The Art of Crunchy Food

9. Toffee, Jolly Ranchers, Starlight peppermints
8. Corn Nuts!
7. Wasabi peas, the hard edges of melba toast, Grape Nuts cereal, thick hard pretzels
6. Carrots, celery, bell peppers
5. Toasted whole almonds, Stacy's pita chips
4. Superfresh radishes, the crunchiest pickles
3. Biscotti (except the hard-as-concrete kind), Captain Crunch, Kettle chips
2. Water crackers and thin tortilla chips, such as Xochitl brand
1. Graham crackers

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Salmon skin cooks to a remarkably crisp exterior that's contrasted by buttery flesh beneath.

No surprise, deep-frying is one of the best mediums for creating crunchy texture. It may seem off-limits in the pursuit of healthy crunch, but it's not. (For more on our techniques for healthy frying, check out our step-by-step

Kenji Lopez-Alt, chief creative officer and author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science at

Many rice cultures have crunchy-rice dishes. In the Korean dish bibimbap, rice develops a treasured crust in a hot stone bowl. In Persian cooking, partially cooked rice is drained and cooked in a dry pan with butter and oil, forming a gorgeous, golden crust.

Roasted pork tenderloin is shredded and pan-fried to produce crisp bits on the outside. Tuck these pork nuggets into cabbage leaves, and top with lots of sliced green onions and cucumber to heighten the overall crunchy experience.

Here, crunch derives from ingredients rather than technique. Apples get the noise going, while celery, one of the loudest vegetables on earth, makes this a fresh festival of crunchy goodness.

We set out to maximize the crunch with a crust that basically shatters, deliciously. A small amount of yeast, a thin roll of the dough, and high-heat cooking nailed it. Minimalist toppings prevent sogging, but the center of the pizza still softens to the 3 to 4 range on the crunch-o-meter.

Low and slow is the key to drawing out all of the moisture without burning the chickpeas or seasoning. As they cook, the spices mingle and mellow for a rounded flavor.

Cooking sugar above 300° ensures it'll harden as it cools. For crisp toffee, spread it thin; for crunch, go thick.