Squid In Ink

Much like my encounter a few weeks ago with the canned octopus, I simply couldn't resist the temptation of this item's visual assault on my eyes as they traversed the many strange items in the latino section of my local Wal-Mart. More important was the disturbing presence of squid ink as a marinade. Conjuring up images of the viscous black fluid I associate with quills and inkwells, I thought for sure this was going to be one disgusting venture.

The first thing that hit me when I opened the can was not the sickening sight of the squid pieces suspended in what looks like motor oil from a high mileage vehicle but the smell. I enjoy most varieties of fish and other seafood, eating tuna most days out of the week, but this had to be the strongest fishy scent to hit my nose at such a proximity. It was as if an entire fishing wharf had been rendered down into a vile fluid and injected into a can.

Somehow growing accustomed to the smell, I moved onto the visual inspection. This simply did not look savory. The squid meat used in this concoction must be from the body of the beast as there was no evidence of tentacles. So I was essentially looking at meat shingles in a vat of tar and contemplating whether or not to stick it in my mouth.

Taking the plunge I was met with a texture and taste unlike any other I have encountered in my previous experiences with squid. The meat was tougher but not as rubbery as from the tentacles and had more of a fishy flavor. I am not sure what notes came from the ink itself as I read on the package that the marinade had been adulterated with tomato sauce, vegetable oil, garlic, and other spices. The taste was not very nice overall but not unpleasant either. I can see that it would go well cooked in something as opposed to being sampled in isolation.

Squid in ink is highly disturbing. Most of this is mental but the stench and oiliness are enough to put me off from trying it out of the can again. However, if anyone wants to whip me up a delicious meal using this as an ingredient then I'll be more than willing to give it a second go.

Canned Octopus

I've eaten plenty of cephalopods throughout my years but it was the packaging that caught my eye on this one. The picture, misleading as they all are, seemed to indicate that the can would contain intact tentacles and I simply couldn't pass up that photo opportunity. Much to the dismay of my visual cortex, gripping the pull-tab and peeling back the lid of the can revealed several mini-filet looking slices of tentacle. So, being the complete weirdo that I am, I worked with what I had and set about trying to reconstruct a whole appendage out of the pieces.

Photographic activities aside, I thought the taste of the octopus was going to be ruined by the oil it was packed in but, after a quick flash, much of the oil came off and helped cook the outer flesh.

Octopus is a very rubbery meat, much like chewing on fish flavored twizzler. I was rather surprised to find that the quality of this specimen was rather high with the texture of a fresh catch and the natural smokey flavor that can be found in good octopus and squid.

While I don't plan on getting this again because the portion was rather small for the price, I'd recommend it to anyone needing some good cephalopod as a minor ingredient for a dish in regions where fresh caught seafood is out of the question.