What Is Cuttlefish? How to Quickly Distinguish It From Other Squid

Vietnamese marine seafood is extremely abundant, but when mentioning squid species with uniquely thick and delightfully crunchy flesh, cuttlefish cannot be overlooked. However, many consumers still confuse this type of squid with squid tube or bigfin reef squid. The following article from Ola Squid will help you answer in detail what cuttlefish is, how to identify it, as well as the secrets to preparing authentic and delicious dishes from this seafood!

What is cuttlefish? Identification characteristics

Cuttlefish (also known by other folk names such as broad squid, board squid) is a mollusk belonging to the Sepiidae family. Cuttlefish has a prominent feature of a hard internal shell made of calcium carbonate located vertically along the inside of its back.

Below are the detailed characteristics to help you easily identify cuttlefish:

• Body shape: The body is oval and flattened compared to squid tubes. The thin fin margins extend running along both sides of the body. The head consists of 8 short arms and 2 firm, long tentacles.
• Skin color: When alive, cuttlefish skin features unique natural floral patterns and has the ability to change color to camouflage with the environment. When the squid is frozen or chilled, the skin turns milky white.
• Size & Weight: Cuttlefish has an average size ranging from 15 – 25cm. The common weight ranges from 300g – 1kg/piece, with some oceanic cuttlefish reaching very large sizes.
• Flesh texture & Flavor: Cuttlefish flesh is thick, providing a crunchy sensation when eaten. However, compared to natural sweetness, the flavor of cuttlefish is somewhat lighter than egg squid or neon flying squid. Therefore, chefs often skillfully combine them with rich spices.
• Distribution area and Breeding season: Cuttlefish are heavily concentrated in the central coastal regions (such as Binh Thuan, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa) and some southern provinces. The breeding season lasts from April to September.
• Main harvesting season: The golden time to harvest cuttlefish is from June to August. At this time, the fishing yield reaches a high level, the flesh quality is thick, crunchy, delicious, and the price is reasonable.

See more: Popular types of squid in Vietnam and how to identify them

Distinguishing cuttlefish from squid tubes and bigfin reef squid

Cuttlefish, squid tubes, and bigfin reef squid all belong to the mollusk seafood line, each having entirely distinct flesh characteristics and culinary uses. The comparison table below will help you quickly differentiate cuttlefish from squid tubes and bigfin reef squid to make the right choice for your family menu:

Criteria	Cuttlefish (Broad squid)	Squid tube	Bigfin reef squid
Shape	Oval, flattened, with a hard calcium shell on the back.	Long tubular body, tapering towards the tail, short fins.	Flattened body, thick oval fins stretching along almost the entire body.
Weight	300g – 1kg/piece (some large ones reach 2-3kg).	100g – 300g/piece.	200g – 1kg/piece.
Flesh texture	Very thick flesh, delightfully crunchy.	Thinner flesh, tender and slightly chewy.	Moderately thick flesh, crunchy and very tender.
Flavor	Mildly sweet, focusing heavily on the crunchy sensation.	Richly sweet, distinctively aromatic.	The sweetest among all squid types.
Suitable preparation	Ground into squid cakes, stir-fried, satay grilled, richly braised.	Steamed with ginger, satay stir-fry, stuffed squid, hot pot cooking.	Grilled with chili salt, eaten as sashimi, stir-fried, salad making.

See more: How to distinguish bigfin reef squid and squid tubes? Which type should you choose?

How much does cuttlefish cost per kg?

Currently, the price of cuttlefish ranges from 170,000 to 300,000 VND/kg depending on various factors such as size classification, preservation method, or freshness. Below is the common reference price range on the market:

• Small size cuttlefish (6 – 8 pieces/kg): Around 170,000 – 200,000 VND/kg.
• Medium/large size cuttlefish (1 – 3 pieces/kg): Around 250,000 – 300,000 VND/kg.
• Super-sized live cuttlefish (1.5kg – 3kg/piece): Around 500,000 – 650,000 VND/kg (serving large seafood restaurants).

The price of cuttlefish depends on the season (during rough seas, prices are higher), the size of the squid (the larger the size, the more expensive), and the product form (live swimming squid in tanks, fresh frozen squid, or pre-processed shell-removed squid).

Note: The above price list is for reference only because seafood prices fluctuate continuously according to timing and sea weather conditions. To buy standard quality dried squid with clear listed prices, you should choose to purchase from reputable seafood systems like Ola Squid.

How to select and pre-process fresh cuttlefish

Choosing fresh squid and knowing how to clean it properly is the factor that determines 80% of the dish’s deliciousness. If handled clumsily, the squid can easily become fishy or release water, losing its crunchiness.

