dried squid; dried cuttlefish
Common snack food made from dried squid or cuttlefish, often shredded or whole.
I bought some dried squid as a snack with drinks.
Japanese common squid (Todarodes pacificus)
The species of squid commonly used to make dried squid; also called 鯣烏賊 (するめいか).
See also: スルメイカ
something that grows on you over time
Slang prefix-like use, often in phrases like するめ映画 (a movie that gets better with repeated viewings).
Surume is a type of squid commonly caught in the seas around Japan.
That drama is a 'surume' drama—the more you watch it, the more interesting it gets.
するめいか specifically refers to the squid species, while するめ often means the dried food product.
いか is the general term for squid; するめ is specifically dried squid or the species used for it.
Japanese common squid; Pacific flying squid
Usually written in kana; the kanji 鯣 is rare and 寿留女 is ateji.
Katakana spelling is common in product names and casual writing.
Rare kanji spelling; not commonly used.
Ateji spelling; very rare and mainly historical.
The origin is uncertain; possibly related to 墨 (sumi, 'ink') from squid ink, but this is speculative.