Calamari is an exquisite thing. Not only is the elegance of this food conveyed in its fresh, delicate taste, but even its name demonstrates its beauty. Ca-la-ma-ri: doesn’t that just sound delicious? Squid has many incarnations and adds a wonderful hint of the exotic to your meal.
Calamari in a pickled salad with lemon.
Out of the ocean blue
The word calamari is simply the Italian name for squid. This sea creature can be caught all around the world–Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. The Mediterranean is a hotspot for the squid fit for calamari fritti–that is, fried calamari–and consequently fishermen have been catching them off the coast of Italy for centuries.
Sicilian fishermen. (Source: Flikr)
A place at the table
The popularity of calamari here in the United States has been steady in seafood restaurants and Italian restaurants alike. It is most commonly encountered as an appetizer, a platter of fried-to-order, parsley-garnished rings for the table. Serving calamari with a dipping sauce, such as aioli, tzatziki, marinara, tartar, or cocktail sauce, is also standard practice. And here’s an interesting fact: in the 70’s, MIT researchers attempted to introduce the mainstream market to squid as a protein source by developing specialized squid processing equipment and testing out recipes like squid chowder with focus groups.
Fried calamari appetizer. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
A true delicacy
While calamari never became a household staple the way the researchers hoped, we like the place it holds in our diets. Calamari remains a delicacy, something that you most likely only encounter in the restaurant, fresh, drenched in ambiance. This is the kind of treatment all food deserves, but seafood especially. Add a little brightness from lemon juice and it’s an unmatchable experience.
Three Spanish bocadillos de calamares, aka fried squid sandwiches. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Around the world
Another preparation of calamari, bocadillo de calamares, is a staple Madrid street food worth mentioning. Once you’re handed the hot, freshly fried seafood on a hard roll, you may be surprised that this simple sandwich has no sauce. Once you bite in, however, it’s clear it’s a lot more than just bread and calamari. The virtue is in its freshness: texture, flavor, and aroma all come together for a quick bite of heaven.
