Imported Loligo Squid
Imported Loligo Squid
There are several significant Loligo squid species imported into the US. The two most significant are: Loligo chinensis (from China) and Loligo vulgaris (from India). The one that offers the most value to the US consumer and is packed similar to US domestic squid is the Loligo chinensis squid from China.
Loligo chinensis is caught in the South China Sea and is typically brought to shore fresh. There are Taiwan boats that freeze at sea, but the majority of the squid caught in the South China Sea is processed from fresh or first land frozen and then processed later. Loligo chinensis is treated with a tenderizing agent during the cleaning process. Very few US Squid importers list the tenderizing agent as an ingredient on their cleaned squid package. BOSN calamari is one Chinese squid brand that has all the proper ingredients listed and is true net weight.
Loligo Chinensisafter processing is white, tender and neutral in flavor. The US market prefers a tender squid with neutral flavor and this product meets those criteria. It is also packed in the recognizable format of tray and bag and is very competitively priced. The squid is fully cleaned and tentacles are separated from tubes. The squid is sized by its tube length which mirrors the domestic loligo.
Loligo vulgarisis a loligo squid that comes to the US market primarily from India. It is whole cleaned which means the tentacles are still connected to the tubes, but the tubes have been skinned and eviscerated. The pack is typically in a block, not in a tray and bag, like the US or Chinese cleaned squid. It is block frozen and wrapped in plastic. Sizing is also typically tube count per kilo, not length of squid tube.
Loligo vulgaris is a very sought after specie around the world. It is meaty, moderately tender; light colored and has a more pronounced flavor than the Loligo chinensis. It is also chemically tenderized and the tenderizing ingredients are not usually declared on the package.
Regarding price, Chinese and Indian squid are similarly priced in the market. The familiarity of the Chinese package versus the more obscure ct/ kg of the Indian squid and unruly block/bag means the Indian calamari is less likely to be found in retail. Both Indian and Chinese squid packers are known to pack less than net weight, so once again it is critical to understand what one is purchasing.