Aya Shawn
master in Computer Science, National University of SingaporeOct
Haha, when it comes to Chinese fried rice, I have to answer this question.
In China, fried rice is definitely a delicacy worth mentioning.However, the meaning of fried rice to Chinese people is very different from that of people in other countries.

哈哈，说到中国炒饭，我就不得不回答这个问题了。
在中国，炒饭绝对是一道值得一提的美食。
然而，炒饭对中国人的含义与其他国家的人有很大不同

In our Southeast Asian countries, including our Singapore, Malaysia, as well as Thailand, Indonesia and other countries I have been to. Fried rice is a formal dish (or staple food) that is sold in various restaurants and put on the table together with other dishes. This is how I understood fried rice since I was a child.

在我们东南亚国家，包括我们新加坡、马来西亚，还有泰国、印度尼西亚等我去过的国家。炒饭是一种正式菜肴（或主食），在各种层次的餐馆出售，与其他菜肴一起摆上餐桌。我从小就是这么理解炒饭的。

Common fried rice in Singapore。 Generally speaking, a restaurant only has 3-5 varieties

这是新加坡的炒饭，一般来说，一个餐厅只有3-5个品种。


Since I went to China a few years ago, saw Chinese fried rice, and communicated with Chinese friends, I have a new understanding of fried rice.
Fried rice is very common in China, and almost all Chinese people have eaten fried rice. However, it is not a very formal dish. At important gatherings and banquets, Chinese people almost never eat fried rice.
A Chinese friend told me that he remembered that decades ago, when there was leftover rice at home, it would always be made into fried rice and eaten. The reason is that throwing away leftover rice is considered a "waste of food," which is morally and economically shameful.

自从几年前去了中国，见识了中国炒饭，加上和中国朋友交流后，我对炒饭有了新的认识。
炒饭在中国很常见，几乎所有的中国人都吃过炒饭。然而，这并不是一道正式的菜肴。在重要的聚会和宴会上，中国人几乎从不吃炒饭。
一位中国朋友告诉我，他记得十几年前，家里有剩饭的时候，总会把它做成炒饭来吃。原因是，扔掉剩饭被认为是“浪费食物”，这在道德和经济上都是可耻的。

Therefore, fried rice is a "way to deal with leftover rice" in China. Considered an act of frugality, it is performed in almost all Chinese households.
Even now, fried rice is regarded as a "simple and cheap food". They are always made and sold in some humble roadside shops, or sold from a roadside cart. In the Chinese cities I've been to, fried rice generally costs around US$1.5-2.

因此，炒饭在中国是一种“处理剩余米饭的方式”。这被认为是一种节俭的行为，几乎所有中国家庭都会这样做。
即使到了现在，炒饭仍被视为“简单又便宜的食物”。它们总是在一些简陋的路边小店里制作和销售，或者用路边的推车出售。在我去过的中国城市，炒饭的价格一般在1.5-2美元左右。

Some Chinese people often eat fried rice when they are busy at work, in a hurry, or need to reduce expenses in their lives (such as poor people or students). I saw a Chinese person on social media write: "My life is so unfortunate recently, I often rely on fried rice, noodles and rice bowl to solve my lunch.", in my opinion, he thinks "fried rice and noodles" It is a symbol of "misfortune".

有些中国人在工作繁忙、时间匆忙，或者生活中需要减少开支时（比如穷人或者学生），经常会吃炒饭。我在社交媒体上看到一个中国人写道：“我最近的生活太不幸了，我经常靠炒饭、面条和盖饭来解决我的午餐。”在我看来，他认为“炒饭和面条”就是“不幸”的象征。

But it would be a mistake to think that fried rice is a bad food in China.
Fried rice rarely appears in high-end restaurants. It always appears in a simple and rough way at night markets, roadside shops and carts.
The chef will put it on a metal plate covered with a plastic bag, or simply put it in a disposable lunch box. The guests sat down on simple tables and chairs to eat.

但如果认为炒饭在中国是不好的食物那就错了。
炒饭很少出现在高档餐厅里，它总是以简单粗暴的方式出现在夜市、路边小店、推车上。
厨师会把它放在一个盖着塑料袋的金属盘上，或者干脆放在一次性饭盒里。客人们坐在简单的桌椅上吃饭。

Because the time from when it is cooked to when it is served in front of you is so short and fast, Chinese fried rice often appears steaming hot in front of you. They call this "pot gas", which is an important criterion for Chinese people to measure the quality of fried rice.

由于炒饭从炒熟到端上桌的时间短而快，所以中式炒饭在你面前常常显得热气腾腾。他们称之为“锅气”，是中国人衡量炒饭品质的重要标准。


A fried rice cart on the roadside in Chengdu, with dozens of ingredients

成都路边的炒饭车，有几十种食材 。
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处


Just because it's crude and cheap doesn't mean it tastes bad. In contrast, China has countless varieties of fried rice, and most of them are delicious. In April this year, I photographed a cart selling fried rice on the side of the road in Chengdu. Such carts can be seen everywhere in many Chinese cities. I asked the boss that this inconspicuous little car can actually make 24 different kinds of fried rice.

仅仅因为它的粗糙和便宜并不意味着它的味道不好。相比之下，中国的炒饭品种数不胜数，而且大多都很美味。今年4月，我在成都路边拍到了一辆卖炒饭的小车。这样的手推车在中国很多城市随处可见。我问了下老板，这辆不起眼的小车居然可以做24种不同的炒饭。

This is my "Yangzhou Fried Rice"，I can even see the so-called "pot gas"

这就是我的“扬州炒饭”，我什至能看到所谓的“锅气”

I bought a portion of "Yangzhou Fried Rice" for 12 yuan, which is said to be the most traditional type of fried rice. Served with simple kimchi, it whetted my appetite, so delicious!

12元人民币买了一份“扬州炒饭”，据说是最传统的炒饭。配上简单的泡菜，就吊足了我的胃口，太好吃了！
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处



The "Celery and Beef Fried Rice" I had on the second day

第二天我吃了一盘“芹菜牛肉炒饭”


"Twice-cooked pork fried rice" eaten at the night market

我在夜市上吃到了“回锅肉炒饭”。

After that, I tried different fried rice in some small restaurants and most of them were delicious. One of my Chinese friends (clients) was shocked when he heard that I had fried rice for three days in a row. He told me: "It's OK to eat it occasionally. If you eat fried rice for a long time, your body will become nutritionally imbalanced."

之后我又在一些小餐馆尝试了不同的炒饭，大部分都很好吃。我的一个中国朋友（客户）听说我连续三天吃炒饭时感到震惊。他告诉我：“偶尔吃一下还可以，长期吃炒饭，身体就会营养不平衡。”

Sure enough, fried rice is an unfortunate food in the eyes of the Chinese, even though it is very delicious.

果然，炒饭在中国人眼里是一种不幸的食物，尽管它非常美味。
本文为原文作者自行翻译，如有中文词句缺陷，敬请包涵。