Yangzhou Fried Rice 扬州炒饭

扬州炒饭又名扬州蛋炒饭，相传源自隋朝越国公杨素爱吃的碎金饭，即蛋炒饭。隋炀帝巡视江都（今扬州）时，将蛋炒饭传入扬州，后经过历代烹饪高手的逐步创新，揉进淮扬菜肴的“选料严谨，制作精细，加工讲究，注重配色，源汁源味”的特色，终于发展成为具淮扬风味有名的主食之一。扬州炒饭的名气遍及世界很多国家，据国外来的朋友讲，许多外国人都喜欢吃扬州炒饭，却不知道扬州是怎么一回事，在他们的头脑中扬州并不是地名，而误认为是这种炒饭的做法。
Yangzhou, or “Yeung Chow” egg-fried rice is said to be originated from the “broken gold rice” favored by Yang Su, Duke of the Yue in the Sui Dynasty. When Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty visited Jiangdu (now Yangzhou), he introduced egg-fried rice to Yangzhou. After innovations of chefs of various dynasties, the food has been developed into one of the famous foods with Huaiyang flavor featuring the characteristics of Huaiyang cuisine of careful material selection, precise cooking, stressing the importance of color and authentic taste. Today, Yangzhou egg-fried rice is a household name in many countries worldwide. According to some foreign friends, many foreigners like eating egg-fried rice; but they have no idea about what Yangzhou is. In their minds, Yangzhou is not a name of a city, but the way of cooking rice.
扬州炒饭的品种丰富，有“金裹银”、“什锦蛋炒饭”等。
Yangzhou fried rice boasts abundant varieties such as “gold wrapping silver,” and fried rice with meat and vegetables.
所谓“金裹银”就是在饭粒的外层裹上一层金黄色的鸡蛋，其作法是：先将米饭放入锅中翻炒，然后将打散的鸡蛋液均匀地包裹住米饭。经过这样炒制的米饭，其饭粒的外层是金黄色的，里面则是白色的。
“Gold wrapping silver” means that the rice is covered by golden egg. To make “gold wrapping silver” rice, first fry the rice in the pot and then cover the rice with egg. After cooked, the exterior is golden while the rice inside is white.
什锦蛋炒饭，是扬州炒饭中最典型的品种，它有很多配料，常用的有鸡蛋、海参、火腿、青豆、虾仁、猪里脊肉、香菇、笋、葱花等等。制作时先将鸡蛋炒好，再将其他配料炒熟，加清汤和盐调好味，盛起备用，然后开始炒米饭，米饭要炒得粒粒分明而没有湖斑，最后将炒好的鸡蛋和其它配料倒入一半炒匀，炒匀后盛出三分之二放在盘中，再将剩下的配料与锅中的米饭炒匀，盖在盘中的炒饭上。如此做出的炒饭既漂亮，又有很多配料在上面，真是好吃看得见啊！
Fried rice with meat and vegetables is the most typical variety of Yangzhou fried rice. It consists of a lot of supporting materials such as eggs, sea cucumbers, ham, string beans, prawn flesh, pork fillet, fragrance mushroom, bamboo shoots and chopped shallot. Eggs are fried first and then other ingredients are cooked with clear sauce and salt. The rice should be fried evenly without burning spots. After that, a half of the cooked egg and other ingredients are mixed with the rice. Then, two-thirds of the mixed ingredients should be placed on a plate, while the rest should be mixed with the rice, which is served over the mixed plate. It is a feast for the palate and the eyes.