Yangzhou fried rice is the Chinese canon for what the world calls “Chinese fried rice.” Day-old refrigerated rice is the non-negotiable starting point; fresh rice releases too much steam and produces a sticky, clumped result. The prawns, char siu, and egg are stir-fried separately and united at high heat to develop wok hei — the faint char-smokiness that can only be achieved with an uncrowded, very hot wok.
The day-old rice rule
Fresh rice has surface moisture. Cold, refrigerated rice has lost it. Each grain fries independently, picks up colour, and absorbs sauce without clumping. If you have no day-old rice: spread freshly cooked rice in a thin layer on a baking tray, fan briefly, and refrigerate uncovered for at least 2 hours.
Egg coating technique
The goal is egg that coats individual grains, not scrambled egg chunks mixed through rice. Scramble the egg in the wok centre until just barely set — still translucent in places — then fold the rice over it before it fully firms. The residual heat from the rice finishes the egg.
Sauce on the rim, not on the rice
Adding liquid sauce directly onto rice cools the wok and steams the grains. Pour soy sauce and oyster sauce onto the hot wok wall: the liquid flash-vaporises, the alcohol and water burn off, and the concentrated flavour folds into the rice without cooling it.
Allergens & dietary
Contains: crustaceans (prawn), egg, gluten (soy sauce, oyster sauce), sesame. Pork (char siu). Not halal, not vegetarian in standard form.
Dietary and allergen information is provided as a guide based on typical ingredient profiles. Always check product labels and consult a medical professional for severe allergies.