Are squid and octopus the same? Their differences and home-style recipes

Someone asked: “Are squid and octopus the same? What are their differences?” First, we need to clarify one point: squid is cuttlefish, and octopus is zhangyu, so we just need to distinguish cuttlefish from octopus.

Cuttlefish is also called white-spotted cuttlefish, cuttlefish, huazhi, squid or cuttlefish. Like squid, it also has ten legs. Unlike squid, the cuttlefish has a boat-shaped calcareous hard pen, which is the “pen” on its back that looks like a bone but is not too hard. The most distinctive feature of the cuttlefish is that when it encounters a strong enemy, it uses “ink spraying” as a way to escape and bide its time to get away, hence names such as “wuzei” and “moyu”. There are small pigment sacs in the skin that change color and size with changes in “emotion”. Cuttlefish is generally used for large roasting or braising.

Octopus is also called eight-clawed fish, shiju, zuoxiao, shixi, wangchao, or siniu, and belongs to the phylum Mollusca, class Cephalopoda, order Octopoda. Octopus has 8 arms, and the arms have many suckers; sometimes it releases black ink to help it escape. Some octopuses have fairly developed brains and can recognize themselves in a mirror. In terms of cooking methods, takoyaki is a well-known dish.

Similarities between cuttlefish and octopus:

1. Their ancestors are both nautiluses, and they both belong to the phylum Mollusca, class Cephalopoda. Although they are called “fish”, they are actually not fish and do not have the characteristics of fish.

2. Their appearances are very similar. Both have streamlined bodies and are bilaterally symmetrical, with the head connected to the body, hence the name Cephalopoda. Around the head and mouth there are 8 arms (cuttlefish and squid also have two longer tentacles). These arms are soft and elastic, and the inner side of each arm has suckers.

The differences between cuttlefish and octopus are: 

1. Cuttlefish has 10 arms, and octopus has 8 arms. In addition, the outer shell of the cuttlefish is a hard calcareous outer pen, while the octopus does not have one.

2. Octopus is commonly called badai. It has eight slender claws, and the claws have many very strong suckers. Its belly is round, and it can spray ink. Its usual food is shellfish; cuttlefish has an oval body with a hard shell inside, and it can also spray ink. It generally eats small fish and small shrimp.

Appendix: Home-style methods for squid

Ingredients: 2 cuttlefish, 1 hot pepper

Seasonings: 1/3 tablespoon soy sauce, 4 slices ginger, 1 tablespoon cooking wine, 1/2 tablespoon sweet bean sauce, 1 tablespoon Korean chili paste, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Method:

1. Wash the cuttlefish clean

2. There is a shuttle-shaped shell right in the middle. After removing it, the outer layer of black skin can be torn off very easily, and then you can see the inside

3. Throw away the internal organs and cuttlefish ink

4. Cut a row of closely spaced cuts on the cuttlefish fillet, not all the way through

5. Cut another row at about a 60° diagonal to make a diamond lattice. The other piece was cut more squarely, but in the end this diamond pattern still looks better

6. After scoring, cut the whole cuttlefish piece into rectangular strips about 3 cm long

7. Wash one hot pepper, remove the stem, cut it diagonally into rings, and slice the ginger for later use

8. Heat oil in a wok, add the cuttlefish slices and stir-fry quickly until they curl into cuttlefish rolls

9. Add the green pepper, ginger slices and the two sauces, then pour in the cooking wine and soy sauce

10. Stir-fry quickly and evenly, then remove from the wok