Fried rice is a popular component of
Chinese food and other forms of
Asian cuisine. It is made from
rice stir fried in a
wok with other
ingredients such as
eggs,
vegetables and some kinds of
meat. It is sometimes served as the penultimate dish in
Chinese
banquets (just before
dessert). As a home cooked dish, fried rice
typically is made with ingredients left over from other dishes,
leading to countless variations.
There are many popular varieties of fried rice, each with its own
specific list of ingredients.
In Asia, the more famous varieties include
Yangzhou and 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 of fried rice consists of 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 Asian American 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.
Preparation
Fried rice is made from cold rice that has already been cooked by
boiling. The use of leftover rice and other leftover ingredients is
common when cooked at home. The oil may be seasoned with aromatics
such as garlic before the rice and other ingredients are stir fried
together in a wok. The non-rice ingredients used in fried rice are
greatly varied. They can include
egg,
poultry and
meat
(
beef,
pork),
vegetables (
carrots,
bean sprouts,
celery,
peas,
corn),
spices and
pepper, and
soy sauce or
sometime
oyster sauce. It is often
stir-fried in a
wok with
vegetable oil or
animal
fat to prevent sticking, as well as for flavour.
Onions,
scallion and
garlic add zest and extra flavor. It is popularly
eaten either as an accompaniment to another dish, or as a course by
itself.
Popular garnishes include fried
shallots,
sprigs of
parsley or
coriander leaves,
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.
Common varieties
- Bai cha: A Khmer
variation of fried rice that includes diced Chinese sausage, garlic, shoyu, and herbs usually eaten with pork.
- Canton (or Mui Fan)
fried rice: A Cantonese dish of fried rice
typically dry, Fukien fried rice is usually served "wet", with
sauce or gravy on top.
- Cha Han (チャーハン): Chinese fried rice suited to
Japanese tastes, sometimes adding katsuobushi for flavor.
- Yangchow
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
(ข้าวผัด, Khao Pad or Khao Phad): 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.
- American Fried
Rice (ข้าวผัดอเมริกัน, Khao pad Amerigan):
This style of fried rice is actually a Thai invention using hot
dogs, fried chicken, eggs as side dishes or mixed into rice fried
with ketchup. Apparently, this was served to G.I.s during the
Vietnam war, but now has become very popular and commonplace all
throughout Thailand. The Malaysian counterpart, substituting pork
with chicken, is called Nasi Goreng USA.
- 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 Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the
southern Philippines, and most of the neighboring countries. Also
very popular in the Netherlands.
- 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
bokkeumbap or kimchi fried rice: 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 a popular
variety.
- Sinangag or Garlic Fried Rice: A
Filipino version, only containing
garlic (bawang) and is often a breakfast fixture. Sinangag
is often part of the Tapsilog dish.
- Curry fried rice: standard fried rice mixed
with curry powder for a spicier flavor.
- Hawaiian fried rice: A
common style of fried rice in Hawaii
.
Usually contains egg, green onions, peas, cubed carrots, and one or
both of Portuguese sausage and
Spam. Also sometimes available with
kimchi added. Normally cooked in sesame oil.
- Arroz Frito (Cuban Fried Rice): Very similar
to "Special Fried Rice", this version of fried rice can be found
alongside typical criollo dishes in many Cuban
restaurants. This dish features ham, bbq pork, shrimp, chicken, and
eggs along with a variety of vegetables. Some restaurants add
lechón (Cuban-style suckling pig), lobster tails, and/or
crab. Chinese Cubans are responsible
for the dish's popularity.
- Chowmin: A style of fried
rice in Guyana
.
Served with Casserip chicken.
See also
References
- "Fried rice and noodle dishes with vegetables are likewise
ancient. They were typically composed of leftover ingredients and
cooked in woks."
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