Fried dough
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about a particular kind of food that is known by the specific name "Fried dough."
For a comprehensive overview of many different foods that are all made by frying kinds of dough, see List of fried dough foods.
For the plant, see Elephant ear.
 Fried dough |
|
| Origin | |
|---|---|
| Alternate name(s) | fry dough beaver tails elephant ears frying saucers pizza frita whales tails buñuelos doughboys roadkill |
| Dish details | |
| Course served | Dessert |
| Serving temperature | Warm |
| Main ingredient(s) | Yeast dough |
| Variations | zeppole and others |
In Canada, pieces of fried dough are sometimes called beaver tails. According to Bill Castleman, a writer of books on Canadian word origins, the name referred to quick-baked dough "especially in early 19th-century places where people might camp for one night and where there was no frying pan."[1] Some sources identify beaver tails as a local specialty in Ottawa,[2] where they are associated especially with the city's Winterlude festival, although beaver tails can be purchased in many other Canadian cities as well. BeaverTails is the name (and Canadian trademark) of a chain of restaurants specializing in the item, founded in Ottawa in 1978.[3]
An Italian variant common in North America is zeppole.
[edit] Preparation
Fried dough is made by deep-frying a portion of risen yeast dough. The dough acquires an irregular, bubbly appearance from being fried.
The dough may then be sprinkled with a variety of toppings, such as granulated sugar, powdered sugar, cinnamon, fruit sauce, chocolate sauce, cheese, maple syrup, whipped cream, tomato sauce, garlic butter, lemon juice, honey, butter, or a combination of these.
 Fried dough stand |
 Dough being deep-fat fried |
 BeaverTail pastry at Byward Market, Ottawa |
 BeaverTail from street vendor in downtown Ottawa |
 Maple and chocolate variety beaver tail sold from attraction vendor in Moncton, NB |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Bill Castleman. "Canadian Food Words". http://www.billcasselman.com/canadian_food_words/cfw_five.htm. Retrieved 2006-12-17.
- ^ "Culinary Ottawa". Ottawa Tourism. http://trailfire.com/pages/form.php?aid=check&bubble=33462. Retrieved 2006-12-17.
- ^ "BeaverTails History". BeaverTails, Inc.. http://www.beavertailsinc.com/en/history.html. Retrieved 2006-12-17.
- Elephant Ear Recipe baked type.
- Elephant Ear Recipe the kind made at fairs.
- St. Petersburg (Florida) Times article, Distinction between funnel cakes and elephant ears
