Table of Contents
- How old is deep frying
- Deep Frying in History:
- History of Fried Foods
- Deep Fryers in Historical Context
- Frying in Modren context
How old is deep frying
If you are one of those enthusiast chefs who love frying, you might sometimes wonder how old is deep-frying? Who invented this technique? Who was the first one to use it?
Well, the deep-frying technique is ancient. The modern form of deep-frying started only in the 20th century. However, the History of frying has its roots in ancient civilizations. Egyptians were considered the first to use deep frying for their desserts. But it was not until the middle ages that frying became popular and became a commonly used product among elite people.
This article discusses the History of Deep frying in detail based on research and evidence from History books.
Deep Frying in History:
Deep frying is believed to be as old as History itself as ancient civilizations such as Egyptians and Romans are considered the first to use deep frying for food.
Deep Frying in Egypt Civilization
The History books tell us that Egyptians were the first to discover and use the deep frying process in cooking. It was common among elite people of Egyptian society and was used as a way of cooking meat and desserts until the 19th century when it became popular in most parts of the world.
Deep frying in the Roman Era
But History leads to the use of deep-frying during the Roman era. History tells us that Romans were introduced to Deep frying by their neighboring Egyptian counterparts, who spent most of their time preparing desserts using this process. It is said that Egyptians used to prepare food made with dough and then fried it in oil.
Roman citizens were believed to be familiarized with this cooking method. They enjoyed the taste of the food prepared by Egyptians and started adopting the same techniques for cooking food in their household. Romans built Fryers which were bell-shaped utensils supported on a brazier filled with oil to cook meat and desserts.
Greeks and Deep Frying
History tells us that the Greeks were also familiarized with the deep-frying process as they traded their goods and services with the Roman Empire. Alexander The Great was a prominent figure who introduced deep frying to Greek society. He was familiar with this cooking method during his visit to Egypt as a part of his army.
As Greeks were known for their ” fried dough, “History tells us that they have been using the deep-frying process since then. History books say that people prepared thick dough made from wheat and water, which poor people consumed during ancient days. As evident from History books, Greeks also used Olive oil as a medium for deep frying.
One common among these civilizations is that they all used olive oil as a medium of deep frying, as it was cheap and widely available in their societies.
History of Fried Foods
Fried cakes in the 5th millennium BC are reportedly believed to be the oldest form of deep-fried food found to date.
Then came the Fritters around the middle ages, becoming extremely popular in Europe. In the 16th-century, Tempura, a deep-fried delicacy, was then introduced to the Japanese from the Portuguese.
During the 17th century, deep frying arrived in Britain, and Jews were the first to introduce it there. America was introduced with deep-frying during the 1740s when English immigrants arrived and brought their traditional recipes. Doughnuts were introduced in America during the 1860s, and shortly after that, potato chips followed.
It is believed that a French chef invented fried potatoes in 1748, after which they became trendy during the early 19th century. Since then, it has been an integral part of American Cooking, with people enjoying them as snacks or side dishes with main course meals like sandwiches and burgers.
Deep Fryers in Historical Context
It is believed that the oldest deep fryer found was discovered in a tomb and dates back to the 4th century found in Mesopotamia. History tells us that Fryers were made from metal and sometimes clay.
In ancient times, people used to place a piece of meat on a stick or skewer and hold it over the fire while rotating it to cook the food evenly on all sides. This was a tedious process that later paved the way for
In the 1880s, cast iron deep fryers were introduced as cheap and easy to produce. History tells us that it was not until the 1910s when electric deep-frying started, widely used nowadays.
During the early 20th century, the History of Fryers changed with modernization. Fryers were introduced to restaurant kitchens around Europe and America during the 19th century with significant development during the 1920s, after which they became a part of fine-dining restaurants.
In the 19th century, Fryers were large and could only be used inside kitchens inside homes and restaurants.
With advancements in technology leading to mass production and reduced cost, Deep electric fryers made their way to households improving access and convenience for people at home.
Frying in Modren context
Nowadays, deep and shallow frying is a common cooking technique used worldwide. Notably, it has become an integral part of American Cuisine in America, with popular snacks like fries and donuts being deep-fried delicacies.
Deep frying remains widely popular because of the crunchy and crispy texture it gives to food which many people prefer. Moreover, deep-fried foods remain chewy inside, a primary reason for their popularity.
Although most foods can be fried nowadays, oil remains the most commonly used food item during such an activity. The process of deep frying involves the usage of hot oil to fry the food while its outer surface remains crispy and not crunchy.
Nowadays, frying has also become widespread due to cooking equipment like electric fryers, which are extremely useful, especially during large gatherings when many people are served.
The United States is one of the largest consumers of deep-fried foods, with every year, millions of pounds are consumed worldwide. US culture has its share of favorite fried dishes, including french fries, onion rings, chicken nuggets, mozzarella sticks, egg rolls, etc.
Deep frying remains widely popular because of the crunchy and crispy texture it gives to food which many people prefer. Moreover, deep-fried foods remain chewy inside, a significant reason for their popularity.
As such, frying has become widespread throughout America and other parts of the world, making it an integral part of cooking around the globe. However, too much reliance on fried foods also has adverse effects on health.
All of the histories mentioned above definitively tell us that frying is one of the oldest cooking techniques known to humanity which has evolved throughout history.
