Fried Food at Frixium

Tuscany has always been famous for its friggitorie.

These hole-in-the-wall joints, which have disappeared, once served deep-fried food. Florentines would stop by for coccoli (a fried dough balls), suppli and aranchini (rice filled with cheese, sometimes meat, and a touch of tomato sauce, rolled in bread crumbs and fried), potato croquettes and occasionally, meatballs. Florence’s newest fast food place, Frixium Italia aims revive this time-honored culinary custom with a contemporary twist.

The restaurant on Borgo degli Albizi 58/r in Florence offers variations of bite-sized portions of fish, delicious shrimp balls, an almost endless list of fried vegetables with and without cheese as well as real Tuscan specialties such as the fried sage leaf.

Frixium Italia was the brainchild of three partners, whose dream came true after years of experiments and thorough research. The place mirrors the work and care that is invested in it.  A modern ambiance, and traditional and untraditional fried foods spiced up with fresh ideas: this is what the hungry traveller finds inside.

Although the company has plans to become a franchise in the future, Frixium combats all the stereotypes gained from experiences in fast food restaurants.

Operating with fried food is often associated with grease and a constant burnt smell, but Frixium has spent years on research to improve the frying technique. This resulted in a very neat, consumer-friendly and oil-smokeless environment with wonderful recipes.

The newcomer in town has managed to make fried food not only less messy, but more healthy and delicious. The menu has been tested on more than 200 volunteers in the last several years, and only the pieces receiving excellent ratings were kept on the list. But the perfect texture and the perfect taste are only two of the components of the Frixium offerings. Everything starts with high quality ingredients.

Frixium works only with fresh vegetables and fish from the same producers, and the ingredients are refrigerated right after harvest or production. The crunchiness of the fried foods comes from this freshness and the temperature difference between the hot oil and cold ingredients.

Staff collaborates with a nutritionist to minimalize calories, and create a healthy meal. The recommendations of the specialist will also be available online to help diners select the best options. Although the crispy crust is an obstacle for people with celiac disease, Frixium has overcome this problem, since it serves gluten-free dishes such as celiac mushroom-cheese balls.

Since every dish requires the best quality of oil, the owners have tested several types of it throughout the years. The sunflower oil used at Frixium has the highest oil-acid rate, and a high smoke point. This way the hot fluid doesn’t burn the food, and the frying process doesn’t create carcinogens either. The oil is checked several times a day, and the preparation and cooking processes are highly regulated, almost lab-like.

A portion of fried tidbits contains from one to seven pieces, depending on the size of each.

Frixium Italia takes sustainability very seriously with an objective to create an environmental-friendly place, with little waste.  This is also due to 100% recycled and recyclable cutlery, and even the micro-filtered oil is transformed into biodiesel.

Open daily from 11 am to midnight, this new place has not only revived an old tradition in the city, but also put it in a new form, that fits every lifestyle. The food is ready in a few seconds. Served with strips of raw vegetable, every piece is delicious.  (gréta szabó)