By Madison Samuel-Barclay
WHAT IS IT?
Deep-frying, or cooking with oil, is a method of “dry” cooking. It’s considered “dry” cooking because no water is involved. Instead, food is submerged into a boiling pan of oil or fat where it is cooked. Because of the high heat conduction and oil concentration, the food cooks very quickly.
WHERE DID IT START?
Cooking with oil can be traced as far back as the ancient Egyptians, who regularly used oil or fat to cook their meat and vegetables. Frying food was and still is an efficient way to prepare food quickly.
CAN YOU DEEP-FRY ANYTHING?
You can deep-fry just about anything if you take the proper steps. Some foods can be dunked straight into the oil, but others need to be coated in a batter so that the food doesn’t turn into goo. Some restaurants around the world specialize in deep-frying foods other than chicken or fries. Deep-fried items that have turned up on menus? Everything from Twinkies to Mars Bars, pickles and gummy worms.
IS IT BAD FOR YOU?
There are some advantages to eating fat. It helps store energy in your body and protects it from impact and other physical dangers. It also helps keep your skin and hair looking healthy. Of course, there are downsides to eating fat: too much of it can lead to certain diseases, like heart diseases.
CAN FRYING BE HEALTHY?
It all depends on what oil you’re using and what you’re frying. A deep-fried Twinkie is—surprise, surprise—unhealthy, but a stir-fry of veggies can be quite good for you. Monounsaturated fats found in oils like olive oil can be good for you as well. Butter is actually not too shabby in the frying department either. It contains fat, but it is a naturally occurring fat. On the other hand, margarine contains saturated fat, so between the two, butter is the better choice. Of course, oil or fat isn’t the only choice. You can even fry food with water!