Seafood ── Shellfish and cephalopods
Mizudako
the world's largest octopus species, caught in cold northern waters
Reckoned the world's largest octopus species, living in cold northern waters. Its large, water-rich flesh is softer than madako's, turning mild and sweet when briefly blanched for sashimi, in season through winter.
- Squid and octopus
What it's made of
Reckoned the world's largest octopus species, it can span 3 to 5 meters across its outstretched legs, with a recorded extreme of 9.1 meters and 272 kilograms. Its flesh runs softer and more water-rich than madako's, not just the skin — once dismissed as watery, that same softness is now valued in its own right. Briefly blanched for sashimi, it turns mild yet distinctly sweet.
How it's made
Caught with sunken pots the octopus moves into on its own, it is one of Hokkaido's most significant catches by volume. It reportedly spawns around October and matures roughly two years later. Favoring cold water, it moves between shallow and deep grounds by season, with fishing said to pick up through winter, and its sheer size means a single catch brings in far more meat than a madako would.
Why it took this shape
Its preference for cold water is said to make northern bays like Funka Bay a prime fishing ground. Where madako firms up bracing against warm, fast currents, this octopus grows large in calm, cold water instead, tending toward a softer, more water-rich flesh — a reminder that the same kind of animal can come out with a completely different texture depending on the sea it grows up in.
Before You Go
- How to shop at a supermarketHow to choose prepared foods, sashimi, and packaged sushi, when discount stickers tend to appear, region-only specialties, buying by weight, the checkout and bagging flow, and sampling etiquette at a local supermarket.
- Roadside stations, direct-sale stands, and marketsHow to enjoy buying food near where it's produced, visiting and shopping at morning markets and fish markets, what to expect at farm stands, and finding local food at roadside stations (michi-no-eki).
- Foods to look for in winterA guide to foods often seen in Japan around winter — nabe hot pot, fugu, oysters, crab, year-end soba, and osechi — with rough pointers for finding them.
Dishes in the same style
- Aori IkaA large squid whose fin skirts the entire body. Its translucent flesh carries strong sweetness and a thick, dense texture, making it one of the pricier squid at market, best raw as sashimi or sushi, in season summer through autumn.
- Hotaru IkaA small squid about 5cm long with light-producing organs. Its rise to shallow water to spawn each spring is a well-known seasonal sight. Eaten whole, guts included, boiled and dressed in vinegar-miso for a rich, faintly bitter taste.
Ingredients and dishes from this land
Known source
- Known source: Hokkaido, Mori
Funka Bay's cold water makes it a notable fishing ground for this octopus.
Contrast
- IidakoA small octopus about 20cm long. In females during spawning season, the body fills with roe whose grains are said to resemble cooked rice — the source of its name. Simmered, the flesh turns tender with a popping roe texture, in season through winter.
- MadakoThe most commonly eaten octopus in Japan. Raised against strong currents, its legs are said to firm up thick and taut, boiled into a springy, deeply savory bite. Used everywhere from vinegared dishes to takoyaki filling.