Whole boiled octopus tentacles, hand-sliced cold from a wooden board at the Vucciria market, dressed with olive oil, lemon and parsley. Sold by the slice from copper pots that have been simmering since dawn.

Polpo bollito has been a Palermo street-market dish since at least the 18th century, when the city's fishmongers boiled the day's octopus haul in seawater right at the dock and sold it cold by the slice to passing labourers. The Vucciria, Capo and Ballaro markets all preserve the tradition; a copper pot simmers on a portable stove from sunrise to sunset, and the cook hand-slices warm tentacles with a long thin knife. The dish has zero garnish at the market level; restaurants add olive oil, lemon and parsley. Naples claims a similar tradition with cuoppo di polpo, but the Palermo version is the older market form.

4 editor picks for Polpo bollito in Palermo, ranked by editorial score. All Palermo signature dishes · Polpo bollito across every city.