Shrimp(s) and prawns

[Laurence Horn]

Wow!  Non-definitive perhaps--but who knew we had such an
accomplished cephalopodologist on call?!  This is all consistent with
my encounters with squid/calamares~i/calmars/seppias/cuttlefish on
menus with various provenances, but with considerably more of the
blanks filled in (or should I say with much of the black ink
removed).   As they say, to the victor goes the squid!  Since I can't
offer you any calamares en su tinta, you'll have to settle for an
eggcorn:

http://encyclopedia.farlex.com/Cuddlefish
http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Cuddlefish
http://www.redditall.com/2008/02/when-cuddlefish-attack.html

LH

At 4:46 AM -0400 3/11/09, Victor wrote:
>Not to compare them to pornography, but if you see these cephalopods
>side-by-side, the distinction is fairly obvious--the shape and body
>morphology are rather distinct. Generally, much confusion on the subject
>is created by Chinese culinary culture that uses both but in different
>ways and, for some reason, does not respect that difference when
>translating names into English. I've found Mediterranean terms,
>generally, to be less confused and confusing. Most European languages (I
>could not find the equivalent in German) distinguish between the two
>very clearly. French and Portugese have simple short words for each,
>apparently because both are used in cooking on the Atlantic Coast. You
>certainly won't be served cuttlefish when ordering "calamari", although
>similar dishes with cuttlefish do exist. Other than the three languages
>mentioned, most Western European languages (including Scandinavian) use
>variations on "sepia" to describe cuttlefish. Google suggests "zeekat"
>for cuttlefish in Dutch, although, during last year, whenever I saw
>cuttlefish fresh at the fish market in Groningen, it was always labeled
>"sepia" or "sepia inktvis". In contrast, all sizes and varieties of
>squid were labeled "inktvis". If you are wondering if there is any
>relationship between these animals and sepia dye, the answer is yes.
>
>About the only place you are going to find cuttlefish in the US (as
>food) is in dry goods section or dry snacks (next to beef jerky) in
>Chinese stores. So when you see "cuttlefish" on the menu in an
>Anglophone country, you can be 99+% sure that it's actually squid that
>is being served. (Chinese dishes with dried cuttlefish are rarely served
>to American customers--perhaps the situation is different in the UK.)
>One exception is Risoto al nero di Seppia, which should use cuttlefish,
>if properly prepared. You may also occasionally find cuttlefish "steak"
>in Japanese restaurants, particularly as sushi.
>
>I am not entirely sure of the source of the color in black pasta, but, I
>believe, it could be either one--both Italian and Spanish cuisine use
>them somewhat interchangeably, so it may depend on the manufacturer (or
>the chef, if made fresh). What you may find on the plate in Spain,
>Portugal, Italy, Croatia or Turkey (and the French Atlantic Coast) is
>another matter--you are on your own there.
>
>Cuttlefish are generally the more interesting animals of the two. They
>are roughly as intelligent as octopus (which is saying quite a bit),
>while squid are closer to lemmings--at least the smaller variety that
>usually finds itself on your plate--although the intelligence is still
>fairly high for invertebrates. Giant squid is an entirely different
>creature and I'll skip it for the moment. The same goes for colossal squid.
>
>Cuttlefish look more flat of the two, with distinct top and bottom sides
>and a continuous "fin" running along the body. Their arms and tentacles
>are somewhat differentiated and highly developed eyes are on the top
>side. In contrast, squid is generally conical, with rather larger dual
>fins at the tail end, with simple eyes clearly bilaterally opposed, two
>longer tentacles, and eight fairly undifferentiated "arms" (the "things"
>with suction rings on them--some species do not even differentiate
>between tentacles and arms, as all 10 look identical). Cuttlefish have
>a  porous buoyancy organ, usually referred to as "cuttlebone" (which is
>sold in pet stores as a nutrition/exercise source for parrots).  Squid
>does not have a cuttlebone, although both have soft cartilage that
>serves an entirely different purpose (rigidity), but is occasionally
>confused for cuttlebone (it's actual name is the pen).
>
>My description is fairly primitive and is not meant to be definitive.
>
>    VS-)
>
>Laurence Horn wrote:
>>But on the topic of seafood lumpers vs. splitters:  there's also the
>>squid vs. cuttlefish distinction that I've never quite understood,
>>but shows up in English translations of menus whose original is
>>Spanish, Italian, or various Asian languages, so I assume it's a real
>>distinction that I just neutralize.  Different species? Different
>>sizes?  It all tastes good to me, so it's not like I *really* care,
>>but I am curious.
>>
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org