Batter is a liquid mixture, usually based on one or more flours combined with liquids such as water, milk or beer. English Cuisine is shaped by the country's temperate climate its island geography and its history Flour is a powder made of Cereal grains It is the key ingredient of Bread, which is a staple food in many countries and therefore the availability Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. Milk is an opaque white liquid produced by the Mammary glands of female Mammals (including Monotremes. Beer is the world's oldest and most widely consumed Alcoholic beverage and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea Egg is also a common component. An egg is a round or oval body laid by the female of many animals consisting of an Ovum surrounded by layers of Membranes and an outer casing which acts to nourish Often a leavening agent is included in the mixture to aerate and fluff up the batter as it cooks (or the mixture may be naturally fermented for this purpose as well as to add flavour). A leavening agent (sometimes called just leavening or leaven) is a substance used in Doughs and batters that causes a foaming action intended Fermentation in Food processing typically refers to the conversion of Sugar to Alcohol using Yeast under Anaerobic conditions
The viscosity of batter may range from very "stiff" (adhering to an upturned spoon), to very "thin" (similar to single cream). Viscosity is a measure of the resistance of a Fluid which is being deformed by either Shear stress or Extensional stress. Heat is applied to the batter, usually by frying, baking or steaming, in order to cook the ingredients (thus rendering them palatable) and to "set" the batter into a solid form. Frying is the Cooking of food in Oil or Fat, a technique that originated in ancient Egypt around 2500BC Baking is the technique of prolonged Cooking of Food by dry heat acting by conduction, and not by radiation, normally in an Oven, Steaming is a method of Cooking using Steam. Steaming is considered a relatively healthier cooking technique and capable to cook almost all kinds of food Batters may be sweet or savoury, often with either sugar or salt being added (sometimes both). Sweet is one of the five Basic tastes and is almost universally regarded as a pleasurable experience is one of the five Basic tastes sensed by specialized receptor cells present on the human Tongue. Many other flavourings such as herbs, spices, fruits and vegetables may also be added to the mixture. A(n herb (ˈhɝb or /ˈɝb/ see pronunciation differences) is a plant that is valued for qualities such as medicinal properties flavor scent or the like A spice is a dried Seed, Fruit, Root, Bark or vegetative substance used in Nutritionally insignificant quantities as a Food additive The term fruit has different meanings dependent on context and the term is not synonymous in Food preparation and Biology. The term " vegetable " generally means the edible parts of Plants The definition of the word is traditional rather than Scientific, however
The word 'batter' comes from the old French word 'battre' which means 'to beat' [1], as many batters require vigorous beating or whisking in their preparation.
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Usage
Batters may be used to make crepes, dosais, idlis, vadais, Yorkshire pudding, fritters, doughnuts, hushpuppies, tempura, cakes, some breads, to coat meat or vegetables when frying, or to make pancakes, waffles or some cookies. A crêpe (kreɪp French kʀɛp is a type of very thin cooked Pancake usually made from Wheat Flour. Preparation Regular dosa batter is made from Rice and split skinned Urad bean (black lentil blended with water and left to ferment overnight History Although the precise history of the modern idli is unknown it is a very old food in southern Indian cuisine A vadai - Tamil வடை- Malayalam വട - (also vada, wada, vade) pronounced 'vah-daa' 'vah-dey' or 'vah-die' is a savoury snack from South Yorkshire pudding is a dish that originated in Yorkshire but attained wider popularity A fritter is any kind of food coated in batter and Deep fried. A doughnut (also spelled "donut" is a sweet Deep-fried piece of Dough or batter. Hushpuppies or Hush puppies are an American food consisting of small Cornmeal Breads that are Deep fried in a Spherical or Oblong is a classic Japanese dish of deep fried battered Vegetables or Seafood. Cake is a form of Food that is usually sweet and often baked. Bread is a Staple food prepared by Baking a Dough of Flour and Water. In modern English usage meat most often refers to Animal tissue used as food mostly Skeletal muscle and associated Fat, but it may also refer The term " vegetable " generally means the edible parts of Plants The definition of the word is traditional rather than Scientific, however Frying is the Cooking of food in Oil or Fat, a technique that originated in ancient Egypt around 2500BC Pancakes are a type of Flatbread prepared from a sweet batter that is cooked on a hot Griddle or in a Frying pan. A waffle is a light batter cake cooked in a Waffle iron patterned to give a distinctive and characteristic shape In the United States and Canada, a cookie is a small flat-baked treat usually round containing milk flour eggs and sugar etc
Batter is also very commonly used in some parts of the world to coat fish before frying. Batter makes up a critical component of the famous British dish Fish and chips for instance. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Fish and chips (sometimes written " fish ’n’ chips " is a popular Take-away food originating from the United Kingdom.
Quotes
| “ | Watching a woman make Russian pancakes, you might think that she was calling on the spirits or extracting from the batter the philosopher’s stone. [2] | ” |
References
See also
External links
- Yorkshire pudding recipe (Mrs Beeton)
- Tempura batter recipe (Bento.com)
- Sada Dosa recipe (IndiaHeritage.org)
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