 Bowl of corn fritters | |
| Type | Fritters |
|---|---|
| Course | Snack |
| Place of origin | Native American cuisine |
| Region or state | Americas,China,Southeast Asia |
| Created by | Native Americans in the United States |
| Main ingredients | Corn, egg, flour, milk and butter |
Corn fritters are fried cakes of a dough or batter made of, or containing, a featured quantity ofcorn kernels. Originating inNative American cuisine, they are a traditional sweet and savorysnack in the Americas, theSouthern United States, as well asIndonesia where they are known asperkedel jagung orbakwan jagung.[1]
Native Americans had been using ground corn (maize) as food for thousands of years[2] before European explorers arrived in the New World.[3] Corn-based products, such ascorn flatbread,arepa andcornbread were staple foods inPre-Columbian Americas. Native Americans did not usedeep frying techniques, however, which require ample supplies of cooking oil as well as equipment in which the oil can be heated to high temperatures.
European settlers learned recipes and processes for corndishes from Native Americans, and soon devised their own cornmeal-based recipe variations of Europeanbreads made from grains available on that continent. The corn fritter probably was invented in theSouthern United States, whosetraditional cuisine contains a lot ofdeep fried foods.
On the other side of the world, maize seeds from the Americas were introduced intoSoutheast Asia in the late 16th century through Spanish andPortuguese traders. The plant thrived in the tropical climate ofIndonesia, and soon became a staple food plant in drier areas of central and southeastern Indonesia, since it requires much less water thanwet rice.Coconut andpalm oil have been essential elements ofIndonesian cuisine for centuries. The deep fried technique using palm oil was probably borrowed from Portuguese colonists; and Indonesia and Myanmar (Burma) both have their own types of corn fritter, respectively calledperkedel jagung orbakwan jagung andpyaungbu kyaw.[1]
Traditional corn fritters in the American South usecorn kernels,egg,flour,milk, andmelted butter.[4] They can bedeep fried,[5] shallow fried,[5]baked, and may be served withjam,fruit,honey, orcream. They may also be made withcreamed corn, baked, and served with maple syrup. Corn fritters can be made to have a similar appearance to, and thus be mistaken for,johnnycake.
They are sometimes called corn nuggets.[6]
Peruvian corn fritters, calledtorrejas de choclo, are made fromchoclo (Peruvian corn), anAndean variety of corn, pepper, onion and eggs. They can be deep-fried in vegetable oil and are usually served as a savory appetizer to accompany other local dishes.[7]
Corn is believed to have been introduced in Southeast Asia from Central America in 16th century by the Portuguese or the Spanish as part of theColumbian exchange and has become integrated into Southeast Asian cuisines.[8]
Cambodian corn fritters, calledpoat chien (Khmer:ពោតចៀន), are made from a mixture of thinly sliced corn kernels, gratedcoconut,coconut milk andglutinous rice flour fried in vegetable oil. They are eaten as a snack throughout the day.[9]
Indonesian corn fritters, a type ofgorengan, are not sweet but savoury. They have a more granulated texture, as the corn kernels are not finely ground and blended into the dough, so they retain their kernel shapes. The fritter is made from fresh corn kernels, a mixture of flours including wheat flour,rice flour,corn starch,sago ortapioca,celery,scallion, eggs,shallots,garlic, salt and pepper, anddeep fried incoconut oil. They are a popular snack and are often served as anappetizer.[10]
InBojonegoro[11] andTuban,[12] East Java, a corn fritter is calledpelas. Unlikebakwan jagung,pelas uses corn which is ground with a stone mortar and pestle and mixed with spices.
Burmese corn fritters, calledpyaungbu kyaw (ပြောင်းဖူးကြော်), are a type ofBurmese fritter.Pyaungbu kyaw consists of corn kernels battered in flour and eggs and deep-fried as disk-like fritters.[13][14] They are savory, and are similar to Indonesianbakwan jagung.
Corn fritters.
