Orange cuttlefish facts for kids
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| Alternative names | Orange squid |
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| Place of origin | Guangdong or Chaozhou |
| Main ingredients | cuttlefish |
| Orange cuttlefish | |||||||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 鹵水墨魚 | ||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 卤水墨鱼 | ||||||||||||||
| Hanyu Pinyin | lúshuǐ mòyú | ||||||||||||||
| Cantonese Yale | lóuh séui mahk yù | ||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | master-sauce stewed cuttlefish | ||||||||||||||
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Orange cuttlefish is a popular and colorful dish from Cantonese cuisine. Even though it's called 'orange cuttlefish,' it's often made with squid too! This tasty seafood dish is a type of siu mei, which means 'roasted meat' in Chinese, even though it's not actually roasted. You can find orange cuttlefish in Southern China, Hong Kong, and in Chinatowns around the world.
Understanding Orange Cuttlefish
What's in a Name?
The dish can be made using either cuttlefish or squid. Both are types of seafood that look similar. In Chinese, they share the same name for this dish: 鹵水墨魚. Often, people just shorten it to 墨魚.
The word "orange" in the name comes from the bright color of the dish. It has nothing to do with the fruit orange!
How It's Made and Served
The orange color of this dish comes from special food coloring dye. Other flavors are added to make the cuttlefish taste even better. It has a special texture that is both soft and a little bit crispy, called sóng (Chinese: 爽) in Chinese. This texture is quite unique and you won't find it in many other meats.
When you order orange cuttlefish, it usually comes sliced into small, bite-sized pieces. It is served with a dark, soy sauce-based dipping gravy. This sauce is called lóuh séui (Chinese: 鹵水). It gives the dish a slightly salty flavor. This special sauce is thought to have come from Guangdong or Chaozhou cuisine.
See also
In Spanish: Sepia naranja para niños
