Written by Ujjani Roy Has been updated: February 13, 2024
A recent viral video from Malaysia’s Bukit Mertajam shows a street vendor frying chicken in a paper bag. Although Instagram was left completely confused, some people on the internet were quick to point out that this technique works wonders on fried chicken. Let’s explore.
Malaysia may be known as a street food paradise, but a street food video that recently went viral in Malaysia has taken the internet by surprise. Video content creator Trevor James, who owns the Instagram handle @thefoodranger, shared a video of a street food vendor in Bukit Mertajam, Malaysia. The video shows a cook wrapping marinated chicken in individual paper bags and frying them in hot oil. That is correct! The cook seems to be frying the chicken in a paper bag.
“I don’t understand the concept of needing to fry in paper??” Why? ? SMH,” one commenter wrote on the video. “Very nice. What a strange technique,” said another. Some cooking methods require a cover frying technique, but it’s not as strange as this method. However, this method may have been devised for a serious reason.
In the comments section of the post, many people pointed out that frying the chicken in a paper bag keeps the chicken moist and keeps it juicy even after frying. “The paper prevents the marinade from burning the chicken and helps lock in the moisture,” said one follower.
Another follower said, “It’s marinated in sweet soy sauce, so if you fry it directly in oil, it will burn. (The black oil is the explanation for soy sauce. Palm oil is super cheap in Malaysia, so I don’t usually eat it.)” Further analysis was conducted. Do not use twice for frying. ) So even if you put paper in it, the chicken won’t burn. ”
A popular Malaysian recipe that calls for a similar technique is “Pandan Leaf Chicken,” which involves covering bite-sized pieces of chicken with long pandan leaves and frying them in oil. Pandan leaves give the chicken a distinct tropical flavor and keep the inside of the fried chicken juicy and moist.
