Deep-fried Dish

Italy

This pizza calls for deep frying the dough shortly before it is topped with marinara sauce, cheese, and basil, and then thrown into an oven for a final touch. The last step is said to imbue the pizza with a somewhat smoky, toasted flavor and make the crust light and airy, with a nice crunch to it. Although it might seem like a newly-concocted dish, this deep-fried pizza specialty is actually a variety of Italian pizza that dates way back in time and is believed to have its roots in the mountains surrounding Naples. The pizza&rsquo;s origins are reflected in its name montanara, meaning coming from the mountain or mountain-style pizza. Apart from Naples, where fried pizza specialties are a common street food fare, pizza montanara can also be enjoyed in several New York restaurants.

Pizza montanara

A representative of traditional Neapolitan cuisine, pizzelle napoletane are small deep-fried pizzas that are traditionally topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella or grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and fresh basil leaves. Often referred to as montanare or montanarine because of their resemblance to pizza montanara, these pizzas are prepared with soft, leavened and yeasty dough that is shaped into round, flattened pizzas, which are then fried in oil and become puffy and light. Once a staple of Naples&rsquo; cucina povera, pizzelle napoletane are nowadays a favorite street food item sold by numerous street vendors throughout the city. Savory and flavor-packed, these tiny fried pizzas are usually served as appetizers in Neapolitan restaurants and pizzerias, but they are also commonly served as party snacks.

Pizzelle Napoletane

Fish and chips is a traditional dish consisting of freshly fried fish fillets and sliced fried potatoes. The fish is dipped in a batter of eggs, flour, and milk, and it&rsquo;s then fried in oil, lard, or beef drippings. The most common types of fish used are cod, haddock, skate, and pollock, but cod is the most popular choice, with 60% of all fish and chips meals using it as the preferred fish. Plaice, on the other hand, has a more pronounced flavor than cod, while its texture is relatively light. The fish takes other flavors exceptionally well, and it&rsquo;s also great for battering, which is the reason why it&rsquo;s often offered on fish and chips menus. It&rsquo;s recommended to pair plaice fish and chips with malt vinegar on the side.

Plaice fish and chips

Croatia

Pohani V is a specialty of the Croatian city of Virovitica. What makes it unique is the shape of the chicken breast &ndash; it should be cut so that it looks like the letter V, which is, not accidentally, the first letter in the name of its city of origin. Once shaped, the meat is seasoned, rolled in flour, dipped in eggs, milk, and breadcrumbs, then fried in hot oil. According to local tradition, this whimsical dish tastes the best when accompanied by sour cream or a combination of heavy cream and grated horseradish.

Pohani V

Fish and chips is a traditional dish consisting of freshly fried fish fillets and sliced fried potatoes. The fish is dipped in a batter of eggs, flour, and milk, and it&rsquo;s then fried in oil, lard, or beef drippings. The most common types of fish used are cod, haddock, skate, and pollock, but cod is the most popular choice, with 60% of all fish and chips meals using it as the preferred fish. Pollock, on the other hand, is often used as an inexpensive, eco-friendly alternative to cod. The flesh is also soft and succulent, just as cod, but the texture is a bit more flaky, while the flavors are slightly sweet. Due to the fact that pollock is a robust fish, it&rsquo;s easily battered and fried before it&rsquo;s enjoyed with a heap of chips on the side.

Pollock fish and chips

Poo cha (a.k.a. poo ja) is a Thai dish consisting of stuffed, deep-fried crabs. The dish is best prepared with fresh crabs that are steamed, and the meat is then removed and flaked before it is combined with pork, shrimps, soy sauce, garlic, fish sauce, and various other spices and seasonings. The mixture is then stuffed inside crab shells, which are occasionally steamed before they are deep-fried. The crabs are usually served with a dipping sauce on the side.

Poo cha

United States

Popcorn chicken is an American dish consisting of tiny, bite-sized pieces of chicken that have been breaded or battered and deep-fried. The name of the dish refers to the small pieces of chicken that are reminiscent of popcorn after they have been fried. The dish has been popular in the American South for centuries, since the small chicken pieces were easy to prepare and pack into lunchboxes. It is believed that the dish originated with slaves who often had to use every single bit of meat, so smaller pieces of chicken were usually fried together, and chicken bite dishes were born. In the early 1990s, a fast-food chain restaurant called KFC introduced popcorn chicken to their menus, and the dish remained a trademarked staple of KFC until today.

