<P> Traditional frying uses beef dripping or lard; however, vegetable oils, such as peanut oil (used because of its relatively high smoke point) now predominate . A minority of vendors in the North of England and Scotland, and the majority of vendors in Northern Ireland, still use dripping or lard, as it imparts a different flavour to the dish, but this makes the fried chips unsuitable for vegetarians and for adherents of certain faiths . Lard is used in some living industrial history museums, such as the Black Country Living Museum . </P> <P> British and Irish chips are usually thicker than American - style French fries sold by major multinational fast food chains, resulting in a lower fat content per portion . In their homes or in some restaurants, people in or from the United States may eat a thick type of chip, more similar to the British and Irish variant, sometimes referred to as steak fries . </P> <P> In Britain and Ireland, fish and chip shops traditionally use a simple water and flour batter, adding a little sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and a little vinegar to create lightness, as they react to create bubbles in the batter . Other recipes may use beer or milk batter, where these liquids are often substitutes for water . The carbon dioxide in the beer lends a lighter texture to the batter . Beer also results in an orange - brown colour . A simple beer batter might consist of a 2: 3 ratio of flour to beer by volume . The type of beer alters the taste of the batter; some prefer lager whereas others use stout or bitter . </P> <P> In Britain and Ireland, cod and haddock appear most commonly as the fish used for fish and chips, but vendors also sell many other kinds of fish, especially other white fish, such as pollock or coley, plaice, skate, and ray (particularly popular in Ireland); and huss or rock salmon (a term covering several species of dogfish and similar fish). In Northern Ireland, cod, plaice or whiting appear most commonly in' fish suppers' --' supper' being Scottish and Northern Irish chip - shop terminology for a food item accompanied by chips . Suppliers in Devon and Cornwall often offer pollock and coley as cheap alternatives to haddock . </P>

What type of fish is in fish and chips