Originally dubbed as a Chinese leftover dish, fried rice has transformed from being a household staple in Asia to being a beloved take-out meal all over the world.
If you’ve never indulged in homemade and restaurant-bought fried rice, you’ll naturally be wondering what fried rice tastes like. I looked into it, and here’s what I found!
What Does Fried Rice Taste Like?
Different fried rice recipes yield different tastes. Generally, fried rice is made with cooked rice, vegetables, eggs, and meat. Consequently, most fried rice will have a rich vegetal taste punctuated by umami flavors from the mixture of meat and eggs. Nonetheless, the nuances in fried rice depend largely on how the fried rice is seasoned.
In case you’re curious to learn more about the wide variety of fried rice recipes and the tastes they yield, keep reading!
What Is The Flavor Of Fried Rice?
Since fried rice is traditionally cooked with meat, fried rice has an umami flavor that is enhanced by the vegetal notes and the buttery taste of the greens and eggs mixed with the fried rice.
Nevertheless, fried rice has no singular flavor. Fried rice can be made by mixing leftover rice, meat, and other dishes, which means the fried rice can take on a large diversity of flavors.
What Is The Texture Of Fried Rice?
Fried rice has a chewy and slightly dry texture because the ingredients are usually stir-fried together in a wok that is placed over high heat.
However, if you’re using freshly cooked rice, the fried rice will usually end up wet and clumpy.
Why Does Fried Rice Taste Better?
Fried rice generally tastes better than plain rice because of the wide variety of tastes that the fried rice absorbs in the cooking process.
Additionally, homemade fried rice that uses leftovers combines ingredients that you might not usually put together. As such, the new taste makes the fried rice more appealing.
Moreover, homemade fried rice is typically made to taste. Likewise, restaurant-bought fried rice uses recipes that appeal to the palate of the general masses.
Is Fried Rice Supposed To Be Crispy?
Fried rice can be crispy if some of the ingredients have been separately cooked to achieve that texture, or if the rice grains are naturally crispy.
Additionally, there are fried rice recipes that intend fried rice to be especially crispy.
However, if the rice itself turns out crispy by accident, that’s a huge indication that the rice was not properly cooked before the rice was turned into fried rice.
Why Is My Fried Rice Sticky?
There are four main reasons why fried rice turns out sticky. Firstly, it could be that you overcooked the rice because when rice is exposed to heat for too long, the rice will become mushy.
Second, you may be using freshly cooked rice. When the rice has recently been cooked, the rice will be too soft and moist to be stir-fried.
Third, the ingredients of your fried rice recipe might have a lot of moisture and this is especially true with vegetables like tomato, celery, cabbage, and lettuce.
Finally, the pan might be too crowded to let any of the ingredients dry out during the cooking process. Consequently, the remaining moisture will turn the fried rice sticky.
Why Does Restaurant Fried Rice Taste Different?
There are many reasons why restaurant fried rice tastes different from homemade fried rice.
Mainly, the difference in taste has something to do with the quality of the ingredients, the recipe used, and the chef’s skills.
There’s also the fact that restaurants often use way more salt and fats like oils and butter than people do at home. Generally, salt and fat can easily enhance the taste of any rice.
Why Does Chinese Fried Rice Taste So Good?
Contrary to popular belief, it’s only exactly the ingredients in fried rice that make Chinese fried rice taste good.
Rather, it is the wok and the high heat used by Chinese restaurants that make their fried rice stand out. Additionally, Chinese restaurants leave the fried rice in the wok for a bit of time.
By allowing the fried rice to sit in the wok while in high heat, the fried rice becomes thoroughly cooked to the point of having little moisture.
Additionally, it’s through this process that the fried rice absorbs much of the flavor that makes Chinese fried rice enjoyable.
Why Does My Fried Rice Taste Burnt?
When you add too little oil to a pan or a wok that has been exposed to high heat, it’ i likely that your fried rice will smell and taste burnt.
Moreover, all the stirring that you need to do when preparing fried rice might prevent you from noticing rice and other ingredients that have been slightly scorched.
What Meat Goes Well With Fried Rice?
Generally, every kind of meat from pork to shrimp goes well with fried rice. Cooked thoroughly, the rice will absorb the flavor of the meat and enhance the dish.
What Can You Eat With Fried Rice?
Fried rice can be paired with a large assortment of dishes. Here’s a list of the most recommended dishes to serve with fried rice:
- Egg drop soup
- Fried eggs
- Egg rolls
- Tempura
- Chinese dumplings
- Chicken Teriyaki
- Lemon Chicken
- Sesame Noodles with broccoli and almonds
- Sesame Roasted Brussel Sprouts
- Hot and sour soup
- Gyoza
What Does Kimchi Fried Rice Taste Like?
Kimchi fried rice has a sweet, sour, and tangy flavor. Additionally, kimchi fried rice can also have a strong garlicky taste depending on the type of kimchi you use.
What Does Egg Fried Rice Taste Like?
Egg-fried rice will usually have a buttery and nutty taste to it. However, the specific egg fried rice recipe you use will determine just how buttery the egg fried rice will be.
Moreover, any seasoning like oyster sauce, soy sauce, and fish sauce can give the egg-fried rice a saltiness that will complement the creaminess of the scrambled eggs.
Have a look at our other articles to find out what long-grain rice tastes like, what brown rice tastes like, and what rice paper is.
Conclusion
Fried rice can be cooked in various ways, which means fried rice has no singular flavor that can encompass all the fried rice recipes out there.
If you follow the standard methods and ingredients of cooking fried rice, you’ll end up with chewy and dry fried rice with a fine blend of sweetness, spiciness, and umami.