Saki-ika is dried squid and it’s similar to jerky.
The defference is it is shredded or cut into bite-size pieces.
It is chewy like beef jerky, sometimes my dad eats this while he is driving.
You need to chew it a lot, so you can enjoy the salty squid flavor for a long time.
Actually, the smell is not for everybody.
(My husband doesn’t like it.)
But if you like pungent cheese, it’s worth a try.
Why people love it
Because it goes well with Sake and beer!
Salty flavor and chewy texture are good with alcohol.
(Usually, beer, mix drinks, or hard alcohol.)
Honestly, this is not the best food in the world, but people can’t stop eating like popcorn.
In fact, it was originally sold at the movie theater.
Are there any types of Saki-ika?
It is broadly classified into three types.
The first is a very common type of Saki-ika:
It looks fluffy and it is fluffy, but not like cotton candy.
Squid is dried, flavored, and cut into strips.
Some people put this in Okonomiyaki. Okonomiyaki is soul food for Osaka people.
The second type of Saki-ika is Atarime, it is just dried and cut squid:
This is a really good snack to eat while driving. Not sticky, you can chew it for a long time that keeps you awake, and very low fat snack.
Good for studying as well.
But better not eat on the plane. The smell is very strong.
The third one is:
Ika-somen. Ika is Squid, and Somen is a type of Udon nodule but much thinner than that.
It looks like spaghetti, but this looks more like somen for us so we named after it.
The texture is a little bit different from Saki-ika.
Chewy but more solid. It is addictive.
Where can I get Saki-ika in Japan?
At convince store, super market, Don Quixote and online.
Ordering snacks online when visiting Japan (Pick up at convenience store)
More Japanese SNACKS?
Is there any links to get recommendation from SNACKING JAPAN?