How does one ink a cephalopod?

My mind wanders from the delicious black squid ink pasta, with wild mushroom cream sauce, to the origin of its color and flavor and acquisition of its essence.

Cephalopods are infinitely interesting, ocean-dwelling invertebrates that include squid, cuttlefish, octopus and nautilus, among others. This class of animals, whose name is translated as “head-footed” is known for its large head with well-developed brain and eyes, bilateral symmetry, and set of arms or tentacles. Included in this class are two subclasses, Coleoids and Nautiloids.

For my wonderment, Nautiloids are irrelevant, as they do not produce ink. The Coleoids are the ink producers and include octopi, squid and cuttlefish. All of these animals are distinctive and all create ink with slightly different colors.

Cuttlefish ink is brown and is the one most often used as early as Roman times and popularized in 19th century art. Both the ink and the creature have been called sepia. Ink of the cuttlefish and sometimes squid is mixed with shellac and used for drawings. Squid produce a blue-black color, while octopi have black ink.

Aristotle explained the origin of this product: “When the Sepia is frightened and in terror, it produces this blackness and muddiness in the water, as it were a shield held in front of the body.”

The release of this ink is a well-known protective maneuver by cephalopods, which produce the substance in ink glands and hold it in ink sacs. It is evacuated through a siphon and produces a cloud that allows the cephalopod to make its getaway.

The ink is made of melanin, a pigment similar to the ones that color our hair and skin. This pigment is produced by the oxidation of an amino acid called tyrosine. Proteins, minerals, metals, lipids, dopamine and other compounds are part of its final chemistry.

And this compound has its own dark magic. It seems to be anti-everything bad! Research shows that the ink has anti-microbial, anti-retroviral and anti-cancer properties. Other studies show that this ink can be anti-ulcerogenic (inhibits gastric secretions), anti-hypertensive (reduces high blood pressure), anti-inflammatory and an antioxidant.

By far, my favorite use of the ink is for food. There are Italian, Spanish and Japanese specialties made with cephalopod ink. Risotto nero, pasta al nero, black paella, soups and curries can be made with the addition of this ink. Even a squid ink vodka sour recipe is available.

So how do you get this delicious cephalopod liquor, whose umami flavor was described by the New York Times as “indescribably complex”? There are, of course, YouTube videos that explain the process. You can do it yourself once the fresh squid come in this spring. Catch your own or ask your local fishmonger for whole, unprocessed squid, then open the main body and carefully remove the sacs from the body and behind the eyes. Slice open the sacs and squeeze out the ink. Take care, as the ink will stain.

My advice is to eat pigment pasta and cephalopod specialties as often as you can. Mark Victor Hansen, American speaker and author best known for his Chicken Soup for the Soul book series, valued ink. Whether in dishes or in a pen, his urged “Don’t think it, ink it.”

Suzan Bellincampi is director of the Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary in Edgartown, and author of Martha’s Vineyard: A Field Guide to Island Nature and The Nature of Martha’s Vineyard.