Squid as food

Squid is a popular food in many parts of the world. In English, dishes made from squid are often called calamari. There are many delicious ways to prepare and cook squid. Fried squid is especially common in the Mediterranean. In countries like New Zealand, Australia, the United States, Canada, and South Africa, you can find squid sold in fish and chip shops and steakhouses.

In Britain, squid is enjoyed in forms such as Mediterranean "calamari" or Asian "salt and pepper fried squid." It is often served as a tasty snack in bars, as street food, or as a starter in meals.

Squid can also be prepared in many other ways. In places like Korea and Japan, squid is sometimes eaten raw. It is also used in dishes such as sushi, sashimi, and tempura. Squid can be grilled, stuffed, covered in batter, stewed in gravy, or added to stir-fries, rice, and noodle dishes. In some parts of East Asia, dried shredded squid makes a popular snack.

Use

The body, arms, tentacles, and ink of squid are all edible. The only parts not eaten are the beak and a hard inner part called the gladius.

In many places around the world, squid is cooked in many different ways. In Chinese and Southeast Asian cooking, squid is used in stir-fries, rice, and noodle dishes. In China, Thailand, and Japan, squid is often grilled whole and sold at food stalls.

In Japan, squid is used in sushi, sashimi, and tempura. It can also be marinated, stewed, or grilled. In Korea, fresh squid is served with sauces and sometimes cooked on a pan. It is also made into salty, fermented dishes.

In the Philippines, squid is cooked in adobo sauce or deep-fried as a popular street food. In Taiwan, squid is used in stir-fries, soups, and night market dishes. In Thailand, squid is added to soups and stir-fries or eaten as a dried snack.

In the Middle East, squid is often fried or stuffed. In Egypt, Cyprus, and Turkey, squid rings are coated in batter and fried. In Lebanon, Turkey, and Palestine, fried squid is served with a special sauce.

Fried squid, known as calamari, is common in Mediterranean cooking. In Spain, it is served with lemon and mayonnaise. In Italy, Spain, Greece, and other countries, squid is fried or simmered with vegetables. In Portugal, squid is grilled, stuffed, or fried. In Malta, squid is stuffed with rice and stewed.

In Russia, squid is used in salads or stuffed with rice and vegetables. In South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, fried calamari is popular in fish and chip shops. In Australia, salt and pepper squid is a common dish.

In North America, fried squid is a popular appetizer in seafood restaurants. It is often served with various dips like mayonnaise or marinara sauce. In Mexico, it is served with local hot sauce. In the United States, efforts were made to make squid more popular in the 1970s and 1990s.

Etymology

The word calamari in English comes from similar words in Italian, Spanish, and Greek. All of these words trace back to a Latin term meaning "pen case" or "ink pot." This is because squid look a bit like a pen and also release a dark fluid, much like ink, when they are disturbed.

Nutritional value

Squid is a healthy food, similar to fish. It has a lot of protein and phosphorus, plus small amounts of calcium, thiamine, and riboflavin. Squid is mostly protein, making up between 67.5% and 80.7% of its weight, with a small amount of fat.

A study from 2016 on loligo squid showed that 13% of its weight is oil. This oil contains important fatty acids like omega-3 and omega-6, such as arachidonic acid, linolenic acid, linoleic acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).

Allergies

Some people can have reactions to eating calamari, which is a type of squid. This happens because of a substance called tropomyosin, found in molluscs like squid. It's important to know if you or someone you care for has a reaction to squid before eating it.