Churros with vitel toné: the recipe that went viral 0:48
(CNN) --
People have never been able to resist the crunchy craving for fried food.
Archaeological evidence shows that we have been enjoying fried dough and other delicacies since the ancient Mesopotamians invented frying pans, and our love for the practice has only grown in the millennia since.
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Tempura (Japan): Tempura is a dish of vegetables fried in a light batter and served with soy sauce.
Click through the gallery to see more fried dishes from around the planet.
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Hushpuppies (Southern US): These tasty cornmeal croquettes often accompany fish and shellfish.
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Churros (Spain, Portugal, and Latin America): Delicious churro sticks are fried and dusted with powdered sugar.
They can be dipped in melted chocolate.
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Beignets (Louisiana): Divine pillows of fried yeast dough dusted with powdered sugar, beignets are synonymous with New Orleans.
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Mandazi (East Africa): These fluffy, triangular pads go by many names on the Swahili coast of East Africa and are like slightly sweet donuts.
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Jalebi (India): A dough that is passed through a muslin cloth in the oil and then dipped in sugar syrup to obtain a chewy and crunchy texture.
Like many other foods that cross modern borders, it is also popular in other parts of Asia.
Credit: Rahmat Gul/AP
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Zucchini Flowers (Italy): Fried in a batter, these zucchini flowers are stuffed with ricotta cheese and parsley.
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Cronuts (United States): The baby of this list, cronuts, a hybrid between a croissant and a donut, emerged in 2013 in a New York bakery.
Credit: Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images
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Frybread or fried bread (Native Americans in the United States): a Navajo woman cooks frybread.
It's delicious, but it's also a consequence of the forced displacement that has become a complicated symbol for many tribes.
Credit: granddriver/iStockphoto/Getty Images
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Fried Green Tomatoes (United States): When you are ready to eat and the tomatoes are not yet ripe, you fry them.
They are most often associated with the South, but their origins are in the Midwest.
Credit: jatrax/iStockphoto/Getty Images
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French Fries (Belgium and France) – Named for the cut of the potato, not the nation.
The French fries or fries in this particular photo are a traditional street food appetizer from Bruges, Belgium, and are served with pepper sauce.
Credit: shootingtheworld/Adobe Stock
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Pakora (India): Pakora is an umbrella term for a variety of Indian vegetable fritters, which can be made with anything from potatoes and aubergines to cabbage and spinach as a base.
Credit: dbvirago/Adobe Stock
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Onion Bhajis (India): Although there are many varieties of pakora, a special version is bhajis, or onion fritters seasoned with aromatic spices.
This particular one is served with mango chutney.
Credit: zoryanchik/Adobe Stock
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Tostones (Caribbean and Latin America): Tostones are twice-fried green plantains with variations found throughout Latin American and Caribbean cuisine.
They are sometimes called patacones.
Credit: Kryssia Campos/Moment RF/Getty Images
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Arancini (Italy): Although these breaded fried rice balls are a traditional dish in Sicily during the December feast of St. Lucia, arancini are eaten year-round.
Credit: Eleonora Galli/Moment RF/Getty Images
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Chiko Rolls (Australia): Stuffed with meat and vegetables and fried in a puff pastry crust, they are inspired by Chinese rolls.
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Banh cam (Vietnam): made from soft glutinous rice flour and filled with mung bean paste, the balls are dipped in sesame seeds and fried.
Banh ran is a similar variant found in northern Vietnam.
Credit: Paul Biris/Moment RF/Getty Images
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Scotch Eggs (UK): Possibly the most high-protein snack in the history of cooking, the Scotch Egg is a hard-boiled egg wrapped in sausage that is coated in breadcrumbs and fried until crisp.
Credit: koss13/Adobe Stock
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Katsu (Japan): These panko-breaded chicken fillets are a staple of many meals, served over rice or with curries.
In the photo, a fried pork cutlet, called tonkatsu, with white cabbage salad.
