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A squid (known as Calamari in Italian) belongs to the general family
of mollusk and looks like a mini octopus because of its tentacles. Just
like the octopus it discharges a dark fluid into the face of its
predator when threatened with potential danger. The average length of an
edible squid generally varies from one inch to twelve inches although
some colossal squids could be as big as sixty feet.
The squid, which forms a part of most Mediterranean cuisines, has a
firm, white and sweet tasting meat. The main body of the Calamari is
used for most dishes because it can be cut into pieces, sliced or
stuffed whole even though the tentacles are edible too. The reason
behind the high popularity of squid is that excepting its hard beak and
gladius (pen), its entire body can be prepared in almost any process
possible, including raw sushi spreads.
The other reason for the high preference for squid is its ready
availability in fresh, canned, frozen, dried and pickled versions. You
will find most restaurants in Spain, Italy and Greece displaying
calamari recipes in their menus. Beyond Europe, fried Calamari is also a
well-liked seafood dish in North America. In fact, fried squid rings are
often served as appetizer and look mouth-watering because of Parmesan
cheese, parsley and lemon garnishing.
In Mexico, Calamari is served with peppercorn mayonnaise, tzatziki or
habanero. In Asian countries such as China and Korea, fried calamari is
diced and battered and served with a topping of marinara sauce, spicy
chili and salt. The squid could also be cooked in mediums such as
ketchup, aioli, and olive oil.
Fried calamari is a simple to make dish as the squid simply needs to be
dipped in a batter and fried for approx two minutes to get a tender and
tasty snack that you could eat plain or sprinkled with salt and lemon.
Some other highly in demand variations of calamari fry are fried baby
squid called Puntillitas, Rabas de Calamar, breaded Calamari and Living
Squid.
The fried baby squid recipes are prepared both in Spain and China. The
Rabas de Calamar consists of deep fried squid tentacles. Breaded
calamari looks rather like a sandwich where the squid is grilled and
stuffed between bread slices along with rice and vegetables. The squid
is a rich source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids although it also has
considerably high cholesterol content.
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