Popcorn Chicken

Proben (occasionally referred to as proven) is a satisfying Filipino snack, and one of the most popular street food items in the country. It is prepared with an unusual chicken organ named proventriculus, a component that is in many ways similar to chicken gizzard. Coated in flour or cornstarch, the tiny proben pieces are shortly deep-fried until the exterior becomes golden brown and crispy. They can be fried individually and served in plastic bags, or skewered and fried on bamboo sticks. Cheap, fast, and nutritious, proben has come to represent one of the most common street food varieties in the Philippines, which is especially favored among the young students. The snacks can be found on numerous streets and traditional markets, where they are usually prepared by street vendors who prepare heaps of fresh proben on mobile food stands. Even though they can be eaten plain, bagged or skewered versions are usually accompanied by sour vinegar sauce or sweet chili sauce.

Proben

One of India's most popular deep-fried snacks known as samosa is often called "the king of Indian street food." This particular variety is stuffed with a savory filling of sliced onions (and sometimes also cabbage and rice flakes) which are seasoned with a variety of spices such as red chili powder, poha, and coriander. Typically served hot, the crispy fried onion samosas are best enjoyed accompanied with the zesty mint and coriander chutney.

Pyaaz samosa

Vietnamese quẩy is a deep-fried snack which was inspired by youtiao, a popular Chinese delicacy. Although very similar in preparation and shape to its more popular cousin, quẩy is regarded as a national culinary treasure in Vietnam. Plain flour, leavening agents, salt, water, and sugar create the basic dough, which is left to rest for hours until ready. The snack is created by combining two pieces of dough which are shortly deep-fried until golden brown. The lengthy preparation procedure should result in a delicacy which puffs in contact with oil and slightly separates to resemble two individual sticks that are connected in the middle. Quẩy comes in all sizes, but a prerequisite for each serving is a crunchy exterior and a soft, slightly hollow center. In Vietnam, people enjoy it as a street food item, commonly combining it with rice porridge, pho, papaya dipping sauce, or noodles. It can be served whole and plain, but it is often cut into smaller pieces when served as an accompaniment to other dishes. Quẩy is regarded as cheap and satisfying comfort food, enjoyed by people of all ages, but it is especially popular among Vietnamese students. Because it is always freshly prepared and served hot, it is usually associated with the winter period, but can be found all year round. Similar youtiao variations are common in many Southeast Asian countries.

Quẩy

Rengginang is a traditional rice cracker originating from Indonesia. It's made from dried leftover sticky rice that's seasoned with spices, flattened and shaped into a circle, then sun-dried and deep-fried in oil. This type of rice cracker is different from most other rice crackers because the rice grains are clearly visible. The texture of rengginang should always be crispy, while the flavors can be savory or sweet. It can be enriched with the addition of terasi shrimp paste or dried prawns. In Suriname, this cracker is known as brong-brong.

Rengginang

Risoles is a popular Indonesian snack originating from the 13th century. It has a delicate, savory flavor which makes risoles ideal for breakfast or an afternoon snack. Risoles consists of a small croquette that is typically wrapped in pastry, rolled in breadcrumbs, then deep-fried until golden brown in color. Usually, it is filled with ingredients such as seafood, minced meat, or vegetables. Sometimes, it can be filled with sweet ingredients and served as a dessert. The name of the dish stems from the traditional Portuguese rissole. This tasty snack can be found throughout Indonesia, in numerous markets, bakeries, and on street stands.

Risoles

Rod duan are fried bamboo caterpillars originating from Thailand. The caterpillars live in the bamboos and consume it as well. They're high in protein, low in fat, and some people believe that they have medicinal properties. The caterpillars are usually deep-fried in hot oil, and they become very crunchy in texture after the process. The flavor is often compared to fried potato chips. Sometimes, they're cooked with chili paste. Rod duan can be easily found in numerous street markets in the country and it's one of the most common fried insects in Thailand.

