A
croquette is a small fried food
rollRoll as a kind of food, snack, or candy may refer to:* Arctic roll* Black sesame roll* Bread roll* Breakfast roll* Bulkie roll* Cabbage roll* California roll* Cheese roll* Chiko Roll* Cinnamon roll*Croquette* Egg roll* Fritter roll* Kaiser roll...
containing usually as main ingredients
mashed potatoMashed potato or Smashed potatoes is one way of serving potatoes. It is made by mashing freshly boiled , or sometimes baked, potatoes with a ricer, fork or potato masher...
es, and/or
minced meatMinced meat may refer to:* Ground meat - meat that has been minced or groundMinced meat may be confused with:* Mincemeat - a conglomeration of bits of meat, dried fruit and spices, commonly does not contain any meat...
(veal, beef, chicken, or turkey),
shellfishShellfish is a culinary and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater environments, some kinds are found only in freshwater...
,
fishA fish is any aquatic vertebrate animal that is typically ectothermic , covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins...
, vegetables, and soaked
white breadWhite bread is bread made from wheat flour from which the bran and often the germ have been removed, in contrast to whole wheat bread made from whole wheat flour, in which these parts are retained and contribute a brownish color...
,
eggAn egg is a round or oval body laid by the female of any number of different species, consisting of an ovum surrounded by layers of membranes and an outer casing, which acts to nourish and protect a developing embryo and its nutrient reserves...
,
onionOnion is a term used for many plants in the genus Allium. They are known by the common name "onion" but, used without qualifiers, it usually refers to Allium cepa. Allium cepa is also known as the "garden onion" or "bulb" onion...
, spices and herbs,
wineWine is an alcoholic beverage typically made of fermented grape juice. The natural chemical balance of grapes is such that they can ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes or other nutrients. Wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast consumes...
,
milkMilk is an opaque white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It provides the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. The early lactation milk is known as colostrum, and carries the mother's antibodies to the baby. It can reduce...
, or any of the combination thereof, sometimes with a filling, often encased in
breadcrumbBreadcrumbs or bread crumbs are small particles of dry bread, which are used for breading or crumbing foods, topping casseroles, stuffing poultry, thickening stews, and adding inexpensive bulk to meatloaves and similar foods. They are documented in cookbooks as early as 1716...
s. The croquette is usually shaped into a cylinder or disk, and then deep-fried. The croquette (from the French
croquer, “to crunch”) was a French invention that gained world-wide popularity, both as a delicacy and as a
fast foodFast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with low quality preparation and served to the customer in a packaged form...
.
Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a country in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
:
Alu chop (
alu chôp "potato croquette") is a popular croquette served throughout Bangladesh, primarily as an appetizer or snack.
A
croquette is a small fried food
rollRoll as a kind of food, snack, or candy may refer to:* Arctic roll* Black sesame roll* Bread roll* Breakfast roll* Bulkie roll* Cabbage roll* California roll* Cheese roll* Chiko Roll* Cinnamon roll*Croquette* Egg roll* Fritter roll* Kaiser roll...
containing usually as main ingredients
mashed potatoMashed potato or Smashed potatoes is one way of serving potatoes. It is made by mashing freshly boiled , or sometimes baked, potatoes with a ricer, fork or potato masher...
es, and/or
minced meatMinced meat may refer to:* Ground meat - meat that has been minced or groundMinced meat may be confused with:* Mincemeat - a conglomeration of bits of meat, dried fruit and spices, commonly does not contain any meat...
(veal, beef, chicken, or turkey),
shellfishShellfish is a culinary and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater environments, some kinds are found only in freshwater...
,
fishA fish is any aquatic vertebrate animal that is typically ectothermic , covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins...
, vegetables, and soaked
white breadWhite bread is bread made from wheat flour from which the bran and often the germ have been removed, in contrast to whole wheat bread made from whole wheat flour, in which these parts are retained and contribute a brownish color...
