Breading is a culinary technique that involves coating food items with a mixture of flour, breadcrumbs, or other dry ingredients before cooking. This technique is commonly used to enhance the texture and flavor of fried or baked foods such as chicken, fish, and vegetables. In this article, we will explore the definition, origin, meaning, associations, synonyms, antonyms, and example sentences related to breading.
Definitions
Breading is the process of coating food with a dry mixture of flour, breadcrumbs, or other ingredients before cooking. This technique is used to add flavor, texture, and visual appeal to food items.
Origin
The origin of breading is not clear, but it is believed to have been used by early civilizations to preserve food and add flavor. The ancient Greeks and Romans used breadcrumbs as a thickening agent in soups and stews. In medieval Europe, breading was used to coat meat and fish before frying, as a way to keep the juices inside the food.
Meaning in different dictionaries
According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, breading is “a coating for food consisting of breadcrumbs, flour, or other dry ingredients.” The Oxford English Dictionary defines breading as “a mixture of breadcrumbs, flour, or other ingredients used to coat food before cooking.”
Associations
Breading is often associated with comfort food, as it is commonly used in dishes such as fried chicken, onion rings, and fried fish. It is also associated with fast food and convenience foods, as many fast food chains use breading in their menu items.
Synonyms
The synonyms of breading include coating, dredging, crumbing, and encrusting.
Antonyms
The antonyms of breading include uncoated, uncrumbed, and unbreaded.
The same root words
The same root words as breading include bread, breadcrumb, and breaded.
Example Sentences
- The chicken was breaded and fried to perfection.
- The fish was coated in breadcrumbs before being baked in the oven.
- The onion rings were dredged in flour and breadcrumbs before being deep-fried.
- The recipe called for breading the pork chops before pan-frying them.
- The restaurant’s signature dish was a breaded and fried shrimp platter.