What Is Young Chow Fried Rice? (History, Taste, Ingredients + More)

When it comes to preparing rice, one of the easiest and most delicious recipes you can use involves frying rice with a large variety of meat, vegetables, and seasonings.

One such dish is called Young Chow fried rice. If you haven’t had Young Chow fried rice, you might be wondering exactly what Young Chow fried rice is. Here’s what I found!

What Is Young Chow Fried Rice?

Young Chow fried rice is also called Yang Chow fried rice, Yangzhou fried rice, or Chinese egg fried rice. Like its English name implies, Young Chow fried rice is a Chinese rice dish that is cooked with eggs. Traditionally, Young Chow fried rice is also mixed with green peas, shrimp, Chinese ham, carrot, and green onion.

In case you’re interested to learn more about the origins of Young Chow fried rice and what makes Young Chow fried rice stand out from other fried rice recipes, keep reading!

Where Did Young Chow Fried Rice Originate?

Young Chow fried rice originated in the city of Yangzhou in the Jiangsu province of China. Additionally, Young Chow fried rice was invented by Yi Bingshou of the Qing Dynasty.

Yi Bingshou, being the magistrate of Yangzhou at the time of Young Chow fried rice’s invention, named the recipe after Yangzhou city.

Is Young Chow Fried Rice The Same As Chinese Fried Rice?

Young Chow fried rice is a type of Chinese fried rice and is one of the most popular fried rice recipes from China that has circulated the globe.

Technically, Young Chow fried rice differs from other Chinese fried rice recipes in terms of ingredients and the necessity for eggs.

Additionally, the original Young Chow fried rice recipe has two variations that are defined by how the eggs are prepared.

What Does Young Chow Fried Rice Have In It?

Young Chow fried rice can be mixed with any ingredient you can think of, especially if you’re making Young Chow fried rice to manage the leftovers in your fridge.

Whatever you choose to add, don’t forget to include the staples, which are cooked rice, green peas, proteins, carrots, aromatics, eggs, Chinese ham, shrimp, and green onion.

What Does Young Chow Fried Rice Taste Like?

What Does Young Chow Fried Rice Taste Like?

Young Chow fried rice generally tastes vegetal because of the green peas, creamy because of the eggs, and a little floral and spicy due to the seasonings used.

Moreover, Young Chow fried rice is usually prepared with a combination of different proteins, therefore giving Young Chow fried rice a strong umami flavor.

However, the nuances in the taste and aroma of Young Chow fried rice depend largely on the specific recipe you’re following.

What Rice To Use For Young Chow Fried Rice?

Young Chow fried rice is traditionally made with white rice, preferably long-grain, although medium-grain rice will also do. Additionally, you have the option of using brown rice.

Ideally, you’ll use leftover rice that has been refrigerated overnight, as this would ensure that the rice won’t stick together or turn mushy while being cooked in the wok.

If you use glutinous rice or freshly cooked rice, there will either be too much starch or moisture, and the fried rice will end up clumpy and watery.

What Is The Difference Between Young Chow Fried Rice And Chao Fan?

Young Chow fried rice is different from Chao Fan. While Young Chow fried rice was invented in China, Chao Fan was invented by the Filipino-Chinese community in the Philippines.

Nonetheless, both Young Chow fried rice and Chao Fan are considered Chinese-style fried rice dishes.

Mainly, the difference between Young Chow fried rice and Chao Fan is that Chao Fan uses only a single type of meat while Young Chow fried rice uses multiple protein sources.

What Is The Difference Between House Special Fried Rice And Young Chow Fried Rice?

House Special fried rice and Young Chow fried rice are both Chinese-style fried rice dishes.

However, House Special fried rice is usually cooked with brown rice and requires the use of seafood, pork, beef, and chicken.

In contrast, Young Chow fried rice is typically made with white rice and must include shrimp and Chinese ham. Whatever meat you choose to add is up to you.

As such, House Special fried rice has a stronger umami flavor and a nutty taste due to the brown rice.

What Is The Difference Between Young Chow Fried Rice And Regular Fried Rice?

Young Chow fried rice needs to be made with a set group of ingredients. You may add to these ingredients, but you shouldn’t subtract from them.

Otherwise, the fried rice will not be considered Young Chow fried rice. Moreover, Young Chow fried rice needs to be cooked using a wok.

As for regular fried rice, regular fried rice can be made with whatever leftovers you have in the fridge or the ingredients you want.

Additionally, regular fried rice often uses only one or two types of meat while Young Chow fried rice must be made specifically with eggs, Chinese ham, and shrimp.

How Many Calories Are In Young Chow Fried Rice?

Typically, a serving of Young Chow fried rice that uses the staple ingredients plus oil, aromatics, and seasonings has around 513 calories.

Whether this amount goes up or down depends on how you cook Young Chow fried rice and if you add more ingredients than usual to the fried rice.

Is Young Chow Fried Rice Gluten-Free?

Whether or not Young Chow fried rice is gluten-free depends on the ingredients you use and whether the brands that manufacture them certify that the ingredients are gluten-free.

This is especially true when it comes to ham because while ham is naturally gluten-free, some manufacturers use glaze on the ham that contains gluten.

Is Young Chow Fried Rice Vegan?

Young Chow fried rice is traditionally not vegan because Young Chow fried rice is made with eggs, shrimp, and ham. Additionally, some recipes use butter as well.

Is Young Chow Fried Rice Vegetarian?

Young Chow fried rice requires the use of shrimp and ham, therefore making Young Chow fried rice not suitable for a vegetarian diet.

However, it is possible to create a vegetarian and even a vegan-style Young Chow fried rice by using egg substitutes and meat replacements that taste like shrimp and ham.

Have a look at our related articles if you want to learn what black rice is, what Basmati rice is, and what brown rice is.

Conclusion

Young Chow fried rice is a popular stir-fried rice dish from Yangzhou, China. Traditionally, Young Chow fried rice is made with leftover white rice, ham, and shrimp.

Additionally, Young Chow fried rice must be cooked in a wok, as it is believed that the design of the wok allows the rice to cook thoroughly and the flavors to come out more easily.

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