What Is Calamari? Fun Facts, Recipes and More!

Squid are among the most common types of seafood eaten worldwide, but not all of these creatures are edible and only a few are actually used to make calamari available for consumption. Read on to find out more about calamari, how to cook them, its origins, and recipes you should try!

What Is Calamari?

Contrary to some common myths, calamari isn't really an octopus (or pig's rectum) but rather refers to a certain type of squid. The name came from the direct translation of the Italian word, Calamaro, which refers to squid.

More than 300 species of squid live in the world's oceans, but fewer than a dozen make up nearly the entire global market for culinary use. In the culinary industry, fresh squid may be marketed as calamari. This mollusk is related to both the cuttlefish and the octopus and the terminology (calamari) is actually an attempt to make it sound more high-end. However, there is no actual difference. The size of a squid can range in length anywhere from 1 inch up to 43 feet. Like its cousin the Octopus, the Squid has a defensive mechanism that releases dark ink when it senses a threat.

Herve Malivert, the director of culinary affairs at the Institute of Culinary Education, the edible ones are usually about less than 12 inches long. Their skin is usually thinner which makes them cook faster. Raw calamari has a milky white appearance, but when it's cooked, it turns opaque.

How to Cook Calamari

Squid is best cooked using high-heat cooking techniques such as grilling, baking, broiling, sauteing, and deep frying. You can eat it raw, such as sushi. You could also use a low and slow method for cooking meat, such as a braise in white wine, garlic, or tomato sauces or curries. Squid can be bought fresh, canned, frozen (or even smoked), dehydrated, and pickled. You can use the ink to flavor rice and pasta dishes.

The edible tentacles are often included on a plate of fried calamari dishes. However, the body is the prime section of meat which can be stuffed whole, cut into flat pieces, or even sliced crosswise into rings.

See More: A Complete Guide To Different Types Of Cooking Methods

Deep Fried Calamari Tips

Deep-frying calamari is one of the most well-known varieties of seafood consumed in the U.S. Here are a few tips to make the best deep-fried calamari.

• Make Sure to Make it In Small Batches: Fried calamari must be cooked at high temperatures. Put small batches into your fryer to avoid cooling down the oil which would result in your calamari being chewy and make it hard to eat.
• Pre-Soak the Squid: Many people think that the pre-soak is an optional step, but the fact is that it really improves the quality of the squid. The acidic pre-soak helps keep it juicy and tender and prevents it from drying out while improving the taste and making the coating stick better.
• Season with A Dash Of Salt After Frying: Make sure to season the calamari right away after removing it from the pan. This helps it adhere to and bind the flavors together.

What does calamari taste like?

The squid meat is known for having firm, slightly sweet meat, and a chewy texture It can sometimes taste slightly nutty and not much of a fishy taste. Even though it may not taste too good on its own, calamari can absorb any flavors from the sauce, seasoning, and other ingredients it’s cooked with.

Popular Calamari Dishes

Squid is a good introduction to seafood dishes because its mild flavor means it goes well with a variety of foods. It’s also easy to cook and versatile enough to be used for weeknight meals. You can pair classic deep-fried calamari with just salt and lemon, or with a dipping sauce.

Americans often batter calamari with cornmeal and fry it before serving it with marinara sauce. It's used in a wide range of different foods around the world. Here are the most popular dishes you may want to try:

• Cioppino/Brodetto: Italian fish stew
• Ceviche: Peruvian dish with raw, seasoned fish
• Salt and pepper squid: Chinese dish with battered and deep-fried squid
• Kalamarakia Yemista: Greek dish of stuffed squid stuffed
• Paella
• Jjampong: Spicy Korean noodle soup
• Frutti di mare: Spicy Italian pasta dish
• Fritto Misto: Consists of battered and fried pieces of seafood and vegetables
• Ika Sansai: Cold Japanese salad
• Yakimono: Japanese dish with skewers of roasted squid

Where to Buy Calamari?

Fresh calamari can be bought at most fish markets, and in some cases, in the seafood section at your local grocery store. You can purchase the squid whole and ask your fishmonger to clean it for you since it can be a messy process. You may also choose to clean it yourself especially if you will use squid ink to add flavor to recipes. Take note that you should clean the squid to eliminate all the parts that are inedible such as the beak, cuttlebone, entrails, and skin.

If you can't get fresh calamari, check the frozen section for frozen calamari which can be bought as frozen whole squids or already cut up into rings or pieces. The frozen variety may actually taste better than fresh calamari because freezing breaks down the muscles which would make them easier to chew.

How to Properly Store Calamari

Once you've taken the calamari home, store it in an air-tight plastic container on top of a layer of crushed ice. Ideally, prepare it within 24 hours. You can store cooked squid in the refrigerator for up to three days if kept in zip-top freezer bags. Frozen squid will keep for up to two months.

• To preserve it, put the squid into a plastic freezer storage container and squeeze out as much of the air as possible before sealing the lid.
• Make sure to put labels on the bags and include the expiration dates so you know when they expire.

To defrost them,

• Defrost the still-sealed bag of frozen calamari in the fridge in advance.
• If you don't have much time, you can just put the calamari into a large bowl filled with cold water and let it sit there for 5 to 10 minutes before draining it.

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Where do They Come From?

Squids can be found in almost any ocean and sea on Earth — except for the Black Seas. Much of this squid is caught off the coasts of California (especially Monterey Bay) and Rhode Island in the United States.

Squid has long been an important part of many different cultures' diets, particularly in the Mediterranean regions, southern Europe, and eastern Asia. Until the 1970s, the squid was mainly used as fishing bait in the United States. However, after the popularity of other types of fish increased, squid became less common. Because of this, fishermen started selling squid to local marketplaces, and chefs began experimenting with using it in their recipes. By the 1980s, the calamari was available on many restaurant menus across the United States.

About 22 million pounds of fish are caught off the coast of Rhode Island each year, according to Crown Restaurant Group chef-owners Anthony Sitek.

Longfin squids are caught off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It can also be seen in the Gulf of Venezuela, the Canadian province of Newfoundland, and the Caribbean Sea.

The Pacific Loliginid squid, also known as pacific market squid, is mainly caught between Punta Eugenia in Baja, California, and Monterey Bay, CA, but can also be caught off the southeast coast of Alaska.

Ready To Amp Up Your Cooking?

If you plan to serve this tasty popular dish to your customers, you might want to consider investing in good restaurant types of equipment. Here at Culinary Depot, we help you decide which equipment or dishware is suitable. Get in touch with us today!