From what culinary world is the world, and especially the Mediterranean Sea, islands included, boiled octopus lends itself to salads and prefers the Italian-Greek combination with olives, potatoes and parsley, and the celery and cherry tomato variant.
But octopus can also be found in the Indian Ocean and, while the local population and those of Arab and Persian origin who first settled on the coast and taught the natives how to fish for shellfish and crustaceans, preferred to cook the octopus over wood or charcoal, the Portuguese first taught them to boil it first and then eventually grill it.
But the Portuguese also brought the culture of salads. Thus, alongside the more famous and now abused 'octopus with potatoes', a number of creative salads have been handed down in Mombasa in particular, such as one in which cauliflower (which the Portuguese brought to East Africa at the end of the 17th century, on their way to the Indies, although its origin would appear to be Cypriot) replaces potatoes and yellow pepper replaces celery, with the addition of tomatoes. Portuguese is also the introduction of caper and oregano, which bring us back to our parts and to typically European scents.
Here is our recipe, freely taken from a hotel restaurant in Mombasa.

OCTOPUS, CAULIFLOWER AND YELLOW PEPPER SALAD

Ingredients:

1 400 g octopus
1 yellow pepper
1 small cauliflower
1 tomato or a handful of cherry tomatoes
1 handful of salted capers
Sprinkle of pepper, salt and oregano
Olive oil

Boil the octopus, after beating it well, with a dash of vinegar.
After at least half an hour, leave it to rest in its water until it has cooled down.
Clean it and cut it into pieces.
Boil the cauliflower and leave it fairly crispy.
Cut it into large pieces and add it to the octopus, the pepper cut into strips, the diced tomato (or halved cherry tomatoes) and the seasoning.