Rings of squid, floured and fried, packed into a crusty white roll — Madrid's cheap, much-loved sandwich.
What makes it bocadillo de calamares
Squid rings, floured or battered and fried.
A crusty white roll, split.
Eaten hot, with little or nothing added.
Where it comes from
Madrid is about as far from the sea as a Spanish city gets, and yet this is its sandwich, sold in the bars around the Plaza Mayor. Fresh fish has reached the capital overnight for a long time, and fried squid became everyday bar food.
It's kept very plain: a barra of bread, the squid, a squeeze of lemon, and mayonnaise or allioli if you like.