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Calamari (Italy and Greece): Battered or breaded, served with a lemon wedge and marinara sauce or a creamy mayonnaise-based sauce, this dish has gone from being a Greek and Italian seaside specialty to becoming a regular appetizer.
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Fried Chicken (Korean and American) - Shown, Korean-style fried chicken wings with garlic sauce, served with kimchi and pickled radish.
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Fried Clams (New England) - Roadside clam stands are all over New England.
Whole clams are soaked in milk and then coated in cornmeal before being fried.
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Kibbeh (Middle East): Ground beef or lamb is mixed with cooked bulgur wheat, onions, and spices to make this dish.
It is traditionally mixed and ground by hand, then shaped and fried.
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Leche frita (Spain) – Fried milk is one of the favorite street foods in northern Spain.
A custard is made, cut into cubes and fried.
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Shrimp Toast (Hong Kong): Also called Prawn Toast, this is a simple savory appetizer consisting of shrimp paste spread on white bread, then fried until golden brown.
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Fried Mars Bar (UK) – A frozen Mars bar (a chocolate, nougat and caramel candy bar) is dipped into a thick batter and deep fried just until the chocolate is gooey and slightly melted.
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Fried Pizza (Italy): These slices of dough fill anyone up and even more so when filled with ingredients like ricotta, crushed tomatoes and pork rinds.
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Chimichangas (Southwest US) – Burritos are filled with rice, beans, cheese, and meats such as ground beef, carne asada, pork, or chicken, then fried until the tortilla turns into a crispy shell.
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Chicharrones (Spain, Latin America and the Philippines): Chicharrón, or fried pork skin, has been a method of using all parts of the pig for centuries.
Credit: teen00000/AdobeStock
It would take an iron stomach and a lot of time to taste all the irresistible fried foods in the world or even to try all the variations of just one: funnel cakes versus jalebi, zeppole versus beignets.
So not all fried foods can be mentioned in one article, but here we present enough fried delicacies to get you started, at least.
Here are 30 of the world's best fried foods to kick-start your next trip:
Tempura (Japan)
Vegetable tempura is known for its light batter, made with soft flour, eggs and very cold or sparkling water.
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Although shrimp tempura is also popular, vegetable tempura encompasses a wide variety of ingredients, such as mushrooms, lotus and burdock root, seaweed, and leafy vegetables such as shiso, green beans, different types of squash, okra, and shishito peppers.
This capeado came to Japan through the Portuguese missionaries in the 16th century as a meatless option during holy fast days.
Hushpuppies (Southern US)
These tasty cornmeal croquettes have been a traditional accompaniment to fried fish throughout the American South since the days of the Civil War.
Also called "red horse bread" in South Carolina (after the species of fish they were served with), as well as "three-finger bread" or "red devils" in Georgia and Florida, the name "hushpuppies" was the that prevailed when tourists discovered the saucer at the beginning of the 20th century.
Churros (Spain, Portugal and Latin America)
The delicious churros sticks are fried and dusted with powdered sugar.
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Originally popularized in Spain and Portugal, these fluted dough rolls are a favorite sweet treat for breakfast or snack throughout Latin America as well.
The dough is poured with a star-shaped tip into hot oil to give the churro its characteristic shape.
Churros are usually sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon and soaked in café con leche, hot chocolate, or dulce de leche.
Beignets (Louisiana)
Beignets, simple pads of fried yeast dough dusted with powdered sugar, are synonymous with the French Quarter of New Orleans, where they're famously served with chicory coffee at Cafe du Monde.
These fritters were brought to the South by French Canadian (Acadian) settlers in the 18th century, making the beignet a standard of Cajun cuisine and culture.
Mandazi (East Africa)
Like many deep-fried delicacies, these fluffy, triangular pads go by many names on the Swahili coast of East Africa.
Yeast dough can be made with milk or coconut milk (if coconut is involved, they can be called mahamri or mamri) and flavored with spices such as cardamom or ground nuts.
In Ghana and other places in West Africa, the dough is formed into round balls, and they are known as bofrot or puff puff.
