Fried foods in the USA

[Nars Glinley]

Are deep fried foods more popular in the US than other countries? If so, why would the technique be more prevalent here than elsewhere?

[ZipperJJ]

I think they're pretty prevalent in Chinese cuisine, and deep frying is popular in Scotland.

[pulykamell]

Plenty o' deep frying in Hungary, I'll report.

[Nars Glinley]

Originally Posted by ZipperJJ

I think they're pretty prevalent in Chinese cuisine, and deep frying is popular in Scotland.

Perhaps it was just where I was in southern China but I don't remember seeing any deep fried foods in the two months that I was there except for food being served to tourists. There was stir fry o'plenty but not the deep fried kind.

[Tarwater]

Originally Posted by ZipperJJ

I think they're pretty prevalent in Chinese cuisine, and deep frying is popular in Scotland.

To add to this, fried food is at least as popular in Korea and Japan as it is in America.

[Nava]

Fried food is popular in Spain, deep-fried not so much and there's a bit of a problem in translation in that both get translated the same. The items found in bars under the label "fritos" are deep-fried, but many other things we consider fried or a la plancha are not; I've had Americans call a la plancha grilled but for us al grill involves a grille, not a plank or a pan and is different from a la plancha...

[Future Londonite]

I think the Dutch are the masters of the deep-fried snack - just go and visit a 'snackbar' or 'frituur'.............if you think McD is fast, think again. In a fritur almost everything is deep-fried and the choice is enormous; discs of eggfried rice in crumbs are deepfried (nasi-schijf), discs of of oriental noodles in crumbs are deepfried (Bami-schijf), beef or veal croquettes, round croquettes (bitterballen), battered skewer of turkey chunks (viandel), sausage of ultra minced beef pieces (frikandel), etc, etc.......Then we have fries which we top with a gazillion and one sauces or combinations thereof; war fries (fries topped with warm peanutsauce and mayonaise), bosnia fries (fries topped with warm peanutsauce, mayonaise, chopped onions and mustard), special fries fries topped with mayo, ketchup and chopped onions), fries topped with goulash, fries topped with a sweetsour beef stew (friet zuurvlees), etc etc

[pulykamell]

Originally Posted by Nava

Fried food is popular in Spain, deep-fried not so much and there's a bit of a problem in translation in that both get translated the same. The items found in bars under the label "fritos" are deep-fried, but many other things we consider fried or a la plancha are not; I've had Americans call a la plancha grilled but for us al grill involves a grille, not a plank or a pan and is different from a la plancha...

You can use the term "griddled" or "flattop grilled" to convey that method of cooking specifically in American English (at least; can't speak for certain about other varieties.) For example, here is a stovetop griddle with a handle (they don't have to have a handle.) Or here is a commercial gas griddle. A McDonald's burger would be a griddled burger. A hamburger at a friend's cookout would be a grilled burger.

[JoseArcadio]

Originally Posted by ZipperJJ

... and deep frying is popular in Scotland.

Yup. Deep fried foods you'll find on the menu in a typical Scottish chip shop: pizza*; macaroni pie (yes, that is a pie filled with macaroni and deep fried); steak pie; haggis; king rib; fish; black, white or red pudding; scampi; sausages; potato fritter. There's the infamous deep fried mars bar but far more common is the banana or pineappale fritter. I've known some chippies where you can take in any item of chocolate and pay them to batter and deep fry it for you. We also love a shallow fried breakfast with bacon, black pudding, square sausage etc.

*Football chant when Scotland play Italy: "we're gonna deep fry your pizza, deep fry your pizza!"

[Ephemera]

Originally Posted by Future Londonite

I think the Dutch are the masters of the deep-fried snack - just go and visit a 'snackbar' or 'frituur'.............if you think McD is fast, think again. In a fritur almost everything is deep-fried and the choice is enormous; discs of eggfried rice in crumbs are deepfried (nasi-schijf), discs of of oriental noodles in crumbs are deepfried (Bami-schijf), beef or veal croquettes, round croquettes (bitterballen), battered skewer of turkey chunks (viandel), sausage of ultra minced beef pieces (frikandel), etc, etc.......Then we have fries which we top with a gazillion and one sauces or combinations thereof; war fries (fries topped with warm peanutsauce and mayonaise), bosnia fries (fries topped with warm peanutsauce, mayonaise, chopped onions and mustard), special fries fries topped with mayo, ketchup and chopped onions), fries topped with goulash, fries topped with a sweetsour beef stew (friet zuurvlees), etc etc

The more I hear about the Low Countries, the more I am convinced they are the most wonderful countries on Earth.

