Friday, June 6, 2008

7 Other Versions of Fried Rice

We are all familiar with fried rice. You know, that tasty stuff we find at all Asian buffets and Chinese take-out. Most of us (me included) usually just think, Fried rice is fried rice is fried rice. Right? Well, not so much. Fried rice isn’t always just white rice with egg, scallions, and some sort of chopped meat. There are different styles of fried rice all around the world. I bet even every household has their own recipe for fried rice. So what types of fried rice are there? Well, today I will be discussing just that! Here are seven (I’m sure there are a bunch more) “other” versions of fried rice.

1. Yang Chow Fried Rice
This is the most popular style of fried rice we eat here in the States. You can find this in almost all Chinese take-out joints and Asian buffets. We’re all familiar with this stuff – fried rice with egg, shrimp, and chopped barbeque pork.

2. American Fried Rice
Ok, this is more of a Thailand favorite than an American one. It includes hot dogs (that’s probably why they called it American), eggs, fried chicken, and…ketchup. Gotta love that ketchup!

3. Nasi Goreng
This is a Malaysian and Indonesian version of fried rice. The major difference is that it is cooked with sweet soy sauce. Often served as breakfast in Indonesia, this dish is popular in countries such as Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia.

4. Kimchi Fried Rice
That’s pretty much it. This Korean dish mixes fried rice with our favorite Asian pickled cabbage…kimchi!

5. Garlic Fried Rice
Filipino garlic fried rice is often served as a breakfast dish. Simply, it is fried rice with garlic. Mmmm, I’ve never tried this before, but garlic is sure to make everything taste great!

6. Cha Han
This is a Japanese style of fried rice. Sometimes katsuobushi (Japanese dried smoked tuna) is mixed in to add another layer of flavor.

7. Canton Fried Rice
This Canton version of fried rice is served with a special sauce or gravy poured on top.


So, there you have it! There are the 7 versions of fried rice (even though there are probably a billion more!). Just remember, recipes...and fried rice...aren't suppose to be done only one way. They are really just up to you and your taste buds!


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