Squid is eaten in many cuisines; in English, the
culinary name
Culinary names, menu names, or kitchen names are names of foods used in the preparation or selling of food, as opposed to their names in agriculture or in scientific nomenclature. The menu name may even be different from the kitchen name. For exa ...
calamari is often used for
squid dishes.
['' Oxford English Dictionary'', 3rd edition, 2002]
''s.v.''
/ref> There are many ways to prepare and cook squid. Fried squid is common in the Mediterranean. In New Zealand, Australia, the United States, Canada, and South Africa, it is sold in fish and chip
Fish are Aquatic animal, aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack Limb (anatomy), limbs with Digit (anatomy), digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and Chondrichthyes, cartilaginous and bony fish as we ...
shops. In Britain, it can be found in Mediterranean 'calamari' or Asian 'salt and pepper fried squid' forms in various establishments, often served as a bar snack, street food, or starter.
Squid can be prepared for consumption in a number of other ways. In Korea, it is sometimes served raw, and elsewhere it is used as sushi, sashimi and tempura items, grilled, stuffed, covered in batter, stewed in gravy and served in stir-fries, rice, and noodle dishes. Dried shredded squid
Dried shredded squid is a dried, shredded, seasoned, seafood product, made from squid or cuttlefish, commonly found in coastal Asian countries, Russia, and Hawaii. The snack is also referred to as dried shredded cuttlefish.
History and origins
H ...
is a common snack in some Asian regions, including East Asia.
Use
The body (mantle
A mantle is a piece of clothing, a type of cloak. Several other meanings are derived from that.
Mantle may refer to:
*Mantle (clothing), a cloak-like garment worn mainly by women as fashionable outerwear
**Mantle (vesture), an Eastern Orthodox ve ...
) can be stuffed whole, cut into flat pieces or sliced into rings. The arms, tentacles, and ink are edible; the only parts of the squid that are not eaten are its beak and gladius
''Gladius'' () is a Latin word meaning "sword" (of any type), but in its narrow sense it refers to the sword of ancient Roman foot soldiers. Early ancient Roman swords were similar to those of the Greeks, called '' xiphe'' (plural; singular ''xi ...
(pen).
Asia
China
In Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of v ...
and Southeast Asian cuisine
This is a list of Asian cuisines, by region. A cuisine is a characteristic style of cooking practices and traditions, usually associated with a specific culture or region. Asia, being the largest, most populous and culturally diverse continent, ...
, squid is used in stir-fries, rice, and noodle dishes. It may be heavily spiced.
In China, Thailand, and Japan squid is grilled whole and sold in food stalls.
Pre-packaged dried shredded squid
Dried shredded squid is a dried, shredded, seasoned, seafood product, made from squid or cuttlefish, commonly found in coastal Asian countries, Russia, and Hawaii. The snack is also referred to as dried shredded cuttlefish.
History and origins
H ...
or cuttlefish are snack items in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, China and Russia, often shredded to reduce chewiness.
Japan
In Japan, squid is used in almost every type of dish, including sushi
is a Japanese dish of prepared , usually with some sugar and salt, accompanied by a variety of , such as seafood, often raw, and vegetables. Styles of sushi and its presentation vary widely, but the one key ingredient is "sushi rice," also ...
, sashimi, and tempura. It can also be marinated in soy sauce ('' ika okizuke''), stewed (''nabemono
''Nabemono'' (鍋物, なべ物, ''nabe'' "cooking pot" + ''mono'' "thing"), or simply ''nabe'', is a variety of Japanese hot pot dishes, also known as one pot dishes and "things in a pot".
Description
Nabemono are stews and soups containing ...
''), and grilled (''ikayaki
is a popular fast food in Japan. In much of Japan, the term refers to simple grilled squid topped with soy sauce; the portion of squid served may be the whole body (minus entrails), rings cut from the body, or one or more tentacles, depending o ...
'').
Korea
In Korea, squid is sometimes killed and served quickly. Unlike octopus, squid tentacles do not usually continue to move when reaching the table. This fresh squid is 산 오징어 (''san ojingeo'') (also with small octopuses called ''nakji''). The squid is served with Korean mustard, soy sauce, chili sauce, or sesame sauce. It is salted and wrapped in lettuce or perilla leaves. Squid is also marinated in hot pepper sauce and cooked on a pan (Nakji Bokum or Ojingeo Bokum/Ojingeo-chae-bokkeum
''Ojingeo-chae-bokkeum'' () is a ''bokkeum'' (stir-fried dish) made with dried shredded squid—called ''ojingeo-chae'' in Korean— and gochujang-based sauce. Like other dry ''banchan'' (side dish), it can be stored for a long time and retain its ...
