FAQs
The trick for takeout-style fried rice is to add a bit of sugar. Many restaurant cooks use sugar to add complexity and a caramelized nutty flavor as it coats the grains of rice. Adding sweetness to your fried rice also complements the other flavors.
What is the secret ingredient in fried rice? ›
Though you might not be able to pinpoint the sweet inclusion while digging into a take-out box and piling spoonsful of fluffy rice into your mouth, the addition of sugar is a common culinary technique practiced by restaurants.
Why do you put sugar in fried rice? ›
The sugar won't just make your fried rice taste like you purchased it, it will also make it look like you bought it as well. This is because the sugar caramelizes the rice, which gives it that light hue you often find on fried rice made in restaurants.
Why does Chinese restaurant fried rice taste better? ›
The answer: high heat, expert tosses, and something known as 'wok hei. ' As J. Kenji López-Alt writes for Serious Eats, expert cooking with a wok (and the gas range it requires) is one of the main reasons that fried rice from a Chinese restaurant tastes so much better than what you can make at home.
What gives Chinese fried rice its flavour? ›
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.
Is MSG the secret to fried rice? ›
MSG: MSG adds the perfect sweet-salty boost to fried rice. It's a widely misunderstood ingredient—checkout this article all about MSG if you're looking to learn more. Peas: I personally love peas in fried rice, and find it's a common addition in many American versions.
What is special fried rice made of? ›
Special Fried Rice is an easy and flavorful Chinese rice dish made by stir-frying cooked rice with vegetables and protein, seasoned with soy sauce and spices.
Why does Chinese takeaway taste so good? ›
Chinese chefs often use three types of cardamom: black, green, and white. Curry powder features in some dishes. And, in addition to ginger and turmeric, Chinese restaurants sometimes use ginger and turmeric's relative, galangal (via The Woks of Life). And don't forget the MSG to add deeper, umami flavors to your food.
Why do Chinese restaurants use old rice for egg fried rice? ›
Day old rice is needed to avoid the rice being soggy. It also means that it's cold and dry enough so that it will fry in the wok in the oil, vs. basically steaming if you used fresh cooked rice. Don't mess about with the oil.
Why does Thai fried rice taste so good? ›
Thai Fried Rice gets its unique flavor from the fish sauce, soy sauce, and chili peppers, and the jasmine rice is a must. They also added tomatoes to their rice which gives it a subtle hint of sweetness.
While not every recipe calls for this fried rice trifecta, many of our favorites do. Why? Soy sauce is the salt element, rice vinegar gives the dish a touch of brightness, and sesame oil lends an utterly delicious, toasty note.
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 makes chicken fried rice taste so good? ›
Onion, Garlic, Scallions – These are your aromatics AKA your best friend in building flavor. Carrots, Peas – Most takeout restaurants use carrots and peas; this is what I like to use, too! However, you can always customize this to your liking! MSG – I like to use MSG in my cooking but this is always optional.
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 is the black thing in fried rice? ›
No, there ISN'T supposed to be “black stuff” in your fried rice. It's okay, though, because nobody would put anything black in your fried rice that isn't intended to be there. It's more than a little strange to be examining your food so very closely. Either you trust the cook, or you should cook for yourself.
