A new (old) way to fry food

A deep frying technique that has been used for centuries in Asia is gaining a new fan base in the West, and it uses a surprising ingredient: salt. Salt (or, more commonly, sand) frying “is a process with historical roots that spans countries and centuries” says Food & Wine’s Merlyn Miller. It’s receiving renewed interest since cooking creator Roice Bethel’s video of salt frying popcorn racked up 15 million views on TikTok.

The technique is identical to deep frying – surround the food with a hot substance that cooks the food evenly and quickly. Salt or sand replaces oil for transferring the heat of the stove into the food. Bethel notes that coarse salt works best because fine grains like table salt will be harder to brush off the foods, and the coarse grains are less likely to absorb moisture. 

That last bit hints at the catch in salt frying – the foods you are frying have to be completely dry. Wet foods or batters will just absorb the salt and render the food inedible. The other main drawback is that you have to use a sturdy pot or pan that can stand up to the intense heat, like cast iron. The temperatures get too high for nonstick or flimsy pans. Still, there are advantages to salt frying – salt is cheaper than oil, and you can reuse the salt many times over.