Salty Squid (Dried)

Salty Dried Squid: Just Squid and Salt

The plain one, and that is the whole appeal. No sweetness, no chilli — just squid, salt, and the long slow dry that turns it into something you can pull apart for an hour. Clean and briny, with the flavour of the squid itself out in front instead of behind a seasoning. If you grew up on dried seafood, this is the version you remember.

How We Make It

• Cut into strips. Thin and even — thickness is what decides the chew.
• Salted, and nothing more. Measured salt alone. With no seasoning to hide behind, the quality of the squid is the entire product.
• Dried slowly. Time rather than heat. This is what gives the strips their texture and lets them keep without preservatives.
• Nothing artificial. No preservatives, no dyes, no sweeteners.

How to Eat It

• Torn along the grain. Pull strips into thinner threads with your fingers rather than biting through. Better texture, and a pack goes twice as far.
• With cold beer. Salt and lager. There is a reason this pairing has outlasted every food trend.
• Warmed for thirty seconds. A dry pan or a moment over a flame softens the chew and brings the aroma up.
• With mayonnaise and chilli flakes. How it is eaten across East Asia, and worth trying once — the fat rounds the salt off completely.
• In broth or rice dishes. A few strips add depth to a soup the way dried fish does.

Which Squid Should You Get?

We make three from the same squid, cut the same way. The difference is only the seasoning.

• Salty — this one. Plain, clean, briny. For purists, and the best one to cook with since nothing competes with the dish.
• BBQ squid. Sweet-savoury and caramelised. The crowd-pleaser.
• Spicy squid. Red pepper, building heat. For people who reach for the chilli by default.

Keeping It

Sealed and refrigerated at 32–39°F it keeps one to three months — dried squid is the most forgiving thing we sell. Once opened, press the air out and reseal; it will not spoil quickly, but it stiffens as it continues to dry.

Fuller guidance is in our storage guide.

Common Questions

How salty is it, really? Salty enough to want a drink beside it, which is the point. Less aggressive than most dried squid sold in bags — the cure is measured rather than heavy.

Is it tough? Chewy on purpose. Dried squid that gives easily has usually been softened with additives. Warm it briefly if you want it gentler.

Is it very fishy? No. Squid is mild, and drying concentrates savouriness rather than fishiness.

Does it contain shellfish? Squid is a mollusc, and shellfish allergies often extend to molluscs. If you are allergic, treat this as off-limits.