Squid, Calamari and Octopus

You don’t find much squid in the US, but it’s a popular food throughout the rest of the world. It’s a highly specialized kind of mollusk that has 10 arms and a body that is shaped like a long cigar. The animal also has fins at the end, and a sack it can use to shoot out some ink as a getaway technique. More than three quarters of the squid is edible, which is remarkable for a mollusk. It’s often pan fried, deep fried or baked, but it is also used in salads and pastas too. In Spain, people eat squid served in its own ink.

Calamari is a type of squid that is found in the waters near Spain. The ink of the squid is blended with herbs and garlic to create a sauce that is served with the dish. The ink is also used in painting, creating a kind of sepia tone when applied to canvas. The name “calamari” comes from Italy; in Spain it is called “chocos” or “jibiones.”

The octopus is most well known for its eight arms, which have suckers on the end of each appendage. They are found in the temperate waters of the Atlantic, and it is related to the squid. In order to make octopus palatable, it is beaten and tenderized repeatedly. Then the arms are cut into small slices, coated with a breading of egg and flour before they are fried in boiling oil. The French also cook with the pouch, which is stuffed and simmered in a white wine and oil mixture.