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Ika (Squid) Sushi

Squid (Ika)

Squid & Octopus

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Phylum Mollusca, Class Cephalopoda, Superorder Decapodiformes

Found in all ocean habitats from shallow waters to the deep sea worldwide, most are nocturnal and can freely change their body color. Nearly 450 species exist, divided into two orders: Sepiida (cuttlefish, with an internal shell) and Teuthida (tubular squid, without an internal shell).

Squid are soft-bodied mollusks with 8 arms and 2 tentacles, inhabiting all oceans. They range in size from 2 cm to 20 meters. Like octopus, they eject ink when fleeing, but while octopus ink is watery and used as a smokescreen, squid ink is viscous because it is ejected in a shape similar to the squid's own body to confuse predators. Squid can freely change their body color - they are semi-transparent when alive but become opaque white after death.

Japan is the world's largest squid consumer, accounting for nearly 50% of global consumption. In addition to sumi-ika (cuttlefish) available year-round, aori-ika (bigfin reef squid) and shiro-ika (swordtip squid) appear in spring, and yari-ika (spear squid) in autumn, with various squid varieties available across all four seasons. The firm, chewy texture of squid and its sweetness that increases the more you chew have won it many fans as a standard sushi topping. However, in the past, squid was basically cooked by simmering or boiling, and it is said that raw squid began to be served as a sushi topping only in the early Showa era.

Common squid species seen as sushi include: surume-ika (Japanese flying squid), affordable yet flavorful; sumi-ika (golden cuttlefish), a sushi restaurant staple with its ink-covered exterior and pure white flesh; aori-ika (bigfin reef squid), large, delicious, and expensive; shiro-ika (swordtip squid), also expensive and known for its refined sweetness, with egg-bearing females being particularly prized; yari-ika (spear squid); mongou-ika (kisslip cuttlefish) with its distinctive cat-eye markings; and hotaru-ika (firefly squid), typically eaten whole after being lightly boiled. Other varieties include aka-ika, bei-ika, kobu-shime, sode-ika, and hii-ka. While soy sauce is the standard condiment, salt can bring out the sweetness even more, so some sushi restaurants serve it with salt.

The Score Marks on Squid

The knife cuts scored into raw squid sushi are not only to release umami when chewed and make it easier to eat, but also serve as a countermeasure against Anisakis parasites that infest squid and cannot be killed by soy sauce or wasabi. At conveyor belt sushi restaurants, the squid often does not have score marks because frozen squid is used. The presence of decorative knife cuts can also serve as an indicator that the squid is not a frozen product.
Edomae squid sushi with decorative knife cuts Edomae squid sushi with decorative knife cuts

The Great Adventure of the Squid's Ancestors

The nautilus, called a living fossil, and the extinct ammonite are both cephalopods like squid and octopus, and the squid's ancestors are also believed to have had shells. Long ago, the squid's ancestors lived on the sea floor, but over an incredibly long period of time, they evolved to use their shells for buoyancy, then internalized those shells, and some even lost them entirely, gaining the ability to swim and evolving into their present form. Some squid species still have a structure called a "gladius" or "pen" inside their mantles, and this is said to be a remnant of their ancestral shell. Squid are known for their well-developed muscles and excellent motor skills, but perhaps it was the adventurous spirit of their sea-floor-dwelling ancestors, who grew tired of bottom life and set out on an adventure, that drove this evolution? Living creatures truly are wonderfully mysterious.

A nautilus, a living fossil, swimming through the ocean

The nautilus, called a living fossil, and the extinct ammonite are both cephalopods like squid and octopus, and the squid's ancestors are also believed to have had shells. Long ago, the squid's ancestors lived on the sea floor, but over an incredibly long period of time, they evolved to use their shells for buoyancy, then internalized those shells, and some even lost them entirely, gaining the ability to swim and evolving into their present form. Some squid species still have a structure called a "gladius" or "pen" inside their mantles, and this is said to be a remnant of their ancestral shell. Squid are known for their well-developed muscles and excellent motor skills, but perhaps it was the adventurous spirit of their sea-floor-dwelling ancestors, who grew tired of bottom life and set out on an adventure, that drove this evolution? Living creatures truly are wonderfully mysterious.

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