Happy Valentine's Day, Squid!

I am well aware of – and quite happy about – the fact that humans are omnivores. I take advantage of this fact every day. Still, there are some foods that just beg the question: who looked at that and decided to put it in their mouth?

For almost all of the first two decades of my life, squid fell into this category. Throughout my childhood, the question of eating a squid was simply moot. I knew that squid were slippery, had ten tentacles, and were certainly not food. Grilled cheese was good enough for me. As I entered adolescence and began encountering people who raved about fried calamari, I wasn’t swayed. I didn’t care what it was dipped in or how hot it was cooked – a squid is a squid.

Since the age of about 15 or 16, however, I have stopped rejecting new foods. At some point, I realized that I just love food and by being such a picky eater, I had been depriving myself of some delicious experiences. Even so, I never found myself driven to go out of my way to chew on some rubbery, tentacled, sea alien.

Much of the world, however, does not share my prejudice. Squid is eaten in various forms in as disparate locales as Sicily and Tokyo. About 200,000 tons of squid a year are consumed in Spain alone¹. And that statistic is from 1987 – I can only imagine how many of these strange creatures are eaten today.

It was with this squiddy history behind me and a calamari-loving girlfriend by my side that I found myself this February 14^th at an Italian restaurant looking down at the menu. And what did I find staring back at me from that prime menu spot, the first appetizer? Of course, calamari fritti. Feeling adventurous and self-sacrificial on this most sacred of Hallmark holidays, I suggested we split it.

Now, you might look at the picture and say, “that’s no fair – it’s all decked out in peppers and sundried tomatoes and dripping in herby vinegar.” Well I say a squid is a squid, and when tasted that dish there was no denying its squidness. As I had expected, the chewiness was there, but with it came an unexpected savoriness that complimented the satisfying crunch of the fried batter. The chef probably deserves as much praise as the squid, but the dish was delicious and I ate every last bite. A purist may say I have yet to really try squid, but it’s probably best to ease into these things, and my first try was a great success. Good news for me – maybe not so good for all the squid out there.

1.       http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3089/is_n2_v52/ai_10826769/