Rod duan

Rolled oyster is a traditional dish originating from and around Louisville, Kentucky. It consists of three raw oysters that are dipped in pastinga batter (eggs, cornmeal, and milk), rolled in cracker crumbs, then deep-fried to crispy perfection. As the exterior seals and becomes golden brown, the oysters inside get steamed and burst, while the oyster juices give the breading an oyster-like flavor. It is believed that this dish was first served in 1884 by Italian immigrant Phillip Mazzoni in his tavern on Third and Market. This bar snack is usually served with ketchup or tartar sauce.

Rolled Oyster

Rundvleeskroket is a Dutch kroket variety that is typically consumed as a snack, oftentimes bought at numerous street vending machines that serve food. It has an elongated shape and consists of a flour-thickened beef rag&ugrave; that is breaded and deep-fried. Rundvleeskroket is most commonly paired with mustard and consumed as it is, although it can also be placed in a bun.

Rundvleeskroket

Australia

Salt and pepper calamari is a Chinese cuisine-inspired dish that&rsquo;s so popular in Australia it might even be called one of Australia&rsquo;s national dishes. The calamari, or squid in some cases, is covered in salt-and-pepper batter, then deep-fried to crispy perfection. The dish is often prepared and served as a bar or pub snack, and it often comes garnished with garlic, fried chili, and spring onions. Salt and pepper calamari is so widely available in the country that it can be found everywhere from caf&eacute;s to pubs, restaurants, and bistros. The only thing that&rsquo;s important is that the seafood should be fresh, and the seafood to batter ratio should be similar in size and coating.

Salt and Pepper Calamari

Due to their crunchy texture and a variety of different flavors, samosas provide a perfect introduction to the world of Indian cuisine for newcomers. These deep-fried, triangular pastries are filled with a variety of ingredients ranging from vegetables to meat, such as onions, lentils, spiced potatoes, peas, or ground meat. It is said that the popular, golden-brown snack travelled to India along the old trade routes from Central Asia, which is why samosas are also prevelent in Middle Eastern countries where they are typically served for Ramadan. In Saudi Arabia, for example, they are typically filled with meat or cheese and can be shaped as triangles, squares, and rolls. These savory triangles are typically served hot and accompanied with chopped onions, yogurt, or fresh, homemade Indian chutneys made with a variety of ingredients such as mint, coriander or tamarind. However, not all samosas are savory - some versions can contain a number of sweet ingredients such as pomegranate, mango, and raisins. Sweet or savory, they can be found throughout India at numerous street stalls and roadside eateries, freshly made and traditionally paired with masala chai tea.

Samosa

Satekroket is one of the popular Dutch fast food items and a variety of kroket. It can be found at numerous snackbars or bought on the streets from vending machines that serve food. The snack consists of a combination of peanut satay sauce and meat rag&ugrave; that is thickened with flour. The combination is then breaded, deep-fried, and ready to satiate the appetites of hungry consumers. It is said that satekroket tastes the best after a wild night out.

Satékroket

Scotch eggs are one of Britain's most popular snacks, consisting of hard-boiled eggs that are encased in sausage meat and coated in breadcrumbs. However, if desired, the eggs can be slightly runny. The combination of these ingredients is then deep-fried in hot oil until golden and crispy. Although they can be consumed either hot or cold, the eggs are traditionally consumed chilled, preferably with pickles and a fresh salad on the side. It is believed that the snack was invented in the 19th century, when people used to dip the eggs in boiling water combined with lime-powder disinfectant, in order to preserve them. The process was called scotching, and the eggs were discolored in the process. Scotch eggs were invented as a way to mask the unappealing, yet perfectly edible eggs. There are people claiming that Scotch eggs were either posh food or a humble snack in the past, but regardless of the truth, their popularity started to decline rapidly during the 1990s, when they started appearing at gas stations across the country. In recent years, there has been something of a turnaround, as Scotch eggs started to appear on Cool lists in magazines and even in Michelin-starred restaurants.

Scotch eggs

Deep-fried pizza is a Scottish concoction consisting of a pizza that is deep-fried in hot oil (without being dipped in batter) instead of being baked in an oven. It can be found in numerous chips shops throughout the country, where it is fried in the same oil where fish and chips are prepared. This extremely caloric and unhealthy meal is often served with salt, vinegar, or chips in order to improve its flavors.