You’ve seen squid ink on restaurant menus, making it’s way into components like pasta and purees. It can bring a unique and bold colour and flavour into a dish.
Squid ink refers to the natural dye that is found in cephalopods. This includes squids, cuttlefish and octopi, which use the black ink to defend themselves against predators. Depending on which part of the world you are in, squid ink used in food is more often cuttlefish ink. The two terms are used interchangeably, but there are slight differences in colour and taste.
History Around the World
Squid and cuttlefish ink have a long history in Japanese and Mediterranean cuisine. This makes sense as these cultures tradtionally cook squid, cuttlefish, and octopi.
In Italy, cuttlefish ink use in food seems to date back centuries. One of the oldest dishes to employ cuttlefish ink is spaghetti al nero di seppia, which hails from Sicily in the south of Italy. Apparently, the use of squid ink originates from Sicilian fisherman wanting to make use of the entire cuttlefish. To the north in Venice, the dish risotto nero similarly employs squid ink.
Over in Spain you’ll find dishes like arroz negro (arròs negre), a squid ink tinted seafood rice dish from Valencia and Catalonia, and chiperones en su tinta, cuttlefish cooked in its own ink, from the northern Basque region.
One origin possibility for culinary squid ink use in Europe is from 17th-century missionaries returning from the Philippines. In pre-colonial Philippines, the indigineous people cooked adobong pusit, a squid adobo dish laced with vinegar, soy sauce, and squid ink.
In the 1970s, squid ink, or ikasumi, spread to Japan through the popularity of Italian imports of pasta dishes with squid ink. Over the years, the novelty saw squid ink make it into other items like rice dishes, hamburgers, and even ice cream.
It’s interesting to trace how the popularity of using squid ink in cooking has spread around the world through history. By way of trade and exploration, similar squid ink dishes can be found in many other countries like Croatia, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Montenegro.
Production
Cephalopods naturally produce ink as a defence mechanism. The ink is produced and stored in ink sacs between the gills and are released to confuse predators in the water. The dark shade of the ink varies slightly with species: squid ink is blue-black, cuttlefish ink is dark brown, and octopus ink is close to pure black.
To harvest squid ink, skilled fisherman carefully remove ink sacs from the body and then strain it through a fine mesh. Squid/cuttlefish ink is readily available in jars or packets online and in supermarkets.
Nutrition
The main compound in squid ink is melanin, which is responsible for the dark colour. Melanin is also responsible for skin pigment in us humans.
Squid ink also contains many other compounds like amino acids and enzymes. This has led to many small-scale laboratory tests suggesting that squid ink may have a host of health benefits, including antioxidant, blood pressure regulating, and cancer fighting properties. Traditional Chinese medicine also used squid ink to treat blood and heart issues.
However, culinary squid ink usage is in such small amounts that any potential health benefits are most likely negligible.
Squid Ink Uses
As mentioned above, you can use squid ink to boldly change the colour of a dish and add a subtle change in flavour. A little goes a long way. Adding a few teaspoons of squid ink will colour a dish to a striking deep black-blue.
In contrast, the flavour imparted by squid ink is subtle. It adds a mild, briny flavour to dishes that pairs well with seafood, shellfish and other related items. Think of it as a combination of the subtle “sea” flavour you get from seaweed and the umami flavour you get from seaweed.
There are many dishes from around the world you could try cooking with squid ink, including Italian spaghetti al nero di seppia, Spanish arroz negro, and Filipino adobong pusit.
Or try your hand at creating your own dish with squid ink. Ingredients that readily take on colour and flavour like rice, doughs, and sauces are good ways to try to incorporate squid ink into your cooking.
Squid Ink Substitutes
Obviously, you can safely use squid ink, cuttlefish ink, and octopus ink interchangeably in recipes. There will be subtle differences in taste. Cuttlefish ink is smoother and has a more well-rounded flavour, while squid ink is more metallic in taste.
A vegan alternative to squid ink is possible by using soy sauce, kombu (dry seaweed), and black sesame paste. This combination of ingredients mimics the umami taste and the dark colour of squid ink.
Food-grade charcoal powder can also be used, though this will only acheive a similar colour and won’t help flavour your dish.
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