 | This article needs additional citations for verification .(March 2013) |
 Funnel cake with no toppings | |
| Alternative names | Funnel fries, carnival cake |
|---|---|
| Type | Doughnut |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Region or state | Pennsylvania |
| Main ingredients | Batter, cooking oil |
Funnel cake (Pennsylvania German: Drechderkuche [1] ) is a regional sweet food popular in North America, found mainly at carnivals and amusement parks. [2] It is made by deep-frying batter.
The concept of the funnel cake dates back to the early medieval Persian and Arab world as zalabiyeh , where similar yeast-risen dishes were first prepared, and later spread to Europe. [3] Pennsylvania Dutch immigrants brought the yeast dish, known as drechderkuche, to America, and around 1879, they developed the baking powder version along with its new name, funnel cake. [3]
Funnel cakes are made by pouring batter into hot cooking oil in a circular pattern and deep frying the overlapping mass until golden-brown. The batter is commonly poured through a funnel, creating its texture and giving it its name. When made at concession stands, a pitcher with an integral funnel spout is employed. Alton Brown recommends they be made with choux pastry, [4] which expands from steam produced by its high water content.
Funnel cakes are typically served plain with powdered sugar but can also be served with jam/jelly, cinnamon, chocolate, fresh fruit, or other toppings.
In south German cuisine, the equivalent is called Strauben or Strieble and is made and served similarly. In Finnish cuisine, the analogous tippaleipä (literally droplet bread) is traditionally served at May Day (Vappu) celebrations, alongside sima. In Lithuania, it is called skruzdėlynas, which literally translates to "ant nest". It is normally made in early spring to empty last year's honey stock and make more space for the new one, and it is also made at the first harvest of honey. The Armenian equivalent mrjnabujn (hy:Մրջնաբույն (տորթ)) also translates to "ant nest".
In the Indian subcontinent, a similar dessert, with a crystallized sugary exterior coating, is called jalebi. [5] In Iran, this is known as zulbia and is a popular dessert. [6] These differ from funnel cake in using no baking powder, which results in a somewhat chewy texture. [3]
Kumukunsi is another similar native doughnut from the Maguindanao people in the Philippines. It is made with rice flour, duck eggs, and sugar that is molded into rope-like strands and then fried in a loose spiral. They have the taste and consistency of creamy pancakes. [7] [8]
In the U.S., funnel cakes were originally associated with the Pennsylvania Dutch Country. It is one of the first North American fried foods, which is associated with the Pennsylvania Dutch, German immigrants who came to Pennsylvania in the 17th and 18th centuries. Today, it is a staple dish that can be found at amusement parks and fairs all over the country. The name "funnel" later came from the technique used to make the cakes, in which the pancake-like batter is poured into hot oil through a funnel. [9]
A doughnut or donut is a type of pastry made from leavened fried dough. It is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and franchised specialty vendors. Doughnut is the traditional spelling, while donut is the simplified version; the terms are used interchangeably.
A pancake, also known as hotcake, griddlecake, or flapjack, is a flat cake, often thin and round, prepared from a starch-based batter that may contain eggs, milk, and butter, and then cooked on a hot surface such as a griddle or frying pan. It is a type of batter bread. Archaeological evidence suggests that pancakes were probably eaten in prehistoric societies.
Beignet is a type of deep-fried pastry of French origin. It is commonly made from pâte à choux, but can also be made using rice flour or yeast-leavened batters. Beignets can be served in a variety of preparations, the most common being dusted with confectioner’s sugar. The pastry is popular in French, Italian, and American cuisines.
Dough is a thick, malleable, sometimes elastic paste made from grains or from leguminous or chestnut crops. Dough is typically made by mixing flour with a small amount of water or other liquid and sometimes includes yeast or other leavening agents, as well as ingredients such as fats or flavourings.
A cruller is a deep-fried pastry popular in parts of Europe and North America. Regarded as a form of cake doughnut in the latter, it is typically either made of a string of dough that is folded over and twisted twice to create its signature shape, or formed from a rectangle of dough with a cut in the center allowing it to be pulled over and through itself to produce distinctive twists in the sides of the pastry.
Pampúshka is a small savory or sweet yeast-raised bun or doughnut typical for Ukrainian cuisine.
A fritter is a portion of meat, seafood, fruit, vegetables, or other ingredients which have been battered or breaded, or just a portion of dough without further ingredients, that is deep-fried. Fritters are prepared in both sweet and savory varieties.
Æbleskiver are spherical Danish snacks made from fried batter. The name literally means "apple slices" in Danish, although apples are not usually an ingredient in present-day versions. The crust is similar in texture to European pancakes, but with a light and fluffy interior similar to a Yorkshire pudding. The English language spelling is usually aebleskiver,ebleskiver or ebelskiver.
Jalebi, is a popular sweet snack in the Indian subcontinent, West Asia and some parts of Africa. It goes by many names, including jilapi, zelepi, jilebi, jilipi, zulbia, jerry, mushabak, z’labia, or zalabia.
Czech cuisine has both influenced and been influenced by the cuisines of surrounding countries and nations. Many of the cakes and pastries that are popular in Central Europe originated within the Czech lands. Contemporary Czech cuisine is more meat-based than in previous periods; the current abundance of farmable meat has enriched its presence in regional cuisine. Traditionally, meat has been reserved for once-weekly consumption, typically on weekends.
A buñuelo (Spanish:[buˈɲwelo], alternatively called boñuelo, bimuelo, birmuelo, bermuelo, bumuelo, burmuelo, or bonuelo, is a fried dough fritter found in Spain, Latin America, and other regions with a historical connection to Spaniards, including Southwest Europe, the Balkans, Anatolia, and other parts of Asia and North Africa. Buñuelos are traditionally prepared at Christmas. It will usually have a filling or a topping. In Mexican cuisine, it is often served with a syrup made with piloncillo.
Indian breads are a wide variety of flatbreads and crêpes which are an integral part of Indian cuisine. Their variation reflects the diversity of Indian culture and food habits.
Tatar cuisine is primarily the cuisine of the Volga Tatars, who live in Tatarstan, Russia, and surrounding areas.
Imarti is a sweet from India. It is made by deep-frying vigna mungo flour batter in a circular flower shape, then soaking in sugar syrup. Alternative names include Amitti, Amriti, Emarti, Omritti, Jahangir and Jhangiri/Jaangiri. This dish is not to be confused with jalebi, which is thinner and sweeter than Imarti.
Swabian cuisine is native to Swabia, a region in southwestern Germany comprising great parts of Württemberg and the Bavarian part of Swabia. Swabian cuisine has a reputation for being rustic, but rich and hearty. Fresh egg pastas, soups, and sausages are among Swabia's best-known types of dishes, and Swabian cuisine tends to require broths or sauces; dishes are rarely "dry".
After testing a number of recipes, I preferred one that uses pâte à choux, or "choux paste," the same batter used in the making of cream puffs, eclairs, crullers and churros — and the same that Alton Brown uses in his funnel cake recipe.
Media related to Funnel cakes at Wikimedia Commons
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