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What is Fried Rice?

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Fried rice is probably best recognized as a staple dish in Chinese restaurants throughout the world. It is a combination of leftover or precooked rice, fried in oil with a variety of other ingredients. Fried rice is also a staple dish in many different Asian cuisines, though ingredients from one country, or even one region of a country, to another can vary significantly.

In American Chinese restaurants, fried rice is often a combination of rice, peas or carrots, and small amounts of pork or chicken. You can frequently order the dish with only pork, or only chicken. Many restaurants include a bit of seafood in recipes and label fried rice with mixed meats as a house special. Recipes may additionally include a bit of scrambled egg. This convenient and delicious way of preparing leftover rice and meat is perhaps the most famous type of fried rice in the world, and is called Yangzhou or Yangchow rice.

Shiitake mushrooms are a common addition to fried rice.
Shiitake mushrooms are a common addition to fried rice.

If you prefer Cantonese cuisine, you’ll find this rice dish prepared slightly differently. It often is cooked in a gravy sauce or served with a brown sauce on top. Korea and Thailand have varieties of this staple, and these have influenced recipes in parts of the world you might not expect to find the dish. For instance, in Peru, a popular dish is chaufa, which incorporates South American common spices and seasonings with the Yangzhou version of rice.

Chard can be an interesting addition to fried rice.
Chard can be an interesting addition to fried rice.

In Chinese restaurants, many order this rice as a typical side dish, though white rice is the more traditional side dish accompaniment. If the rice is chock full of ingredients like eggs and meat, it may make a main dish too. In China, it’s common for fried rice to be served at the end of a meal, instead of with main entrees. Care is taken to cook rice that is not too greasy and remains light and fluffy, and cooks are frequently judged on the quality of their fried rice.

Green peas are commonly included when making fried rice.
Green peas are commonly included when making fried rice.

If you’re preparing the dish at home, it helps to have a wok, but you can use any good flat pan that will heat evenly. Use you imagination in adding ingredients. A bit of leftover roast or ham can make for great meat in fried rice, but feel free to add whatever cooked, or quickly cooked vegetables you have. Consider green onions, chard or bok choy, mushrooms, sweet peppers, diced eggplant or zucchini. For flavoring, have soy sauce on hand, and chili oil for extra kick to your rice. The dish is best served hot and fresh, but you can keep it warm in a chafing dish for a while if you’re making it for a large number of guests.

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent WiseGEEK contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently working on her first novel.

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Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent WiseGEEK contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently working on her first novel.

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Discussion Comments

stoneMason

Fried rice is tasty but it's high in calories. It's not good to have it all the time. Rice in general is not the healthiest food, but regular steamed rice doesn't have oil, so it's still better.

ddljohn

@ZipLine-- I make fried rice at home all the time. I usually use olive oil when I make it, but sesame oil is a great choice as well.

You need to cook all the veggies and meat in the pan first. When those are cooked, push them to the side of the egg and then scramble eggs on the other side of the pan. Make sure you start out with a large pan for this reason. When the eggs are done, mix it all together and add cooked rice. This is an easy fried rice that you can prepare very quickly if you have leftover rice from the day before.

My roommate in college used to make fried rice. But she would add the eggs last, after cooking the veggies and adding rice. I don't think that works well though. The eggs might not cook thoroughly. You could also just leave out the eggs.

ZipLine

I had vegetable fried rice for the first time yesterday and I liked it a lot. I think it's much better than regular rice, it's very tasty and it can be a meal by itself. I love regular rice too, but I think I'm going to have fried rice far more often now.

In fact, I would like to make it at home too. Does anyone here make fried rice at home? What type of oil do you use for it and how do you add the eggs? Do I make scrambled eggs in a separate pan and add it last?

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    • Shiitake mushrooms are a common addition to fried rice.
      By: Chris leachman
      Shiitake mushrooms are a common addition to fried rice.
    • Chard can be an interesting addition to fried rice.
      By: Quanthem
      Chard can be an interesting addition to fried rice.
    • Green peas are commonly included when making fried rice.
      By: Sasajo
      Green peas are commonly included when making fried rice.
    • Many varieties of rice can be used to make fried rice.
      By: kazoka303030
      Many varieties of rice can be used to make fried rice.