For a lot of use, since the time we were born, we love our food to be colorful. We know that the red color means that a fruit or vegetable is healthy and edible. We also create associations of the green color with healthy vegetables and fruits such as apples, broccoli, peppers, etc. Whenever we saw a fruit or vegetable turning to a brownish or blackish color, we knew that we cannot eat it since that went bad. So, we can never imagine a food that is black and edible.
Well, squid ink has a black color and is actually used for different dishes as part of Japanese and Mediterranean cuisines. Squid ink comes from ink sacs of the squid which belongs to the family of cephalopod. Actually, the members of this family all release dark ink. This color makes it so weird for us so you might be asking: what does squid ink taste like? Well, let’s look at some facts about squid ink and the way it tastes.
All You Need to Know About Squid Ink
What is squid ink made of?
Although squid ink is commonly used as an ingredient for different dishes, a lot of people ask: what is squid ink made of? It is so unimaginable that it is possible to collect an ink that is released by a water species in the water. Well, it is possible. This ink is actually release while the species of cephalopod try to escape from different predators in the water. The main purpose of releasing this dark ink out is to blind them and stop them from attacking the squids. So, basically, it is a survival response from squids.
The main component of squid ink is melanin. Are you wondering where you have heard this term before? Well, melanin is a pigment that can be found even in human bodies. This is the agent that is responsible for adding color to our hair and skin. Among animals, however, melanin plays an important role in serving different nutrients for the animal such as proteins, amino acids, and lipids. So, whenever you ask what is squid ink made of, just remember that its main component is something we have in common. That common component is melanin.
Is squid ink poisonous?
If we see a food in black color, that in itself might be unappealing to us. Starting from our young ages, we learn associations of healthy foods being in colors other than black such as green, red, orange, yellow, and so on. So, the black color in itself might seem alarming to us. If we add the fact that we get ink from squids that is being released to attack their predators that might seem dangerous to us. So, we can find ourselves asking: is squid ink poisonous?
No, the squid ink is not poisonous. Let’s start from the fact that the ink itself causes only harm in the sights of the predators and no other harms to their health. Squid ink does not poison the predators, so it is not poisonous to us, humans, either. If you were scared about this, you can now calmly go ahead and try foods with squid ink.
Does squid ink stain?
A lot of us might be worried whether the black color of squid ink might leave stains anywhere. Whenever discussions are being held about squid ink, among the most common answer is this: does squid ink stain? Many people claim that squid ink causes the biggest stains to the clothes that you are wearing. No matter the color or the texture of you clothes, squid ink will leave a stain on it. It is pretty difficult to get it out but there are several recommendations on how to clean stained clothes. It is recommended to wash them with cold water or to use detergents that are ideal for removing such strong stains.
Some people also claim that squid ink can leave stains on your hands or skin. However, this can happen only if you deal with squid ink for a long time. If you get a skin area stained by squid ink, the only action you can take is to wait and the stain will start to wear off. A lot of people are also worried and ask: does squid ink stain teeth? The answer is that no, the squid ink does not stain teeth. In rare cases, it can leave a darker color in your teeth but the color will disappear after you brush your teeth.
What does squid ink taste like?
You can use squid ink as an ingredient for different dishes. For example, the most common use of squid ink is as a coloring ingredient of pasta and spaghetti. This will add a black color to the pasta and will make it exciting for people to eat. Another common use of squid ink is to add it to risotto. In this case too, the color of risotto will change to black. Other uses includes adding squid ink to breads, cocktails or any other use you might think of.
The thing we all wonder about is what does squid ink taste like? Well, most people claim that it adds a taste of sea and fish together. So, the flavor that you get when you eat seafood is similar to the taste of squid ink.
Conclusion
As we grow up, we learn that the foods we can eat are mostly colorful such as orange, green, red, and others. Whenever we find a brownish or blackish food, we know that the food might be gone bad. So, the black color of squid ink might make it unappealing from the moment someone sees it. They might even be reluctant to ask the question: what does squid ink taste like?
Even though squid ink is mostly used in Mediterranean and Japanese cuisine, it is gaining popularity all around the world recently. This can be attributed to the fact that it adds a fishy and sea taste to whatever dish you apply it to such as risotto or pasta. In addition, it also contains healthy nutrients such as proteins, and amino acids that are healthy for our body. So, what are you waiting for? Go and try the new trend of adding squid ink to our pastas and risottos!
