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Chinese fried rice () is a family of
fried rice Fried rice is a dish of cooked rice that has been stir-fried in a wok or a frying pan and is usually mixed with other ingredients such as eggs, vegetables, seafood, or meat. It is often eaten by itself or as an accompaniment to another dis ...
dishes popular in
Greater China In ethnogeography, "Greater China" is a loosely-defined term that refers to the region sharing cultural and economic ties with the Chinese people, often used by international enterprises or organisations in unofficial usage. The notion contains ...
and around the world. It is sometimes served as the penultimate dish in
Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...
banquet A banquet (; ) is a formal large meal where a number of people consume food together. Banquets are traditionally held to enhance the prestige of a host, or reinforce social bonds among joint contributors. Modern examples of these purposes inc ...
s, just before
dessert Dessert is a course (food), course that concludes a meal; the course consists of sweet foods, such as cake, biscuit, ice cream, and possibly a beverage, such as dessert wine or liqueur. Some cultures sweeten foods that are more commonly umami, ...
.


History

The earliest record of fried rice is found in the
Sui dynasty The Sui dynasty ( ) was a short-lived Dynasties of China, Chinese imperial dynasty that ruled from 581 to 618. The re-unification of China proper under the Sui brought the Northern and Southern dynasties era to a close, ending a prolonged peri ...
(589–618 CE). Though the
stir-frying Stir frying ( zh, c= 炒, p=chǎo, w=ch'ao3, cy=cháau) is a cooking technique in which ingredients are fried in a small amount of very hot oil while being stirred or tossed in a wok. The technique originated in China and in recent centuries ...
technique used for fried rice was recorded in a much earlier period, it was only in the late
Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...
(1368–1644 CE) that the technique became widely popular. Fried rice is believed to have started as a way to accommodate
leftovers Leftovers are surplus foods remaining unconsumed at the end of a meal, which may be put in containers with the intention of eating later. Inedible remains like bones are considered ''waste'', not leftovers. Depending on the situation, the amoun ...
. Traditionally, Southern Chinese prefer their rice polished and plain, as a base staple to eat with meat and vegetables. The vegetables, meat and rice leftovers from the day before—which have passed their prime but are still good to consume, and too good to be fed to animals—are seasoned with
soy sauce Soy sauce (sometimes called soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of China, Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermentation (food), fermented paste of soybeans, roasted cereal, grain, brine, and ''Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''A ...
,
lard Lard is a Quasi-solid, semi-solid white fat product obtained by rendering (animal products), rendering the adipose tissue, fatty tissue of a domestic pig, pig.
and
garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plants in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chives, Welsh onion, and Chinese onion. Garlic is native to central and south Asia, str ...
, and stir-fried, making a hot meal. The basic elements of Chinese fried rice include rice, meat and vegetables, soy sauce and garlic. A number of fried rice recipes have been developed in China, such as
Yangzhou Yangzhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province, East China. Sitting on the north bank of the Yangtze, it borders the provincial capital Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yancheng to the northeast, Taizhou, Jiangsu, ...
and
Sichuan Sichuan is a province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capital city is Cheng ...
fried rice. Leftover cooked rice among the
Cantonese Cantonese is the traditional prestige variety of Yue Chinese, a Sinitic language belonging to the Sino-Tibetan language family. It originated in the city of Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton) and its surrounding Pearl River Delta. While th ...
is commonly made into fried rice, prepared with chopped vegetables and meat. It is believed that the basic stir-fried technique to cook fried rice, which required Chinese
wok A wok () is a deep round-bottomed cooking pan of Chinese origin. It is believed to be derived from the South Asian karahi. It is common in Greater China, and similar pans are found in parts of East, South and Southeast Asia, as well as being ...
, spread from Southern China to other rice farming cultures in
East East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact that ea ...
and
Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
.


