Octopus on a stick

Folks that know me know that I had fond memories of squid on a stick in Taiwan. My father did, too - he didn't have a chance to eat it when he was in Taiwan. So - Sam prepared him some, and I cooked it up some squid on a stick on the grill on my deck in Madison. It was the first time anyone ever ate squid on a stick within the borders of Wisconsin, USA. Yup, we're pioneers.

(how did my family like the squid? great, except I remember someone getting squirted on by an eye or an ink pack - well, they don't call them "ink fish" in Thai for nothing!)

Anyhow, I thought that squid on the stick was possibly both the most awesome and the most perfect food known to mankind. And then, lo and behold, one day walking down the streets of Bangkok I saw this - octopus on a stick. I looked, and stopped, and said in my best Thai "One!" And I pointed. My Thai isn't too great. But I got my octopus, although strangely enough they took it off the stick before serving it in a plastic bag with spicy sauce. About that - if you poke at octopus bits sitting in a saucy bag with a pointy stick, you might just end up poking a hole in the bag. I have seen many folks from Bangkok do this without problems, but mine sprung a leak right before I ate the last piece, and I had to abandon that bit to a trash can before the spicy octopus sauce got all over everything. I realized then I must master the complex skills of eating Thai street food. The Thais are masters, and I am but a novice. I thought I was not bad at eating street food, but truly, the Thais have elevated it to an art form. I am in awe.

ps the octopus was delicious

pss some of those tasty bits on the grill are actually squid body

pps I think I'll go grab some octopus on a stick