Chahan-style Fried Rice

Chahan (炒飯) is the Japanese version of Cantonese fried rice. It is prepared over high heat with rice that has already been cooked, preferably cooled so that the grains remain well separated, then combined with egg, spring onion, vegetables, meat or seafood.

In Japan, chahan is frequently served in ramen restaurants, either alongside a bowl of noodles or as a quick meal in its own right.

Preparations known as chāhan no moto (チャーハンの素), literally “base for chahan”, combine the seasonings and dehydrated ingredients needed to quickly give the rice its characteristic flavour. They are added to the rice while it cooks in the frying pan and are available here in several varieties: shrimp, crab, garlic and black pepper, or gomoku, a blend made with several ingredients.

Chahan no moto therefore makes it easy to prepare flavourful fried rice and to use up leftover rice without producing a wet or compact texture. Chahan should not be confused with donburi, where the topping is placed over the rice, or with zosui, in which the rice is simmered in broth.