Squid as food
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Squid is a popular food in many parts of the world. In many of the languages around the Mediterranean sea, squid are referred to by a term related to the Italian "calamari" (singular "calamaro"), which in English has become a culinary name for Mediterranean dishes involving squid, especially fried squid ("fried calamari").[1]
Fried squid
Fried squid (fried calamari, calamari) is a dish in Mediterranean cuisine. It consists of batter-coated, deep fried squid, fried for less than two minutes to prevent toughness. It is served plain, with salt and lemon on the side.
In North America, it is a staple in Italian, Greek, Turkish and seafood restaurants, as well as a snack. It is served as an appetizer, garnished with parsley, or sprinkled with parmesan cheese. It is served with dips: peppercorn mayonnaise, tzatziki, or in the United States, marinara sauce, tartar sauce, or cocktail sauce. In Mexico it is served with Tabasco sauce or habanero. Other dips, such as ketchup, aioli, and olive oil are used. Like many seafood dishes, it may be served with a slice of lemon.
In Australia, fried calamari is popular in fish and chip shops; imitation calamari of white fish may also be used. When offered for sale as whole fresh animals, the term Calamari should only be used to describe the Northern and Southern Calamari (Sepioteuthis spp.), however once prepared as food it is common to apply the term calamari to any squid species and even cuttlefish. [citation needed]
Squid preparation
The body (mantle) can be stuffed whole, cut into flat pieces or sliced into rings. The arms, tentacles and ink are edible; the only parts of the squid that are not eaten are its beak and gladius (pen).
- In the Mediterranean, squid or cuttlefish ink is eaten in dishes such as paella, risotto, soups and pasta; Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia (cuttlefish).
- In Portugal lulas are popular in Algarve and are eaten with prosciutto and salad
- In Sardinia, squid have a sauce made from lemon, garlic, parsley, and olive oil.
- In Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Spain and Turkey, squid rings and arms are coated in batter and fried in oil. Other recipes from these regions feature squid (or octopus) simmered slowly, with vegetables such as squash or tomato. When frying, the squid flesh is kept tender by short cooking time. When simmering, the flesh is most tender when cooking is prolonged with reduced temperature.
- In Spain, (Rabas or Calamares a la romana, battered calamari, lit. Roman-style calamari) has the calamari rings covered in a thick batter, deep fried, and with lemon juice and mayonnaise or garlic mayonnaise. Squid stewed in its own black ink is (Calamares en su tinta). Battered and fried baby squid is (Puntillitas).
- In northern Spain, squid is cooked in its own ink ("Calamares" or "Chipirones en su tinta"), resulting a black stew-like dish in which squid meat is very tender and is accompanied by a thick black sauce usually made with onion, tomato, squid ink, among others.
- In the Philippines, squid is cooked as adobong pusit, squid in adobo sauce, along with the ink, imparting a tangy flavour, especially with fresh chillies. Battered squid is served with alioli, mayonnaise or chilli vinegar. Squid is grilled on coals, brushed with a soy sauce-based marinade, and stuffed with a tomato and onions. More elaborate stuffed squid is "rellenong pusit", stuffed with finely chopped vegetables, squid fat, and ground pork.
- In Korea, squid is killed and served quickly. Unlike octopus, squid tentacles do not usually continue to move when reaching the table. This fresh squid is 산 오징어 ("san ojingo") (also with small octopuses called nakji). The squid is served with wasabi, soy sauce, chili sauce, or sesame sauce. It is salted and wrapped in lettuce or pillard leaves. Dried squid may also accompany alcoholic beverages as anju. Dried squid is served with peanuts. Squid is roasted with hot pepper paste or mayonnaise as a dip. Steamed squid and boiled squid are delicacies.
- In Croatia squid are eaten grilled and stuffed with pršut and cheese, with blitva (Swiss chard).
- Seafood stews often have squid.
- In Chinese and Southeast Asian cuisine, squid is used in stir-fries, rice, and noodle dishes. It may be heavily spiced.
- In Asia, squid is grilled whole, and sold in food stalls in China, Thailand, Japan and Taiwan.
- Pre-packaged dried shredded squid or cuttlefish are snack items in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Russia, often shredded to reduce chewiness.
- In Russia, a lightly boiled julienned squid with onion rings, garnished with mayonnaise, makes a salad. Another dish is a squid stuffed with rice and vegetables and then roasted.
- Squid is a sushi and sashimi item.
- In Japan and Korea, squid (usually sparkling enope (firefly) squid or spear squid) is made into shiokara (in Japanese) or jeotgal (in Korean). Heavily salted squid, sometimes with innards, ferments for as long as a month, and is preserved in small jars. This salty, strong flavoured item is served in small quantities as banchan, or as an accompaniment to white rice or alcoholic beverages.
- In India and Sri Lanka, squid or cuttlefish is eaten in coastal areas for example, in Tamilnadu and in Kerala. Squid are eaten deep fried or as squid gravy. In Tamilnadu, squid are called kanava or kadamba.
Name
The word Calamari is the plural form of the Italian word for squid, Calamaro.
Also known as Kalamari, Kalamar (Greek/Turkish), Calmar (french), Galama or Calamares (Spanish), the name derives from the Latin word calamarium for "ink pot", after the inky fluid that squid secrete.[1] Calamarium in turn derives from Greek kalamos (κάλαμος) meaning "reed," "tube" or "pen".
Allergies
Allergies to calamari are fairly common.[2]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Definition of calamari". Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary.
- ^ "Sea Food Allergy". Allergy Society of South Africa. Retrieved 2010-07-04.
External links
Media related to Squid (food) at Wikimedia Commons