Dry Roasting

Dry roasting applies heat directly to dry food without using oil or water as a cooking medium, typically while stirring continuously so the food heats evenly; it can be done in an ordinary frying pan or wok or in specialized equipment such as commercial roasters built for coffee beans or peanuts. The technique is commonly used for nuts, seeds and some edible insects such as house crickets, and it is a standard early step in making peanut butter as well as in processing raw coffee, tea and chocolate ingredients. Dry roasting changes a food's chemistry by altering its proteins, which deepens flavor and intensifies aroma, and spice blends are often dry roasted, with herbs, spices and sometimes sugar added to the pan and roasted until browned.