Fried Rice

You know it and love it. Fried rice is the gateway dish to a world of flavors and no two batches are the same.

When I was growing up, I thought every family in America ate rice with every meal. Sometimes the rice would be steamed, sometimes it would be fried, either way it would show up without fail. My mom's fried rice is the best I've ever found. It's made with quality grains free of that atrocious yellow dye that every China One in America seems to adore. When she makes it, the house is filled with the smell, a smell that cannot quite be named but is a combination of various oils, garlic, and sizzling meat that implies both high cholesterol and comfort. For me, this smell is where Filipino food begins.

Fried rice comes in many forms and has many regional variations. It is arguably the most customizable dish in the Asian repertoire. Thus, every single batch is different. And when you factor in the little-of-this-little-of-that cooking style that Asians seem to abide by, who knows what's going to happen. It can be eaten at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, hot or cold. There is only one rule that I and my family insist upon when it comes to fried rice:

Fried rice is not a meal. It is a side.

Now go forth and prosper.

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