). They are also served by food stands as a snack food, battered and deep fried or grilled using hot skillets. They are also cut up into small pieces to be added to 해물파전 (Korean Seafood Pancake) or a variety of spicy seafood soups. Dried squid may also accompany alcoholic beverages as '' anju''. Dried squid is served with peanuts. Squid is roasted and served with hot pepper paste or mayonnaise as a dip. Steamed squid and boiled squid are delicacies.
Also in Korea, squid is made into ''jeotgal
''Jeotgal'' () or ''jeot'' (), translated as salted seafood, is a category of salted preserved dishes made with seafood such as shrimps, oysters, clams, fish, and roe. Depending on the ingredients, ''jeotgal'' can range from flabby, solid pi ...
'' (salted seafood). The ''ojingeo-jeot
''Ojingeo-jeot'' () or salted squid is a ''jeotgal'' (젓갈, salted seafood) made by salting and fermenting thinly sliced squid. It is a popular ''banchan'' (side dish) with high protein, vitamin and mineral contents.
Preparation
Squid is s ...
'', thin strips of skinned, gutted, washed, salted, and fermented squid seasoned with spicy '' gochugaru'' (chili powder)-based spices and minced aromatic vegetables, is a popular ''banchan
''Banchan'' (, from Korean: ) or bansang are small side dishes served along with cooked rice in Korean cuisine. As the Korean language does not distinguish between singular and plural grammatically, the word is used for both one such dish or ...
'' (side dish) served in small quantities as an accompaniment to bap (cooked rice). In Japan, similar dish is called ''ika-no-shiokara
, is a food in Japanese cuisine made from various marine animals that consists of small pieces of meat in a brown viscous paste of the animal's heavily salted, fermented viscera.
The raw viscera are mixed with about 10% salt, 30% malted rice, ...
''. The heavily salted squid (usually sparkling enope (firefly) squid or Spear Squid
''Heterololigo'' is a monotypic genus of squids containing the single species ''Heterololigo bleekeri''. It was formerly classified in the genus ''Loligo''; some authors still include it there, but DNA evidence supports its separation into a gen ...
), sometimes with innards, ferments for as long as a month, and is preserved in small jars. This salty, strong flavoured item is served in small quantities as an accompaniment to white rice or alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage (also called an alcoholic drink, adult beverage, or a drink) is a drink that contains ethanol, a type of alcohol that acts as a drug and is produced by fermentation of grains, fruits, or other sources of sugar. The con ...
s.
Philippines
In the Philippines, squid is cooked as '' adobong pusit'', squid in adobo sauce, along with the ink, imparting a tangy flavour, especially with fresh chillies. Battered squid rings, which is also sold as a popular deep-fried street food called ''calamares
Squid is eaten in many cuisines; in English, the culinary name calamari is often used for squid dishes.'' Oxford English Dictionary'', 3rd edition, 2002''s.v.''/ref> There are many ways to prepare and cook squid. Fried squid is common in the M ...
'' in the Philippines, is served with alioli, mayonnaise or chilli vinegar. Squid is grilled on charcoal, brushed with a soy sauce-based marinade, and stuffed with tomato and onions. Another recipe is ''rellenong pusit'', stuffed with finely-chopped vegetables, squid fat, and ground pork. A variant of ''pancit
Pancit ( ), also spelled pansít, is a general term referring to various traditional noodle dishes in Filipino cuisine. There are numerous types of pancit, often named based on the noodles used, method of cooking, place of origin, or the ingre ...
'' noodles is '' pancit pusit'', which is ''pancit bihon
Rice vermicelli is a thin form of noodle. It is sometimes referred to as 'rice noodles' or 'rice sticks', but should not be confused with cellophane noodles, a different Asian type of vermicelli made from mung bean starch or rice starch rather ...
'' with squid added, along with the ink, giving the noodles its dark color.
South Asia
In India and Sri Lanka, squid or cuttlefish is eaten in coastal areas for example, in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Squid are eaten deep fried (Koonthal Fry) or as squid gravy (koonthal varattiyathu/Roast). In Kerala and Tamil Nadu, squid is called ''koonthal'', ''kanava'' or ''kadamba''. In Coastal Karnataka, squid is also called ''bondaas''.
Middle East
In Egypt, Cyprus, and Turkey, squid rings and arms are coated in batter and fried in oil. Other recipes from these regions simmer squid with vegetables. Squid is also often stuffed.
In Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, fried squid is served with tarator
Tzatziki ( el, τζατζίκι), also known as tarator or cacık (), is a dip, soup, or sauce found in the cuisines of Southeast Europe and the Middle East. It is made of salted strained yogurt or diluted yogurt mixed with cucumbers, garl ...
, a sauce made using tahini. Like many seafood dishes, it may be served with a slice of lemon.
Europe
Southern Europe
Fried squid (calamari fritti) is a dish in Mediterranean cuisine. It consists of batter-coated squid, deep-fried for less than two minutes to prevent toughness. It is served plain, with salt and lemon on the side.
In Spain, (''rabas'' or ''calamares a la romana'', battered calamari, lit. ''Roman-style calamari'') has the calamari rings covered in a thick batter, deep fried, and with lemon juice and mayonnaise or garlic mayonnaise. Battered and fried baby squid is ''puntillitas''. Squid stewed in its own black ink is called ''calamares en su tinta'' or ''chipirones en su tinta'' resulting a black stew-like dish in which squid meat is very tender and is accompanied by a thick black sauce usually made with onion, tomato, squid ink, among others.
In Spain and Italy, squid or cuttlefish ink is eaten in dishes such as paella, risotto, soups
Soup is a primarily liquid food, generally served warm or hot (but may be cool or cold), that is made by combining ingredients of meat or vegetables with stock, milk, or water. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingre ...
and pasta.
In Spain, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Portugal and Croatia, squid rings and arms are coated in batter and fried in oil. Other recipes from these regions feature squid (or octopus
An octopus ( : octopuses or octopodes, see below for variants) is a soft-bodied, eight- limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda (, ). The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids, cuttlef ...
) simmered slowly, with vegetables such as squash or tomato. When frying, the squid flesh is kept tender by short cooking time. When simmering, the flesh is most tender when cooking is prolonged with reduced temperature. In Greece or Cyprus it is served also with Tzatziki a Greek yoghurt, cucumber mint dip.
In Sardinia, squid are served with a sauce made from lemon, garlic, parsley, and olive oil.
In Portugal, ''lulas'' are commonly eaten grilled whole, in kebabs of squid rings with bell peppers and onion (" espetadas") or stewed. Also stuffed with minced meat and stewed ("Lulas Recheadas"). The battered version is known as 'lulas à sevilhana', named after Seville, the Andalusian city that popularised the dish. The city of Setúbal
Setúbal (, , ; cel-x-proto, Caetobrix) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population in 2014 was 118,166, occupying an area of . The city itself had 89,303 inhabitants in 2001. It lies within the Lisbon metropolitan area.
In the t ...
is also known for its fried cuttlefish
Cuttlefish or cuttles are marine molluscs of the order Sepiida. They belong to the class Cephalopoda which also includes squid, octopuses, and nautiluses. Cuttlefish have a unique internal shell, the cuttlebone, which is used for control o ...
(''Choco frito 'à setubalense).
In Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
, ''klamar mimli'' involves stuffing the squid with rice, breadcrumbs, parsley, garlic and capers and then gently stewing in red wine.
In Slovenia, squid are eaten grilled and stuffed with pršut and cheese, with ''blitva'' (Swiss chard
Chard or Swiss chard (; ''Beta vulgaris'' subsp. ''vulgaris'', Cicla Group and Flavescens Group) is a green leafy vegetable. In the cultivars of the Flavescens Group, the leaf stalks are large and often prepared separately from the leaf blad ...
).
Russia
In Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eight ...
, a lightly boiled julienned
Julienne, , or french cut, is a culinary knife cut in which the food item is cut into long thin strips, similar to matchsticks. Common items to be julienned are carrots for , celery for , potatoes for julienne fries, or cucumbers for .
Trimmin ...
squid with onion rings, garnished with mayonnaise, makes a salad. Another dish is a squid stuffed with rice and vegetables and then roasted.
Commonwealth
In South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, fried calamari is popular in fish and chip
Fish are Aquatic animal, aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack Limb (anatomy), limbs with Digit (anatomy), digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and Chondrichthyes, cartilaginous and bony fish as we ...
shops; imitation calamari of white fish may also be used.
North America
In North America, fried squid is a staple in seafood restaurants. It is served as an appetizer
An hors d'oeuvre ( ; french: hors-d'œuvre ), appetiser or starter is a small dish served before a meal in European cuisine. Some hors d'oeuvres are served cold, others hot. Hors d'oeuvres may be served at the dinner table as a part of the ...
, garnished with parsley, or sprinkled with parmesan cheese
Parmesan ( it, Parmigiano Reggiano; ) is an Italian hard, granular cheese produced from cows’ milk and aged at least 12 months.
