P
Chinese · Yangzhou
Yangzhou Fried Rice (扬州炒饭) — The Rice-Frying Standard
Yangzhou fried rice (扬州炒饭, yang zhou chao fan) is considered the gold standard of Chinese fried rice — a preparation of day-old jasmine rice stir-fried with egg, small prawns, diced char siu, ham, green peas, scallion, and a variety of finely diced vegetables, each component added in precise sequence to achieve the perfect texture of each ingredient while the rice develops the wok hei. It is defined by its restraint and precision rather than heavy seasoning — the rice should taste clean, fresh, and vibrant, with each component distinct.
I
The Market List
The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.
600 g
day-old cooked jasmine rice
refrigerated overnight, grains separate and dry at the surface
Your own market
2
eggs
beaten with a pinch of salt
Your own market
120 g
small prawns
pre-cooked, shelled
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
100 g
char siu (Chinese roast pork)
finely diced
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
60 g
ham
finely diced
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
80 g
80 g
mixed finely diced vegetables
e.g. carrot, corn — cut to uniform small dice
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
3
scallions
thinly sliced
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
30 ml
neutral oil
divided
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1 tsp
1 pinch
ground white pepper
to finish
Your own market
Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.
II
The Method
1
Heat the wok over maximum flame until it begins to smoke. Add half the oil and swirl to coat. Pour in the beaten egg and scramble rapidly with a spatula, breaking the mass into large, distinct pieces. Remove the egg from the wok before it is fully set — it should still glisten and hold its shape in soft, defined curds.
From the canon — The carbon-steel wok is the fundamental tool of Chinese cooking — not merely a frying pan but a cooking instrument whose specific properties (extreme thermal… The Wok: Seasoning, Maintenance, and Heat Management →
2
Add the remaining oil to the wok. Add the day-old rice and press it against the wok surface. Break up every clump with the spatula — the grains must be entirely separate. Toss rapidly and continuously, keeping the rice moving. This is where the dish lives or dies: the wok must be at maximum heat throughout and the rice must never sit still long enough to steam — each grain should become slightly translucent at the edges and emit a dry, faintly toasted fragrance as wok hei develops.
3
Add the light soy sauce in a fine stream around the edge of the wok. Toss immediately so the seasoning distributes evenly without pooling. The rice should colour only faintly — no grain should be visibly dark.
4
Add the diced char siu, ham, and pre-cooked prawns. Toss to incorporate. The proteins need only to be heated through — the prawns should be just firm and opaque with no greyness at the centre.
From the canon — Char siu — the glowing red, lacquered, honey-sweet barbecue pork that hangs in the windows of Cantonese roast meat shops — is one of the most distinctive pre… Char Siu (Cantonese Barbecue Pork) →
5
Add the peas and finely diced vegetables. Toss for a further 30–45 seconds. The peas should be bright green and just tender, with no raw starchiness when pressed between the fingers.
6
7
Season with a pinch of ground white pepper. Taste: the rice should read clean and fresh, each component distinct in flavour and texture, with no ingredient overwhelming another. Transfer immediately to warmed plates and serve without delay.
III
Quality Hierarchy
01
Reserve — Hand-harvested jasmine rice cooked the previous day; live or just-caught prawns pre-cooked to order; house-made char siu roasted over charcoal; farm eggs with deep-orange yolks for large, visibly golden curds.
02
Estate — Good-quality aged jasmine rice; fresh market prawns; quality delicatessen char siu and unsmoked leg ham; free-range eggs; freshly podded peas in season.
03
Market — Standard supermarket jasmine rice, refrigerated overnight; frozen small prawns thawed and patted dry; pre-sliced char siu from a Chinese barbecue counter; frozen peas; commercial light soy.
04
House — Any long-grain white rice cooked the day before; frozen prawn pieces; diced luncheon meat or cooked chicken in place of char siu and ham; powdered white pepper; any neutral vegetable oil.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Smell. A dry, faintly toasted, slightly smoky fragrance rises from the wok as the rice fries — the sign that wok hei is forming and the grains are frying rather than steaming.
◇Sight. Each grain of rice appears slightly translucent at the edges and moves freely in the wok, with no visible clumps remaining.
◇Sight. The egg pieces remain as large, pale-yellow distinct curds distributed through the rice — not broken down or integrated into the grains.
◇Sight. The peas hold their bright green colour; any fading to dull olive indicates overcooking.
◇Touch. A grain of rice pressed between fingertips offers slight resistance and springs back — firm and individual, not soft or gummy.
◇Where it lives or dies. The wok must remain at maximum heat throughout the rice-frying stage and the rice must move continuously — the moment it sits still it steams rather than fries, and the wok hei that defines the dish is lost.
Pillar V
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VI
What to Pour
The pairing
Bushmills Malt 10 Year Old
Old Bushmills Distillery · County Antrim — Bushmills Distillery
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Whisky
From British Columbia
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Without alcohol
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The whole pairingPillar VII
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
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Sourced through Provenance