For other uses of “fry” or “frying”, see Fry. This frying beef needs additional citations for verification.

Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Frying is the cooking of food in oil or another fat. A painting by the Russian artist A. You can help by adding to it. Frying is believed to have first appeared in the Ancient Egyptian kitchen, during the Old Kingdom, around 2500 BCE. This paired with their heat absorption properties, neutral or desired taste and non-toxicity, makes them uniquely valuable in cooking, especially frying. As a result, they are used in a wide variety of cuisines.

Through frying, one can sear or even carbonize the surface of foods while caramelizing sugars. The food is cooked much more quickly and has a characteristic crispness and texture. Depending on the food, the fat will penetrate it to varying degrees, contributing richness, lubricity, its own flavour, and calories. Frying techniques vary in the amount of fat required, the cooking time, the type of cooking vessel required, and the manipulation of the food. Pan frying, sautéing and stir-frying involve cooking foods in a thin layer of fat on a hot surface, such as a frying pan, griddle, wok, or sauteuse. Stir frying involves frying quickly at very high temperatures, requiring that the food be stirred continuously to prevent it from adhering to the cooking surface and burning.