Maruesu Sweet and Sour Squid

"Throw your arms up in the air..."

The Attraction:
I'm a big fan of squid. Whenever I hit a Japanese joint, I always browse the menu to see if they have grilled squid or Ika Maruyaki in Japanese. Since it's not everyday I'm waltzing around a fine Japanese establishment, I saw this at my local Asian grocer and thought, "If I could get my squid fix whenever I wanted, why wouldn't I want to?" Enter stage left pre-packaged squid.


The Review
In all fairness, I have to first divulge that I can't read Japanese and there is barely a lick of significant English on the package of this sucker. I just know I like squid, but never was a fan of the super dry / pressed variety (these kinds). I found them a little to fishy for my taste.When I saw these that seem to resemble something closer to "fresh" looking squid, I was all in. I plunked down my hard earned $5 and was ready to go. It wasn't til after I ate the squid and prepped this review that I realized that the version of this product I bought is actually "sweet and sour" flavored. Umm...not my first choice, but it's still squid, gosh darnit! How did I figure that out with little English on the bag you may ask. I had to use all my mental acuity, years of training in watching Japanese anime, two hours of meditating on a mountain and mostly Google translate to figure it out. (check it out here) Be sure to turn on Google translate or it will mean nothing to you, unless you can read Japanese, of course.

I look like squid!

The Sweet:
True to the packaging that the squid came in, they look like "fresh" squid! Yay. Oh, and they smell like it too. (I'll let you decide if that's sweet or bitter). Anywho, I took a bite of a nice cluster of tentacles and found that the texture and chewiness that I enjoy with squid was present. There was a slight sweetness followed by the advertised sour. It was tender, without being rubbery. Not too shabby for 5 smackers.

The Bitter:
I wish I knew it was "sweet and sour" flavored before I bought it, because I would have selected another flavor. Be it as it is, I have to review the item I bought for what it is, not what I wish I had bought. With that said, I didn't like the "sour" aspect of it, but if you love "sweet and sour" squid, you may dig this. Keep in mind that when they say "sweet and sour" it is a very mild version of "sweet and sour". (think less Sweet and Sour Chicken that you get at the neighborhood Chinese fast food joint and more of what you may know of Japanese cuisine in general with all it subtleties of flavor) If you are looking for flavor to sock you in the face, you aren't going to find it here.

Unrelated to the actual flavor of the item, when I kicked on the translator for the product at the website, this is one of the lines used to described the squid, "Acidity and refreshing, it is a popular snack for women." How odd; the company somehow knows that I enjoy eating these while I'm in the lactation room pumping away.

"Feet, don't fail me now!"

Conclusion:
Maruesu delivers on it's promise of sweet and sour squid at a reasonable price. You can take a bite without feeling like you are eating a tire, yet still it is able to maintain squid's chewy texture. I don't have a doubt that their other flavored squid products are probably well done too. I might just be telling you all about it very soon. Well done, Maruesu, but you may want to rethink the description of your item on your website.

Video of the Week
This one's been out for a while, yet for some reason every time I see it, I laugh uncontrollably.

"Dance with me if you want to live"

Although it's not food-related, it features everybody's favorite robot-killing machine, Arnold Schwarzenegger showing off his dance moves during a promotional stop at BET's 106 & Park. Maybe it's his expression when he dances, the way he says, "What is a Staaanky Leg?", but it brings me joy with every viewing. You can question the man's politics, his taste in women, (post Maria) but you can't question the man's ability to have a good time no matter the situation. The dancing machine kicks in at about the 1:20 minute mark.