,
eggAn egg is a round or oval body laid by the female of any number of different species, consisting of an ovum surrounded by layers of membranes and an outer casing, which acts to nourish and protect a developing embryo and its nutrient reserves...
,
onionOnion is a term used for many plants in the genus Allium. They are known by the common name "onion" but, used without qualifiers, it usually refers to Allium cepa. Allium cepa is also known as the "garden onion" or "bulb" onion...
, spices and herbs,
wineWine is an alcoholic beverage typically made of fermented grape juice. The natural chemical balance of grapes is such that they can ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes or other nutrients. Wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast consumes...
,
milkMilk is an opaque white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It provides the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. The early lactation milk is known as colostrum, and carries the mother's antibodies to the baby. It can reduce...
, or any of the combination thereof, sometimes with a filling, often encased in
breadcrumbBreadcrumbs or bread crumbs are small particles of dry bread, which are used for breading or crumbing foods, topping casseroles, stuffing poultry, thickening stews, and adding inexpensive bulk to meatloaves and similar foods. They are documented in cookbooks as early as 1716...
s. The croquette is usually shaped into a cylinder or disk, and then deep-fried. The croquette (from the French
croquer, “to crunch”) was a French invention that gained world-wide popularity, both as a delicacy and as a
fast foodFast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with low quality preparation and served to the customer in a packaged form...
.
Croquettes in various countries
Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a country in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
:
Alu chop (
alu chôp "potato croquette") is a popular croquette served throughout Bangladesh, primarily as an appetizer or snack. The center is traditionally filled with
ground beefBeef mince, ground beef or hamburger meat , or mince meat is a ground meat product, made of beef finely chopped by a meat grinder. It is used in many recipes including hamburgers and cottage pie.-Contents:In many countries, food laws define specific categories of ground beef and what they can...
,
peaA pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the legume Pisum sativum. Each pod contains several peas. Although it is botanically a fruit, it is treated as a vegetable in cooking...
s, or other savory fillings. The potatoes are mashed and mixed with a mixture of minced green chilis, minced fried
onionOnion is a term used for many plants in the genus Allium. They are known by the common name "onion" but, used without qualifiers, it usually refers to Allium cepa. Allium cepa is also known as the "garden onion" or "bulb" onion...
s, and bread crumbs. Each alu chop (formed into a ball or egg-shape) is then breaded and deep-fried. It is often served with a
chutneyChutney is an Anglo-Indian loan word derived from , a term for a class of spicy preparations used as an accompaniment for a main dish. Chutneys usually contain idiosyncratic spice and vegetable mix that complement one another....
or sauce.
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
:
Croquettes , primarily made from beef, are sold in parts of Brazil as German fare.
ChinaChina is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
:
Sweet pumpkin-based croquettes are often served in conjunction with the
Dragon Boat FestivalThe Duanwu Festival is a traditional and statutory holiday associated with Chinese cultures, though it is celebrated in other East Asian and Southeast Asian societies as well...
.
CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is...
/Puerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands...
:
Cuban/Puerto Rican croquettes (known as
croquetas) are usually made of ham, beef, chicken, or fish. They are generally flour-based instead of using potatoes. A potato-based version is the
Papa Rellena ("stuffed potato"), which is made from
picadilloPicadillo is a traditional dish in many Latin American countries and the Philippines. It is made with ground meat , tomatoes , and other ingredients that vary by region....
rolled in a layer of mashed potatoes and then deep fried.
Czech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a country in Central Europe that is sometimes considered to be Eastern European. The country borders Poland to the northeast, Germany to the west and northwest, Austria to the south and Slovakia to the east. The capital and largest city is Prague...
:
Krokety are small round balls usually made from potatoes, eggs, flour, butter, and salt that are deep fried in oil. This variety can be ordered in most restaurants as a side dish as well as bought frozen and prepared at home.
