85 per cent, of fat. Yet this fat tissue is very solid and consistent even after it has been boiled, and this consistency and its excellent taste cause it to be much inquired after. The South Germans term this brisket fat ‘ breast kernel,’ from the similarity of its taste to that of a nut. The hump of the camel is analogous to it both in structure and in taste. The fat tissues of the hog are throughout richer in pure fat, and contain less water (6 '44 per cent.) than those of oxen and sheep (water, 10 T8 per cent. mean). Good lard should contain only from to 1 per cent, of water, per cent, of nitrogenous matter, and at least 99 per cent, should consist of pure hog’s fat. The fats of all three species of animals have an almost identical chemical elementary composition — namely, con- tain from 76‘5 to 76 6 per cent, of carbon, 11-9 to 12 per cent, of hydrogen, and 11-3 to 11-5 per cent, of oxygen. With this the composition of cow-butter fat coincides very closely, but not entirely, as it contains 75’63 per cent, of carbon, 11‘87 per cent, of hydrogen, and 12'50 per cent, of oxygen. Human fat has the same elementary composition as animal fat. In the animal and vegetable fats, which are soft or liquid at ordinary temperature, olein (or trioleo-glyceride) prevails ; as they get more solid, margarin or palmitin (trimargarito- or tripalmito-glyceride) rises in quantity ; with increasing THEORY OF THE PROCESS OF FRYING 285 solidity of the fats, stearin (tristearo-glyceride) rises, and at last prevails in quantity. Ox suet is almost entirely composed of stearin, with very little of the other fats. The chemically imre, fats have neither taste nor flavour ; these distinguishing qualities they obtain from the admixture of substances which are either naturally present or imparted by changes, such as oxidation or fermentation, or by art, particularly culinary art. On the other hand, flavour can be withdrawn from fats, and such tasteless and odourless fats might, like flavourless spirits, be termed silent fats. De- composing fats are called rancid ; decomposing butter becomes very objectionable by the liberation of butyric acid ; decomposing animal fat tissue communicates the odour of the tissue in which it is stored to the liberated fat. Overheated or burnt fat, as it is called, assumes the disagreeable taste, and emits the irritating odour, of a substance formed from glycerol, termed acrol. Theory of the Process of Baking in Fat, called Frying (Phrygology). The operation of frying may be defined as the cooking of things intended to be eaten by means of fat ; it postulates a pure-tasting fat or oil, and a high degree of heat. The proper degree of heat is indicated by the fact that substances containing moisture, on being placed into hot fat, will apparently make it boil — that is to say, part with their water — and, when their surface can be raised to a sufficiently high temperature, become yellow and brown. The expres- sion ‘ boiling fat,’ which is sometimes used in connection with frying, has therefore to be interpreted as meaning, not fat assumed to boil by itself under the influence of heat, for it never does boil when pure, but fat in which a material suitable for being fried will cause the phenomenon of ebullition by itself giving out steam, and become browned, or frit. 286 THE SPIRIT OF COOKERY

AI-modernized reading of the original text

85 per cent, of fat. Yet this fat tissue is very solid and consistent even after it has been boiled, and this consistency and its excellent taste cause it to be much inquired after. The South Germans term this brisket fat ‘ breast kernel,’ from the similarity of its taste to that of a nut. The hump of the camel is analogous to it both in structure and in taste. The fat tissues of the hog are throughout richer in pure fat, and contain less water (6.44 per cent.) than those of oxen and sheep (water, 10 T8 per cent. mean). Good lard should contain only from to 1 per cent, of water, per cent, of nitrogenous matter, and at least 99 per cent, should consist of pure hog’s fat. The fats of all three species of animals have an almost identical chemical elementary composition — namely, contain from 76.5 to 76.6 per cent, of carbon, 11-9 to 12 per cent. of hydrogen, and 11-3 to 11-5 per cent, of oxygen. With this the composition of cow-butter fat coincides very closely, but not entirely, as it contains 75’63 per cent, of carbon, 11‘87 per cent, of hydrogen, and 12'50 per cent, of oxygen. Human fat has the same elementary composition as animal fat. In the animal and vegetable fats, which are soft or liquid at ordinary temperature, olein (or trioleo-glyceride) prevails ; as they get more solid, margarin or palmitin (trimargaritoor tripalmito-glyceride) rises in quantity ; with increasing THEORY OF THE PROCESS OF FRYING solidity of the fats, stearin (tristearo-glyceride) rises, and at last prevails in quantity. Ox suet is almost entirely composed of stearin, with very little of the other fats. The chemically pure fats have neither taste nor flavour ; these distinguishing qualities they obtain from the admixture of substances which are either naturally present or imparted by changes, such as oxidation or fermentation, or by art, particularly culinary art. On the other hand, flavour can be withdrawn from fats, and such tasteless and odourless fats might, like flavourless spirits, be termed silent fats. Decomposing fats are called rancid ; decomposing butter becomes very objectionable by the liberation of butyric acid ; decomposing animal fat tissue communicates the odour of the tissue in which it is stored to the liberated fat. Overheated or burnt fat, as it is called, assumes the disagreeable taste, and emits the irritating odour, of a substance formed from glycerol, termed acrol. Theory of the Process of Baking in Fat, called Frying (Phrygology). The operation of frying may be defined as the cooking of things intended to be eaten by means of fat ; it postulates a pure-tasting fat or oil, and a high degree of heat. The proper degree of heat is indicated by the fact that substances containing moisture, on being placed into hot fat, will apparently make it boil — that is to say, part with their water — and, when their surface can be raised to a sufficiently high temperature, become yellow and brown. The expression ‘ boiling fat,’ which is sometimes used in connection with frying, has therefore to be interpreted as meaning, not fat assumed to boil by itself under the influence of heat, for it never does boil when pure, but fat in which a material suitable for being fried will cause the phenomenon of ebullition by itself giving out steam, and become browned, or frit.

The spirit of cookery