What is the Best Rice For Fried Rice?
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Fried rice is a popular dish in many countries around the world. It is typically made with cooked white rice that has been stir-fried in a wok or pan with other ingredients, such as vegetables and proteins like chicken, shrimp, pork, beef, or eggs.
Some variations of fried rice also include spices and sauces to add flavor. Fried rice is a great way to use leftover cooked rice and can be served as a main course or as a side dish. It is also an economical way to stretch leftovers into several meals.
Cooking fried rice can seem easy – but if you don’t use the best type of rice to make it, your fried rice can end up as a disaster. Read on to know the best rice to use for fried rice.
Which Type of Rice is Best for Fried Rice?
Cooking fried rice seems simple as you truly only need rice to make the basic version of it. Then, to give it a lot of flavor and depth, you can add other ingredients such as sauces, vegetables, and meat. However, if you don’t use the right type of rice to cook it, you may not have anything to eat at all. The best rice can make a huge difference when it comes to cooking fried rice.
To make delicious fried rice, medium-grain white rice is often used. To be specific, jasmine rice makes a great choice when cooking fried rice. A fresh batch of this grain can turn sticky in the rice cooker, making it easy to eat using chopsticks, but it can also separate into individual grains.
Moreover, medium-grain rice is also generally mild in flavor, making it ideal for flavoring with mix-ins and other sauces. Jasmine grains are also pretty fragrant, thanks to the slightly floral aroma.
In Japanese and Korean restaurants, fried rice is often made using short-grain sticky rice. It may stir-fry into clumps due to the starch content. It will also be chewier in texture. In general, however, unless you are preparing Japanese fried rice, it’s best to use medium grains.
Additionally, when making fried rice, it’s best to use day-old rice. This is because you’ll want the moisture to have evaporated from the grains. This way, the grain won’t break apart or get mushy when you fry them in your pan. You may also use freshly-cooked rice but be sure to let it cool in the fridge for a while before adding it to the pan.
Why is Jasmine Rice Best for Fried Rice?
Available as medium and long-grain white rice, jasmine rice is the best to stir-fry as it cooks sticky yet remains crisp. It can cook in clumps but it won’t break apart in the pan.
Others have suggested using basmati rice, a type of long-grain rice, to make fried rice. However, basmati cooks up dry most of the time. The less starchy grains also tend to break when stir-fried.
What Kind of Rice Do Chinese Restaurants Use for Fried Rice?
Most Chinese restaurants use jasmine rice. It has a light and fluffy texture, as well as a slightly sweet taste that pairs well with numerous Chinese recipes.
What is the Secret to Chinese Fried Rice?
A great Chinese fried rice uses premium light soy sauce and dark soy sauce as seasoning. Chefs also use different mix-ins to make variations to the usual Chinese fried rice. The most common ingredients include egg, carrot, green peas, shrimp, sausage, and green onion.
Final Note
Successful fried rice should have well-separated individual grains and delicious mix-ins. Using the wrong kind of rice may ruin your recipe.
Jasmine rice is the best option for fried rice as it has a perfect balance of stickiness, cooks in clumps, but won’t break when stir-fried.
