"Eating octopus is inhumane." This is just one of the comments fueling a heated social media debate regarding an octopus dish. This is what's happening at the new "Beak and Barrel" restaurant at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. A story reported a few days ago by the British tabloid Daily Mirror has left people shocked by the "Kraken's Catch" dish. For the modest sum of $18, you can sample this dish of octopus tentacles marinated in lime juice and served with olives, peppers, avocado, and a pepper-almond foam. Fans in the community have called this dish a real obscenity, not so much because of the cephalopods' Martian appearance, but because of the fact that these creatures are sentient beings and even "smarter than a child."
Where Does All This Sensitivity Towards the Octopus Come From?
It's not just a gastronomic issue: the Disney World controversy is sparked by the deep feelings that bind humans to respect for marine creatures, who, in this case, are perceived as extraordinarily aware. It all stems from a post on ‘X' in which it was written that "eating a dish like the one offered by the park's restaurant is equivalent to eating the leg of a dog." The octopus is no longer seen as a delicacy to be enjoyed but as a living mystery of intelligence and adaptability to its environment.
A Spanish study sampled a common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) that, after being injured, developed a forked ninth tentacle with neural autonomy capable of making independent decisions. In short, this should make us rethink our understanding of animal behavior and start to reject eating octopuses as sentient beings.
Other studies suggest that octopuses are capable of dreaming, befriending humans, and opening child-proof jars. Hence the "quote" that says eating them is inhumane because we're putting a creature more intelligent than a child on our plate.
Some countries have already banned octopus fishing (partially or completely), such as Tunisia, which made this decision to save the marine ecosystem. Even restaurants and food critics are questioning the issue. Chef Alexis Gauthier has eliminated octopus dishes from his menus for ethical reasons. This episode demonstrates that today, even a restaurant dish seems to be able to say more about us and our relationship with food and the animal world.
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