Squid ink

[Kanga Japan]

Could someone confirm the Thai name for squid ink?

Is it NA MUEK (น้ำหมึก)? I have DI MUEK (ดีหมึก) for the squid ink sac and wonder if that is correct also.

Interesting that the word for ink and squid is the same.

Thanks for your help.

[Kanga Japan]

I meant to say NAM MUEK, not NA MUEK.

[AyG]

I believe it's หมึกดํา (MUEK DAM) - MUEK being the Thai word for ink. The same term, however, is also used for black ink using in fountain pens and the like.

Squid is PLA MUEK (literally "ink fish" - though PLA has a broader meaning than the English word "fish" and also applies to whales and cephalopods).

NAM MUEK is printer ink. Nothing fishy about it AFAIK.

As well as DI MUEK the sac can be ถุงหมึก (THUNG MUEK).

[Kanga Japan]

Dear AyG,

Thank you for all that information.

I'm glad I asked - it would have been embarrassing to use NAM MUEK.

I don't have squid shown as just MUEK, but there were 3 MUEK in my list without PLA as a prefix:

1. MUEK KRADONG (หมึกกระดอง)

Pharaoh cuttlefish - Sephia pharonis

Also known as:

PLA MUEK MAEKAI (ปลาหมึกแม่ไก่)

PLA MUEK NADIN ( ปลาหมึกหน้าดิน)

PLA MUEK KRADONG LAI SUEA (ปลาหมึกกระดองลายเสือ)

2. MUEK SOK (หมึกศอก)

Mitre squid - Photololigo chinensis

3. MUEK YAK (หมึกยักษ์0

Octopus - Octopoda (Octopus vulgaris)

I guess that I should insert PLA in front of these words.

By the way, I have 3 entries for PLA MUEK (ปลาหมึก):

1. Squid (calamari) - Teuthida (order) (I am thinking of removing the word 'calamari')

2. Cuttlefish (generic) (broad, eyes at front) - Sepiida (order)

3. Squid (generic) (slender, eyes at side) - Teuthida (order)

Thank you for your help.

[AyG]

Don't have time at the moment to dig further, but I'm sure there must be some distinction at some level between cuttlefish and squid in Thai. When my partner and I go for sushi he knows he doesn't like cuttlefish sushi but does like squid. Might see if I can dig up a Thai sushi menu tomorrow.

[Kanga Japan]

Dear AyG,

Absolutely no hurry.

I will check further myself.

[Kanga Japan]

I did some checking and it seems that the term PLA MUEK is used for both squid and cuttlefish, with PLA MUEK KRADONG (หมึกกระดอง) - Pharaoh cuttlefish mainly identified in the cuttlefish sites and PLA MUEK KLUAI (ปลาหมึกกล้วย) - mitre squid, splendid squid, banana squid mainly identified in the squid sites.

Just for AyG's (and anyone else's) information , I am attaching a copy of the information I have collected.

PLA MUEK YAK is often indicated as a giant squid, however I think it should be octopus.

There are also 3 sites which I found, referring to squid and cuttlefish:

http://www.gourmetropolis.com/product_detail.php?id=241&cat=seafood&typ=squids&language=TH

http://www.agri.kmitl.ac.th/km/blog/?p=1367

http://www.foodnetworksolution.com/wiki/word/3560/squid-หมึกกล้วย

Thanks for your help.

SQUID AND CUTTLEFISH PDF.pdf