Calamari, an Italian word for squid, used as a culinary name for squid dishes, is a popular food in many parts of the world. There are many ways to prepare squid dishes, but probably the most famous is Calamari Fritti or fried calamari, usually served as an appetizer.

Fried calamari originated on the Mediterranean coast, most likely in Italy, possibly also in Spain or Greece. It has been enjoyed in European coastal regions for centuries, but it didn’t gain popularity in other parts of the world until the 1970s. This dish first came into the public eye through a written article published by the New York Times in 1975. After that, The Cornell Cooperative Extension Division and Long Island Fisheries Assistance Program started advising restaurants to use fish that hadn’t been over-harvested, such as calamari. Seafood and Italian restaurants started serving fried calamari and it quickly gained popularity throughout the 1980s, eventually becoming one of the favorite appetizers and bar food across the world.

Traditional Calamari Fritti is made with animal tentacles, which are cut into rings, dipped in batter, then in bread crumbs mixed with spices, and fried in oil. This creates a crispy outer layer with a soft inside. It can be enjoyed plain or served with a variety of dipping sauces, depending on where in the world you’re eating it – in Italy, it is served with salt and lemon on the side, in Spain with garlic mayonnaise and in Greece, Cyprus and the Middle East it is often served with Tzatziki.

For the vegan version of this dish, we used stems of oyster mushrooms and heart of palms for the calamari, made a vegan batter, served it with tartar sauce, and in our opinion, it tastes even better than the real deal.
Hopefully, we have inspired you to try the vegan version of fried calamari and bring this beloved restaurant dish to your home.