Hot salt frying is a technique used by street side food vendors in China.
Coarse sea salt is placed in a large wok and heated to high temperature. Dry food items, such as eggs in shell, are buried in the hot salt and occasionally turned with a spatula.
This technique was also observed in San Blas, Nayarit, Mexico, along the zocalo, in July of 1991. A vendor had placed a large clay cazuela on top of a 4-legged, waist high charcoal brazier. The cazuela was filled with coarse salt. After the salt became hot, the vendor toasted/fried pepitas, or pumpkin seeds in their shells in the hot salt, stirring them with a slotted spoon. When the seeds were "done", the vendor spooned them into tiny paper bags and sold them to strollers in the zocalo for an afternoon or evening snack.
- See also : Chinese cuisine, Cooking
