Squid vs. Calamari

Squid vs Calamari: What’s the Difference, Really?

If you've ever paused mid-menu scan and wondered: “Wait, is squid the same thing as calamari?”—you’re not alone. The internet, restaurant waitstaff, and food nerds everywhere have wrestled with this slippery semantic squid-match. So let's settle it once and for all.

The Etymology of Edibility

“Squid” is the common English name for a family of cephalopods—tentacled marine creatures who vary greatly in size, and are the distant relatives of both Octopii and Cuttlefish. “Calamari,” on the other hand, is the Italian word for squid, specifically used in the context of food. It’s derived from calamaro, which itself comes from the Latin calamarium, meaning “ink pot.” Many other languages and cultures refer to all cephalapods as "inkfish", since they share this defensive mechanism in common. 

In modern culinary usage, calamari tends to sound a little fancier, a little more "trattoria". But at the end of the day, squid and calamari are biologically the same thing.

There are small differences if you’re being really technical—some chefs distinguish between species when labeling dishes—but unless you’re dissecting taxonomic charts with a magnifying glass, it’s safe to say the two are virtually interchangeable in the kitchen.

Why We Say Calamari

At The Hermit, our Calamari Jerky is made from wild-caught squid—but we use the word calamari because it's familiar. It's what people recognize on restaurant menus, in recipes, and in their own mental catalogs of “food that is protein and doesn’t scare me.” We want folks to know exactly what they’re getting (high-protein, sustainable, ocean-friendly jerky), and “calamari” helps us tell that story in one delicious, approachable word.

Squid. Calamari. Same Sea Creature, Different Vibe.

So, squid vs calamari? It’s a culinary distinction more than a scientific one. Think “cow vs beef,” “pig vs pork,” “squid vs calamari.” One's the animal, the other’s dinner. But in our case, the animal is dinner—and a mighty fine one at that.

So whether you call it squid or calamari, just know you're eating the same high-protein, zero-sugar, ocean-born powerhouse. And if it's from The Hermit, you're eating it jerky-style. Because from the depths of wisdom can come the most unexpected revelations.