Traditional snack food in Tamsui (Part 12 Water monkeys)

猴水仔 is Taiwanese, literal translation = "Water monkeys", little (not baby) octopuses:

They are around 2 inches tall, indigenous to Tamsui River, usually hide under rocks. Catching them requires quick action because they move swiftly, like monkeys swinging from one to another hideout when disturbed, hence the name. Nighttime at low tide is the best time to find them.

Although still available, the supply has dwindled drastically in the past decades. Luckily, most tourists have no idea how precious these octopuses are and have largely ignored them, so the locals can still enjoy this dish at, e.g., 海風餐廳 Hai-Feng Restaurant near MRT Station or 福來餐廳 Fu-Lai Restaurant, a few doors down from MaZu Temple.

Preparation is simple, the octopuses are boiled, or more like blanched, and served in garlic soy sauce; best consumed with Taiwan Beer.

A few years ago in Milan, Italy, EyeDoc was pleasantly surprised to discover a baby octopus dish at a local small eating place. It was served with olive-oil-vinegar-garlic(!) dressing with onion and cilantro added:

Grabbed from a food page

It was delicioso! We wonder if the Flying Italians might have brought this dish back home with them.