Top 11 Asian Squid Dishes

Kalamar tava is a traditional dish that's usually served as a meze. The dish consists of cleaned squid that's cut into thick rings, soaked in milk, then dipped in a batter of flour, baking soda, and salt before it's fried in hot oil. The squid rings can be flavored with herbs or pepper flakes, if desired. Once fried, the rings are typically served with a Turkish tartar-like sauce on the side for dipping, along with a few lemon wedges.Expand

Jiao yan you yu or salt-and-pepper squid is a traditional dish originating from Guangzhou. This Cantonese dish is usually made with a combination of squid, potato flour, scallions, Shaoxing wine, garlic, oil, hot peppers, Sichuan pepper or white pepper, and salt. The surface of the squid is cross-hatched and the body is cut into bite-sized pieces. It's mixed with Shaoxing wine, drained, dredged in flour, and deep-fried in hot oil until lightly golden. The squid is removed from the pan. The garlic, scallions, and hot peppers are stir-fried in the same oil, and the squid is placed back into the pan with a mixture of Sichuan pepper and salt. The dish is stir-fried a bit more, tossed, and served hot as an appetizer or a main course.Expand

Ika nigiri sushi is a traditional type of nigiri sushi. It consists of hand-pressed sushi rice that's topped with slices of squid. The dish has a rich flavor and a texture that is firm and slimy, slightly chewy but not rubbery. Traditionally, this type of sushi is eaten by hand in a single bite. It's usually accompanied by soy sauce or pickled ginger (gari) on the side, and it's often served with a shiso leaf in order to elevate the flavors. Interestingly, tourists find this type of sushi difficult to eat, especially raw, but in Japan it's one of the most popular types of nigiri sushi.Expand

One of the favorite Japanese street food varieties is a serving of tender grilled squid known as ikayaki. It can employ different types of squid in varying sizes. Serving styles usually range from chopped squid rings to skewered whole pieces. Squid tentacles can be left out or incorporated into the dish, and occasionally they even make the central part of ikayaki. Usual accompaniment to the dish is soy or teriyaki sauce, or a traditional Japanese marinade which typically includes rice wine, miso paste, ginger, and soy sauce. The squids are prepared quickly, which leaves them tender and plump. The squids should be served immediately once they are off the grill. Although ikayaki is often served as a restaurant dish, it is more commonly sold by street vendors who prepare and offer this delicacy on the markets, around Japanese shrines, and during the local festivals. In restaurants, they can be served as an appetizer, a side dish, or as the main dish alongside rice and salad.Expand

Ika sōmen is a traditional dish originating from Hakodate, Hokkaido. Although the word ika means squid and the word sōmen refers to the famous wheat flour noodles, this is actually a seafood dish in which raw squid is thinly sliced and cut into the shape of noodles, as a type of sashimi. Once prepared, it's served with grated ginger and soy sauce on the side. There are also variations that replace the soy sauce with a combination of uni and soy sauce or wasabi and soy sauce. When eating ika sōmen, it's recommended to slurp up the sliced squid, just like noodles should be eaten.Expand

Sumi ika nigiri is a traditional type of nigiri sushi. It consists of hand-pressed sushi rice that's topped with slices of golden spineless cuttlefish (sumi ika, meaning ink squid), which is a mollusk. The golden spineless cuttlefish is very soft and has a delicate and sweet flavor and a chewy texture. The best season for enjoying this nigiri sushi is from winter to spring. If very fresh, sumi ika is served raw, if not, it's usually quickly boiled in a mixture of sake, sugar, and shoyu, then brushed with tsume sauce. This type of nigiri is expensive and very rare, so it can be a bit difficult to find it. It's recommended to serve sumi ika nigiri with pickled ginger (gari) and wasabi on the side.Expand

Mực một nắng is a traditional dish originating from Phan Thiet. This seafood specialty consists of sun-dried squid. A large, fresh squid is sun-dried for a day, and it's then grilled over hot coals. If the heat gets too high, the squid will become overcooked, hard on the exterior, but rare inside. As it cooks, the squid turns yellow and develops a unique aroma. When served, the dried and grilled squid is shredded, and it's usually accompanied by fish sauce with chili for dipping the pieces into it. It's recommended to pair the dish with a cold beer on the side.Expand

This popular Korean snack consists of thin strips of dried squid (ojingeo chae) that are stir-fried together with gochujang-based chili paste and various additions such as garlic, soy sauce, or rice wine. The spicy snack is often served at bars and goes especially well with beer, but it is also commonly enjoyed as an accompaniment to rice or other Korean dishes. It is typically served in small bowls and comes garnished with roasted sesame seeds. Ojingeo chae muchim is a similar dish in which the thin squid strips are merely coated in a spicy paste.Expand

Adobong pusit is a traditional dish that's a part of the famous adobo group of dishes. The dish is prepared with a combination of fresh squid and its ink, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, salt, sugar, oil, onions, and tomatoes. The squid is first boiled in a mixture of soy sauce and vinegar, and it's then sautéed in a combination of garlic, onions, and tomatoes. It's important not to overcook the squid as its texture will become rubbery. This simple squid stew with robust flavors is sometimes accompanied by vegetable-based dishes on the side.Expand

Pla muek yang is a Thai-style chargrilled squid dish typically coated in a spicy, sweet-and-sour sauce consisting of lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, chilis, coriander roots, and sugar. The dish is often served with peanuts and coriander leaves on top and is commonly sold at roadside eateries and street stalls across Thailand. It can be consumed on its own as an appetizer or a main course, or it can be mixed with salads. Expand