Preparation
Northern Pacific squid is separated into different parts and skinned, cooked at 65-80 °C for 3-5 minutes, cooled, grated and seasoned at a temperature below 20 °C for more than 4 hours. Sugar, salt, sorbitol, sweeteners, organic acid and MSG are typical additives. They are then dried at 40-45 °C for 12-20 hours until it reaches a moisture level of 40%. It is then aged in a cold room for 2 weeks or longer, then dried at a higher temperature of 110-120 °C for 3-5 minutes. It is then machine-shredded and seasoned for a second time, dried again to a reduced moisture level of 25-27%. At this phase, the color is yellow or brownish. The amino acids on the squid are revealed by the increase in brown color over prolonged storage time. Vacuum packaging or nitrogen-filled packaging also increase browning. Consumers generally do not want excessive browning.
Read more about this topic: Dried Shredded Squid
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