Calamari as a food has roots in the ancient Mediterranean, where people in Greece, Rome, and surrounding coastal regions ate squid thousands of years before it became a trendy appetizer in American restaurants. The word itself comes from Italian, but the practice of catching and cooking squid is as old as recorded Mediterranean cuisine. A 1st-century mosaic from Pompeii depicts squid alongside fresh fish and fruit, placing it firmly in the everyday Roman diet.
The Word Traces Back to Reed Pens
The English word “calamari” entered the language around 1560, borrowed directly from Italian. The Italian word comes from the Latin “calamarius,” which literally means “pertaining to a pen.” That Latin term derives from “calamus,” meaning a writing pen or reed. The connection makes sense once you see a whole squid: its long, narrow body resembles the reed pens Romans used for writing. So when you order calamari, you’re essentially ordering something named after an ancient office supply.
Squid in the Ancient Mediterranean
Squid was a common food across the ancient Mediterranean world. Coastal communities in what is now Greece, Italy, Spain, and North Africa harvested squid along with octopus and cuttlefish as part of their regular seafood diet. Archaeological and artistic evidence confirms this. The Pompeii mosaic showing squid is just one example of how casually the creature appeared in Roman food culture.
Romans also used squid ink to color sauces and even to dye fabrics, meaning the animal served purposes well beyond the plate. This tradition of cooking with squid ink persisted for centuries in Italian and broader Mediterranean cuisine, eventually producing dishes like nero di seppia (squid ink pasta), which became a recognized specialty in Italy by the 19th century.
How Fried Calamari Became a Dish
While Mediterranean cultures have grilled, stewed, and stuffed squid for millennia, the specific preparation most people picture today, rings of squid battered and deep-fried, evolved from southern Italian and Spanish cooking traditions. Frying seafood in olive oil was standard practice in coastal Mediterranean kitchens, and squid was a natural candidate because it was abundant and inexpensive. Italian immigrants brought these recipes to the United States, where fried calamari initially remained confined to Italian-American communities and a handful of upscale restaurants in cities like New York and Boston.
Japan also has a long tradition of cooking squid, including frying it in a light batter as part of tempura. Portuguese missionaries introduced the tempura frying technique to Japan in the 16th century, creating a parallel tradition of battered squid on the other side of the world. So fried squid developed independently in multiple cultures, though the version Americans know best descends from the Italian tradition.
From “Squid” to “Calamari” on American Menus
For most of the 20th century, Americans wanted nothing to do with squid. The creature struck most people as slimy and unappetizing. The term “fried calamari” didn’t even appear in The New York Times until 1975, and it barely showed up again until the 1980s.
The shift started with a deliberate rebranding effort. In the 1970s and 1980s, a federal conservation campaign encouraged Americans to eat underutilized seafood species, and squid was high on the list. Experts involved in the campaign argued that restaurateurs should call the dish “calamari” instead of “squid,” borrowing the word from Italian and other Romance languages because it sounded more exotic and appealing. Restaurants tried it, and it worked.
By 1985, fried calamari was appearing in mainstream media coverage and shaking off its reputation as a dish reserved for adventurous diners at high-end restaurants. By 1990, it had become a full-blown restaurant staple, sitting on appetizer menus alongside Buffalo wings and loaded potato skins. By 1996, food industry observers were calling calamari one of the most popular “trendy” foods available to American consumers. The transformation from obscure ethnic ingredient to ubiquitous bar snack took roughly two decades.
Where the World’s Calamari Comes From Today
The global calamari supply chain looks nothing like its Mediterranean origins. China dominates, accounting for about 22 percent of total global squid exports. Peru follows at 13 percent, with the United States, Spain, North Korea, India, and Taiwan each contributing between 5 and 8 percent. Chile, Argentina, and Indonesia round out the top producers.
This means the calamari on your plate at an American restaurant almost certainly didn’t come from the Mediterranean. Most of it was caught or processed in the waters off South America or East Asia, then shipped frozen to distributors worldwide. The dish may have originated in the kitchens of ancient coastal Italy and Greece, but its modern supply chain is thoroughly global.