Ingredients and preparation

The basic elements of Chinese fried rice are
cooked rice Cooked rice refers to rice that has been cooked either by steaming or boiling. The terms steamed rice or boiled rice are also commonly used. Any variant of Oryza sativa, Asian rice (both Indica rice, indica and Japonica rice, japonica varieties) ...
, meat, and vegetables mixed with
egg An egg is an organic vessel grown by an animal to carry a possibly fertilized egg cell (a zygote) and to incubate from it an embryo within the egg until the embryo has become an animal fetus that can survive on its own, at which point the ...
, soy sauce and
garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plants in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chives, Welsh onion, and Chinese onion. Garlic is native to central and south Asia, str ...
for flavour and seasoning, also cooking oil for greasing; either using
lard Lard is a Quasi-solid, semi-solid white fat product obtained by rendering (animal products), rendering the adipose tissue, fatty tissue of a domestic pig, pig.
,
vegetable oil Vegetable oils, or vegetable fats, are oils extracted from seeds or from other parts of edible plants. Like animal fats, vegetable fats are ''mixtures'' of triglycerides. Soybean oil, grape seed oil, and cocoa butter are examples of seed ...
or
sesame oil Sesame oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. The oil is one of the earliest-known crop-based oils. Worldwide mass modern production is limited due to the inefficient manual harvesting process required to extract the oil. ...
. The oil and soy sauce grease and coat the rice grains, thus preventing them from burning and sticking to the cooking vessel. Sometimes chopped
scallion Scallions (also known as green onions and spring onions) are edible vegetables of various species in the genus ''Allium''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions. Their close relatives include garlic, shallots, leeks, chive ...
,
ginger Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice and a folk medicine. It is an herbaceous perennial that grows annual pseudostems (false stems made of the rolled bases of l ...
,
chili pepper Chili peppers, also spelled chile or chilli ( ), are varieties of fruit#Berries, berry-fruit plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for their pungency. They are used as a spice to ...
and
mushroom A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing Sporocarp (fungi), fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source. ''Toadstool'' generally refers to a poisonous mushroom. The standard for the n ...
, also diced processed
pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig animal husbandry, husbandry dating back to 8000–9000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooke ...
are added into the mixture. All ingredients are stir-fried on a strong fire using a Chinese
wok A wok () is a deep round-bottomed cooking pan of Chinese origin. It is believed to be derived from the South Asian karahi. It is common in Greater China, and similar pans are found in parts of East, South and Southeast Asia, as well as being ...
cooking vessel, and the rice is turned, stirred and agitated using a spatula to evenly cook the rice and distribute the seasoning. Leftover rice is commonly used, and the dish can incorporate other leftover ingredients as well.


Variants

The main ingredients of basic Chinese fried rice are cooked rice, stir-fried with chopped vegetables and meat, seasoned with soy sauce and garlic. Started as a humble and simple way to cook leftovers, initially there is no single exact recipe of fried rice in Chinese cuisine tradition, since any different leftovers and additional ingredients could lead to another different recipe of fried rice. Each household might have its own way in cooking fried rice, which might led to myriad variants. Varieties differs in its contents, seasonings, spices, also vegetables and meat being used. This versatility and its economic value to save food has led to the popularity of stir-fried rice in China. Today, many recipes of Chinese fried rice exist. This includes regional varieties such as
Yangzhou fried rice Yangzhou fried rice, also known by several other spellings and names, is a popular Chinese wok- fried rice dish. There are many varieties but it most properly describes egg fried rice with mixed vegetables and two forms of protein, typicall ...
(; ''Yángzhōu chǎofàn'') from
Yangzhou Yangzhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province, East China. Sitting on the north bank of the Yangtze, it borders the provincial capital Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yancheng to the northeast, Taizhou, Jiangsu, ...
,
Hokkien fried rice Hokkien fried rice (; also known as Fujian fried rice) is a popular Cantonese cuisine, Cantonese-style wok fried rice dish in many Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong. This dish did not originate in Fujian. It consists of a saucy stir-fried topping ...
( zh, 福建炒飯; ''Fuk1gin3 caau2faan6'') from
Fujian Fujian is a provinces of China, province in East China, southeastern China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capital is Fuzhou and its largest prefe ...
, and spicy
Sichuan Sichuan is a province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capital city is Cheng ...
fried rice from Sichuan. Sichuan fried rice is notable for its tangy, hot and spicy flavour owed to ''
doubanjiang Doubanjiang (, International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: ), also known as douban, toban-djan, broad bean chili sauce, or fermented chili bean paste, is a hot and savory Chinese bean paste made from fermented Vicia faba, broad beans, chili pepper ...
'' chili sauce mixed with garlic, green and red onion.


