Blog

The making of fried dough can be dated back to possibly 8000 BC. It didn’t need a lot of fancy ingredients after all, just flour, water, fat and a vessel to fry the dough. Cut to recent times where Fried Dough is deep routed in many cultures spanning continents. Let’s take a journey around the world today and explore and talk about how different parts of the world do fried dough.

Chin Chin: Nigeria And Cameroon

Hailing from Cameroon and Nigeria is a snack known as Chin Chin. This West African Snack is made with a dough of flour, sugar and butter. This is fried to create a light, crispy treat that’s hard to resist. It is enjoyed with coffee/ tea or simply by itself. Chin Chin is a versatile snack that can be consumed in many different ways including but not limited to salad, ice cream and savoury dips.

Khabsey: Tibet

Now let’s talk about Khabsey also called Khapse. Khabsey is a Tibetan biscuit made with a simple dough of flour, ghee (clarified butter), and water. This dough is deep-fried to perfection. The important thing to know about Khabsey is their cultural significance. They are primarily consumed during the Tibetan New Year also known as Lowsar. They are also consumed during weddings and can either be sweet or savoury. These pastries are often intricately designed, in different shapes like Donkey’s ears, lotus flowers, braids, circles etc. Some of these shapes have a different symbolic significance and aren’t meant simply for consumption. 

Pizza Fritta: Italy

Now coming to a country very well known and loved for its cuisine, Italy. Italy obviously knows their way around dough when it comes to deep-fried dough, they have something known as Pizza Fritta or Zeppole. This is an Italian pastry deep-fried dough that is often consumed for breakfast on Sundays or even available at restaurants or street stalls. These small balls of dough are deep-fried until golden and crispy, then dusted with powdered sugar and sometimes with cinnamon too!

Shakkar Para: India

While India is known for having super flavourful and spicy food as well as a plethora of sweet dishes, Shakkar Para might be a snack that surprises people from other countries as it is not bursting with flavour, it is perfectly sweet. Just like Khabsey from Tibet, Shakkar Para too is an important part of Indian tradition and is consumed during Diwali and Holi which are 2 big festivals in India. These bite-sized snacks offer a delightful balance of sweet and savoury flavours. The dough uses the same ingredients as others, made from flour, ghee, and sugar, after which it is deep-fried to create a snack with a satisfying crunch and a hint of sweetness. Some variations are more savoury and are made with a touch of salt or spices, offering a delightful contrast to the sweeter versions.

Divided by continents, united with dough.

While all of you might be from different parts of the world. We are knowingly or unknowingly united with dough. As cheesy (or doughy) as that sounds to you, you can’t disagree that the happiness you get from indulging in something so simple yet so comforting is universal. 

Here at All African Delights, we believe food is a connection to our heritage and the people we love and with our Chin Chin we try to embody this belief. Even if you’re far from home, we hope our Chin Chin reminds you of the good times and offers a sense of comfort and warmth.