【Reading】みずだこ

【English Name】North Pacific giant octopus

The giant Pacific octopus (mizudako) inhabits the entire North Pacific and is widely recognized as the world's largest octopus species. Under the scientific name Enteroctopus dofleini (described by Wülker in 1910), it is classified in the family Enteroctopodidae, genus Enteroctopus.

Adults reach an arm span of 3 to 5 m, with body weight usually ranging from about 10 kg to 50 kg, though the largest individual on record showed astonishing figures of 9.1 m in total length and 272 kg in weight. In Japan its main habitat is the waters from Sagami Bay, Suruga Bay, and the Goto Islands northward, and it is also widely distributed along the coasts from Alaska to Canada.

The Japanese name "mizudako" (water octopus) was given because its flesh is high in moisture and has a soft texture. It was once predominantly viewed as inferior in flavor compared to the common octopus (madako), but as madako catches have declined, it has undergone reevaluation. A considerable number of consumers favor its distinctive soft texture and its impressively large suckers. Some point out that its taurine content exceeds that of madako.

When served as a sushi topping, it is characterized by a delicate yet supple mouthfeel. With a wide culinary range including sashimi, tako-shabu, salt-boiling, and deep-frying, in Hokkaido and the Tohoku region this is the first species that comes to mind when one says "tako" (octopus). It also accounts for most of the octopus that adorns New Year's tables, and Hokkaido, where octopus-pot fishing predominates, is the nation's largest producing region.