Firefly Squid (ホタルイカ)

Firefly squid, known as hotaru ika (ホタルイカ) in Japanese, is a small bioluminescent squid that Japan treats as a spring delicacy. Toyama Bay is the place most closely associated with it, because every spring huge numbers of females rise from deep water toward the coast, and their blue light turns the night sea into something people travel a long way to see. On the plate, though, hotaru ika is simply excellent food. Cooks boil it whole, dress it with vinegared miso, marinate it in soy sauce, grill it or toss it through pasta. This guide covers what firefly squid tastes like, when it is in season, how Japan eats it, why it glows and how to handle it safely. TOCWhat Is Firefly Squid? Firefly squid showcasing bioluminescence in its deep-sea environment, a unique marine species in Japan. Firefly squid is a small squid species, Watasenia scintillans, that lives in the waters around Japan. Namerikawa City in Toyama describes it as a squid roughly 7 cm in mantle length and about 10 g in weight, living at depths of 200 to 600 meters and completing its life cycle in a single year. Its body carries around a thousand tiny light organs, and those organs are what gave the species its name. Firefly...