Without a doubt, one of the strangest dishes in Spanish cuisine has got to be chiperones en su tinta (squid in its ink). That’s the dish they’re referring to when they say that Spaniards are the only people that will eat completely pitch black food. The sauce is actually tomato sauce, but with just a little bit of ink, it turns jet black. Last weekend, my mother-in-law made some chiperones en su tinta for us to bring back with us, and today we had it for lunch. It’s really very delicious if you can get past the superficial psychological color barrier. Normally the squid are about fist-sized and filled with ground beef, but occasionally a little baby one will get into the mix and remind you just what you’re eating. Today, as I was soaking up the excess sauce with my bread, I noticed a little straggler was left behind and I took his picture. I’ve decided to name him Inky.

Besides being long since dead and cooked, it sure looked like he was trying to escape.

A profile shot. What an adorable little cephalopod.

From above. He’s still got all eight baby tentacles.

Finally, I set down the camera and popped Inky into my mouth. He was almost as chewy as he was cute.