Crispy fried chicken facts for kids
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| Course | Main dishes |
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| Place of origin | China |
| Region or state | Hong Kong, Guangdong |
| Main ingredients | Chicken |
| Crispy fried chicken | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 炸子雞 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 炸子鸡 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hanyu Pinyin | zhàzǐjī | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jyutping | zaa3zi2gai1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | fried chicken | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Crispy fried chicken (simplified Chinese: 炸子鸡; traditional Chinese: 炸子雞) is a super popular dish from southern China and Hong Kong. It's a classic part of Cantonese cuisine. What makes this chicken special is its amazing texture. The skin is incredibly crunchy, while the meat inside stays soft and juicy.
Contents
What is Crispy Fried Chicken?
This dish is famous for its unique cooking style. It creates a perfect contrast between the crispy outside and the tender inside. It's a favorite at many meals and celebrations.
How is it Made?
Making crispy fried chicken takes several careful steps. These steps help to get that perfect crunchy skin.
The Special Cooking Steps
- First, the chicken is gently cooked in water. This is called poaching.
- Spices like star anise, cinnamon, nutmeg, Sichuan pepper, ginger, fennel, and scallions are added to the water. This gives the chicken a lot of flavor.
- After poaching, the chicken is dried very well.
- Next, it gets a special coating made of vinegar and sugar.
- The chicken is then left to dry completely. This drying step is super important for making the skin extra crispy.
- Finally, the chicken is deep-fried until it's golden brown and super crunchy.
How is it Served?
Crispy fried chicken is often served with two yummy side dishes.
- One is a pepper salt, called jiaoyan (椒鹽). This salt is dry-fried in a wok and is made from salt and Sichuan pepper. It has a dark white to gray color.
- The other side dish is prawn crackers (蝦片). These are light and airy snacks.
When is it Eaten?
Traditionally, crispy fried chicken is often eaten in the evening. It's also a very common dish at special events. You'll often find it served at Chinese weddings and other Asian celebrations. It's a symbol of good fortune and happiness.
See also
In Spanish: Pollo frito crujiente para niños
