How to Make Squid Ink Tuiles -- Why is the Geometry Hexagonal?

About Squid Ink Tuiles

Squid ink tuiles are a very easy to make garnish (tuile). They only require flour, water, oil and squid ink. And you will end up with a beautiful modernist cuisine garnish.

How to Make Squid Ink Tuile

Ingredients

90 g water

30 g oil

10 g flour

1 tsp squid ink

Method

1) Mix together till smooth 10 grams of all purpose flour, 90 grams of water, and 5 gams of squid ink. Then mix in 30 grams of a neutral oil with a high smoke point such as avocado or grapeseed oil.

2) Using a small nontick pan on medium high heat add some oil to the pan and spread out the oil.

3) Pour some of the mixture into the pan. Stand back a bit because it will splatter everywhere. Let the batter cook until the bubbling almost completely stops and the surface of the tile started to look matte. Then using your spatula, gently lift the tile out of the pan and place it onto the paper towel lined tray. And repeat.

Why do Squid Ink Tuiles form a Hexagonal Shape

About Lava Flows from Volcanoes

"...Columnar jointing produces some of the most stunning scenic aspects of lava flows and other volcanic deposits found in national parks. Columnar jointing consists of sets of regularly spaced parallel fractures (joints) that intersect in a roughly prismatic pattern. Most columns are hexagonal, but they may have anywhere from three to seven sides..."

The predominantly hexagonal pattern arises because contractional stress is most efficiently relieved by three fractures that intersect at angles of 120 degrees, which in turn creates six-sided polygons. Columns are oriented perpendicular to the main cooling surfaces of lava flows and other igneous bodies. Columnar jointing forms after a lava flow or other igneous body has solidified, but while it is still at high to medium temperature. It is thought that columnar jointing forms during rapid cooling and that the development of the fracture system allows fluids to circulate which can further hasten the rate of cooling.

References and Video from Squid Ink Tuiles