Jalebi (India)
Indian jalebi are cousins to the Middle Eastern fried zulbiya and zalabiya, thin fried dumplings that made their way through trade routes in medieval times.
The dough is lowered into the oil through a muslin cloth and then dipped in sugar syrup for a crunchy, chewy texture.
They are usually eaten together with other appetizers, such as samosas, or with rabdi, a sweetened milk cream.
Pumpkin flowers (Italy)
These squash blossoms are stuffed with ricotta cheese and parsley.
Credit: Olga/Adobe Stock
Fried squash blossoms are a botanical bonus for gardeners: squash plants produce flowers in spring, but only the female flowers will turn into squashes by the end of summer.
Gardeners who know how to pick the male flowers turn them into a delicacy, dipping them in a light batter and frying them until puffy and golden.
The flowers can also be filled with ingredients such as cheese, Serrano ham, rice and herbs.
Cronut (USA)
Cronuts, a modern twist on the traditional doughnut, became the name on the lips of every dessert lover in America nearly a decade ago.
This cross between a croissant and a donut was introduced by pastry chef Dominique Ansel at his New York patisserie in 2013 and has inspired many imitators.
The puff pastry is filled with flavored cream and covered with a glaze.
A sweet tour of the world through its desserts
"Frybread" or fried bread (Native Americans in the United States)
The fried bread, or “frybread”, is a consequence of colonial displacement that has become an elaborate symbol for many tribes.
When Native Americans were forced off their farmlands and onto reservations by the US government in the mid-19th century, they used the ingredients provided, such as flour, sugar, and lard, to create this survival staple consisting of a large, puffy dough.
Today, many native cooks modify their family recipes with ingredients such as locally ground corn and whole wheat flour.
Fried Green Tomatoes (United States)
Although often associated with the South, fried green tomatoes have their origins in the Midwest.
Recipes for this method of turning unripe tomatoes into a culinary confection appear in late 19th century Ohio community cookbooks, as well as Jewish immigrant cookbooks.
Either way, fried green tomatoes are a staple in America.
They can be battered in cornmeal or breaded with flour, cornmeal, or crackers before frying.
French fries (Belgium and France)
Loved around the world, potato chips originated in France and Belgium.
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The history and birthplace of French fries are disputed between Belgium and France, but the method of making “pommes de terre frites” has gone from haute cuisine to a beloved fast food icon around the world. .
5 fun facts about French fries
According to tradition, the name refers to the technique of French cutting, which consists of cutting the vegetables into thin slices so that all the pieces are cooked equally.
Served alongside a steak or burger, with ketchup or mayonnaise, or topped with cheese and sauce, French fries go with just about anything.
Pakora (India)
Pakora is an umbrella term for a variety of Indian vegetable fritters, which can be made with anything from potatoes and aubergines to cabbage and spinach as a base.
Traditionally made from a variety of chickpea flour known as besan flour, these fritters can vary in shape and size depending on the specific vegetables used.
Bread pakora consists of breaded and fried slices of bread, often with vegetables such as stuffed potatoes in between the slices.
Tostones (Caribbean and Latin America)
Fried once is fine, but fried twice?
Even better.
Tostones are twice-fried green plantains, with variations found throughout Latin American and Caribbean cuisine.
The plantain slices are fried once, then flattened and fried again for a crispier edge.
Like French fries, tostones can be salted and eaten plain, used to collect sauces, or as an edible container for other appetizers such as meats, cheeses, or ceviches.
Latin American dishes that conquered the United States and how they got there
Arancini (Italy)
These breaded fried rice balls are another delicious Sicilian dish.
Credit: Eleonora Galli/Moment RF/Getty Images
Sicilian arancini have been delighting Italians since the 10th century with their combination of rice and savory fillings.
Although these breaded fried rice balls are a traditional food during the December feast of St. Lucia, arancini are eaten year-round.
They can have fillings as diverse as meat ragout, mozzarella, aubergine, mushrooms and even pistachios.
Arancini, also known as arancine, can be round or shaped into a cone in honor of the Sicilian volcano Etna.
