{"id":109758,"title":"Authentic Yakimeshi – Japanese Fried Rice","modified":"2025-10-29T15:53:44+01:00","plain":"A simple, excellent take on Japanese-style fried rice\n\n\n\nFried rice is always simple, quick, and satisfying. This version, sitting at the crossroads of Japanese cuisine and Chinese cuisine, delivers deeply satisfying flavor with eggs and shrimp kissed with soy sauce. \n\n\n\nWhat is Yakimeshi? \n\n\n\nFirst things first: every Asian country has its own take on fried rice, with its own ingredients and techniques. In Japan, yakimeshi is the benchmark for fried rice.\n\n\n\nIn this dish, you repurpose leftover rice by stir-frying it with vegetables, eggs, and sometimes meat (or another protein) in a wok or a pan. \u201cChahan\u201d is another term for Japanese fried rice\u2014borrowed from Chinese\u2014with a few subtle yet notable differences from yakimeshi.\n\n\n\nOkonomiyaki is another delicious Japanese specialty featuring shrimp\n\n\n\nThat said, \u201cchahan\u201d is still widely used in Japan, and the two terms are often used interchangeably. \n\n\n\nWhere does Yakimeshi come from?\n\n\n\nChahan likely dates to the 1860s, when Chinese immigrants arrived at the port of Kobe, Japan. Yakimeshi is thus a Japanese adaptation\u2014really a fusion of Chinese and Japanese cuisines\u2014much like gyoza and ramen.\n\n\n\nThere aren\u2019t many differences between the two. In the Japanese version, the eggs are cooked after the rice is added, unlike the Chinese recipe.\n\n\n\nDelicious \u201cJapanese\u201d gyoza\n\n\n\nYakimeshi is typically seasoned with soy sauce. In Osaka, a Worcestershire-style condiment known as \u201cyakimeshi sauce\u201d is also used. Another small distinction is the rice: yakimeshi is made with Japanese short-grain rice. In the end, the two names point to essentially the same dish\u2014or at least the same end result on the plate. \n\n\n\nMain ingredients of Yakimeshi \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe rice: For this recipe, I use sushi rice. Ideally, use a Japanese short-grain rice. Have a look at my guide to the different types of rice to help you choose. \n\n\n\nThe eggs: They\u2019re integral to many Japanese dishes. Don\u2019t skip them here\u2014use the best eggs you can find! \n\n\n\nSake: It\u2019s the iconic drink of Japan. I highly recommend cooking with it\u2014it works wonders, lending a delicate, floral note you can\u2019t get otherwise.\n\n\n\nLight soy sauce: Between dark and light, choose light soy sauce. It\u2019s saltier and much lighter in body than dark soy sauce\u2014ideal for this recipe. Or use tamari sauce.\n\n\n\nThe shrimp: This is the protein here. Choose fairly plump shrimp so they soak up the marinade well. \n\n\n\nTips for perfect Yakimeshi\n\n\n\nI have a few tricks for making foolproof, flavorful fried rice, and it starts with the rice itself.\n\n\n\nI recommend using leftovers or, ideally, rice cooked a few hours in advance. By leaving the rice in the fridge for a few days, the starch can \u201cretrograde,\u201d making the grains firmer and more brittle.\n\n\n\nThat makes it easier to handle and the stir-fry quicker to execute. Once reheated, the grains turn tender again without becoming mushy.\n\n\n\nNo leftover rice? Cook it with 10% less water (in a rice cooker).\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\tAuthentic Yakimeshi (Japanese Fried Rice)\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\tWok\t\n\t\n\t\t280 g sushi rice (dry weight)3 eggs1 stalk green onion (thinly sliced)1 teaspoon sake2 tablespoons light soy sauceFor garnish1 tablespoon pickled gingerMarinade6 shrimp (large, raw)60 ml water0.5 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon salt\t\n\t\n\t\tRinse the rice 5-6 times, then cook. Set aside.Peel and devein the shrimp, then place them in a small bowl. Add the baking soda, salt, and water. Let stand for 15 minutes up to 1 day to give the shrimp a springy, crisp texture and help them stay juicy.Drain the shrimp and rinse well.Beat the eggs in a bowl with a pinch of salt.Heat a skillet or wok over medium-high heat and add a generous amount of oil.Add the eggs to the pan. When they start to bubble and the bottom begins to set, add the cooked rice (the egg will still be runny on top).Toss quickly to coat the grains with egg, then break up the mixture. Stir-fry until the rice separates into small pieces, about 3 minutes.Push the rice to one side of the pan and add the shrimp. Cook for about 30 seconds per side.Pour the sake over the shrimp and cook for another 20 seconds.Fold the shrimp into the rice. Stir-fry for about 1 minute.Add the sliced green onion and stir.Season the rice with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.Create a small well in the pan and pour in the soy sauce. Let it cook until very fragrant, then toss it into the rice before it burns. Once incorporated, turn off the heat.Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.Place the shrimp in a rice bowl first, then mound the rice on top.Invert the bowl onto a plate and let it sit for 1 minute, then lift off the bowl to reveal a neat little mound.Garnish with pickled ginger on the side and a few sliced green onions.\t\n\t\n\t\tUse day-old rice, or cook fresh rice with 10% less water.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tSide dish, Main courseJapanese","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109758","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=109758"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109758\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":110083,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109758\/revisions\/110083"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15983"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=109758"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=109758"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=109758"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}