Cuttlefish ink

Generality

Cuttlefish ink is the ink used for defensive purposes by cephalopod molluscs of the Sepiidae family (commonly known as cuttlefish).
In various parts of the world, including Italy, squid ink is a very popular food; fresh just extracted, it is considered a product of great gastronomic value.
What not everyone knows is that, in reality, cuttlefish ink is not the only edible ink; to be precise, squid, squid and octopus are also used (three species of cephalopods among the most fished in the world) .

Cuttlefish ink does not have a very relevant nutritional significance, even considering the extremely small portions of which it is used in the "diet. It is in fact necessary to specify that this product has the function of flavoring and / or pigmenting the dishes, depending on the how it is used; in both cases, being extremely concentrated, it is sufficient to use a few grams at a time.

What is squid ink?

Cuttlefish ink (like other cephalopod inks) is a real pigment.
NB: The Suborder Cirrina and the Nautilidae family do not possess this defense mechanism.
The ink is accumulated in special bags placed between the gill slits and, in order to be rapidly dispersed in the environment, the cuttlefish expel it into the environment through the caps.
The color of the cuttlefish ink is caused by a constituent called melanin, which is the same substance responsible for tanning and for the pigmentation of other tissues (hair) in men.
Each species of cephalopod produces a slightly different colored ink than the others; generally, that of the octopuses is black, of the squid bluish and of the cuttlefish tending to brown (even if the differences are, to tell the truth, difficult to identify).

Property

Cuttlefish ink contains a number of chemicals, present in different concentrations depending on the species.
In addition to melanin, the liquid is, in its natural state, also rich in mucus; furthermore, small doses of: tyrosinase (enzyme), dopamine And L-DOPA and free amino acids (taurine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, alanine And lysine).
Recent studies have shown that cephalopod ink can increase the activity of some components of the human immune system (natural killer cells), indirectly hindering the growth of tumor units.
Moreover, it boasts a moderate antibiotic effect against some pathogens (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis And Pseudomonas aeruginosa).
In conjunction with the assumption of cyclophosphamide (chemotherapy drug), this ink has also been shown to protect red blood cell synthesis.
Cuttlefish ink therefore seems to have some useful properties for the organism, even if, as often happens, the reference studies have only used in vitro cells and laboratory guinea pigs.

Culinary Uses

In the past, cuttlefish ink was used as an ink.
However, the modern use of cuttlefish ink is generally limited to the gastronomic sector, in which it is used as a food coloring and flavoring.
Also sold on large retailers in preserved form, fresh is available only from fishmongers who extract it from the bags during evisceration.
NB: The death of the cuttlefish drastically reduces the concentration of mucus in the ink.
In Italian cuisine, cuttlefish ink is a widely used ingredient in the recipes of first courses. Added to the mixture, it effectively colors egg pasta, polenta, passatelli etc. Diluted in the sauce, on the other hand, it favors the chromatic contrast and increases the hints of fish.

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