Frittata facts for kids
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| Type | Omelette |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Main ingredients | Fried beaten eggs |
| Variations | Fritaja (Istria) |
A frittata is a yummy Italian dish made mostly from eggs. It's a bit like an omelette, a quiche without a crust, or even scrambled eggs. People often add tasty things like meats, cheeses, or vegetables to make it even better. The word frittata comes from Italian and means "fried."
What is a Frittata?
The Italian word frittata comes from friggere, which means "to fry." For a long time, this word was used for any eggs cooked in a skillet. This included everything from a simple fried egg to a regular omelette. It even covered an Italian style of Spanish omelette, which often has fried potato. Outside of Italy, people thought "frittata" was just another word for "omelette" until the mid-1950s.
How Frittatas Are Different
Today, a frittata is known as its own special dish. It's often called "Italy's version of an open-face omelette." This means it's cooked flat and not folded like a regular omelette. There are four main ways a frittata is different from a normal omelette:
- Mixing Ingredients: In a frittata, any extra ingredients like cubed potato are mixed right into the raw, beaten eggs. For an omelette, these ingredients are usually added on top of the eggs after they have mostly cooked.
- Fluffy Eggs: The eggs for a frittata are often beaten very well. This adds more air than you would for a regular omelette. More air helps the frittata become deeper and fluffier.
- Slow Cooking: A frittata cooks slowly over very low heat. It usually cooks for at least five minutes, and sometimes up to 15 minutes. The bottom layer becomes firm, but the top stays a bit runny.
- Finishing the Cook: Unlike an omelette, a frittata is not folded in half. Instead, it is either flipped over completely to cook the other side, or it is placed under a hot grill for a short time. Sometimes, it is even baked in an oven for about five minutes to finish cooking the top.
See also
In Spanish: Frittata para niños
