Ingredient: Squid
Category: Seafood
Season: All
Squid are a large, diverse group of marine cephalopods . Like all cephalopods, squid are distinguished by having a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms.
Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms and two tentacles , arranged in pairs.
Many species of squid are popular as food in cuisines as diverse and separated as Korean and Italian.
In English-speaking countries, it is often known by the name “calamari”.
Individual species of squid are found abundantly in certain areas and provide large catches for fisheries.
The body can be stuffed whole, cut into flat pieces or sliced into rings.
The arms, tentacles and ink are also edible; in fact, the only parts of the squid that are not eaten are its beak and gladius (pen).
There are many ways in which squid is eaten worldwide.
In Italy, Turkey and Greece
Squid rings and arms are often coated in batter and fried in oil, the squid flesh is kept tender by keeping the cooking time as short as possible
Other recipes from these regions feature squid (or octopus) simmered slowly, often with tomatoes, the flesh is most tender when the cooking time is prolonged and reduced in temperature.
In Spain
The recipes:
Calamares a la romana, battered calamari, lit. roman-style calamari, has the calamari rings covered in a much thicker batter, deep fried and accompanied with lemon juice and mayonnaise or garlic mayonnaise.
Squid is also cooked in its own black ink, the name for this is Calamares en su tinta.
In the Philippines
Squid is most often cooked as adobong pusit, squid in adobo sauce, along with the ink, so it resembles the spanish calamares en su tinta, but with a tangier flavour, especially when fresh chillies are added.
In restaurants, the common style is battered calamari served with alioli, mayonnaise or chilli vinegar.
In casual bars, beer gardens and on the beaches, squid is grilled on coals, brushed with a soy sauce-based marinade, and sometimes stuffed with a tomato-onion filling.
In Korea
Live squid is freshly taken from a tank, killed, cleaned and served quickly.
Unlike octopus served in a similar fashion, squid tentacles do not usually continue to move for long enough to reach the dinner table.
This type of fresh squid is called 'San ojingo' (also with small octopuses called nakji).
The squid is served with wasabi/soy sauce, chili pepper sauce or sesame sauce with salt and often wrapped in lettuce or pillard leaves.
In the Mediterranean
Squid or cuttlefish ink is eaten in a variety of dishes, such as paella, risotto, soups and pasta; Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia (cuttlefish).
In Croatia
Squid is often eaten grilled and stuffed with pršut and cheese, accompanied by blitva (Swiss Chard)
Seafood stews often contain squid.
In Chinese and South East Asian cuisine
Squid is a common ingredient in a variety of dishes such as stir-fries, rice and noodle dishes. It is often heavily spiced.
Whole grilled squid is a common food item in Asia; they are popular at food stalls in China, Thailand, Japan and Taiwan.
In Sardinia
They are accompanied by a sauce, made from lemon, garlic, parsley, and olive oil.
In Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Russia, and most other former USSR regions
Pre-packaged Dried Shredded Squid or cuttlefish are popular snack items, mostly sold in a shredded form due to its chewiness.
In Japan
Squid is a common sushi and sashimi item.
In Japan and Korea
Squid (usually Firefly Squid or Spear Squid) is often made into shiokara (in Japanese) or chotkal (in Korean).
Heavily salted squid is left to ferment, sometimes with its innards, for up to a month, and is sold in small jars. This salty, strong flavoured item is served in small quantities as an accompaniment to white rice or alcoholic drinks.
In Korea
Dried squid is a popular accompaniment for alcoholic beverages.
Dried squid is often served with peanuts.
Squid is also served roasted, with hot pepper paste and/or mayonnaise as a dip sauce.
Steamed squid or boiled squid, is also a delicacy.
In Turkey
Squid can be an ingredient in dolma.
In India and Sri Lanka
Squid or cuttlefish is popular in coastal areas, mainly in Tamilnadu and in Kerala.
Squid is often eaten as deep fried or squid gravy.
In Tamilnadu
Squid are often called kanava or kadamba.
In the U.K.
Package holidays to Greece and Spain, cracked the British aversion to squid.
Scary though it may look, squid has a mild flavour, when cooked correctly, a dense but toothsome texture.
Chewy squid has been over-cooked.
Cook squid until all the flesh has become a proper, solid white colour (as opposed to the translucent appearance when raw), or simmer it for 20 minutes or more |