Because the content of protein and fat in dried squid is as high as 80%, and its moisture content is very small, it determines that the tissue structure of dried squid is quite compact and covered with fat. If dried squid is soaked in water, it is difficult for water molecules to penetrate into the tissues of dried squid. Therefore, soaking dried squid in water will not make dried squid soft.
When the dried squid is soaked in alkali solution, the sodium hydroxide component in the alkali solution can destroy the effect of fat to prevent the penetration of water molecules, and make the solid peptide bond in protein become a loose denatured peptide bond, so that water molecules can smoothly penetrate into the protein molecules of dried squid, and the dried squid can quickly absorb water and expand, making the foam thick and soft.
Extended data:
With the development of production and consumption, the domestic sales volume of dried squid has gradually increased. There are generally two kinds of dried squid in the market: long and oval. The former is dried soft fish and the latter is dried cuttlefish, and the former is superior to the latter in quality.
When purchasing, it is better to be white and bright in color, flat and thin in quality, uniform in shape, slightly reddish in meat, dry and fishy. The lean meat has poor color difference and swelling. Dried squid is often sold in all seasons, so it only needs to be soaked in cold water in advance every holiday, and the soaking time depends on the size and thickness of dried squid and the cold and hot climate.
Generally, it takes 3-4 hours. If the meat is thick and the climate is cold, the soaking time should be long. Then put a little soda ash in clear water to dissolve, put the soaked dried squid into soaking 1 hour, take it out, soak it in clear water for about 3 hours, remove the alkaline smell, and then cook. 50 grams of dried squid can rise to about 300 grams.
References:
Dried squid _ Baidu encyclopedia