Rice puffs (Mozambique)
The strong Portuguese influence in Mozambican cuisine can be seen in the arroz de fofo, fried and breaded rice balls containing cooked rice seasoned with garlic and bay leaves and a shrimp filling.
Although rice, garlic and bay leaves were introduced with the Portuguese colonization in the 16th century, shrimp are a local delicacy of this coastal country in southeast Africa.
Chiko rolls (Australia)
Inspired by Chinese egg rolls, the Chiko roll was invented in the 1950s by an Australian caterer who wanted a hearty snack for his outdoor events that could be eaten "in one hand, with a cold beer in the other", according to the official history of its origin.
Filled with meat and vegetables and fried in a layer of puff pastry, Chiko rolls are no longer a sporting event meal and have become a takeaway icon across Australia.
Onion Bhajis (India)
Although there are many varieties of pakora, a special version is bhajis, or onion fritters seasoned with aromatic spices.
Onion bhajis are a savory snack and street food in South India.
Thinly sliced onions create a web that the dough clings to, making them light and crisp.
Banh Cam (Vietnam)
Banh Cam is a fried Vietnamese dessert.
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Although the name translates to "orange cake," there is no orange flavor in these fried rice balls.
Instead, these sweets from southern Vietnam are named for their visual resemblance to an orange.
Made from sticky rice flour and filled with mung bean paste, the balls are coated in sesame seeds and deep-fried.
Banh ran is a similar variant found in northern Vietnam, drizzled with sugar syrup and with a slightly hollow interior for stuffing.
Scotch Eggs (UK)
Possibly the most protein-packed snack in the history of cooking, the Scotch Egg is a hard-boiled egg wrapped in sausage, coated in breadcrumbs and fried until crispy.
They may be decadently rich, but they're definitely not Scottish.
Some say this savory snack was invented by British retailer Fortnum & Mason in the 18th century, while others say it's a British version of the Indian nargisi kofta, a curry dish that features eggs wrapped in ground lamb.
Katsu (Japan)
If you have a craving for crispy fried chicken in Japan, you don't have to order more than katsu.
These panko-breaded steaks are a staple of many meals, served over rice or with curries.
Katsu sauce, a sweet and tangy fruity sauce, is also a classic accompaniment.
Beyond chicken katsu, tonkatsu specifically refers to a fried pork cutlet, and gyukatsu is the beef version.
Fried squid (Italy and Greece)
Rebozados o empanizados, servidos con una rodaja de limón y una salsa marinera o una salsa cremosa a base de mayonesa, este plato, ahora omnipresente, ha pasado de ser una especialidad costera griega e italiana a los restaurantes estadounidenses de alto nivel y a convertirse en una entrada común.
Aunque el diario The New York Times lo publicó por primera vez en 1975, estos sencillos anillos de calamar no están tan de moda como en los años 90, pero la sensación del marisco sigue estando presente en muchos menús.
Pollo frito (coreano y estadounidense)
¡Delicioso! Alitas de pollo fritas al estilo coreano con salsa de ajo y kimchi y rábano encurtido al lado.
Crédito: Pada Smith/Adobe Stock
Hay muchas formas de cocinar el pollo, pero dos de las más populares (y crujientes) son el pollo frito estadounidense y el coreano.
El pollo frito estadounidense es conocido por su corteza gruesa y rugosa, resultado de pasar los trozos de pollo marinados en suero de leche por harina sazonada para crear la capa. El pollo frito coreano tiene una fina y crujiente capa de rebozado que se fríe dos veces para que sea más crujiente, y luego se cubre con una salsa de gochujang y miel.
- Te presentamos los 7 platillos coreanos más picantes
Almejas fritas (Nueva Inglaterra)
Los puestos de almejas de carretera salpican el paisaje de Nueva Inglaterra, desde Connecticut hasta Maine, y venden el marisco frito más famoso de la región. En Nueva Inglaterra, las almejas enteras se sumergen en leche y luego se rebozan en harina de maíz antes de freírlas.
