National Fritters Day on December 2nd allows for no frittering away of the time.
Alright, let’s start this out by admitting something. Prior to Fritters Day, we had no idea that Fritters came in any other variety than Apple. A whole new world was opened up to us when we discovered that there were blueberry fritters, and banana fritters, pineapple fritters, and even clam and shrimp fritters.
Fritters are popular all over the world, though obviously they’re not called fritters everywhere you go. In Asia, there are several varieties, including the Burmese a-kyaw which is popularly made with a rich gourd filling, and are typically served with tea, or for breakfast. Because who doesn’t like deep-fried gourds for breakfast? Admittedly, they also have it made from chickpea, onion, brown bean paste, just to name a few.
In Indonesia, fritters are called gorengan, with one of the most popular being pisand goring, a banana-based fritter. But don’t let that stop you from trying the breadfruit and sweet potato varieties. In Indonesia they think the perfect accompaniment to fritters is bird’s eye chili. Apparently, they enjoy some soul-searing spice with their fritters, but who are we to judge?
One type of fritter you may not have realized you’ve had is Tempura. That’s right, that delicious battered and fried dish from your favorite Japanese restaurant is also considered a fritter. Of course, if all one has to do is batter and fry something to make a fritter, does that make deep-fried Twinkies a Twinkie Fritter? The mind boggles indeed.
5 FACTS ABOUT FLOUR THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND
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Flour is prehistoric
The earliest archaeological evidence for flour dates to 6000 BC when wheat seeds were crushed between basic millstones.
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It has vitamins
In the 1930s, producers began to add iron, niacin, thiamine, and riboflavin into flour.
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Wheat is best for baking
Flour made from wheat grains is the most satisfactory type for baked products that require a spongy structure.
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There are many types
There are nine different types of wheat flour: cake flour, pastry flour, plain or all-purpose flour, bread flour, hard flour, gluten flour, unbleached flour, and self-raising flour.
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Corn flour is ancient
Corn flour has been cardinal in Mesoamerican cuisine since ancient times and it remains a staple in the Americas.