fritter

Fritter is a food item prepared by coating pieces of food in a batter or dough and frying them until crisp and golden. Fritters can be sweet or savory and vary widely by region. They are typically made by combining flour, eggs, and milk to form a batter; a leavening agent such as baking powder is common. The main varieties are batter fritters, where the food item is dipped in a liquid batter and then fried, and dough fritters, where the ingredients are mixed into a thicker dough that is shaped and fried.

Common types include fruit fritters (apple, banana, or pineapple) and vegetable fritters (potato, corn, zucchini). Savory examples include fish or crab fritters, akara (bean fritters) in West Africa, and bhajis/pakoras in South Asia. In North America, corn fritters and apple fritters are traditional favorites, often served warm with sugar, syrup, or savory dips.

Preparation typically involves making a batter, folding in the chosen ingredient, and frying spoonfuls or patties in oil until the exterior is crispy and the interior cooked. Some recipes call for shallow frying or air-frying for a lighter result. Fritters are commonly served as snacks, side dishes, or desserts, depending on the filling.

Etymology and spread: the term fritter arises in English from earlier French and Latin roots, and similar fried dough preparations appear in many cultures, yielding a wide family of fritters such as pakoras, buñuelos, and tempura-adjacent batters.