Frying

cooking · heat and chemistry · food preparation

Hot oil cooks fast. When you fry food, the oil gets much hotter than boiling water, so food cooks super quickly. The heat makes water inside the food turn to steam and escape, which is why fried foods get crispy on the outside.

Browning makes flavor. As fried food cooks, the surface turns golden brown through a process called browning. This browning creates delicious new flavors that you can't get any other way.

Water leaves, oil stays. Frying is all about removing water from food while the food soaks up some oil. The water evaporates in seconds as steam, leaving behind a crispy, flavorful result.

Flipping gets it even. Pan-fried foods need to be flipped once or twice so both sides cook evenly. You use tongs or a spatula to carefully turn the food without breaking it.