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How to Make Authentic Yangzhou Fried Rice

Editor: Chinese Food Network Mobile site

Frozen YangzhouFried Riceis actually just one type of"Yangzhou Fried Rice". It is a member of the many varieties of Yangzhou Fried Rice.Among the various Yangzhou Fried Rices, Shrimp and Vegetable Fried Rice stands out due to its unique recipe.To this day, some people still think that Yangzhou Fried Rice refers to

"Chopped Egg Fried Rice".In fact, today's many varieties of Yangzhou Fried Rice have evolved from Chopped Egg Fried Rice.Today, Chopped Egg Fried Rice is still a symbol of Yangzhou Fried Rice, especially abroad.Due to its popularity among the common people and its legendary history associated with the royal family, Chopped Egg Fried Rice has gained some additional mystique.

"Chopped Egg Fried Rice" was first mentioned in the writings of Emperor Yang of Sui Dynasty.It is said that "Broken Gold Rice," a type of fried rice made from eggs and cooked rice, was favored by Emperor Yang during his visit to Yangzhou.Eggswere used with soft and fluffy rice,making each grain coated in egg, resulting in a name meaning "Gold Wrapped Silver."This dish became popular after Emperor Yang's tour of Yangzhou.The earliest recorded history of Chopped Egg Fried Rice can be found in the bamboo slips from the Han Dynasty tomb at Mawangdui, Changsha, Hunan Province."Cuerenxiang" Restaurant was founded over a century ago on Guojing Road in Yangzhou. Li Kuiniann and Li Shaoqin were its founders.

The recipe starts with eggs and rice

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Chopped Egg Fried Rice originated at Cuerenxiang Restaurant, which has been around for more than 100 years."Cuerenxiang" mainly catered to laborers such as rickshaw pullers and canal workers. It operated on a low-profit model to serve the needs of lower-income residents.In times of hardship, locals could only have porridge for three meals a day.During harvest season, they would cook dry rice in asandpot."Shao" was made by taking out some cooked rice from boiling soup and cooking it over the remaining fire.When guests visited, the host who wanted to show hospitality without spending much used eggs as a solution.They would stir-fry leftover rice with beaten eggs,and serve it with green vegetables and salted pickles. It was considered a good meal for guests."Cuerenxiang" focused on providing convenient meals for low-income residents, operating at minimal profit to meet their needs.During hard times, the restaurant would borrow ingredients from local markets,

and pay them back after selling.Thanks to its good reputation and support from market owners, Cuerenxiang gradually grew into a successful business.Recipe two includes eggs and rice

plus shrimp, meat threads, and char siu."Yangzhou Fried Rice" spread beyond Yangzhou with the help of Governor Yi Bingshou.Yi Bingshou was from Fujian Province. In 1769, he became the governor of Yangzhou.

He not only excelled in poetry and calligraphy but also loved food.

"Yangzhou Fried Rice" as we know it today is believed to have originated with him,and later inspired instant noodle development.Hong Kong calligrapher Mr. Ling Yunchao mentioned that "Yangzhou Fried Rice" was a variation of the now popular rice dish, and its unique recipe spread throughout southern China."Yangzhou Fried Rice" evolved into a diverse dish,and the chefs at Cuerenxiang adapted these techniques to create various types of Yangzhou Fried Rices.

In the 1940s, as Cuerenxiang became more popular, they started using multiple ingredients in their fried rice dishes."Yangzhou Fried Rice" eventually gained its distinctive characteristics,and its recipes are still passed down today.These chefs' efforts, such as Dai Lizhi, Wang Liksi, Xie Lanfu, and Ding WanGuo, contributed to the development of Yangzhou Fried Rice's recipe.As the years went by, "Yangzhou Fried Rice" became a symbol of Yangzhou cuisine,and is now a staple in many households in southern China."Yangzhou Fried Rice" embodies the spirit of everyday people and their pursuit of quality in food.It was precisely due to the innovation and dissemination by Yi Bingshou that today's Yangzhou fried rice presents a colorful array of faces.

The chefs at Cai Genxiang Restaurant drew inspiration from traditional egg fried rice, adding various ingredients to the rice and naming them differently, gradually giving rise to single ingredient "Crystal Fried Rice", shrimp-adding "Shrimp Fried Rice", meat-adding "Meat Slice Fried Rice" and so on.But at this time, the side ingredients for fried rice were usually just one type.

Formula 3: Eggs + Rice + Eight Kinds of Ingredients

During the formation process of the Yangzhou fried rice recipe, we cannot forget these names: Dai Lizhi, Wang Lixi, Xie Lanfu, Ding Wanguo, etc.They are all famous chefs from Cai Genxiang who have made a direct contribution to the formation of the Yangzhou fried rice recipe.At Qiu Ru Fenzuo in a small lane near, Manager Wang Lixi told the journalist this history.

Around 1947, Cai Genxiang was at its most prosperous business period, and the varieties of egg fried rice also increased.Not only did it have distinctions between "Golden Wrap Silver" and "Silver Wrap Golden" due to whether eggs or rice were added first;and there appeared a mixed vegetable fried rice.A medium-sized bowl of rice, with two or three eggs, was accompanied bychicken broth, priced reasonably, belonging to the category of economic meal boxes at that time.An egg fried rice cost 3 fen, meat slice fried rice 5 fen, and mixed vegetable fried rice several fen more.The current mixed vegetable fried rice recipe was basically similar to today's.

According to Wang Lixi, the Yangzhou fried rice recipe was basically formed before liberation.Chefs would pick up ingredients from the cutting board at random and stir-fry them with the rice, inadvertently creating this delicacy of Yangzhou fried rice.At Cai Genxiang in the past, there were particular considerations for the mixed vegetable fried rice - one ingredientgreen peasused to be Shanghai Meilin green peas.

Formula 4: Mixed Vegetable Fried Rice Recipe + Snow Lotus Flower

In this speed-frozen Yangzhou fried rice production launched in Shanghai, what caught many Yangzhou people's attention was the addition of a "Snow Lotus Petal".The snow lotus is the city flower of Yangzhou. Adding the "snow lotus petal" not only served to flavor but also added a touch of elegance to the Yangzhou fried rice.

Yangzhou cuisine is known for its refinement, while Yangzhou fried rice truly belongs to the masses.Yangzhou fried rice originates from ordinary people's dining tables in Yangzhou and reflects the citizens' attention to food and awareness.Its refinement is something that can be achieved by the public, making it a lasting treasure.