This tenderized, Spanish octopus comes from Gullo, a family-owned and operated company. The Gullo family is originally from Sicily and octopus has been an integral part of their lives. After moving to America they were in search of the world’ best octopus and found it in Spain.
What’s so special about Gullo Octopus?
Tenderizing is what makes the difference. Tenderization is a method, using a tumbler, sea salt and cold water. It’s a natural process where no additives or chemicals are ever used. This process breaks down the muscles of the octopus and gives us what is called “flower octopus”. Flower octopus is a beautifully round, curled-up octopus in the shape of a flower. Gullo octopus can be stored at 0 degrees and will last up to two years. Furthermore, it can be thawed and re-frozen without losing any of its succulent flavors. Freezing actually further tenderizes the octopus.
When cooked, the texture of our succulent octopus is quite tender and has an amazing mouth feel along with a well-balanced salinity unlike non-tenderized octopus.
Gullo sepia can be eaten raw/crudo, grilled, cooked on a plancha or sautéed. It’s often referred to as ‘candy from the sea’ and is similar to squid, but much more tender and delicate.
Gullo octopus and sepia are caught in zones 34 and 37 off the coast of Spain in the Atlantic Ocean, and in the Mediterranean Sea.
The octopus is caught between February and October, leaving the remaining months for reproduction. This ensures traceability and sustainability.
Gullo octopus is flash-frozen on-vessel to ensure a fresher-than-fresh product. This process provides a high-yield, significantly higher than non-tenderized products. Non-tenderized octopus and sepia yield around 50% once cooked, whereas the Gullo octopus and sepia yield between 70%-90%, depending on size.
