Fried Dough Foods

Pączki are traditional Polish doughnuts are made from yeast-leavened dough that's rich in eggs, sugar, milk, and fats. A touch of spirit, such as rum, is often added to the dough for pączki to prevent the absorption of oil during frying. They are ... READ MORE

Karipap or curry puff is a small, deep-fried or baked pastry shell filled with thick chicken and potatoes curry. It is believed that the flavorful snack was invented by the Malays from the Malay Peninsula and parts of Sumatra and Borneo. ... READ MORE

Nonnevot is a unique pastry originating from Limburg, dating back to at least the 17th century. The dough is prepared with flour, yeast, milk, salt, butter, lard, and brown sugar. It is then deep-fried until it develops a golden-brown color. Altho... READ MORE

Sfenj are popular Moroccan and Algerian doughnut-like fritters made from sticky unleavened batter, similar to Libyan sfinz and Tunisian bambalouni. The dough is traditionally shaped into rings and deep-fried until it develops a g... READ MORE

Fouskakia are traditional Greek donuts or loukoumades that are prepared on the islands of Skopelos and Alonnisos, in the northwest Aegean Sea. The name of this specialty derives from the Greek word foúska, meaning a bu... READ MORE

Italian deep-fried doughnuts known as bomboloni are one of the traditional sweets of the Carnival season, but nowadays they can be prepared throughout the year. Even though bomboloni are said to be of Tuscan origin, they are commonly sold as a sna... READ MORE

Paçanga böreği is a Turkish börek variety that's especially popular in the region of Anatolia and in Istanbul, where it's regarded as a traditional Sephardic Jewish specialty of the city. It's made by stuffing yufka or ph... READ MORE

Bhatura is a deep-fried, leavened bread with North Indian origins and a light, fluffy texture. Its unique texture is achieved by letting the dough ferment for almost one hour. The dough consists of flour, oil, baking powder, and yogurt. After the ... READ MORE

Mekitsa is a popular Bulgarian dish that is traditionally served for breakfast. It is a flatbread made with kneaded dough that is then deep-fried in hot oil. The dough usually consists of flour, water, salt, oil, eggs, yogurt, and a leavening agen... READ MORE

Graffe are soft Neapolitan fried sweets that are traditionally prepared for Carnival. It is believed that they were inspired by famous Austrian krapfen. The main characteristic of these leavened, doughnut-shaped fritters with a hole in th... READ MORE

Bambalouni are traditional Tunisian doughnuts that are especially popular in the village of Sidi Bou Said. They are made with flour, hot water, yeast, and salt. After the dough has been prepared, it is fried in hot oil until golden brown, and the ... READ MORE

This empanada variety originates from Córdoba in Argentina, hence the name. It is sweet and savory because it's filled with beef, raisins, potatoes, olives, and white sugar. Other ingredients include hard-boiled eggs, onions, garlic, red wi... READ MORE

Krapfen was probably the first European-style doughnut to appear, followed by similar varieties in other countries. These pastries are traditionally prepared with leavened dough that is deep-fried until golden and crispy on the outside, while they... READ MORE

These luscious little balls of sweet fried dough are one of the most recognizable Italian carnival sweets. Their name derives from the word castagne, meaning chestnuts, referring to their shape and size rather than the use of rea... READ MORE

Malasadas are traditional Portuguese yeast-leavened doughnuts made from eggs, flour, sugar, and milk. They are sometimes coated with cinnamon or granulated sugar. The original Portuguese malasadas don't have any holes or fillings, but the variatio... READ MORE

Bolas de Berlim are Portuguese donuts that are sliced in half, then filled with sweet and creamy egg-based custard. Fluffy on the exterior and thick and creamy on the interior, these donuts are typically rolled in granulated sugar before being fil... READ MORE

These soft, tender Czech doughnuts are prepared with yeasted dough that is occasionally flavored with lemon zest. They are typically round and have a small indentation on the top, which is used to hold all of the delicious filling. Even though the... READ MORE

This traditional Middle Eastern dessert is often enjoyed on Iftar (a fast-breaking meal) during the holy month of Ramadan. The dish is made with thin sheets of phyllo dough that are wrapped into small elongated rolls while the center is filled wit... READ MORE

Papanași is a traditional donut-shaped pastry with a small sphere on top. It can be fried or boiled, and it's made by adding unsalted cheese such as brânză de vaci (cow's milk cheese) or urdă to a regular flour and egg dough. The fried papan... READ MORE

Priganice is a popular snack originating from Montenegro. The dough is made with flour, water, oil, salt, yeast, and sugar. Yogurt or rakija are sometimes added to the dough so that it doesn't soak up much oil during the frying process. Priganice ... READ MORE

Tortos is a traditional dish originating from the Asturias region. This humble dish is made with a combination of corn flour, ground pork that’s seasoned with paprika (picadillo), and eggs. The tortos (corn fritters) are made with a combinat... READ MORE

Hercegovački uštipak is a simple fritter that originates from Herzegovina. In the past, these fritters were typical peasant food, but nowadays it's a quick snack or a replacement for bread. They're made with flour, water, salt, and a bit of... READ MORE

These squares of deep-fried pastry dough are sprinkled with powdered sugar and are traditionally served hot. The dish hails from France, and French settlers brought it to the Acadia region of Canada in the 17th century. Many of the Acadians later ... READ MORE

Lángos is a Hungarian specialty made by deep-frying a basic dough consisting of water, flour, yeast, sugar, and salt until it develops a golden-brown color. Sour cream, milk, or yogurt can all be used instead of water. Lángos is trad... READ MORE

Picarones are a staple of Peruvian street food, the tasty, deep-fried treats that are also often referred to as the "Peruvian doughnuts". The dough is shaped into a ring and fried in hot oil, and picarones are then drizzled with a sweet cane syrup... READ MORE

Zeppole are a fried dough specialty that is found throughout southern Italy, consisting of deep-fried dough that is typically topped with sugar and can be filled with custard, jelly, pastry cream, or a combination of honey and butter. Some version... READ MORE

Plăcintă, from the Latin word placenta which means flat cake, is a traditional fried pastry or a thin cake consisting of flour, water, eggs, milk, yeast, and a pinch of salt. This fried or deep-fried pastry is enjoyed warm, and i... READ MORE

Munkki, translated as monks, are popular Finnish deep-fried doughnuts made with buttery, cardamom-flavored, leavened dough. They are usually shaped into round forms that are occasionally complemented with sweet and fruity fillings, or in ... READ MORE

Beaver tails are sweet, flat, and thin Canadian pastries made from whole wheat flour. The dough is hand-stretched and shaped to look like a beaver's tail - unsurprisingly, one of Canada's national symbols. The shaped dough is fried (a technique re... READ MORE

Apple cider doughnuts are a type of doughnut popular on the East Coast of the United States, particularly in New England. As the name implies, they are made with a dough containing apple cider and are often coated in cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar. A... READ MORE

Imqaret is a traditional pastry that is filled with a combination of dates, citrus, and spices, shaped into a diamond, then deep-fried in hot oil. The name of the dish is derived from the word maqrut, meaning diamond-shaped, refe... READ MORE

Fry jacks are popular Belizean breakfast breads consisting of golden fried dough that is characterized by puffing up and floating when placed in hot oil. They are usually served with savory accompaniments such as refried beans, eggs, or bacon, but... READ MORE

These crispy Argentinian pastries are typically star-shaped, while the center is filled with quince or sweet potato preserve (dulce). They are usually deep-fried and then brushed with a sugar glaze. Optionally, they can be filled with dulce de lec... READ MORE

Magdeburger schmalzkuchen is a small, deep-fried pastry, considered a local specialty in the city of Magdeburg. It usually consists of yeast dough flavored with vanilla extract or vanilla sugar and lemon zest or juice. Typically rectangular or dia... READ MORE

This elegant, rose-shaped dessert is prepared with the same sweet pastry for the Polish faworki, only shaped like a rose. Due to its typical shape and the tradition of making it during the carnival season, this sweet treat was named r&oac... READ MORE

Elongated, crispy, crunchy and intensely fragrant, churros consist of deep-fried yeast dough encrusted with sugar. Although some may argue against consuming these sweet treats, warning others about the dangerous effects of sugar and fat on human b... READ MORE

This internationally known, decadent, and sugar-packed dessert is usually made with a mixture of flour, sugar, yeast, and salt, which is deep-fried and then bathed in syrup or honey. The origin of lokma fritters is ancient but often debated. It is... READ MORE

Pa thong ko is the Thai take on popular Chinese crullers called youtiao. To make the crullers, a mixture of flour, yeast, baking ammonia, alum powder, lukewarm water, salt, sugar, and some baking powder is formed into a dough, which is th... READ MORE

Hailing from Erzurum, kadayıf dolması is a Turkish dessert made with thin shreds of kadayıf dough that are wrapped around a nut filling. The dough is flattened and stuffed with roughly chopped or ground nuts before it is rolled into small... READ MORE

Koeksister is a sweet South African snack with a sticky appearance. It is prepared by frying braided dough strips in oil, then dunking them into a cold sugary syrup. These sticky treats are sold on every major street in South Africa, and today the... READ MORE

Skruzdėlynas is a Lithuanian dessert consisting of deep-fried pieces of dough which are stacked on top of one another, then glazed with honey syrup and sprinkled with poppy seeds. The dough consists of flour, eggs, a pinch of salt, and (optionally... READ MORE

Plăcintă cu cartofi is a traditional pastry dish consisting of a flat, round dough patty that is stuffed with mashed potatoes, and then fried in oil or lard until golden brown on both sides. Grated cheese, salted butter, sautéed chopped oni... READ MORE