Squid is common in both Spain and Thailand. You'll find it in a Madrid bar and at a Bangkok night market, usually cheap and usually cooked fast. The two kitchens agree on a few things, like hot oil and short cooking times, and part ways on others, especially what to do with the ink.
A quick note on words. In Spanish, calamar is squid, chipirón is a small squid, and sepia is cuttlefish. In Thai, pla muk covers both squid and cuttlefish. Menus in both countries often use these loosely, so ask if it matters to you.
Spain: rings, sandwiches and baby squid
The best-known Spanish squid dish is calamares a la romana: rings of squid coated in a light batter (often flour and egg) and deep-fried, served with a wedge of lemon. In Madrid they also go into a bread roll as the bocadillo de calamares, a classic bar snack in the old centre around the Plaza Mayor.
Small squid get their own treatment. Chipirones are often dusted in flour and fried whole, or grilled a la plancha with garlic and parsley. Spanish bars also serve squid a la plancha, cooked quickly on a hot flat-top, which is the closest Spanish cousin to Thai grilled squid.
The ink: where Spain goes its own way
Spanish cooks save the ink. Chipirones en su tinta (small squid in their own ink) is a Basque classic: the squid are stewed in a dark sauce of ink, onion and often tomato, and served with white rice or bread. On the Mediterranean side, arroz negro is rice cooked with squid or cuttlefish and its ink until it turns black, usually served with allioli.
The Thai squid dishes below leave the ink out, so this is where the two sets of dishes in this post differ most. If you like arroz negro, our guide to Spanish rice dishes beyond paella covers it alongside arroz a banda and fideuà.
Thailand: grilled, garlic-fried and steamed with lime
Three common Thai squid dishes show the range:
- Pla muk yang: whole squid grilled over charcoal, usually a street-food dish, cut into pieces and eaten with nam jim seafood, a dipping sauce of chilli, garlic, lime and fish sauce.
- Pla muk tod kratiam: squid stir-fried or deep-fried with plenty of garlic and pepper.
- Pla muk nueng manao: squid steamed and dressed with a sharp sauce of lime, garlic, chilli and fish sauce.
Garlic is the link. Pla muk tod kratiam and Spanish squid a la plancha with garlic and parsley aren't far apart. Our garlic in Spanish and Thai cooking post goes deeper on that. The difference is in the finish: Spain reaches for lemon and olive oil, Thailand for lime, chilli and fish sauce.
What both kitchens get right
Squid turns tough if it's cooked for a medium amount of time. Both traditions cook it very fast: frying, grilling, the plancha. Spanish cooking also takes the opposite route with a long, slow braise, as in chipirones en su tinta. If fried calamares come out rubbery, they were probably cooked too long or at too low a heat.
Where to try Spanish squid dishes
These restaurants in our directory mention squid dishes in their own listings:
- Tapisco, The Hague: squid is among the Spanish products its listing names, with anchovies, empanada and boneless ibérico ribs.
- ¡Ay Manuela!, Xiamen: arroz negro made with squid ink is on the menu, along with fideuà.
- Jaleo Bar de Tapas Polanco, Mexico City: grilled squid with ropa vieja is one of the plates its listing names.
- La Tasca de Carlos - Samborondón, Guayaquil: grilled squid appears on a menu that also includes Galician-style octopus.
