Cronulla

[Steve-o]

20 hours ago, kingie chaser said:

The way I see it I think in general there is a misconception where the naming of squid vs calamari goes, the two are both squid & part of the Cephalopods family to be specific just different sub species as are cuttlefish & octopus.

There are approx 300 different squid species around the world.

 

The word calamari is just Italian for squid.

 

I think in general the southern calamari has a reputation as being a better eating squid, more tender but to be physically able to put a distinction on flavour, not sure about that.

 

To be honest I have never done a side by side flavour comparison between different species, never felt the need really & I think the only real way is to do a controlled experiment, cook them the same way, breifly in simmering salted water(seperate pots, same amount of water & salt), no other flavourings at all & just natural. I think its the only real way to tell.

At the end of the day they are all good, maybe the only factor I would take into account is the tenderness, if its tough I marinate it in kiwi fruit then wash it off OR cook it for a lot longer to tenderise it like you do with meat when making a stew.

 

Yeah I did some arrow squid rings side by side with the southern calamari rings.

Cleaned them both with lots of water a couple of hours after catching them, left them in the fridge until the next morning then cooked them up the same.

There is definitely a noticeable difference, the squid has a very very mild flavour, the calamari has something else to it.

I don't think it's an issue with the squid as you use your breading and sauces with it, but the calamari flavour leaves an impression on you and lingers, if I had heaps of it I might be unable to eat my fill as it is a rich flavour.

That's just my experience though. Calamari tasted great but I only had a little bit of it.