Normalmente se sirven con salsa tártara, pero también pueden disfrutarse solas o en forma de rollo de almeja en un panecillo al estilo de los hot dogs. A las tiras de almeja se les quita la barriga para obtener una opción frita más fina y crujiente.
Kibbeh (Medio Oriente)
Es el platillo nacional del Líbano, pero se pueden encontrar versiones de estas bolas fritas de carne y bulgur en todo el Medio Oriente. La carne molida de res o cordero se mezcla con trigo bulgur cocido, cebollas y especias.
Tradicionalmente se mezclan y trituran a mano, y luego se les da forma y se fríen.
El kibbeh puede formarse en bolas con forma de balón de fútbol, en discos grandes o cocidas al horno. Una versión cruda, similar al tartar, se conoce como kibbeh nayyeh.
Leche frita (España)
La leche frita se sirve con cerezas.
Crédito: FomaA/Adobe Stock
La leche frita es una de las comidas callejeras favoritas del norte de España. La leche se cuece con harina y azúcar hasta formar una crema espesa, y luego se enfría hasta que esté firme. Las natillas se cortan en cubos, se pasan por harina y huevo y se fríen. Los cubos de leche frita se cubren con canela y azúcar para hacerlos más dulces.
Tostada de camarón (Hong Kong)
Las tostadas de camarón son un sencillo tentempié salado que consiste en pasta de camarón untada en pan blanco y luego frita hasta quedar dorada.
Se popularizó en Hong Kong, algunos especulan que el componente de pan de este plato procede de la colonización británica, y se ha extendido a los menús de dim sum de todo el mundo. En una variante británica y australiana se espolvorean semillas de ajonjolí sobre el pan tostado antes de freírlo.
Barra de chocolate Mars frita (Reino Unido)
Es uno de los experimentos más conocidos de "¿se freirá?". La barra de chocolate Mars frita es una novedad escocesa que ha inspirado a muchos imitadores, desde Oreos hasta Twinkies.
Creada originalmente en una tienda de papas fritas escocesa, supuestamente como un reto, una Mars Bar congelada (una barra de chocolate, turrón y caramelo) se sumerge en una masa espesa y se fríe justo hasta que el chocolate está pegajoso y ligeramente derretido.
Pizza frita (Italia)
Nápoles (Italia) es famosa por su pizza napolitana de masa fina y airosa, pero la pizza frita es el elemento menos conocido de la tradición pizzera de la ciudad. Este estilo de pizza, que durante mucho tiempo fue un tentempié en las zonas más pobres de Nápoles, se popularizó durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, cuando los ingredientes escaseaban y los bombardeos destruían muchos de los hornos de leña utilizados para hacer la pizza napolitana.
Estas rebanadas de maza sacian, y más aún cuando se rellenan con ingredientes como ricotta, tomates molidos y chicharrones de cerdo.
Chimichangas (suroeste de Estados Unidos)
Una chimichanga de res frita con arroz y frijoles debería ser un éxito. El antiácido es opcional.
Crédito: Brent Hofacker/Adobe Stock
Arizona presume de ser la cuna de las chimichangas, unos burritos fritos que hoy son un elemento básico de la cocina tex-mex.
Aunque dos restaurantes de Phoenix y Tucson ofrecen historias de origen que compiten entre sí, al igual que ocurre con muchas comidas tex-mex, el concepto se ha multiplicado por todo el suroeste. Los burritos pueden rellenarse con arroz, frijoles, queso y carnes como carne molida o asada, cerdo o pollo y luego se fríen hasta que la tortilla se convierte en una capa crujiente.
Chicharrones (España, América Latina y Filipinas)
Pork rinds may be popular with keto dieters, but they're not a new creation developed by the big snack food brands.
Chicharrón, or fried pork skin, has been a method of making the most of every part of the pig for centuries.
It is associated above all with countries such as Spain and Latin America, as well as the Philippines.
It can be part of a main dish when used as a filling for tacos, mofongo or arepas, as a crispy topping, or on its own with condiments.
friedGastronomy
