Fried rice facts for kids

Arroz chaufa, Peruvian-Chinese fried rice

Korean kimchi-bokkeum-bap

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. Fried rice is a popular component of East, Southeast and certain South Asian cuisines. As a homemade dish, fried rice is typically made with ingredients left over from other dishes, leading to countless variations. Being an economical hodgepodge, the same approach is often taken with fried noodles or pyttipanna as well.

Many popular varieties of fried rice have their own specific list of ingredients. In Greater China, the most famous varieties include Yangzhou fried rice and Hokkien fried rice. Japanese chāhan is considered a Japanese Chinese dish, having derived from Chinese fried rice dishes. Korean bokkeum-bap in general isn't, although there is a Korean Chinese variety of bokkeum-bap. In Southeast Asia, similarly constructed Indonesian, Malaysian, and Singaporean nasi goreng and Thai khao phat are popular dishes. In the West, most restaurants catering to vegetarian or Muslim clientele have invented their own varieties of fried rice, including egg fried rice. Fried rice is also seen on the menus of American restaurants offering cuisines with no native tradition of the dish. Additionally, there are variations of fried rice in countries to the south of the United States. Some of these variations include Ecuadorian chaulafan, Peruvian arroz chaufa, Cuban arroz frito, and Pueto Rican arroz mamposteao.

Fried rice is a popular street food in Asia. In some Asian countries, small restaurants, street vendors and traveling hawkers specialize in serving fried rice. In Indonesian cities it is common to find fried rice street hawkers moving through the streets with their food cart and stationing it in busy streets or residential areas. Many Southeast Asian street food stands offer fried rice with a selection of optional garnishes and side dishes.

Preparation
Varieties
- East Asia
  - China
  - Japan
  - Korea
- Southeast Asia
- South Asia
  - India
  - Nepal
  - Sri Lanka
- Pacific
  - Hawaii
- Americas
  - Ecuador
  - Cuba
  - Peru
  - Puerto Rico
- Europe
  - Portugal
Gallery
Images for kids
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Preparation

Cooked rice is the primary ingredient, with myriad of additional ingredients (sometimes and/or preferably, leftovers), such as vegetables, eggs, meat (chicken, beef, pork), preserved meat (bacon, ham, sausage), seafood (fish, shrimp, crab), mushrooms, among others. Aromatics such as onions, shallots, scallions, and garlic are often added for extra flavor. Various cooking oils, such as vegetable oil, sesame oil, or lard can be used to grease the wok or frying pan to prevent sticking, as well as for flavor. Fried rice dishes can be seasoned with salt, different types of soy sauce, oyster sauce and/or many other sauces and spices. Popular garnishes include chopped scallions, sliced chili, fried shallots, sprigs of parsley or coriander leaves, toasted sesame seeds, seaweed flakes (gim or nori), sliced cucumber, tomato, lime, or pickled vegetables.

Varieties

East Asia

China

Yángzhōu chǎofàn in Hong Kong, the most popular Chinese fried rice

Chinese fried rice
- Canton (or Wui Fan 燴飯) is a Cantonese style fried rice, typically served with a thick gravy poured on it.
- Hokkien (or Fujian) fried rice, a variation of Chinese fried rice, is from the Fujian region of China; it has a thick sauce poured and mixed over it which can include mushrooms, meat, vegetables, etc.
- Szechwan fried rice is a spicy stir-fried rice from Sichuan which uses doubanjiang chili sauce with garlic, green onions, and red onion.
- Yin Yang Fried Rice is 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. Elaborate versions use the sauces to create a yin-yang symbol.
- Yeung chow (or Yangzhou) fried rice consists of generous portions of shrimp and 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".

Japan

Chāhan, Japanese-Chinese fried rice

Chāhan (チャーハン) or Yakimeshi (焼飯) is a Chinese-derived fried rice suited to Japanese tastes by the addition of katsuobushi for flavor, prepared with myriad ingredients.
Omurice is fried rice wrapped inside an egg omelette. The fried rice is generally mixed with a variety of vegetables and meat. Tomato sauce is added.

Korea

Bokkeum-bap (Hangul: 볶음밥) is made by stir-frying bap (cooked rice) with other ingredients in oil. A wide range of fried rice dishes are common in Korean cuisine, often made with whichever ingredients are handy. In Korean restaurants, fried rice is a popular end-of-meal add-on. After eating the main dishes cooked on a tabletop stove, cooked rice along with gimgaru (seaweed flakes) and sesame oil is often added directly into the remains of the main dishes, stir-fried, and browned.
- Kimchi-bokkeum-bap (Hangul: 김치볶음밥) is a popular variety of bokkeum-bap, prepared with kimchi and a variable list of other ingredients.

Southeast Asia

Cambodia

Bai cha is a Khmer variation of fried rice that includes diced sausage, garlic, soy sauce, and herbs and is usually eaten as an accompaniment to meat.

Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore

Indonesian nasi goreng with chicken, fried egg, prawn cracker and vegetables

Nasi goreng is an Indonesian and Malay version of fried rice, the main difference compared to fried rice is that it is cooked using sweet soy sauce (kecap manis). It is often accompanied by additional items such as a fried egg, fried chicken, satay, and condiments such as sambal, acar, and krupuk. It is served in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and most of the neighboring countries, and is popular in the Netherlands.
- Nasi goreng pattaya is Malaysian fried rice wrapped inside an egg omelette. The fried rice is generally mixed with a variety of vegetables and meat. Tomato sauce is added. In Indonesia, the dish is called nasi goreng amplop.
- Sambal fried rice found in Singapore is a variation of fried rice made with sambal, a condiment based on chilis and belachan, derived from Indonesian and Malay influences.

Myanmar

Burmese fried rice (ထမင်း‌ကြော်, htamin gyaw) normally uses Burmese fragrant short grain rice (rounder and shorter than other varieties). A popular plain version consists of rice, boiled peas, onions, garlic, and dark soy sauce. An accompanying condiment could be ngapi kyaw (fried fish paste with shredded flakes) and fresh cucumber strips mixed with chopped onions, green chili, and vinegar.

Philippines

Sinangag, Filipino fried rice, with spam and fried egg

Bagoong rice is a type of Filipino fried rice using shrimp paste as its main flavor. Meat, scallions, as well as green mangoes are optionally additions. It is best when eaten together with Binagoongan dishes.
Sinangág is Filipino garlic fried rice cooked by adding stir-fried garlic to rice and then seasoning the mixture with salt and pepper. Vegetables, meats, and other ingredients may be added, but it is generally left without, since other ingredients may interfere with the flavour of the meat dish eaten with the fried rice. Sinangág is a constant component of the breakfast staple tapsilog and its derivatives.

Thailand

Khao phat amerikan, American fried rice

Thai fried rice (Thai: ข้าวผัด, RTGS: Khao Phat) has a flavor radically different from that of common fried rice, mostly due to the use of jasmine rice, and it has various additions not found in Chinese versions. It is usually served with sliced cucumber and prik nam pla, a spicy sauce made of Thai chili, fish sauce, and chopped garlic. Thai fried rice is typical of central Thai cuisine. It normally contains meat (chicken, shrimp, and crab are all common), egg, onions, garlic, and sometimes tomatoes. This widespread dish has many regional variants. Examples are Coconut Fried Rice, Pineapple Fried Rice, and Basil Fried Rice.
- American fried rice (Thai: ข้าวผัดอเมริกัน, RTGS: Khao Phat Amerikan) is a Thai invention using hot dogs, fried chicken, and eggs as side dishes or mixed into fried rice with ketchup added. It was served to U.S. soldiers 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.

Vietnam

Cơm chiên is a Vietnamese variation of the Chinese fried rice that includes diced sausage, stirred eggs, soy sauce, and onions.

South Asia

India

Rice and curry is a popular dish in the Southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. Rice and curry is prepared using fried or steamed rice and other ingredients.
Curry fried rice is a standard fried rice mixed with curry powder for a spicier flavor.

Nepal

Bhuteko bhat (भुटेको भात) is a Nepalese version of fried rice generally eaten with Achar; However, curry and dhal may also be served alongside it.

Sri Lanka

Nasi goreng in Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan fried rice (ෆ්රයිඩ් රයිස්) is a Sri Lankan variation of the original Chinese version; However, basmati rice is used and Sri Lankan spices are also added to it.

Pacific

Hawaii

Hawaiian fried rice this common style of fried rice in Hawaii usually contains egg, green onions, peas, cubed carrots, and either Portuguese sausage or Spam, or both, and is sometimes available with kimchi added. It is normally cooked in sesame oil.

Americas

Arroz frito is a denomination used in the Spanish speaking world, meaning "fried rice", with adjectives describing the Chinese-inspired varieties, e.g. arroz chino, arroz cantonés, or local specialties arroz chaufa/chaulafán/chaufán/chofán, arroz frito tres delicias.

Ecuador

Chaulafan is the name for Chinese fried rice in Ecuador. In Ecuador and Peru, dark soy sauce is preferred in fried rice. Meats typically used are pork, beef, chicken or fish/seafood (e.g. shrimp).

Cuba

Arroz frito, Cuban-Chinese fried rice

Arroz frito (Cuban fried rice) is very similar to "special fried rice". It can be found alongside typical criollo dishes in many Cuban restaurants. This dish features ham, grilled 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 introduction.

Peru

Arroz chaufa is a popular name for Chinese fried rice in Peru, belonging to the chifa kitchen. In Chile, it is called arroz chaufán. The most common varieties are made using the same ingredients used in China. Some exotic versions may use dried meat, beef tongue, alligator, or lizard in place of more traditional meats. In some regions, the rice is replaced with quinoa or pearled wheat, while in others the rice is mixed with noodles. Aeropuerto is a big Peruvian arroz chaufa dish containing fried noodles and many other additions.

Puerto Rico

Arroz mampostea[d]o or arroz frito Yakimeshi is fried rice in Puerto Rico. It was brought to the island by Chinese and Japanese immigrants and is usually made with leftover rice and typically Asian ingredients such as soy sauce, combined with popular Puerto Rican ingredients such as beans.