Fried rice is a popular component of Chinese cuisine and other forms of
Asian cuisine. It originated as a home made dish from China, made from cold leftover rice fried with
other leftover ingredients.[1] It is sometimes served as
the penultimate dish in Chinese banquets (just before dessert).
There are dozens of varieties of fried rice, each with their own specific list of ingredients. In Asia, the more famous
varieties include Yangchow (Yangzhou) and Fukien (Fujian) fried
rice. In the West, Chinese restaurants catering to non-Chinese clientele have invented their own varieties of fried rice
including egg fried rice, Singaporean (spicy) fried rice and the ubiquitous 'special fried rice'.
Fried rice is a common staple in American Chinese cuisine, especially in the
westernized form sold at fast-food stands. The most common form is a basic fried rice, often with some mixture of eggs,
scallions, and vegetables, with chopped meat (usually pork or chicken, sometimes beef or shrimp) added at the customer's
discretion. Fried rice is also seen in other American Asian restaurants, even in cuisines where there is no native tradition of
the dish such as the Caribbean. The dish is also a staple of Chinese restaurants in the United
Kingdom (both "sit-in" and "takeaway"), and fried rice is very popular in the West
African nations of Ghana and Togo, both as a restaurant food
and as street food.
Ingredients
Ingredients used in fried rice are greatly varied. They include vegetables such as
carrots, bean sprouts, celery,
peas, and others, as well as chicken, pork (cha siu), shrimp, or tofu. Often cooked in a wok, it includes vegetable oil or animal fat to prevent sticking, as well as
for flavor. Bits of egg provide flavor. Chili pepper or
hot sauces often add a spicy touch to this dish or are offered in a small dish separate to the
rice. Many cooks season the fried rice with black pepper. Soy
sauce gives fried rice its brown color and savory taste. Often, onions and garlic add zest and extra flavor. It is popularly eaten either as an
accompaniment to another dish or, alternatively on its own as a course by itself.
Popular garnishes include fried shallots, sprigs of parsley,
carrots carved into intricate shapes or sliced chili sprinkled on top of the heaped rice. Many
food stands found on the streets across Southeast Asia will serve fried rice on the spot
expecting the customer to choose which garnishes to add.
Basic method
Fried rice is made from cold rice which has already been cooked by boiling. The wok is heated until it starts smoking, with
some oil. Rice is stirred quickly and uniformly to prevent burning, and to coat the rice grains with oil to prevent sticking.
After 1-2 minutes the rice is flavored to taste and stirred thoroughly, then the other ingredients are added.
More often than not, the rice is also tossed with an egg to smooth its texture and enhance its flavor, and hence the name 蛋炒飯,
dan chao fan, meaning simply egg with fried rice. The most common method of preparing 蛋炒飯 would be to stir fry spices like
chopped garlic in a wok briefly to release its aroma (a process called "爆香"), and then to crack an egg into the wok; before the
egg becomes completely cooked the rice is then added, and after some intense stir frying it is ready to be served.
Common varieties
Bai cha (បាយឆា) - A Khmer variation of fried rice which includes Chinese sausages, garlic, soy sauce, and herbs usually eaten
with pork.
- Canton (or Mui Fan) fried rice - a Cantonese dish of fried rice typically served "wet", with sauce or
gravy on top.
- Yangchow (or Yangzhou) fried rice - A fried rice dish
consisting of generous portions of shrimp, scrambled egg, along with barbecued pork. This is the most popular fried rice served
in Chinese restaurants, commonly referred to simply as "special fried rice" or "house fried rice."
- Yuan yang fried rice - Fried rice dish topped with two different types of sauce, typically a savory white sauce on one
half, and a red tomato-based sauce on the other half. Elaborated versions use the sauce to make a taichi ("yin-yang") symbol.
- Thai fried rice - The flavor of this version is radically different from that
of common fried rice, and comes from various additions not found in Chinese fried rice.
- Nasi goreng - a Malay and Indonesian version of fried rice. The main difference
compared to fried rice is that it is cooked with sweet soy sauce (kecap manis). It is often
accompanied by additional items such as a fried egg, fried chicken, satay, or keropok. Served in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand,
the southern Philippines, and most of the neighboring countries.
- Chaufa - A popular version of fried rice in Peru. Brought by Asian immigrants, it
combines the traditional Chinese recipe with a distinct touch of South American flavor
- Kimchi fried rice or kimchi bokeumbap - A popular variety of fried rice prepared with Korean pickled cabbage,
kimchi, and a variable list of other ingredients. Although a wide range of fried rice dishes are
frequently prepared in Korean cuisine, often with whichever ingredients are handy, Kimchi
Fried Rice is inarguably the most popular variety.
- Garlic fried rice - Also known as sinangag, this Filipino version only contains garlic and is often a breakfast
fixture. Sinangag can be combined with other foods which form an acronym, like "Tapsilog" (Tapa [Meat],Sinangag, and Itlog
[Egg])
- Hawaiian fried rice – A common style of fried rice in Hawaiʻi. Usually contains egg, green onions, peas, cubed carrots, and one or both of
Portuguese sausage and SPAM. (Never pineapple!) Also sometimes available with kimchi added. Normally cooked in sesame oil with lots of soy
sauce.
See also
References
External links
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