A dish that makes gourmets' heads spin....
But let's get to the heart of things to learn about the origins of the octopus and its extraordinary virtues
The octopus (Octopus vulgaris), considered one of the most intelligent molluscs, is distinguished from its similars, the squid and cuttlefish, because it has eight tentacles instead of ten. Present throughout the Mediterranean in two different species: the rock octopus and the sand octopus: the former has more delicious and tasty meat and is distinguished from the latter by a double row of suckers on the tentacles.
Since ancient times, the octopus has been attributed with extraordinary aphrodisiac virtues.
In the Dypnosophists of the University, the scholars present at the banquet, pitying a man who had become impotent, asserted: “to whom not even the octopus… is capable of giving help”.
It was thought that eating octopus would trigger obscene and lustful dreams, and this belief lasted so long that even in the sixteenth century Rabelais talked about it.
Perhaps the aphrodisiac fame of the octopus was due to its appearance: because when it moves on the seabed with its bag folded backwards it has a lazy appearance, but once cooked it appears livid and well erect resting on its crown of tentacles.
Even in a letter by Cicero we can find this symbolism, when the orator alludes to an octopus all dyed purple presented at the table disguised as the head of Jupiter.
Another confirmation of the supposed aphrodisiac qualities of the octopus can be found in a letter by Boccaccio (ca. 1339) sent from Naples to Francesco de' Bardi, who had recently left the Neapolitan city to return to Florence.
The letter written in an language invented by the writer, similar to Neapolitan, was intended to inform Bardi that he was the probable father of a beautiful child fathered by a certain young lady. In the lines it was said that to celebrate the birth some friends had bought the most beautiful octopus on the market. Once the mollusc had been given to the new mother, she ate it with great voracity, thus also demonstrating her excellent sexual appetite.
What else to add... nothing, it's a dish just to try!!!