Get to know this food
Deep-fried butter encases cold butter in dough or batter and quickly fries it into an extravagant American state-fair snack.
Why is it special?
It sounds impossible: how can butter survive a deep fryer? The trick is that the butter is wrapped in batter or dough, so the outside cooks into a pastry-like shell while the filling turns rich and molten. This is not a bare stick of butter dropped straight into oil.
How is it eaten?
The photograph documents fried butter at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas in September 2010. It is a fairground novelty; the picture does not tell us a portion price or establish how often anyone eats it.
Frequently asked questions
Is deep-fried butter just butter dropped into oil?
No. The butter is enclosed in a batter or dough coating before frying.
Where was this photo taken?
At the State Fair of Texas in Dallas in September 2010.
Source used for this explainer: David Berkowitz — Fried butter at State Fair of Texas, 2010 — Read original source ↗