The Ika (squid) in Ikayaki (grilled squid) becomes more delicious after half-dried

In Japan, squid is often eaten like sashimi (raw), boiled or grilled. Ikayaki literally means “grilled squid”. You can bake fresh raw squid, but by comparison the squid for ikayaki becomes more delicious when half-dried. This is because the flavor concentrates and becomes stronger after dehydration. The Ika used for baking squid (ikayaki) should be cleaned while it is still fresh to prevent the smell of the intestine from being transferred to the meat. Ika is grilled medium-rare over charcoal fire with salt, and it is cut into bite-size pieces. It is chewy and smoky, which goes with mayonnaise and a bit of chili pepper.

Kippei, Hanazono machi, Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan