Funnel cake ( Pennsylvania German: ''Drechderkuche'') is a regional sweet food popular in North America, found mainly at carnivals and amusement parks. It is made by deep-frying batter.

History

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.

Pennsylvania Dutch The Pennsylvania Dutch (), also referred to as Pennsylvania Germans, are an ethnic group in Pennsylvania in the United States, Ontario in Canada, and other regions of both nations. They largely originate from the Palatinate (region), Palatina ...

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.

Preparation

Funnel cakes are made by pouring batter into hot

cooking oil Cooking oil (also known as edible oil) is a plant or animal liquid fat used in frying, baking, and other types of cooking. Oil allows higher cooking temperatures than water, making cooking faster and more flavorful, while likewise distributing h ...

in a circular pattern and

deep frying Deep frying (also referred to as deep fat frying) is a cooking method in which food is submerged in hot fat, traditionally lard but today most commonly Cooking oil, oil, as opposed to the shallow frying used in conventional frying done in a fryi ...

the overlapping mass until golden-brown. The batter is commonly poured through a

funnel A funnel is a tube or pipe that is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, used for guiding liquid or powder into a small opening. Funnels are usually made of stainless steel, aluminium, glass, or plastic. The material used in its constructi ...

, creating its texture and giving it its name. When made at concession stands, a pitcher with an integral

spout is employed.

Alton Brown Alton Crawford Brown Jr. (born July 30, 1962) is an American television personality, food show presenter, food scientist, author, voice actor, and cinematographer. He is the creator and host of the Food Network television show '' Good Eats'' th ...

recommends they be made with

choux pastry Choux pastry, or (), is a delicate pastry dough used in many pastries. The essential ingredients are butter, water, flour and eggs. Instead of a raising agent, choux pastry employs its high moisture content to create steam, as the water in ...

, which expands from steam produced by its high water content. Funnel cakes are typically served plain with

powdered sugar Powdered sugar, also called confectioners' sugar and icing sugar, is a finely ground sugar produced by milling granulated sugar into a powdered state. It usually contains between 2% and 5% of an anti-caking agent—such as corn starch, potato ...

but can also be served with jam/ jelly,

cinnamon Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus ''Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, biscuits, b ...

chocolate Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cocoa beans that can be a liquid, solid, or paste, either by itself or to flavoring, flavor other foods. Cocoa beans are the processed seeds of the cacao tree (''Theobroma cacao''); unprocesse ...

, fresh

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...

, or other toppings.

Cultural variations

Europe

In south

German cuisine The cuisine of Germany consists of many different local or regional cuisines, reflecting the country's federal history. Germany itself is part of the larger cultural region of Central Europe, sharing many culinary traditions with neighbouring c ...

, the equivalent is called ''Strauben'' or ''Strieble'' and is made and served similarly. In

Finnish cuisine Finnish cuisine is notable for generally combining traditional country fare and ''haute cuisine'' with contemporary continental-style cooking. Fish (food), Fish and meat (usually pork, beef or reindeer) play a prominent role in traditional Finl ...

, the analogous ''tippaleipä'' (literally droplet bread) is traditionally served at May Day ( Vappu) celebrations, alongside

sima Sima or SIMA may refer to: People * Sima (Chinese surname) * Sima (Persian given name), a Persian feminine name in use in Iran and Turkey * Sima (Indian given name), an Indian feminine name used in South Asia * Sima (surname) * Sima (born 1 ...

. 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".

Asia

In the Indian subcontinent, a similar dessert, with a crystallized sugary exterior coating, is called jalebi. In Iran, this is known as '' zulbia'' and is a popular dessert. These differ from funnel cake in using no baking powder, which results in a crunchy and somewhat chewy texture. Kumukunsi is another similar native doughnut from the Maguindanao people in the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

. It is made with

rice flour Rice flour (also rice powder) is a form of flour made from finely milled rice. It is distinct from rice starch, which is usually produced by steeping rice in lye. Rice flour is a common substitute for wheat flour. It is also used as a thickening ...

, 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.

United States

In the U.S., funnel cakes were originally associated with the

Pennsylvania Dutch Country The Pennsylvania Dutch Country (Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Pennsylvanie Deitschland,'' ''Deitscherei,'' or ''Pennsilfaanisch-Deitschland''), or Pennsylvania Dutchland, is a region of German Pennsylvania spanning the Delaware Valley and South Central ...

. 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.

References

Sources

External links

* * {{authority control American desserts Cuisine of Philadelphia Cuisine of the Pennsylvania Dutch German desserts Finnish desserts Lithuanian desserts Fritters