Utahns take fried foods to a new level

The enticing smells of sizzling, golden brown and just pulled from the fryer treats will undoubtedly accompany many of this summer’s festivities. What is the story behind these crispy snacks?

Jon Searle graduated with a bachelor’s degree in computer science because he loved to create things. When he saw the economy going down in 2002, he realized people would always want delicious food, so he started deep frying everything he could. He now serves deep fried treats at the Utah State Fair and other celebrations, and has become known as the “Deep-Fried Guy”.

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“Whenever you go to a fair or special event, you will notice that the lines for salads, wraps and sandwiches are not very well attended,” Searle said. “But if you look at the funnel cakes, deep-fried Twinkies, candy bars or corn dogs, there are long lines.”

Each year the Deep-Fried Guy introduces a new fried food at the state fair. In 2008 there were deep-fried peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Snickers, Twinkies and Oreos. In 2009 he brought deep-fried brownies and cheesecake. Last year an original creation was introduced — deep fried chocolate covered bacon on a stick. Searle said it was a big hit with customers, but he claims this year’s top secret concoction has never been done.

Some of the other things he has tried are gummy bears, bananas, pineapple, watermelon, pumpkin pie, Ding Dongs, ice cream cones, cotton candy and even an iPod. It may sound absurd, but Searle said he will fry anything and is always taking suggestions.

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Lora Beth Brown, associate professor in Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Science at BYU, explained what fried foods mean nutritionally.

“Frying foods decreases nutrient-to-calorie ratio and changes nutrient density so you’re getting more calories,” Brown said. “In other words, it increases the empty calories that are not bringing their share of nutrients so you will have less nutrients per calorie. If you’re adding batter, that’s adding more empty calories.”

Brown said there is generally some decrease in nutrients with any cooking method. However, that doesn’t mean these refreshments need to be avoided entirely.

“Does this mean you should never eat fried food? No,” Brown said. “Just don’t eat it for every meal. Be conservative, be moderate in the amounts you eat and be sure to balance that out with food that is not deep fat fried.”