Squid

Squid — almost universally called calamari in Australia — is one of the country’s most popular seafood items. The tubular body and tentacles are both edible, with a mild, slightly sweet flavour and a firm texture that can turn rubbery if overcooked.

The golden rule with calamari is to cook it either very quickly over high heat (flash-fried, grilled, or seared) or very slowly (braised or stewed). Anything in between results in tough, chewy rings. Salt and pepper calamari is an Australian pub and café staple, and it’s also excellent in stir-fries, salads, pasta, and stuffed preparations.

Squid is caught wild around Australian waters and imported from various fisheries worldwide. It’s sold fresh, frozen, and pre-cleaned — whole hoods, rings, or tentacles.

Wild
photograph to come — from twenty years of markets, farms and kitchens

How it's made

Squid is wild-caught using jigging machines, trawl nets, or hand lines, often at night when the animals are attracted to lights. After capture, the squid is typically cleaned by removing the head, tentacles, ink sac, quill (the transparent internal ‘bone’), and outer skin. The body tube and tentacles are washed and sold fresh or blast-frozen.

Nutrition (per 100g)

Energy 78kcal
Protein 16.7g
Carbs 0g
Fat 1.2g
Fibre 0g Sugar 0g
Mass Distribution

What it costs the planet (per kilo)

Carbon ≈11.82kg
Freshwater ≈3515.02L
Land ≈3.02

≈ Estimated — worked out from a category-typical value further up its supply chain. Where this comes from →

Where it comes from

Made from

In the kitchen

Used as

versatile seafood protein

Goes well with
Classic dishes
  • Calamari fritti
  • Squid ink pasta
  • Stuffed calamari
  • Paella

Keeping it

In the freezer: 180–540 days (from date of purchase).

In the fridge: 1–3 days (from date of purchase).

Advice from Cubud’s own keeping notes — how to keep it, not a measured number.

Keeping one at home? Track yours in your cubud →

Where this data comes from

Nutrition data from

FSANZ

How it was calculated

Analysed

Full credits, licences, and methods: the sources page →

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