• Order of octopods, from the main genus "octopus"
• A cephalopod mollusk having 8 arms or tentacles equipped with suction cups
• Habitat: rocky hollows or recesses near the coastline
• Fished from May to August in cold Atlantic coastal and precoastal waters as it returns to watercourses to spawn.

Basic Cooking Method
The flesh too often tends to be rubbery - to avoid this unpleasant texture, the octopus should be well pounded to tenderize it before any kind of cooking

A hint from Carmen Ruscalleda of the Restaurant Sant Pau in Spain
Buy an octopus weighing between 2 and 3 kg (4-1/2 to 6-1/2 lb.) Clean it and place in the freezer for a week. Let it thaw slowly to obtain a finer texture: in this way you'll save yourself the long tedious job of pounding it.

In 4 litres (1 gallon) of water, bring the octopus to a boil with some sea salt, a drizzle of olive oil and an onion; boil for one hour. To check for doneness, poke a fork into the flesh of the octopus: it is cooked once the fork goes in easily.

Madagascar
Octopus is cooked in a court-bouillon flavoured with a carrot, a small onion, a bay leaf, 2 cloves and 6 black peppercorns over low heat for a good hour and a quarter. Cut up the octopus, soak in a good marinade and cook on the grill.

Seychelles
Cook the octopus in water. Drain and cut into pieces. Put some oil into a large saucepan; add a little garlic, ginger, saffron, garam masala, a few cinnamon leaves, salt, pepper and the octopus; cover with coconut milk and let simmer for 15 minutes before serving.