Calamari is a popular seafood dish that you can usually find at sushi bars or seafood restaurants.
While you may have heard the word “calamari” get tossed around a few times, you may have never tried it.
You may not even be sure what calamari is.
To ensure you’re prepared for your adventure into calamari and more exotic types of seafood, it’s worth knowing what you’re going to put into your mouth before doing so.
What Is Calamari Made Of?
Calamari is actually just squid.
The name comes from the Italian word for squid.
Some manufacturers choose to market their squid products as “calamari” because they believe it gives it an upscale or posh appearance.
You’re really just eating squid, however.
There are also tons of different species of squid.
The Giant Squid is one of the most famous types of squid due to its huge size and tendency to inspire nightmares.
There are also smaller sizes of squid that grow no bigger than a foot or even smaller.
The term “calamari” doesn’t differentiate between the different species of squid.
Some manufacturers might go into a bit more detail to explain what type of squid they’re using, but most choose to keep things vague.
That’s because calamari essentially refers to all types of squid.
The next you order a calamari dish, you’ll know that you’re eating squid.
Is Calamari Healthy To Eat?
If the idea of eating an octopus doesn’t inspire your appetite, you may wonder why people eat calamari.
They often look the same, depending on the calamari dish in question.
One reason some people eat calamari is that they believe it’s healthy for them.
Since seafood typically comes with health benefits, they believe that squid is no different.
While it mostly comes down to how the cook prepares the squid, it does provide some health benefits.
Here are some reasons calamari is healthy for you to eat.
1. Good Source Of Protein
One of the reasons calamari is healthy for you is that squid comes packed full of protein.
A typical calamari dish will have around 18 grams of protein.
Protein is an essential nutrient for your body.
Not only does it help provide your body with energy, but it also helps with muscle development.
Depending on your age, it’s important to receive enough protein to maintain your muscle mass.
If you don’t eat enough protein, your muscles might start to shrink.
That might cause some mobility problems.
Protein is also essential for producing healthy skin, nails, and hair.
Without a good source of protein, you might notice that your skin looks a little lax or unhealthy.
Wounds may not heal as quickly.
Your hair might also not have its typical sheen.
There’s even a chance you might lose some hair.
Protein helps your body perform and can help improve your appearance as well.
Since squid has a lot of protein in it, it’s healthy to eat.
2. Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Because squid is a type of seafood, it also has a decent amount of omega-3 fatty acids.
This is an important nutrient for people to take since the human body doesn’t produce it naturally.
The best way to receive omega-3 fatty acids is through your diet.
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential to your diet because they help with your development and growth.
In particular, they can help reduce high blood pressure.
High blood pressure is a concern because it can lead to things like heart disease, strokes, or even heart attacks.
By reducing your blood pressure, you can make things easier on your heart and stay healthy.
Some doctors have also prescribed omega-3 fatty acid supplements to help with problems like IBS or arthritis.
Some believe that omega-3 fatty acids can help alleviate the symptoms of those conditions.
Because calamari has a good amount of omega-3 fatty acids in it, a lot of people eat it and believe it’s healthy.
3.Vitamin C
Another nutrient that squid has a lot of is Vitamin C.
Most people know how important Vitamin C is since their doctors usually tell them to increase their intake.
Vitamin C helps boost your immune system.
It does a great job of killing off germs and keeping your body safe.
Vitamin C does a lot more than just protect your immune system, however.
It also helps form certain parts of your body.
For example, it’s integral in the formation of blood vessels.
You need blood vessels to transfer blood and oxygen from one part of your body to the next.
Without them, your body would be unable to send nutrients to that particular part of the body.
It’s also crucial in the development of cartilage and muscle.
Both of these determine how easy it is to move or perform physical activities.
Cartilage can help keep your bones from grinding against each other whenever you move.
When you don’t have enough Vitamin C, that cartilage can start to disappear.
You might notice that it’s extremely painful to move since your bones are causing friction against each other.
Muscles are also important to maintain and grow.
Your body relies on its muscles to be able to perform certain actions.
Vitamin C is another nutrient is that your body doesn’t produce on its own.
You typically find it in vegetables, but you can also get it from other types of food like seafood.
Since squid has a good amount of Vitamin C in it, some people like to eat calamari to increase their Vitamin C levels.
4.Calcium
A final reason calamari is healthy is that it contains calcium.
Calcium plays an important part in protecting your bones.
Without calcium, your bones can start to weaken.
They’ll thin out and become brittle.
Your chances of breaking your bones increase.
Calcium also plays a role in blood clotting.
When you receive a wound, calcium can help close it.
It essentially keeps you from bleeding to death.
It also helps your muscles contract.
Without enough calcium in your body, your muscles might have difficulty performing.
They might even feel extremely stiff.
Calcium helps them contract and move.
Finally, calcium helps regulate your heart rhythm and nerves.
It essentially helps keep everything running smoothly.
Since calamari has a decent amount of calcium in it, some people find eating squid to be quite healthy.
How Is Calamari Typically Prepared?
Some squid lovers will choose to eat squid raw.
If eating raw fish isn’t your thing, there’s no shortage of different ways to prepare calamari.
Here are some of the methods you can use to prepare calamari.
1.Grilling
One popular way to cook calamari is to put it on the grill and start grilling it.
Squid does well when cooked at high temperatures for a short time.
As such, grilling is a great method to prepare calamari as long as the grill is hot enough.
It’s a good idea to get the grill going and make sure it’s nice and hot before adding your squid to it.
You don’t want to put your squid on right after starting the grill, for example.
You need to give the grill a bit of time to fully heat up.
You’ll also want to keep your eye on the squid once it’s on the grill.
Cooking it too long can make it very chewy.
Calamari is already chewy by nature, but if you leave it on the grill for too long, it can become even chewier.
Your calamari should finish cooking after no more than two or three minutes on the grill.
You can season it with some lemon or a variety of different spices.
2.Slow Braise
Another popular way to cook calamari is to slow braise it.
Unlike grilling, you actually want to set the heat to very low.
The goal is to make the collagen in the squid become gelatin instead.
The result is a tender texture rather than a chewy one.
This preparation method is perfect for those who want to enjoy their calamari without having to chew it to death.
A lot of chefs will season and braise their calamari with either olive oil or white wine.
They’ll also include a variety of herbs and vegetables to further flavor the squid.
This method isn’t quite as quick as grilling.
Since the goal is to slow cook it, you’ll need to spend a half hour to 45 minutes braising the calamari.
3.Deep Fry
Perhaps one of the most popular ways to prepare calamari is to deep fry it.
Deep frying is similar to grilling in that you only need to fry it for two or three minutes.
You can also use a variety of different breading types to flavor the calamari as you want it.
Even though the calamari undergoes a frying process, it still retains much of its original flavor and texture.
As such, you can expect a bit of chewiness to the dish.
Frying the calamari does make it a bit more calorie-heavy than some of the other preparation methods.
If you’re trying to watch your weight, then deep-frying your calamari may not be the best decision.
For those who love fried seafood, however, you’re likely going to enjoy deep-fried calamari.
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