Don't knock it, till you fry it.
Welcome to WatchMojo.com,
and today we're counting down our picks,
for the top 10 deep fried foods.
For this list,
we're keeping it simple.
These are the tastiest deep fried foods this world has to offer.
When it comes to take-out Chinese food,
this is hands down one of the most popular dishes.
But according to food author, Andrew Coe,
the humble egg roll was actually invented in New York City in the 1930's.
Many cultures have dishes similar to this Chinese take-out favorite,
but you know a classic egg roll when you see and taste one.
Similar to "spring rolls" which are made with rice paper,
egg rolls are different, in that they're made with a flour base dough.
Which gives their wrapping a distinctly crispy, yet chewy texture,
and has the added meaty goodness of chicken, pork, or shrimp shoved inside,
plus, we think it counts, as a serving of veggies,
since there's some carrots and cabbage stuffed in there too.
Is there any fried food more quintessentially American than these puppies?
A hot dog on a stick,
dipped in corn batter and deep fried to golden perfection.
It's a tasty carnival and boardwalk treat,
reminiscent of a simpler time.
The origin of the corn dog is highly contested,
with multiple parties taking responsibility,
but we do know that it appeared in its earliest form,
minus the stick in 1927.
It since been reinterpreted every which way,
like trading the corn batter for a battered french fry crust,
giving you a hot dog and fries wrapped in one.
But the classic interpretation as celebrated on "National Corn Dog Day",
simply can't be beat.
Although common in many regions of the world including Southeast Asia,
North Africa,
East Africa, the Middle East and more,
samosas are most strongly associated with Indian cuisine,
mentioned in history books as early as the 10th century.
The most popular main dishes in Indian cuisine are curry dishes,
meat and/or vegetables in a thick flavorful sauce,
served with rice or naan bread,
they're delicious, but not exactly an ideal food on the go...
Samosas on the other hand, are the perfect quick and portable tasty treat,
a wheat or maida flour shell is stuffed full of potato,
peas,
spices, green chillies and sometimes meat,
then deep-fried,
paired with either mint sauce or a tamarind chutney,
samosas are generally affordable,
and sure to satisfy.
Squid is an extremely popular food in the Mediterranean,
Asia and certain areas of Europe,
South Africa and the Middle East,
where it served in countless different preparations,
in North America however,
fried calamari reign supreme.
A popular dish, especially in seafood restaurants and bars,
fried calamari is a great alternative,
to your more run-of-the-mill appetizers, like mozzarella sticks or wings.
Calamari can get tough and chewy, if overcooked,
so keep it under two minutes in the fryer,
and serve with lemon for a simple, yet scrumptious treat.
Got a friend who's grossed out by squid?
Slip a couple of fried calamari in amongst their onion rings,
and change their minds.
Just make sure they don't have a seafood allergy, first.
Speaking of those delicious crispy rings of vegetable goodness,
you didn't think we'd leave them out, did you?
Is there any better way to eat an onion than in their deep fried battered ring form?
You can go for a simple milk and flour batter,
but given that their a classic bar food,
you really need to try beer battering them to experience onion rings at their best.
A&W is credited with helping to popularize them across the states as a fast-food side,
but recipes can be found dating back as far as the early 1800's hundreds.
If an onion ring was good enough to stand in, as a wedding ring for Marge Simpson,
then it's good enough for us,
just give us a whole plate.
Doughnuts come in all shapes and sizes,
with many related dishes around the world,
including funnel cakes, beignets, churros, and loukoumas,
but when you hear the word, "doughnut",
it's hard not to imagine the classic powdered version,
or frosted with sprinkles.
There are a number of contested stories explaining how doughnuts develop their famous shape,
some believe the tale of a sea captain who,
struggling to hold his oil cake and the wheel of his ship,
poked or shot a hole through the cake center,
creating a doughnut hole,
others say, some savvy cook simply realized,
they bake more evenly in a ring shape.
Regardless,
they've only grown in popularity since,
and were a staple for young men serving in World War I.
Tempura isn't your typical frying batter,
it's usually made with cold water,
wheat flour,
egg and optional spices.
Tempura is traditionally cooked in sesame seed oil,
which helps give it a distinct flavour and preserves its uniquely light crispy texture,
the batter is also kept very cold,
and mixed minimally to avoid triggering the gluten,
which would result in a more doughy finished product.
Japanese society has been frying food since ancient times,
but the current base recipe,
still used today,
can be traced back to 1671.
Tempura is usually applied to vegetables and seafood,
with shrimp serving as a particularly lovely pairing,
it's typically served on a bed of rice or with soba noodles,
or accompanied by a dipping sauce.
Whether you say, "potato" or "potahto",
let's call the whole thing delicious and deep fry these suckers,
from fries to chips, pommes de terre frit,
you know you're ordering something delicious.
This side dish has been reinterpreted too many ways to count,
but you'd be hard-pressed to find someone,
who doesn't enjoy a basic side of perfectly cooked fries,
season with some combination of salt,
ketchup, vinegar, or mayo.
Funnily enough,
french fries may not have even originated in France,
though the French do still argue it,
instead,
some trace their origin to Belgium,
dating back to the 1600's hundreds.
American soldiers first encountered the delicious side dish there in World War I,
where the local language is French,
and thus refer to them,
wrongly as "french fries".
Some iteration of this dish exists in most cultures around the world,
that being said,
most fried fish dishes can be traced back to pescado frito,
a dish that originated in the Andalusia region of Spain.
Historians believe that Spanish Jews emigrating to England,
introduce the dish upon their arrival in 17th century,
and that it then evolved into the widely popular English dish,
"fish and chips".
Typically, cheaper fish is used,
since the battering and frying technique helps to mask bland flavors,
through seasoning and pleasant textures,
but cheap fish or not,
when properly spiced up,
fried fish is simply divine.
Before we unveil our number one pick,
here are some honorable mentions.
With a wide variety of possible preparation techniques,
Southern-style is still the most iconic version.
The idea was first brought to the table by Scots immigrating to the U.S.,
where African slaves got a taste and made it even better,
a staple of soul food,
when properly prepared,
fried chicken is a textural combination that's hard to beat.
The flour dredge provides a satisfying crunchy exterior when fried,
giving way to mouth-wateringly juicy meat on the interior.
There are some fast food juggernauts from KFC to Popeyes and Chick-Fil-A,
that claim to have perfected the recipe,
but at heart,
fried chicken is still a home-cooked meal above all else,
and if you're in a breakfast-y mood,
add some waffles or go to LA's Roscoe's.
Do you agree with our list?
What's your favorite deep fried food?
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