It is named after two of the areas which produce it, the provinces of Parma and Reggio Emilia (''Parmigiano'' ...
. It is served with dips: peppercorn mayonnaise
Mayonnaise (; ), colloquially referred to as "mayo" , is a thick, cold, and creamy sauce or dressing commonly used on sandwiches, hamburgers, composed salads, and French fries. It also forms the base for various other sauces, such as tartar s ...
, tzatziki, marinara sauce, tartar sauce
Tartar sauce (French: ''sauce tartare''; spelled tartare sauce in the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, South Africa) is a condiment made of mayonnaise, chopped pickles and/or relish, capers, and herbs such as tarragon and dill. Tartar ...
, or cocktail sauce
Cocktail sauce, also known as seafood sauce, is one of several types of cold or room temperature sauces often served as part of a dish referred to as a seafood cocktail or as a condiment with other seafoods. The sauce, and the dish for which it i ...
. In Mexico it is served with Tabasco sauce
Tabasco is an American brand of hot sauce made from vinegar, tabasco peppers ('' Capsicum frutescens'' var. ''tabasco''), and salt. It is produced by McIlhenny Company of Avery Island in south Louisiana, having been created over 150 years ago ...
or habanero
The habanero (; ) is a hot variety of chili. Unripe habaneros are green, and they color as they mature. The most common color variants are orange and red, but the fruit may also be white, brown, yellow, green, or purple. Typically, a ripe haba ...
. Other dips, such as ketchup
Ketchup or catsup is a table condiment with a sweet and tangy flavor. The unmodified term ("ketchup") now typically refers to tomato ketchup, although early recipes used egg whites, mushrooms, oysters, grapes, mussels, or walnuts, among oth ...
, aioli
Aioli, allioli or aïoli ( or ; Provençal oc, alhòli or ''aiòli'' ; ca, allioli ; es, alioli ) is a cold sauce consisting of an emulsion of garlic and olive oil; it is found in the cuisines of the northwest Mediterranean, from Andalusia ...
, and olive oil are used. In the United States, the government and industry worked together to popularize calamari consumption in the 1990s.
In the United States, in an attempt to popularize squid as a protein source in the 1970s, researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology developed a squid-gutting machine, and submitted squid cocktail, rings, and chowder
Chowder is a thick soup prepared with milk or cream, a roux, and seafood or vegetables. Oyster crackers or saltines may accompany chowders as a side item, and cracker pieces may be dropped atop the dish. New England clam chowder is typical ...
to a 70-person tasting panel for market research.[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - United States. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Google Books](_blank)
/ref> Despite a general lack of popularity of squid in the United States, as aside from the internal "ethnic market" polling had shown a negative public perception of squid foods, the tasting panel gave the dishes "high marks".
During the 2020 Democratic National Convention
The 2020 Democratic National Convention was a presidential nominating convention that was held from August 17 to 20, 2020, at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and virtually across the United States. At the convention, delegates of ...
, calamari was featured prominently during the virtual roll call for the state of Rhode Island.
Etymology
The direct source of the English name ''calamari'' is disputed, with Spanish ''calamar'', Italian ''calamaro'' (plural ''calamari''), and Modern Greek ''kalamári'' being cited. Ultimately, all of these terms derive from the Late Latin ''calamarium'', "pen case" or "ink pot", itself from the Latin ''calamarius'', "pertaining to a writing-reed", after the resemblance in shape and the inky fluid that squid secrete; ''calamarius'' in turn derives from the Greek ''kalamos'' 'reed' or 'pen'.
Nutritional value
The nutritional value of squid compares favorably with fishes, having high content of protein and phosphorus with traces of calcium, thiamine, and riboflavin. Squid are 67.5–80.7% protein and 2.22–8.48% fat. A 2016 study of loligo squid found that 13% of the wet weight was oil, which was a rich source of omega-3
Omega−3 fatty acids, also called Omega-3 oils, ω−3 fatty acids or ''n''−3 fatty acids, are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) characterized by the presence of a double bond, three atoms away from the terminal methyl group in their chem ...
and omega-6
Omega-6 fatty acids (also referred to as ω-6 fatty acids or ''n''-6 fatty acids) are a family of polyunsaturated fatty acids that have in common a final carbon-carbon double bond in the ''n''-6 position, that is, the sixth bond, counting from ...
fatty acids (2.78% arachidonic acid
Arachidonic acid (AA, sometimes ARA) is a polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acid 20:4(ω-6), or 20:4(5,8,11,14). It is structurally related to the saturated arachidic acid found in cupuaçu butter. Its name derives from the New Latin word ''arachi ...
