Cuttlefish
Published on
January 23, 2014
A10-armed mollusk related to octopus and squid, the cuttlefish sports a flat, oblong body and narrow fins. The body is larger and fatter than a squid, making it meatier, and the ink sac is larger than that of the squid or octopus, with darker ink. One pair of arms, which retracts into pouches, is longer than the rest and is used to capture prey. Cuttlefish species range in size from 2 inches to 2 feet. When alarmed, a cuttlefish darts violently backward by expelling a water jet from its mantle cavity. Its ink was formerly used to make a brown pigment called sepia. Cuttlefish is not found in North America except as an export from Europe, where it is caught by trawling, trapping and netting and is as common as squid. It is harvested from coastal waters of the Indo-Pacific, and a larger species of cuttlefish that is marketed as sepia is found in the eastern Atlantic, from France to west Africa. Others come from Korea, Japan and Australia.
Sepia spp.
Cuttlefish
Common cuttlefish
Sèche
Tintenfisch
Seppia
Ko-ika
Jibia
A10-armed mollusk related to octopus and squid, the cuttlefish sports a flat, oblong body and narrow fins. The body is larger and fatter than a squid, making it meatier, and the ink sac is larger than that of the squid or octopus, with darker ink. One pair of arms, which retracts into pouches, is longer than the rest and is used to capture prey. Cuttlefish species range in size from 2 inches to 2 feet. When alarmed, a cuttlefish darts violently backward by expelling a water jet from its mantle cavity. Its ink was formerly used to make a brown pigment called sepia. Cuttlefish is not found in North America except as an export from Europe, where it is caught by trawling, trapping and netting and is as common as squid. It is harvested from coastal waters of the Indo-Pacific, and a larger species of cuttlefish that is marketed as sepia is found in the eastern Atlantic, from France to west Africa. Others come from Korea, Japan and Australia.
Fresh cuttlefish are light brown, with zebra-like stripes across their mantels. Cooked meat is pure white. Cleaned cuttlefish are bright white, with their tentacles usually intact. Uncleaned, they have a thin, purplish membrane on their bodies, which should be removed.Cuttlefish meat is sweet tasting. The texture is similar to that of a fish fillet and quite tender if cooked properly.
| Calories: | 79 |
| Fat Calories: | 6 |
| Total Fat: | 0.7 g |
| Saturated Fat: | 0.1 g |
| Cholesterol: | 112 mg |
| Sodium: | 372 mg |
| Protein: | 16.2 g |
| Omega 3: | 0.1 g |
Treat cuttlefish as you would squid; steam, stew in wine, stir-fry, sauté or batter and fry it. You can also serve it as sushi. For a European treat, marinate cuttlefish strips in olive oil, garlic and vinegar, then grill briefly. Or, since much of what’s offered as squid ink is actually cuttlefish ink, try it in “black pasta,” with garlic, shallots, onion, rosemary and thyme. Do not overcook, or the meat will be rubbery and chewy.
Octopus, Squid
- Bake
- Boil
- Broil
- Fry
- Grill
- Pate
- Poach
- Saute
- Smoke
- Steam
Fresh: Whole, Cleaned, Fillets (mantle portions, split lengthwise)
Frozen: Whole, Cleaned, Fillets (mantle portions, split lengthwise), Strips
Value-added: Breaded or unbreaded strips, Dried, Ink
VAustralia, Bangladesh, China, France, Greece, India, Japan, Korea, Senegal, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia
Recent Articles
April 19, 2024