Outside China

Chinese fried rice dishes also spread to other parts of the world. The stir-fried technique that requires the use of Chinese wok, also the use of soy sauce as a seasoning in fried rice, clearly demonstrate Chinese cuisine influence. These cooking elements has spread to neighboring East Asian countries, the Southeast Asian region, and subsequently, the rest of the world. For example, Japanese ''
chāhan , also known as ''yakimeshi'' (Japanese: 焼飯 or 焼き飯), is a Japanese fried rice dish prepared with rice as a primary ingredient and myriad additional ingredients and seasonings. The dish is typically fried, and can be cooked in a wok. '' ...
'' (; ) originated from the fried rice made by Chinese immigrants in the 19th century. Despite having distinctly stronger flavour,
Indonesian Indonesian is anything of, from, or related to Indonesia, an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It may refer to: * Indonesians, citizens of Indonesia ** Native Indonesians, diverse groups of local inhabitants of the archipelago ** Indonesian ...
''
nasi goreng ''Nasi goreng'' (English pronunciation: ), (Indonesian language, Indonesian and Malay language, Malay for 'fried rice') is a Southeast Asian rice dish with pieces of meat and vegetables added. It can refer simply to fried pre-cooked rice, a me ...
'' is also believed initially was influenced by Chinese fried rice. Latin American countries also have their versions of Chinese fried rice since long ago, such as ''
arroz chaufa ''Arroz chaufa'', also known as ''chaufa'', is a fried rice dish from Peru. It is part of the Chinese Peruvian cuisine, which is called ''chifa''.
'' (
Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
vian-Chinese fried rice) and '' arroz frito'' (
Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
n-Chinese fried rice). Indian ''pulao'' is also influenced by Chinese fried rice. Chinese fried rice is often a common staple in
American Chinese cuisine American Chinese cuisine, also known as Sino–American cuisine, is a style of Chinese cuisine developed by Chinese Americans. The dishes served in North American Chinese restaurants are modified to suit customers' tastes and are often quite d ...
, especially in the form sold as
fast food Fast food is a type of Mass production, mass-produced food designed for commercial resale, with a strong priority placed on speed of service. ''Fast food'' is a commercial term, limited to food sold in a restaurant or store with frozen, preheat ...
. The most common form of American Chinese fried rice consists of some mixture of eggs,
scallion Scallions (also known as green onions and spring onions) are edible vegetables of various species in the genus ''Allium''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions. Their close relatives include garlic, shallots, leeks, chive ...
s, and vegetables, with chopped meat added at the customer's discretion, and usually flavored with
soy sauce Soy sauce (sometimes called soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of China, Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermentation (food), fermented paste of soybeans, roasted cereal, grain, brine, and ''Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''A ...
instead of
table salt In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as ro ...
(more typical for Chinese-style fried rice). Sometimes
chop suey Chop suey (usually pronounced ) is a dish from American Chinese cuisine and other forms of overseas Chinese cuisine, generally consisting of meat (usually chicken, pork, beef, shrimp or fish) and eggs, cooked quickly with vegetables such as bea ...
-fried rice combo is offered in Chinese restaurant in the United States. One of the most popular variations of fried rice in
America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
is in
Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
where it is prepared under the name "
Arroz Chaufa ''Arroz chaufa'', also known as ''chaufa'', is a fried rice dish from Peru. It is part of the Chinese Peruvian cuisine, which is called ''chifa''.
" and is one of the best-known dishes in
Chifa ''Chifa'' is a Chinese Peruvian culinary tradition based on Cantonese elements fused with traditional Peruvian ingredients and traditions. The term is also used to refer to restaurants that serve the ''chifa'' cuisine. Though originating in Pe ...
restaurants. The dish is also a staple of Chinese restaurants in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
(both "sit-in" and "takeaway"), and is very popular in the
West Africa West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...
n nations of
Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
,
Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...
and
Togo Togo, officially the Togolese Republic, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to Ghana–Togo border, the west, Benin to Benin–Togo border, the east and Burkina Faso to Burkina Faso–Togo border, the north. It is one of the le ...
, both as restaurant and as
street food Street food is food sold by a Hawker (trade), hawker or vendor on a street or at another public place, such as a market, fair, or park. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and is meant for immediate consumption ...
. In Korea, the
Korean Chinese Korean Chinese, also called Chaoxianzu (; ), is the Korean (Joseon) ethnic minority group in China. They are one of the 56 officially recognized ethnic groups by the Government of China and the Chinese Communist Party. They account for the vast ...
-style fried rice is a separate genre of fried rice that differs from Korean-style fried rice dishes.
McDonald's McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese ch ...
serves McChao, a Chinese fried rice dish named after ''chǎofàn'', which means "fried rice" in Chinese.


''Bacillus cereus'' poisoning

''
Bacillus cereus ''Bacillus cereus'' is a Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-positive Bacillus, rod-shaped bacterium commonly found in soil, food, and marine sponges. The specific name, ''cereus'', meaning "waxy" in Latin, refers to the appearance of colonies grown o ...
'' poisoning is called "Chinese fried rice syndrome" due to its historical tie with the fried rice dishes.


Gallery

File:SplitcomboYinYoengCantonesecuisine.jpg,
Yin yang fried rice Yin yang fried rice (also transliterated as yuenyeung fried rice or yuanyang fried rice; ) is a rice dish from Hong Kong, consisting of a plate of rice with béchamel sauce and tomato sauce. The name "yuenyeung" refers to mandarin ducks — ...
() in Canada File:Chinese fried rice by stu spivack in Cleveland, OH.jpg,
Yangzhou fried rice Yangzhou fried rice, also known by several other spellings and names, is a popular Chinese wok- fried rice dish. There are many varieties but it most properly describes egg fried rice with mixed vegetables and two forms of protein, typicall ...
() in the United States File:Hokkien Fried Rice.jpg,
Hokkien fried rice Hokkien fried rice (; also known as Fujian fried rice) is a popular Cantonese cuisine, Cantonese-style wok fried rice dish in many Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong. This dish did not originate in Fujian. It consists of a saucy stir-fried topping ...
() is a dish from Hong Kong


See also

*
List of fried rice dishes Fried rice is a dish of cooked rice that has been stir-fried in a wok or a frying pan and is usually mixed with other ingredients such as eggs, vegetables, seafood, or meat. It is often eaten by itself or as an accompaniment to another dish. ...


References

{{Rice dishes Chinese rice dishes Fried rice National dishes