High summer is the peak season for delicious corn, so what better day to celebrate National Corn Fritter Day than today, July 16? Corn is great served all ways — cornbread, corn salad, corn hash, corn on the cob slathered in butter — but one of the best is no doubt crispy, golden brown corn fritters.
Corn fritters originated as a dish in the South but now can be found on menus throughout the country. National Today — the internet’s #1 authority on holidays — has some recommendations on how to celebrate this delicious dish today:
1. Make your own
Corn fritters are made out of ingredients you most likely already have in your pantry: flour, baking powder, eggs, milk, and butter. All you need to do is mix them together, stir in some corn (fresh, canned, or frozen), and fry them up in hot oil. You could even make a whole dinner party out of it and serve them alongside a bunch of other Southern-inspired dishes.
2. Find a place to harvest it
See if you can find a pick-your-own farm near you that grows corn. If you can’t find a farm, buy some fresh corn on the cob from your local grocery store or farmers market and shuck it yourself—all of that work will make the fresh corn in your fritters taste so much better.
3. Branch out to another cuisine
Did you know that corn fritters are also an incredibly popular dish in Indonesia? They’re known as perkedel jagung. Their version is similar to America’s, but with some key differences. Indonesians mix scallions, shallots, and garlic into the batter, and they deep fry the fritters in coconut oil. Indian pakoras are another form of Asian fritter, and they’re delicious when made with corn.