, 3.10% linolenic acid
Linolenic acid is a type of naturally-occurring fatty acid. It can refer to either of two octadecatrienoic acids (i.e. with an 18-carbon chain and three double bonds, which are found in the '' cis'' configuration), or a mixture of the two. Linol ...
, 5.20% linoleic acid
Linoleic acid (LA) is an organic compound with the formula COOH(CH2)7CH=CHCH2CH=CH(CH2)4CH3. Both alkene groups are ''cis''. It is a fatty acid sometimes denoted 18:2 (n-6) or 18:2 ''cis''-9,12. A linoleate is a salt or ester of this acid.
L ...
, 15.40% docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and 9.60% eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)).
Allergies
Allergies to calamari can occur. As with other molluscs
Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is estim ...
, the allergen
An allergen is a type of antigen that produces an abnormally vigorous immune response in which the immune system fights off a perceived threat that would otherwise be harmless to the body. Such reactions are called allergies.
In technical terms ...
is probably tropomyosin
Tropomyosin is a two-stranded alpha-helical, coiled coil protein found in actin-based cytoskeletons.
Tropomyosin and the actin skeleton
All organisms contain organelles that provide physical integrity to their cells. These type of organelles ar ...
.Auckland Allergy Clinic, "Seafood Allergy"
Gallery
File:Fried baby squid.jpg, Chinese-style fried baby squid
File:Ikameshi 001.jpg, Japanese '' Ikameshi''
File:Ika somen by jetalone in Minato, Tokyo.jpg, Japanese ''Ika Sōmen
refer to a type of sashimi that is made from raw squid cut into fine strips, vaguely resembling ''sōmen'' type noodles. They are typically served with grated ginger and soy sauce or a soy sauce-based mentsuyu sauce. They are slurped up, much ...
'' (squid noodle)
File:Nigirizushi_(hotaru-ika).jpg, Japanese ''sushi
is a Japanese dish of prepared , usually with some sugar and salt, accompanied by a variety of , such as seafood, often raw, and vegetables. Styles of sushi and its presentation vary widely, but the one key ingredient is "sushi rice," also ...
''
File:Shiokara_001.jpg, Japanese ''Ika no shiokara
, is a food in Japanese cuisine made from various marine animals that consists of small pieces of meat in a brown viscous paste of the animal's heavily salted, fermented viscera.
The raw viscera are mixed with about 10% salt, 30% malted rice, ...
''
File:Squid steaks, uncooked.jpg, Squid steaks, uncooked
File:Squid jerky.jpg, Squid jerky
File:Ojingeojeot (squid jeotgal).jpg, Korean ''ojingeo-jeot
''Ojingeo-jeot'' () or salted squid is a ''jeotgal'' (젓갈, salted seafood) made by salting and fermenting thinly sliced squid. It is a popular ''banchan'' (side dish) with high protein, vitamin and mineral contents.
Preparation
Squid is s ...
'' (salted squid)
File:Ojingeo sundae (stuffed squid) 2.jpg, Korean ''ojingeo- sundae'' (stuffed squid)
File:Ojingeo-twigim and gochu-twigim 2.jpg, Korean Ojingeo-Twigim along with Gochu-Twigim. Ojingeo is squid whereas Gochu is pepper
See also
* Fish as food
* List of deep fried foods
This is a list of deep fried foods and dishes. Deep frying is a cooking method in which food is submerged in hot fat, such as cooking oil. This is normally performed with a deep fryer or chip pan, and industrially, a pressure fryer or vacuum f ...
* List of seafood dishes
* Octopus as food
People of some cultures eat octopus. The arms and sometimes other body parts are prepared in various ways, often varying by species and/or geography.
Octopuses are sometimes eaten or prepared alive, a practice that is controversial due to scient ...
* Pain in invertebrates
Pain in invertebrates is a contentious issue. Although there are numerous definitions of pain, almost all involve two key components. First, nociception is required. This is the ability to detect noxious stimuli which evokes a reflex response th ...
References
External links
*
{{Cuisine of Greece
Appetizers
Animal-based seafood
Chinese cuisine
Japanese cuisine
Korean cuisine
Vietnamese cuisine
Philippine cuisine
Lao cuisine
Thai cuisine
Sri Lankan seafood dishes
French cuisine
Portuguese cuisine
Greek cuisine
Spanish cuisine
Italian cuisine
Seafood
Deep fried foods
Tapas
Molluscs as food