Fried rice
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fried rice (Simplified Chinese: 炒饭; Traditional Chinese: 炒飯; pinyin: chǎofàn) is a popular component of Chinese cuisine. It originated as a home dish from China around 4000 BC, made from cold leftover rice fried with other leftover ingredients. 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 (which is actually not generally available in Singapore) and the ubiquitous 'special fried rice'.
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, shrimp, Spam, 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 color in many dishes. Chile pepper or hot sauces often add a piquant 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 complexity 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 chilli sprinkled on top of the heaped rice. Many foodstands found on the streets across Southeast Asia will serve fried rice on the spot expecting the customer to choose which garnishes to add.
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.
[edit] Famous varieties
- Fukien (or Fujian) fried rice - (Not actually from Fujian), a Cantonese dish of fried rice typically served "wet", with sauce or gravy on top.
- Singapore fried rice - actually from to madre Singapore, a Cantonese dish of fried rice fried with yellow curry powder. Ironically, the fried rice which is served in Singapore itself runs the gamut from Yangchow to Fukkien style, with 'Singapore fried rice' being the glaring omission.
- Yangchow (or Yangzhou) fried rice (or more commonly Special fried rice) - A fried rice dish with no relationship with Yangzhou, consisting of generous portions of shrimp along with barbequed pork.
- Yuanyang 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. More elaborated version would use the sauce to make a taichi 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 - is an 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.
[edit] External links