[SCAdian]

Originally Posted by JoseArcadio

Yup. Deep fried foods you'll find on the menu in a typical Scottish chip shop: pizza*; macaroni pie (yes, that is a pie filled with macaroni and deep fried); steak pie; haggis; king rib; fish; black, white or red pudding; scampi; sausages; potato fritter. There's the infamous deep fried mars bar but far more common is the banana or pineappale fritter. I've known some chippies where you can take in any item of chocolate and pay them to batter and deep fry it for you. We also love a shallow fried breakfast with bacon, black pudding, square sausage etc.

*Football chant when Scotland play Italy: "we're gonna deep fry your pizza, deep fry your pizza!"

Don't forget the Scotch eggs!

Breakfast at the Rock Cafe in Dunoon: Bacon (back bacon, of course, not streaky), black pudding, a banger, chips and an egg. All fried. (It also came with toast, and I usually had a raspberry shake with it.) Wish I could go back there....

[even sven]

I think deep-frying is pretty much a global constant. I can't think of any place that doesn't have some tradition of it.

Originally Posted by Nars Glinley

Perhaps it was just where I was in southern China but I don't remember seeing any deep fried foods in the two months that I was there except for food being served to tourists. There was stir fry o'plenty but not the deep fried kind.

China is full of delicious deep-fried foods. Little storefronts offer your choice of meat on a stick, deep fried and handed over to you. In the morning, hawkers sell delicious deep fried dough sticks. Snacks include fresh potato chips and other deep-fried dough concoctions. At meals, deep fried dishes may included chicken or string beans. You can even get delicious little deep fried steamed buns covered in sweetened condensed milk for dessert/

[NoClueBoy]

Chocolate covered fried Twinkies.

I've even had fried ice cream.

I fry turkey bacon in real bacon grease.

[purplehorseshoe]

It's likely common throughout the world because it doesn't use a long, slow cooking technique like baking or roasting, and so 1) uses less fuel, and 2) requires the cook to spend less time in a hot kitchen (especially prized in hot climates).

Oh, and also, 3) deliciousness ensues.

[Lust4Life]

Originally Posted by JoseArcadio

Yup. Deep fried foods you'll find on the menu in a typical Scottish chip shop: pizza*; macaroni pie (yes, that is a pie filled with macaroni and deep fried); steak pie; haggis; king rib; fish; black, white or red pudding; scampi; sausages; potato fritter. There's the infamous deep fried mars bar but far more common is the banana or pineappale fritter. I've known some chippies where you can take in any item of chocolate and pay them to batter and deep fry it for you. We also love a shallow fried breakfast with bacon, black pudding, square sausage etc.

*Football chant when Scotland play Italy: "we're gonna deep fry your pizza, deep fry your pizza!"

Deep fried banana fritter.............................oh yeah baby !

[gracer]

Originally Posted by Future Londonite

I think the Dutch are the masters of the deep-fried snack - just go and visit a 'snackbar' or 'frituur'.............if you think McD is fast, think again. In a fritur almost everything is deep-fried and the choice is enormous; discs of eggfried rice in crumbs are deepfried (nasi-schijf), discs of of oriental noodles in crumbs are deepfried (Bami-schijf), beef or veal croquettes, round croquettes (bitterballen), battered skewer of turkey chunks (viandel), sausage of ultra minced beef pieces (frikandel), etc, etc.......Then we have fries which we top with a gazillion and one sauces or combinations thereof; war fries (fries topped with warm peanutsauce and mayonaise), bosnia fries (fries topped with warm peanutsauce, mayonaise, chopped onions and mustard), special fries fries topped with mayo, ketchup and chopped onions), fries topped with goulash, fries topped with a sweetsour beef stew (friet zuurvlees), etc etc

You forgot the oliebollen! nom nom nom... (OK, not found in the snackbar, true)