Squid

Squid is a cephalopod of the order Teuthida, fished widely across the Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Pacific, and a staple of Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Greek, and Asian tinned fish traditions. Tinned squid appears in its own ink (en su tinta), in olive oil, in tomato sauce, and stuffed with rice or other fillings. The ink is harvested during processing and used to colour the sauce, giving the classic Galician preparation its distinctive black appearance and subtle brininess. Baby squid (chipirones or puntillas) are the most prized format in Spanish conservas. Larger squid rings and bodies appear across Mediterranean preserves. In Asia, squid is dried, pickled, and tinned in chilli sauces and soy-based preparations.

How to eat it: tipped over white rice, the ink dyeing everything black, is the classic. Also on bread, or straight from the tin as a tapa.