What Gives Fried Rice its Flavor?- San-J (2024)

What Gives Fried Rice its Flavor?- San-J (1)

Posted on:July 7, 2021

Fried rice is a classic, versatile dish that pairs perfectly with chicken, pork and beef. Some people even eat it all on its own. The secret to great fried rice? It’s all about the ingredients and how you cook them. If you love fried rice and want to make it at home, here are four tips to help you bring your fried rice ingredients together perfectly.

Table of Contents

  1. Choose Your Rice Carefully
  2. Use High Heat and Frying Oil
  3. Keep Seasonings Nearby
  4. Pick the Right Ingredients
  5. Tie Your Fried Rice Together With San-J Tamari Soy Sauce

1. Choose Your Rice Carefully – What’s the best rice for fried rice?

When it comes to fried rice, many wonder what the best rice for fried rice is. The key is having grains that stay separate and soak up all the tasty flavors you add with veggies and seasonings. To achieve that perfect texture and taste, your choice of rice matters. There are three types of grains: short, medium and long. When making your meal, you’ll want to cook with medium grain rice. Medium grain rice is the best rice for fried rice. It absorbs flavor without becoming mushy.

If you have this kind of rice leftover in the fridge from a previous meal, that’s even better! Cold rice holds up better under heat than freshly cooked rice, helping you achieve a firmer, less sticky texture.

2. Use High Heat and Frying Oil

To achieve that classic fried rice look and crispy texture, cooking fried rice using high heat is crucial. If the heat is too low, you run the risk of steaming your rice instead of frying it. Fry the rice and until it gets a slight brown color for the best flavor and crunch.

Make sure that you’re using the correct oil. Every oil has a different chemical structure. To fry your food correctly, use palm, vegetable or peanut oil. These oils have subtle flavors that do not overpower your dish.

3. Keep Fried Rice Seasoning and sauces Nearby for Flavor

Choosing the right seasonings and sauces for your fried rice is important. The key sauces in fried rice are soy sauce, oyster sauce, and fish sauce in fried rice. All three add unique flavors to the rice, but it can be easy to go overboard. Make sure you add small amounts of each and regularly taste your rice. The goal should be to emphasize the flavors of your rice, meat and vegetables.For a gluten-free option that enhances the taste of your fried rice, consider using San-J Tamari Gluten-Free Soy Sauce. Its rich, savory flavor will complement your dish perfectly without compromising on taste or quality.

4. Pick the Right Ingredients

There are three main ingredients of fried rice: eggs, vegetables and meat. Scrambled throughout the rice, eggs bring savory flavors and protein, while vegetables like broccoli, peas, carrots, and edamame add variety and depth to the dish.The more you have, the more robust the flavor.

Finally, you need your primary protein source. Whether it’s shrimp, chicken or beef, these elements finish off the flavor of your rice and add a savory kick that will make everyone’s mouth water.

Tie Your Fried Rice Together With San-J Tamari Soy Sauce

Make your oriental rice recipe using these tips, and enjoy the final result — a delicious, steaming bowl of fried rice. To bring together all the flavors of your fried rice seamlessly, consider using San-J Tamari Soy Sauce and our other sauces in your fried rice. Your taste buds will thank you!

For more ideas on creating at-home Asian cuisine, check out our blog. Ready to make San-J products part of your favorite meals?Shop our products onlineoruse our store locator today!

What Gives Fried Rice its Flavor?- San-J (2)
What Gives Fried Rice its Flavor?- San-J (2024)

FAQs

What Gives Fried Rice its Flavor?- San-J? ›

The key sauces in fried rice are soy sauce, oyster sauce, and fish sauce in fried rice.

What gives fried rice its flavor? ›

To give your dish that signature fried rice taste, you'll need to drizzle in sesame oil and soy sauce, but feel free to use as much or as little as you wish. You can even mix in things like garlic powder, ginger root, or Sriracha sauce and chili pepper for a bit of a kick.

What is the secret ingredient in fried rice? ›

The presence of sugar or another sweet substitute can help bring balance to the salty, savory elements in your meal, and if you're creating a fried rice recipe with kimchi, the sweetness can complement some of the sour elements from the fermented ingredient.

What's special about fried rice? ›

It's Versatile and Fast. Some people think stir-fry is complicated, requires lots of finicky preparation, and calls for hard-to-find ingredients. But fried rice is easy and versatile, and you can use non-Asian ingredients, seasoning it with garlic and fresh herbs, pesto, chilies, or hot sauce.

Why is fried rice so tasty? ›

Chinese restaurants have high-quality woks and commercial-grade burners that allow them to cook at high heat. This helps create the Maillard reaction — a chemical reaction that browns the food and unlocks new levels of flavor and aroma.

How to get fried rice taste better? ›

Pick the Right Ingredients

There are three main ingredients of fried rice: eggs, vegetables and meat. Scrambled throughout the rice, eggs bring savory flavors and protein, while vegetables like broccoli, peas, carrots, and edamame add variety and depth to the dish. The more you have, the more robust the flavor.

What gives Chinese fried rice its color? ›

Dark mushroom soy sauce is what gives this fried rice its rich brown/caramel colour. This soy sauce doesn't add much to the saltiness but is used to give dishes that nice caramel brown colour. Dark mushroom soy sauce also adds a hint of umami to a dish, but not much saltiness.

What oil do restaurants use for fried rice? ›

Sesame oil.

I do not recommend omitting or substituting the sesame oil in this recipe. It is key to the authentic flavor of this dish.

Why do Chinese people eat fried rice? ›

Fried rice is believed to have started as a way to accommodate leftovers. Traditionally, Southern Chinese prefer their rice polished and plain, as a base staple to eat with meat and vegetables.

Is it OK to eat fried rice everyday? ›

Fried rice is not a nutritionally balanced meal on its own, and you should enjoy it in moderation as part of a varied and balanced diet. Adding a variety of vegetables, lean protein sources, and whole grains can help to improve the nutritional value of fried rice.

What gives takeaway fried rice its flavour? ›

How can you get that “taste” of fried rice from restaurants? The three main flavorings in most Chinese foods seem to be soy sauce, ginger and sesame oil. First you need cold rice. Then toss it with some soy sauce and let it sit in the fridge.

Do Chinese people put soy sauce in fried rice? ›

Soy sauce fried rice is simple yet indulgent. It is a classic Chinese dish that uses minimal ingredients to create maximum flavor. Only takes ten minutes to prepare, and it's robust enough to serve as a main or to satisfy your midnight salty snack craving. Soy sauce fried rice (酱油炒饭, Jiang You Chao Fan) is a classic.

Why does my fried rice have no Flavour? ›

You don't use flavorful sauces

Key amongst these is soy sauce. By adding soy sauce during cooking chefs are adding both salt and umami to the fried rice which, unsurprisingly, greatly improves the dish's overall flavor. Other chefs opt to include fish sauce for similar reasons.

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