What is Bocadillo de calamares?

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Bocadillo de calamares

(Bocata de calamares)

Bocadillo de calamares is one of the best-known bocadillo sandwiches in Spain, and a most beloved bar snack staple in the country’s capital, Madrid. It typically consists of a crusty Spanish-style baguette called barra de pan, which has been sliced in half lengthwise and stuffed with fresh and crunchy fried calamari rings.

The calamari are usually dipped in flour and fried in olive oil, while the sandwich’s filling may be enhanced with a touch of olive oil or alioli (garlic mayonnaise) or a drizzle of fresh lemon juice. This simple sandwich makes for a filling breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a mid-afternoon snack, and it is traditionally washed down with a small glass of ice-cold draft beer known as a caña in Spanish.

In Madrid, where calamari sandwiches can be found at any corner, people usually enjoy this sandwich on the spot, standing in the bar where they bought it, or for a more pleasurable experience, they often eat it al fresco while sitting on one of the benches on the Plaza Mayor.

Madrid, Spain

WHERE TO EAT The best Bocadillo de calamares in the world (according to food experts)

El País and 9 other food critics.

"The calamari sandwich (bocata de calamares) from El Brillante is, without a doubt, a fundamental Madrid classic. In terms of the ‘bocata,’ which is really what we came for, its pure simplicity should be noted. Just two slices of bread and some fried squid in the middle has earned itself a place of honor in the aristocracy of Spanish fried food."

Time Out Madrid and 8 other food critics.

"The squid bocadillos are the specialty of this brewery located a few steps from the Plaza Mayor. The place has been open since 1870, being formerly a winery called Bodegas Sierra. And it is from this date since when they start selling this famous three-generation sandwich from Madrid."

Mari Carmen Voces and 6 other food critics.

"The 10 Best Bocadillos de Calamares in Madrid: Casa Rua - We like it for its generous content, the crunchiness of its bread and the absence of extra oil, and always freshly made."

elEconomista and 4 other food critics.

"The Ten Bests Bocatas de Calamares in Madrid: Bar Postas - Bar Postas is located in the heart of Madrid, is known not only for its bocadillo de calamaris but also for its traditional bocadillos, with all kinds of ingredients."

Mari Carmen Voces and 1 other food critic.

"The 10 Best Bocadillos de Calamares in Madrid: Los Bocadillos - Because they also understand Bocadillo de calamares outside the Centro district, you have to visit Argüelles and drop by this place to try them, well battered, without excess oil, and just right."

Madrid Desde la Barra and 1 other food critic.

"It has very good Bocadillo de calamares."

Cristina R. Bareño and 1 other food critic.

"They offer a Bocadillo made with fresh bread, very generous with the filling and, at the same time, one of the juiciest you can find. Big, golden squid, ready to satisfy the most traditional palates and make our stomachs very happy."

High Grossery and 1 other food critic.

"The bread is somewhere between the traditional and the bun type, it's their traditional bread and it's a perfect match. The calamari is the same as always, very white and tender... and mayonnaise? That mayonnaise is the sauce of sauces. With a slight hint of garlic it makes you levitate at the first bite and it oozes through your fingers halfway through the sandwich."