Tips for choosing standard cuttlefish

To choose fresh, delicious cuttlefish that are not spoiled or soaked in chemicals, you need to note the following characteristics:

• Color: The squid skin retains natural grain layers, slight gloss, without being pale or turning a dull yellow.
• Elasticity: Gently press on the squid body; the flesh is firm and bounces back immediately, and the surface is not slimy.
• Squid eyes: Clear, bright eyes with the pupils clearly visible inside, not cloudy, blurred, or protruding.
• Tentacles: The head is firmly attached to the body, and the suction cups on the tentacles are still intact and adhesive.
• Internal shell: The cuttlebone lies inside the back flesh, not broken or completely exposed.
• Water-absorption warning: Avoid buying squid with an abnormally water-logged body that feels heavy when held but releases water when pressed. When cooked, these squids will shrink significantly and the flesh will be very mushy.

Properly pre-processing cuttlefish

After buying the squid home, proceed to pre-process it through the simple steps below to completely remove the fishy odor:

• Step 1 – Pulling out the shell: Use your fingers to gently slide into the boundary between the head and body, gently pulling the hard white internal shell out of the squid’s back.

• Step 2 – Removing internal organs: Slit a line along the squid belly, carefully taking out the entire ink sac and internal organs. Note to handle skillfully to avoid breaking the black ink sac.

• Step 3 – Peeling off the skin membrane: Use a small knife to slide gently and peel off the purple/brown skin membrane covering the outside of the squid body so that the cooked squid has a beautiful white color.

• Step 4 – Deodorizing fishiness: Use crushed ginger mixed with a little white wine (or dilute saltwater) to gently rub over the entire squid body. Then rinse with clean water multiple times and let drain.

See more: Revealing how to clean squid cleanly, without fishiness and super fast

What delicious dishes can be made from cuttlefish?

Many people wonder whether cuttlefish is delicious and what delicious dishes can be made from cuttlefish? Although it does not possess the natural rich sweetness of squid tubes, with the advantage of ultra-thick and crunchy flesh, cuttlefish is favored for dishes prepared with rich spices.

Below is a list of irresistible delicious dishes from cuttlefish that you can refer to

Cuttlefish cakes

Because cuttlefish flesh is very thick and crunchy but its natural sweetness is mild, pounding it by hand (or pureeing) to make squid cakes combined with dill, black pepper, and a bit of rich seasoning will create a delightfully crunchy, fragrant squid cake dish.

See more: What delicious dishes to make with squid cakes? Top attractive squid cake dishes

Satay grilled cuttlefish

Thick cuttlefish pieces are marinated with spicy satay, grilled over a fragrant glowing charcoal stove. The crunchy texture of the squid flesh blending with the fiery spice of satay makes it a perfect drinking snack.

See more: How to make fragrant, spicy satay grilled squid just like restaurants

Cuttlefish stir-fried with pineapple

The sweet and sour flavor of pineapple soaking into each cuttlefish piece scored with a beautiful dragon-scale pattern helps balance the flavor. This dish is not only eye-catching but also very nutritious for family meals.

See more: How to make sweet and sour, delightfully crunchy stir-fried squid with pineapple at home

Cuttlefish stir-fried with mixed vegetables

The combination of crunchy cuttlefish and fresh green vegetables like onions, bell peppers, celery, cucumbers… creates a refreshing, colorful stir-fry dish that is not greasy at all.

See more: Guide to making simple yet irresistibly delicious mixed stir-fried squid

Sweet and sour braised cuttlefish

After pre-processing and cutting into bite-sized pieces, cuttlefish is lightly fried then braised with garlic chili sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and tamarind. The thickened sauce clinging evenly around the crunchy squid pieces creates an attractive and authentic dish.

See more: Revealing how to make simple yet attractive sweet and sour stir-fried squid

Crispy fried cuttlefish

Cut cuttlefish into small rings, roll them through crispy frying flour and breadcrumbs, then deep-fry. The dish has a crispy outer crust, while the inside squid flesh is chewy and crunchy, dipped with spicy mayonnaise sauce – a favorite snack for kids.

See more: How to make amazingly delicious crispy fried, breaded squid at home

Stuffed cuttlefish fried with fish sauce

With medium-sized cuttlefish, you can remove the shell and stuff a mixture of minced pork, wood ear mushrooms, and dried shallots inside. Then fry until golden and toss through a rich garlic chili fish sauce.

See more: Guide to making irresistibly delicious crispy stuffed fried squid

Cuttlefish dipped in vinegar

Thinly sliced cuttlefish flesh is dipped into a pot of mildly sour vinegar broth, fragrant with fresh lemongrass and fresh coconut water. To make the dish complete, you can wrap the crunchy squid pieces with rice paper, raw vegetables, and dip in seasoned fish sauce.

See more: How to make crunchy, delicious, authentic vinegar-dipped squid at home

Cuttlefish salad with lotus root

Cuttlefish boiled just right, cut into bite-sized strips then mixed with crunchy lotus root, carrots, Vietnamese balm, and sweet and sour fish sauce. A refreshing salad dish that effectively cuts grease for family parties.

Hopefully through this article by Ola Squid, you have answered your questions about what cuttlefish is, grasped the distinguishing secrets as well as chosen the freshest cuttlefish for your family. Don’t forget to visit the Ola Squid website every day to update more interesting seafood knowledge and order quality dried squid!