The growing popularity of frozen fried rice - a dish with an oxymoronic name (fried but cold) - shows how a dish can be prepared and enjoyed far from its original ideas while still retaining the essence of the original.
On May 9, the Mainichi newspaper reported that Guinness World Records recognized Honkaku-Itame Cha-Han frozen fried rice as the largest brand in the frozen fried rice product line, selling more than 15 billion yen ($96.3 million) in 2023.
It's not just Japan that's winning big with this item.
Last October, cumulative sales of CJ Bibigo frozen rice products produced by South Korean food giant CJ CheilJedang in the United States surpassed 100 billion won ($74 million), the Korea Herald reported.
Sales of frozen rice products by Pulmuwon, CJ's domestic rival, are also expected to increase 120% in 2023 compared to 2022, according to The Korea Daily.
It can be said that almost any country whose staple food is rice will have fried rice in its cuisine. Just look at the world's major rice granaries such as China, India, Thailand, Bangladesh, and of course Vietnam.
However, according to ifood.tv, many historians agree that fried rice dates back to China's Sui Dynasty (581-618), specifically in the city of Yangzhou.
Yangzhou fried rice fans should not be surprised. Just note that historians have not found a basis to be 100% certain of this assertion.
The Daily China said that the technique of making fried rice only became popular during the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
According to recipes.net, waves of immigration brought traditional Chinese cuisine, including fried rice, to every corner of the world.
The dish quickly became popular in other Asian countries such as Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, before spreading to the West, and following Chinese immigrants to the United States and Canada in the 19th century.
Especially after the American gold rush in the 1850s, Chinese workers were often recruited into low-income sectors such as agriculture, factories, mining, and railroad construction.
To ease their homesickness, they often cook traditional dishes, of which fried rice is a commonly chosen economical option.
It is true that fried rice is easy to cook and does not take hours like many other dishes, but in today's era, a few minutes of fumbling around in the kitchen is still a torture for those who suddenly feel hungry and do not want to do anything, let alone go to the kitchen, eat out, or order food to take home.
In 2018, a bag of frozen fried rice like this is probably still a fairly new idea.
While studying in Tokyo, Krista Rogers, an American writer for the website Sora News 24, tried this dish with all her doubts, only to be surprised by how... delicious it was.
For Rogers, instant fried rice is just an option for when you're too busy, don't have time to cook, or don't want to go out.
Taste was secondary to convenience, just something to put in your mouth. Not expecting much, but after eating it, Rogers had to exclaim that this product was "heavenly delicious" and felt ashamed of himself for underrating it.
"If I had to compare its deliciousness to something, it would taste like the hot, steamed fried rice you order at a restaurant," she wrote.
Not to mention, in terms of price, a plate of steaming fried rice at a restaurant at that time cost about 600 yen (US$5.35), while a bag of Nichirei fried rice was sold at a supermarket for only 299 yen.
For Rogers, after the first try, the frozen fried rice bag became her favorite food. Every time she enjoyed it, Rogers still had to ask herself: "Is this really frozen food?".
WILDish frozen fried rice bag by Maruha Nichiro Food Company (Japan). Photo: @idomizu
In addition to the factors mentioned above, according to The Korea Daily, frozen form is a convenient way for food companies to vary the flavor of fried rice to meet the needs of each customer segment they target.
Manufacturers are free to add a variety of flavors, which significantly increases the popularity of this dish.
But don't have too much fun. Last year, a video went viral showing how to make fried rice with Oreo cookies.
The steps are simply to put oil in a hot pan, put in the Oreo cookies and stir-fry while mashing, then add rice, vegetables and soy sauce and fry as usual.
After being posted, this video was heavily criticized and seen as another product trying to "create a trend" of toxic eating.
According to the Washington Post, the wave of 1 million Chinese immigrants to South America between 1847 and 1874 brought fried rice to Peru.
Patricia Palma, an expert on Peruvian history and the Chinese community in Peru at the University of Tarapacá in Chile, said about 100,000 people in that wave landed in Peru.
Chaufa with quinoa. Photo: beyondmeresustenance.com
They worked in semi-slave conditions in exchange for food, rice, vegetables and dried meat. With no other choice but these ingredients, they created the Peruvian version of Chinese fried rice, called chaufa.
The ease of preparation and versatility are part of the reason chaufa has made its mark in Peruvian culinary tradition.
Not denying the origin of the dish, but Peruvians consider chaufa to be the national dish, unique to Peru, strong enough to represent the local cuisine.
Along with ceviche, a fresh seafood cocktail, "chaufa is one of the most iconic Peruvian dishes," says Mauricio Chirinos, a Peruvian chef who works at Pisco y Nazca restaurant in Washington, DC.
Chirinos points out the difference with chaufa: American fried rice often uses peas and shredded carrots, but "we never use those ingredients."
When opening the Peruvian Express restaurant, also in Washington DC, the Bolivian brothers Julio and Fernando Postigo wanted to include on the menu "something truly Peruvian, something that was representative of the quintessence of Peruvian cuisine but not too complicated or time-consuming to prepare."
Their final choice, needless to say, was chaufa. And it's consistently the restaurant's best seller, as they excitedly bragged to the Washington Post.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/com-chien-di-khap-muon-phuong-khong-ngung-bien-tau-20240520134024802.htm
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