The frying

Frying is a cooking method that has been widely used all over the world since ancient times. Both sweet and savory foods can be fried. A well-known Tuscan saying goes, “even a slipper tastes good when fried,” meaning that frying stimulates the appetite and makes food more flavorful. And it’s true!

For good frying results, here are some optimal temperatures (in degrees Celsius) for common uses:

Obviously, the basis of frying is oil or fat heated to the proper temperature, which can be of either vegetable or animal origin—but which one should be recommended?

THE SMOKE POINT AND ACROLEIN

When frying, we notice that at a certain point smoke begins to rise from the oil: this is acrolein, a substance that is harmful to the gastric mucosa and the liver.

The temperature above which smoke appears is called the “smoke point,” and at that temperature the oil or fat begins to break down, altering its molecular structure.