Yangzhou Fried Rice (扬州炒饭)
Fluffy day-old rice fried fast and hot with shrimp, ham, egg and sweet peas, each grain separate and lightly glossy. A restaurant classic that is just as good, and even more fragrant, made at home.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Start with cold rice
Tip the cold rice into a bowl and break up any clumps with your fingers so the grains separate easily. Day-old rice is drier and firmer than fresh rice, which is exactly what keeps fried rice light instead of mushy or sticky.
- 600 g cold cooked rice
✅ Done when: the grains are loose and separate, with no big clumps left
Marinate the shrimp
In a small bowl, toss the shrimp with the , 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, 1/4 teaspoon of the white pepper and the cornstarch. Let it sit for 10 minutes; the cornstarch coating keeps the shrimp juicy and tender once it hits the hot wok.
- 200 g shrimp
- 1 tbsp
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp cornstarch
✅ Done when: the shrimp are evenly coated and slightly tacky
Blanch the vegetables
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Egg two ways
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Stir-fry shrimp and ham
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Fry it all together
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Start with cold rice
Tip the cold rice into a bowl and break up any clumps with your fingers so the grains separate easily. Day-old rice is drier and firmer than fresh rice, which is exactly what keeps fried rice light instead of mushy or sticky.
- 600 g cold cooked rice
✅ Done when: the grains are loose and separate, with no big clumps left
Marinate the shrimp
In a small bowl, toss the shrimp with the , 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, 1/4 teaspoon of the white pepper and the cornstarch. Let it sit for 10 minutes; the cornstarch coating keeps the shrimp juicy and tender once it hits the hot wok.
- 200 g shrimp
- 1 tbsp
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp cornstarch
✅ Done when: the shrimp are evenly coated and slightly tacky
Blanch the vegetables
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Egg two ways
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Stir-fry shrimp and ham
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Fry it all together
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The Story Behind the Dish
Yangzhou, a wealthy canal city in the Qing Dynasty, became famous for Huaiyang cuisine, an elegant style built on fresh ingredients, light seasoning and careful knife work. Fried rice studded with little bits of ham, shrimp and egg was a practical way to use up good leftovers without wasting anything, and it fit perfectly with that tradition of turning simple things into something refined.
The dish travelled with Yangzhou cooks who worked in restaurants across China and overseas, and by the mid-20th century it had become a fixture on Chinese restaurant menus worldwide, often simply labelled 'Yangzhou fried rice' no matter where it was cooked.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It is loved for its balance: fluffy, well-seasoned grains, sweet shrimp, salty ham and soft egg in every spoonful, with none of the ingredients overpowering the rice itself.
💡 Fun Fact
Despite its fame, there is no single 'official' version; even in Yangzhou, cooks disagree on whether chicken, bamboo shoots or sea cucumber belong in a truly authentic bowl.
Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province
32.39°N, 119.42°E
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