Sandwich · Madrid Classic

Bocadillo de Calamares

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Landlocked Madrid — nowhere near the coast — somehow turned a fried squid sandwich into one of its most iconic street snacks.

Rings of squid are battered, deep-fried, and piled into a crusty baguette, sometimes with a squeeze of lemon or a smear of alioli. Classic bar and stall food around Madrid's Plaza Mayor.

Why it's made this way: The sandwich reflects Madrid's historic seafood trade routes and Catholic Friday fish-eating traditions; it stuck around as a cheap, filling bar snack.