Why go
The dish is credited to Qing-dynasty chef Yi Bingshou, who is said to have assembled leftover rice with the best of whatever the kitchen had — ham, shrimp, egg. The result was so popular that the dish took the city's name and never gave it back.
Technique is everything. The rice must be cold and slightly dry, the wok fiercely hot, and the cook's wrist fast enough that each grain gets coated in egg without turning mushy. When it is done right, the rice tastes clean and savoury — rich from the wok, never greasy.
- Every grain should be separate — clumping is a sign of a bad wok hand
- The classic has ham, shrimp, egg, peas and scallion
- Best eaten piping hot, straight from the wok
- Often ordered with a bowl of light egg drop soup
How to tell a good plate
Look for separate, pearly grains with specks of yellow egg clinging to them. The ham should be diced small, the shrimp plump, the peas bright green. A tell-tale sign of quality: the plate should not be pooled with oil at the bottom. If it is, the wok wasn't hot enough.
Where to eat it
Yangzhou's old teahouses — Fuchun (富春) and Yechun (冶春) on Dongguan Street — have served the dish for over a century. Pair it with a xiaolongbao and a cup of Longjing or jasmine tea. Outside Yangzhou, the dish is everywhere, but the original city remains the benchmark. A plate runs 20–50 RMB depending on the restaurant.
Getting there
- In Yangzhou, the old town around Dongguan Street is packed with restaurants serving the famous fried rice
- Origin
- Qing-dynasty Yangzhou, credited to chef Yi Bingshou
- Key ingredients
- Rice, egg, ham, shrimp, peas, scallion
- Price
- 20–50 RMB a plate
