National Fried Rice Day 2023: Date, History, Facts about Fried Rice

National Fried Rice Day occurs annually on September 20. This celebration encourages everyone to consume their preferred style of fried rice. This dish, comprised of long-grained rice, onions, carrots, peas, and eggs, is the quintessential guilty delight. Whether you favour beef, pork, or chicken, today is the ideal time to enjoy it. Today, fried rice is in the spotlight because its flavour captures our souls and keeps us wanting more.

The background of National Fried Rice Day

Fried rice first appeared in China’s Sui Dynasty and, subsequently, all versions of this delicacy have their origins in Chinese fried rice. Fried rice is a staple of South-, Southeast-, and East-Asian cuisines and the national delicacy of Malaysia and Indonesia. It is a typical home-cooked dish that can be prepared in a variety of ways, using ingredients from other dishes.

Benihana, the first Japanese teppanyaki restaurant, created Fried Rice Day in 2018 to honour the popular dish. For many, fried rice is more than just a tasty side dish; it’s a scrumptious main course that will keep your taste buds on alert. Benihana has served its famous rice to generations of foodies across the nation for over 50 years. This delectable dish is popular all over the globe.

In Greater China, Hokkien and Yangzhou fried rice are the most prevalent varieties of this dish. Popular fried rice variations exist in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia (‘Thai Khao phat’ and ‘nasi goreng’), all of which are in Southeast Asia.

Western restaurants have since developed their own variations of fried rice. Included on vegetarian menus are dishes such as egg-fried rice. Fried rice can be found on the menus of a large number of American restaurants that serve cuisines without a native tradition. There are numerous types of fried rice in Latin America, such as Puerto Rico’s ‘arroz mamposteao,’ Peru’s ‘arroz chaufa,’ Cuba’s ‘arroz frito,’ and Ecuador’s ‘chaulafan.’

Today, we commemorate this delicious meal and investigate its significance to generations of foodies around the world!

5 FRIED RICE FACTS THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND

According to the Chinese custom of not wasting food, it is possible that fried rice was established as a way to preserve leftover rice.

Since the restaurant’s inception, Benihana has annually served approximately 2,720,350 pounds of rice.

Benihana, which means’red safflower’ in Japanese, is also the name of the Tokyo coffee store owned by the parents of Benihana founder Hiroaki Aoki.

Hiroaki Aoki, the proprietor of Benihana, was a member of Japan’s Olympic wrestling team in 1960.

A single serving of fried rice contains the same number of calories as half a cup of ice cream.

NATIONAL FRIED RICE DAY DATES

Year	Date	Day
2023	September 20	Wednesday
2024	September 20	Friday
2025	September 20	Saturday
2026	September 20	Sunday
2027	September 20	Monday