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Cuttlefish Ink

Cuttlefish ink is a dark marine cephalopod secretion used to color and flavor sauces, rice, pasta, and seafood dishes.

Cuttlefish ink — illustrative ingredient image

About Cuttlefish Ink

Cuttlefish ink is the dark liquid from a cuttlefish ink sac, used as a culinary coloring and seasoning rather than as cuttlefish flesh. Small amounts color and flavor sauces, broths, rice, pasta dough, noodles, and seafood preparations. It is an ingredient in its own right, not a name for the animal’s meat.

Its main sensory contribution is a nearly black color, followed by a concentrated marine character. The taste is salty and briny with subtle savory depth. Texture depends on the product: fresh ink may be fluid, while preserved liquid or paste can be thicker, and dilution changes how strongly it colors or seasons a dish.

It is usually sold fresh in an ink sac or packaged as preserved liquid or paste. Packaged products may be diluted or combined with salt and other ingredients. Stirring it into a liquid distributes the color; mixing it into dough, rice, or a thicker preparation produces a more even dark appearance and a less fluid final texture.

Ingredient type
derived ingredient

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Where cuttlefish ink appears

3 linked foods

Find foods to recognise by country and type. Recipes and products vary; these are recorded ingredient connections.

Showing 1–3 of 3

Noodle dishes

Rice dishes

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for cuttlefish ink

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

Cuttlefish Ink

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Cuttlefish Ink nutrition & diet

Cuttlefish Ink nutritional value

Representative benchmark: Crayfish / lobster, not further specified

Representative nutrition benchmarkOfficial table values for a comparable food category, not a laboratory measurement of this exact ingredient.

Per 100 g of 100 g edible portion in the named official reference form.

Calories
89kcal
Protein
19.2g
Carbs
0.7g
Fat
1.0g

Representative benchmark from a comparable official food-composition category; it is not a laboratory measurement of this exact ingredient. The displayed reference form must be considered, and species, cultivar, recipe, brand, processing and preparation can change values.

Portions & preparation

Establish whether the product is culinary cuttlefish ink, an ink-containing preparation, or a coloring product before using a reference. Match the small amount added to sauces, rice, pasta, or seafood and account for salt, liquid, and other recipe ingredients.

Compare the right form: Match culinary cuttlefish ink or an ink-containing product, with brand or recipe, dilution, and whether measured alone or in the finished dish.

Diet considerations

Cuttlefish ink is animal-derived, although the final dish may be plant-based or mixed. Compatibility changes when combined with seafood, stock, dairy, egg pasta, cereal ingredients, or alcohol-containing sauces. Commercial preparations may include additives, so the product identity and recipe must be established rather than inferred from color alone.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Typically incompatible
  • Vegetarian
    Typically incompatible
  • Pescatarian
    Typically compatible
  • Keto
    May be compatible
  • Paleo
    May be compatible
  • Low-carb
    May be compatible
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Typically incompatible
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Typically incompatible
The ingredient profile identifies an animal-derived food or derivative.
Vegetarian · Typically incompatible
The profile identifies animal flesh, seafood or a derivative excluded by a vegetarian diet.
Pescatarian · Typically compatible
Seafood fits this pescatarian definition. Added meat-based stock or other ingredients would need checking separately.
Keto · May be compatible
The plain form may fit a carbohydrate-restricted diet. Check the portion, added sugar, coatings and sauces against the nutrition values above.
Paleo · May be compatible
May fit a paleo pattern, depending on the cut or form, processing and added ingredients.
Low-carb · May be compatible
The plain form may fit a carbohydrate-restricted diet. Check the portion, added sugar, coatings and sauces against the nutrition values above.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Typically incompatible
This profile identifies shellfish, which does not meet the kosher fish criteria.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: Pacific Nutrient Database 2020 — 01.1.3.4.2_99 ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .