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 made dish from China, 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 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.
[edit] 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, 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.
[edit] Common varieties
- Fukien (or Fujian) fried rice - a Cantonese dish of fried rice typically served "wet", with sauce or gravy on top.
- Singapore fried rice - a Cantonese dish of fried rice fried with yellow curry powder.
- Yangchow (or Yangzhou) fried rice - A fried rice dish consisting of generous portions of shrimp, scrambled egg, along with barbequed 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.
- Nazi Campur, literally Mixed rice - a classic Indonesian dish consisting of rice topped with various meats, vegetables, peanuts, egg and fried-shrimp chips.
- 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.
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