Have you ever eaten cuttlefish liver?

Which type of squid do you like best?

Huh? Isn't a squid just a squid?

That is ridiculous.

There are many types, such as bigfin reef squid, Japanese flying squid, swordtip squid, spear squid, broadclub cuttlefish, firefly squid, and bobtail squid.

Among them, I love cuttlefish.

Why do I like cuttlefish? It is because
stir-fried cuttlefish liver is exceptionally delicious.

Cuttlefish liver refers to the liver, which is dark brown and has a shape that makes you wonder at first glance if it is safe to eat.

Melt butter in a frying pan and quickly cook bite-sized pieces of cuttlefish meat until they turn white. Toss in the liver that has been finely chopped with a knife, lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper, and it is done in no time.

This is just so delicious.

The moment it enters your mouth, the umami spreads all the way to your brain. I know it is questionable to compare food to food, but if I had to compare it, cuttlefish liver has a rich, deep flavor similar to crab miso and is a concentrated block of umami.

Even though I don't usually drink alcohol, when I eat this, I get an irresistible craving for beer.

You can enjoy different textures from the squid's body, tentacles, fins, and beak.

My child also likes this, and when they eat it, they look at me and give me a thumbs up (not the middle finger, mind you).

I have been finding time to go squid fishing lately; I start by targeting bigfin reef squid for a little while, and then I switch to targeting cuttlefish.

Cuttlefish are found on sandy bottoms, and if you slowly drag an egi (lure) along the bottom, they will bite. Once they get into the mood, they will bite repeatedly, so they are relatively easy to catch.

In the past, when I went fishing for bigfin reef squid and caught a cuttlefish, I thought of it as a nuisance and would throw away the cuttlefish liver. I want to tell my past self, 'You don't understand anything about squid! Go home!' just like Yuzan Kaibara would.

There is a story called 'Midwinter Delicacy' in the manga Oishinbo. When food critics praise high-end karasumi (dried mullet roe), Shiro Yamaoka declares that there is something better than out-of-season karasumi. He then serves salted squid liver made only from the livers of fresh Japanese flying squid, and the critics are impressed.
This story is about Japanese flying squid, but that is how delicious squid liver is.

If you can get your hands on fresh cuttlefish, please try it at least once.

Note: Cuttlefish are also known as ink squid and have an ink sac containing a large amount of ink, enough to be used for squid ink pasta. The liver is located very close to the ink sac, so be careful not to rupture it and cause a disaster in your kitchen.

Ah, I want to eat stir-fried cuttlefish liver again. I'm going to go fishing for a bit.