ABSTRACT
The consumer market for deep-fried coated foods has expanded rapidly in recent years. This is due to combinations of the distinctive flavor, aroma, and crunchy texture characteristics along with the flavors and the juices that are retained in the core and in the crispy crust of products. Batter and breading are traditional methods used in food preparation to add value to products and control their texture, flavor, weight, volume, moisture loss, and fat absorption during frying. Empiricism has dominated the applications of batter coating in the food industry for decades. Consumers currently demand more sophisticated and diverse foods with less oil. As a basis for formulating appropriate batter systems, it is important to understand in detail the requirements that must be met by the batter and breading while they are raw and the characteristics they must develop on the product during and after frying.
