Cephalopod Flavor and Ink Like finfish,
squid and octopus maintain their osmotic
balance largely with the tasteless TMAO (p.
188) rather than with free amino acids. Their
flesh is therefore less sweet and savory than
that of the other molluscs, and can turn fishy
when bacteria convert TMAO to TMA.
Cephalopod ink is a bag of pigment that
the animal can squirt into the water when
endangered. It’s a heat-stable mix of phenolic
compounds (animal cousins of the phenolic
complexes that discolor cut fruits and
vegetables; p. 269), and cooks use it to color
stews and pastas a dark brown.
Other Invertebrates:
Sea Urchins
Spiny sea urchins are members of the animal
group called echinoderms (Greek for “prickly
skin”), which may account for 90% of the
biomass on deep-sea floors. There are about a