When you think of calamari, you may just picture the wildly popular fried appetizer that's a staple at a multitude of restaurants. Some, however, tend to downplay the fact that calamari is not just a crispy fried morsel that is easily shared and fun to eat -- it is squid. Some fish-averse people like to conveniently avoid that, but many others find that calamari is absolutely delicious, and it should be celebrated for exactly what it is.
As The Spruce Eats notes, calamari literally means "squid" in Italian. It is commonly served in Spain, China, Portugal, Greece, Taiwan, and many other Asian and Mediterranean countries. A squid is a mollusk, a cephalopod, related to octopus and cuttlefish. Like the octopus, squid have "ink" that they can release when threatened, to cloud the water and enable escape. The Monterey Bay Aquarium also states that eating calamari is a "good alternative" seafood choice from a sustainability perspective (via NPR).
The Spruce Eats also notes that there are "more than 300 species of squid" today. Most squid sold for culinary purposes are about 12 inches or less, but there are squid currently in the oceans who may be up to 80 feet: both colossal and giant squid exist, but can be very elusive...