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
:
Plain potato croquettes (Kroketten) are served as side dish in restaurants and are also available frozen in supermarkets.
HungaryHungary , in English officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is Budapest. Hungary is a member of OECD, NATO, EU, V4 and is a Schengen state...
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"Krokett" is a small cylindrical croquette similar to the Czech variety: potatoes, eggs, flour, butter, seasoned with nutmeg and salt and deep fried in oil. This variety can be ordered in most restaurants as a side dish, and also bought frozen. When made with cheese they are called turokrokett. .
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
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A potato-filled croquette called alu-tikki is very famous in Northern India and is typically served with a stew. They are mostly eaten as snacks at home and are also popularly sold by road-side vendors. Sometimes it is called a "cutlet" and eaten plain or as a fast food variation that is served inside a hamburger bun (like a vegetarian burger).
IndonesiaThe Republic of Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. With an estimated population of around 237 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, with the world's largest population of Muslims.Indonesia is a republic, with an...
:
The kroket (Dutch) made of potato and minced chicken is one of the more popular snack items in Indonesia introduced during the Dutch colonial rule.
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
:
A relative of the croquette, known as
korokkeKorokke is the Japanese name for a deep fried dish originally related to a French dish, the croquette. It was introduced in the early 1900s...
( コロッケ ) is a very popular fried food, widely available in supermarkets and butcher shops, as well as from specialty
korokke shops. Generally patty-shaped, it is mainly made of potatoes with some other ingredients such as vegetables (e.g. onions and carrots) and maybe less than 5% meat (e.g. pork or beef). It is often served with
tonkatsuTonkatsu , invented in the late 19th century, is a popular dish in Japan. It consists of a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet one to two centimeters thick and sliced into bite-sized pieces, generally served with shredded cabbage and/or miso soup...
(とんかつ) sauce. Cylindrically-shaped
korokke are also served, which more closely resemble the French version, where seafood (prawns or crab meat) or chicken in white sauce (
ragoutThe term ragout refers to a main-dish stew. The basic method of preparation involves slow cooking over a low heat...
) is cooled down to make it harden before the croquette is breaded and deep-fried. When it is served hot, the inside melts. This version is called "cream
korokke" to distinguish it from the potato-based variety. It is often served with no sauce or tomato sauce. Unlike its Dutch cousin, croquettes made mainly of meat are not called
korokke in Japan. They are called
menchi katsu (めんち かつ), short for minced meat cutlets.
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
:
Croquettes are usually made of tuna or chicken and potatoes.
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
:
Whereas previously the dish was regarded as a French cuisine delicacy of varying meat or vegetable content, in the 1800s it became a way to use up leftover stewed meat. After
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, several suppliers started mass-producing croquettes filled with beef. The croquette subsequently became even more popular as a fast food; a deep fried meat ragout covered in breadcrumbs. Its success as a fast food garnered its reputation as a cheap dish of dubious quality, to such an extent that Dutch urban myths relate its allegedly mysterious content to offal and butchering waste. The "kroket" is even so popular that it is sold at McDonalds. Besides the common
ragoutThe term ragout refers to a main-dish stew. The basic method of preparation involves slow cooking over a low heat...
type filling, other popular fillings served in fast food restaurants are whole boiled eggs, noodles, shrimps and rice. A smaller version of the kroket, the bitterbal, is often served with mustard as a snack in bars and at official receptions.
PhilippinesThe Philippines officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
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The Filipino 'croqueta' is derived no doubt from the Spanish colonial era, but unlike the bechamel-filled croquetas in Spain, Filipino croquetas are made with mashed potatoes and chopped meat or fish, usually leftovers. Like most Spanish-influenced foods in the Philippines, croquetas ares served mainly in middle and upper class households.
PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
:
Croquettes in Poland are basically made from a thin rolled pancake stuffed with mushrooms, meat, cabbage, sauerkraut or combinations of those ingredients. Then covered in breadcrumbs, fried in a pan and usually served usually with a clear soup like borscht.
PortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east...
:
Croquetes are cylindrical, covered in breadcrumbs, and deep-fried. They are usually made with white sauce and beef, sometimes with a small amount of pork, and frequently with some chouriço,
black pepperBlack pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is a small drupe approximately five millimetres in diameter, dark red when fully mature, containing a single...
,
bacalhauBacalhau is the Portuguese word for dried and salted codfish. Fresh cod is referred to as bacalhau fresco.-Use:Bacalhau dishes are common in Portugal and Galicia, in the north of Spain, and to a lesser extent in its former colonies like Angola, Macau, and Brazil...
or piri-piri to add more flavour. Seafood, fish and vegetarian (potato) croquetes are also eaten in Portugal, but less often.
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
:
The widespread
котлета (from French
cotelette) is made of minced meat (beef or pork or mixture of both), bread, eggs, white onions, salt and spices, shaped as a meat patty and pan fried. Bread is added in amount up to 25% of meat, adding softness to the final product and also making it cheaper to produce. Another popular variation similar to French
cotelettes de volaille is
Chicken KievChicken Kiev is a popular dish of boneless chicken breast pounded and rolled around cold unsalted butter, then breaded and either fried or baked...
, made from boned chicken breast pounded and rolled around cold unsalted butter, then breaded and fried.
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
:
Croquettes, especially filled with
jamónJamón, in general English parlance, refers to dry-cured ham from Spain. There are two primary types of jamón: Jamón serrano and Jamón ibérico ....
or chicken, are also a typical
tapasTapas is the name of a wide variety of appetizers, or snacks, in Spanish cuisine. They may be cold or warm ....
dish. Unfilled bechamel croquettes are also consumed in parts of Spain.
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
:
Plain potato croquettes are available frozen or refrigerated in most supermarkets.
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
:
"Boardwalk"
FishcakeA fishcake is a food item similar to a croquette, consisting of a filleted fish and potato patty coated in breadcrumbs or batter, and fried. Fishcakes are often served in English fish and chip shops. Commonly fishcakes used cod as a filling; however, as cod stocks have been depleted other...
s and
CrabcakesA crab cake is an American dish composed of crab meat and various other ingredients, such as bread crumbs, milk, mayonnaise, eggs, yellow onions, and seasonings. Occasionally other ingredients such as red or green peppers are added, at which point the cake is then sautéed, baked, or grilled and...
, eaten on the east coast of the United States, are essentially croquettes. They consist of respectively chopped fish or crab meat mixed in a buttery dough which is breaded and deep-fried.
In
TampaTâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city....
,
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
, there is a type of croquette made with seasoned crab meat that is traditionally breaded with stale
Cuban breadCuban bread is a fairly simple white bread, similar to French bread and Italian bread, but has a slightly different cooking method and ingredient list ; it is usually made in long, baguette-like loaves...
. Locally, this is known as a
deviled crabthumb|200px|right| Advertising "devil" crabs along 7th Avenue in [[Ybor City, Tampa, Florida]] A deviled crab is a simple croquette made from seasoned and cooked crab meat which is breaded, rolled into the approximate shape of a rugby football or a small potato, and fried...
(
croqueta de jaiba).
A traditional
New EnglandNew England is a region of the United States. It is located at the northeastern corner of the US, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Canada and the state of New York, consisting of the modern U.S...
preparation uses leftover holiday ham, usually of the maple-cured variety.
A typical croquette dish is salmon croquettes, popular all over the American South. Canned salmon is mashed with the hands, which break up the salmon bones and make the fish smooth before one adds eggs, pepper, chopped (sometimes sauteed) onions, and a binder. The binder can be any starch such as flour, cornmeal, matzah meal, ground crackers of any type, even white rice or oatmeal. One then shapes the mixture into rounded patties for pan-frying in an oil with a high smoke point, such as canola, safflower, or peanut oil.
External links