FOOD NEWS
Chinese Vs Japanese Fried Rice: What's The Distinction?
BY BRIAN UDALL
Fried rice is an iconic Asian dish that varies depending on where it’s prepared. Chinese and Japanese fried rice seem similar, but have significant differences.
Although its exact origins are unknown, fried rice likely originated in China's Yangzhou city, and was a beloved dish of Emperor Yang in the Sui dynasty from 581 to 618 AD.
The dish then migrated around the world, resulting in variations like Japanese fried rice, which uses different rice, toppings, and meat compared to its Chinese counterpart.
Firstly, while Chinese fried rice is made of long-grain rice for a firm, crispy texture in every grain, the Japanese variation uses short-grain rice for a denser, chewy dish.
Eggs are added to Chinese fried rice at the end of cooking as a separate, distinct ingredient, while Japanese fried rice cooks the egg in the same pan at the same time as the rice.
For protein, Chinese fried rice typically incorporates both seafood and red meat. Japanese fried rice may combine seafood like roe, fish, or octopus with cured meat like ham.
While Chinese fried rice is traditionally only seasoned with salt, it can use soy sauce, sesame oil, or oyster sauce, while the Japanese dish uses oyster sauce or Worcestershire.