A young woman nearly had her face disfigured while cooking, warning about 3 foods that can easily “expl.ode” and require caution

Just one small mistake can lead to a serious accident in the kitchen. This young woman’s experience is a clear example.

With the Lunar New Year approaching, many families are firing up their stoves, heating pans of oil to fry cakes, candies, and festive snacks. However, if you don’t fully understand the “temperament” of hot oil, even a minor oversight can result in a dangerous kitchen accident.

On December 4, in Jieshou City, Anhui Province (China), a young woman suffered a frightening incident while frying glutinous rice cakes at home. The moment she dropped the cakes into the pan, the hot oil suddenly splashed violently onto her face and hands, nearly causing severe burns and even risking facial disfigurement.

After the incident, she explained that the rice cakes had been taken out of the freezer, thawed in the morning, and fried later that evening. She never expected the oil to splash so aggressively. Fortunately, she immediately rinsed the burned areas with cool water and applied cold compresses. As a result, only her forehead was more seriously affected, while other areas did not develop severe blisters, helping her avoid more serious consequences.

Why do foods “explode” in hot oil?

The core reason is water.

Frozen or damp foods contain moisture that rapidly turns into steam when exposed to high-temperature oil. The sudden expansion in volume forces the hot oil to splatter violently. Without proper protection, the oil can easily spray onto the face, hands, or neck.

In reality, many people underestimate food preparation and personal protection when frying at home. This carelessness often becomes the “trigger” for dangerous oil-splash accidents.

Such incidents are not rare. In January 2025, in Hefei City, Anhui Province, a woman shared a video of her mother frying glutinous rice balls at home. The moment the balls hit the oil, it splattered throughout the kitchen, leaving a chaotic scene. She jokingly called it a “new type of bomb” invented by her mother, but behind the humor was a situation filled with serious risk.

In November 2022, in Cangzhou City, Hebei Province, Ms. Li was stir-frying soaked wood ear mushrooms for her child. When she added them to hot oil, the mushrooms suddenly crackled and burst in the pan, sending oil splashing all over the kitchen and frightening her into immediately turning off the gas.

Warnings from the fire department

According to the Hunan Provincial Fire and Rescue Department (China), many oil-pan accidents that make people’s “hearts skip a beat” often stem from a very simple cause: putting the wrong foods into hot oil.

Some ingredients may look harmless, but once they hit boiling oil, they can instantly turn into “oil bombs.”

The most notable ones include:

• Frozen or wet foods: The water inside vaporizes rapidly at high temperatures, causing violent oil splashing.

• Dried foods soaked in water, such as wood ear mushrooms or dried shiitake mushrooms: After soaking, they retain a lot of moisture and can easily “explode” in hot oil.

• Foods with shells or sealed structures, such as eggs in their shells or whole sausages: Steam becomes trapped inside, and when pressure builds up suddenly, the casing can burst, sending oil splattering forcefully.

Beyond the risk of oil splashes and burns, oil pan fires are also among the most common and dangerous kitchen hazards. If handled incorrectly, a small flare-up can quickly escalate into a major fire, threatening the safety of the entire household.

Therefore, developing safe cooking habits, understanding the characteristics of foods before putting them into hot oil, and protecting your body while frying are all essential and should never be overlooked.

A little extra caution in the kitchen can help prevent tragic accidents—especially in the days leading up to the New Year.