
Fat
1.0g

Reference values for the specific food form shown. Other varieties, brands and preparations can differ.

Portions & preparation

Use the edible cooked portion after removing inedible parts, and distinguish raw, boiled, grilled, fried, dried, or marinated forms. Cooking can change texture and yield, while sauces and oils add separate ingredients. For mixed dishes, assess the octopus and accompanying broth, dressing, or coating independently.

Compare the right form: Match references to cleaned octopus flesh in the stated raw or cooked form, including tentacles, preparation method, and any retained skin or marinade.

Diet considerations

Octopus is animal-derived seafood. Compatibility changes with frying coatings, dairy or egg-based sauces, meat additions, and cereal ingredients in batters or mixed dishes. Preparation in a broth or salad does not establish suitability for a particular diet, and the species, edible parts, and recipe should remain identifiable.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Typically incompatible
  • Vegetarian
    Typically incompatible
  • Pescatarian
    Typically compatible
  • Keto
    May be compatible
  • Paleo
    May be compatible
  • Low-carb
    May be compatible
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Typically incompatible
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Typically incompatible
The ingredient profile identifies an animal-derived food or derivative.
Vegetarian · Typically incompatible
The profile identifies animal flesh, seafood or a derivative excluded by a vegetarian diet.
Pescatarian · Typically compatible
Seafood fits this pescatarian definition. Added meat-based stock or other ingredients would need checking separately.
Keto · May be compatible
The plain form may fit a carbohydrate-restricted diet. Check the portion, added sugar, coatings and sauces against the nutrition values above.
Paleo · May be compatible
May fit a paleo pattern, depending on the cut or form, processing and added ingredients.
Low-carb · May be compatible
The plain form may fit a carbohydrate-restricted diet. Check the portion, added sugar, coatings and sauces against the nutrition values above.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Typically incompatible
This profile identifies shellfish, which does not meet the kosher fish criteria.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: USDA FoodData Central — Mollusks, octopus, common, raw ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .