September 20th is National Fried Rice Day. No doubt, everyone who enjoys Chinese food has had fried rice. We can eat a big plate of it as a main course! But today, we offer you something different: A fusion Italian Fried Rice recipe.

What makes it “Italian” fried rice?

Instead of rice, the recipe uses orzo, a rice-shaped pasta (“orzo” means barley in Italian). It also uses Italian vegetables (asparagus, zucchini) instead of bean sprouts and bamboo shoots—not to mention Parmesan cheese.

Orzo is used most traditionally in soups, but this versatile pasta has been widely adapted by chefs in Italy and America for both main courses and side dishes. You can even use it to make risotto!

> The history of fried rice.

> Check out more fried rice recipes below.

> The different types of rice.

> More grain types (plus beans).
 
 
RECIPE: ITALIAN FRIED RICE

This recipe, sponsored by Barilla, was created by Brandon Cook, Executive Chef of Culinary R&D at The Cheesecake Factory, using Barilla orzo.

Chef Brandon advises: “Have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go along with the crispy fried egg. Once you start cooking, the dish will come together very quickly!”

You can purchase sofrito in a jar, or make it with the recipe below.
 
Ingredients For 2 Servings

 
Preparation

1. SAUTÉ the diced vegetables in olive oil. Set aside

2. SOFT-POACH poach the eggs in simmering water and shock them in ice water. Drain and pat dry.

3. SEASON the panko with salt and pepper and the grated Parmesan. Bread the poached egg in the seasoned flour, beaten egg, and seasoned breadcrumbs. Deep-fry the egg at 350°F for 45 to 60 seconds. It’s important that the eggs are cold going into the fryer so that the yolks remain runny after frying. Remove the eggs from the fryer to a paper towel-lined plate and season with a pinch of coarse salt.

4. BRING a pot of salted water to a boil with added Parmesan rinds, if available (keep them in the freezer for occasions like this, and for making soups). Cook the orzo until al dente. Drain.

5. HEAT a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the soppressata and sofrito to the pan, tossing to incorporate.

6. ADD the shallot, zucchini, and tomatoes to the pan, stirring to incorporate. Continue to cook until the tomatoes begin to blister and shallots begin to caramelize. Add the chiles, asparagus, and orzo to the pan, stirring and tossing to incorporate.

7. DRIZZLE the colatura into the pan. Add the torn basil and Microplane (or substitute another tool) an even layer of grana over the ingredients. Stir and toss to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

8. MOUND the fried pasta in two shallow bowls and sprinkle the reserved asparagus tips and toasted pine nuts all over. Top each serving with a crispy poached egg and Microplane more Grana Padano over the entire dish. Crack the second egg over the dish. It’s ready to enjoy!
 
 
MORE FRIED RICE RECIPES

You can make “fried rice” with any grain, from brown rice to quinoa. It’s a great way to use leftover grains.

 
 
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*Substitutes include serrano and Anaheim chiles, or red chili flakes. You can also use hot sauce to add spice.

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[1] Italian fried rice. A poached egg coated in panko sits on top (photo © Flavor & The Menu | Carlos Garcia).

[2] Italian fried rice uses orzo, a rice-shaped pasta (photo © Barilla)

[3] Classic fried rice, topped with shrimp for a main course (photo © Good Eggs).

[4] What looks like a stuffed crêpe is a sophisticated take on Shanghai Fried Rice from Tao Downtown in New York City (photos #4 and #5 © Tao Group).

[5] Inside the “stufffed crêpe.”

[6] You can use any grain to make “fried rice,” including quinoa. Here’s the recipe (photo © P.F. Chang’s).

[1] General Tso’s chicken, the most popular Chinese food (photo © Spicy Southern Kitchen).

[2] Tamales are ground meat, poultry, or vegetables stuffed into masa (corn dough) and steamed in a corn husk (photo © Mackenzie Ltd).

[3] Chicken pad Thai, garnished with cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice (photo © Good Eggs).

A new study has revealed that Chinese food is the most Googled cuisine, according to Google search data.

The research, conducted by BBQ experts Food Fire Friends, analyzed Google search data related to the 40 most popular cuisines in the world, across the 50 U.S. states.

Here’s what Americans googled most. Can we assume it’s what Americans eat most? Not necessarily, but it’s food for thought!

#1: CHINESE FOOD. With an average of more than 3.35 million searches per month, Chinese is the clear winner by far. According to GrubHub, General Tso’s Chicken (photo #1) is not only the most popular Chinese dish; it’s the 4th most popular dish of all foods that are ordered through GrubHub [source]. Here are the Top 10 most popular Chinese dishes.

#2: MEXICAN FOOD. With an average of 1.22 million Google searches, Mexican food tickles the palate with hot salsas and spices that include allspice, cinnamon cloves, coriander, Mexican oregano, and thyme. Not to mention guacamole and Margaritas! The difference between authentic Mexican food and Tex-Mex.

 
#3: THAI FOOD. More than 823,000 monthly Google searches puts Thai cuisine into third place. Yes, please, we’d love some tom kha gai (chicken in coconut milk soup) and pad Thai (photo #3—stir-fried rice noodles with shrimp or chicken, peanuts, scrambled eggs, sprouts, and other vegetables). We also recommend green papaya salad

#4: INDIAN FOOD. Registering an average of 673,000 Google searches, Indian food favorites include biryani, curries, tandoori chicken, fish and shrimp, and great flatbreads.

ROUNDING OUT THE TOP 10

#5: KOREAN FOOD, with an average of 246,000 Google searches per month. Bibimbap, Korean BBQ, jjigae (Korean stew), kimchi, and Korean fried chicken are among our favorites.

#6: JAPANESE FOOD, with an average of 201,000 Google searches per month. Beyond sushi and sashimi, cooked favorites include ramen, soba, tempura, teriyaki, and yakitori.

#7: SOUL FOOD, 201,00 searches. Top ranking: collards, cornbread, fried chicken, fried pork chops, macaroni and cheese, and don’t forget the peach cobbler.

#8: GREEK FOOD, 165,000 searches. We always start with a mezze plate (assorted spreads), Greek salad, or horiatiki, followed by kabobs, moussaka, pastitsio, or souvlaki, with baklava as our dessert of choice.

#9: ITALIAN FOOD, 165,000 searches. In addition to antipasto, pasta, and pizza, we want bagna cauda, polenta, porchetta, ribollita, and a basket of focaccia with EVOO for dunking. For dessert: gelato? ricotta cheesecake? tiramisu? all of them?

#10: HAWAIIAN FOOD, 90,500 searches. One reason we feel that Google searches don’t equate to foods consumed, is that who has had Hawaii’s #1 dish, poi (steamed or baked taro root)? More Americans have had poke, a type of sashimi salad. Loco moco is a favorite comfort food, a hamburger patty topped with gravy and a fried egg, all placed atop a heaping plate of white rice. Here are more Hawaiian favorites.

Are you inspired to discover a new dish?

We’ve had lots of the first nine cuisines, but with the exception of poke, none of the tenth.

In search of Hawaiian food in New York City, we were so excited to find a restaurant in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, that “manages to cram all of Hawaii’s greatest hits onto one menu” [source]. Alas, the article was from 2013; the restaurant has closed. Another, in Harlem, is still open.

Field trip!

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Our Top Pick Of The Week is something special for lovers of chicharrónes (fried pork rinds or cracklings), or for those who love a low carb chip but don’t eat pork*†.

As with chicharrónes, Flock Foods turns seasoned strips of skin and fat and fries them to a crispy, puffy state. Fly down to the next section to learn all about them.

> National Pork Rind Day, a.k.a. Pork Rind Appreciation Day, is Super Bowl Sunday, when one pigskin recognizes the other.

> July 6th is National Fried Chicken Day. That includes the skin!

> If you’re vegetarian or vegan, check out these PigOut Pigless Pork Rinds.

> The history of chicharrones is below.
 
 
FLOCK FOODS: CHICKEN CHIPS & THEN SOME

At Flock Foods, what started as a single flavor of crispy, packaged chicken skin chips has became a zero-carb line of small-batch, wok-fried, tasty snacks in:

 
The chips are all natural, made from just three ingredients: chicken skins, a proprietary seasoning blend, and oil. That’s it!

There are 13g of protein per one-ounce serving.

While we’ve only tasted the chicken chips, the line has expanded to:

 
Flock Foods has become the place to go for all the high-protein, low-carb meat snacks your crunch-loving palate desires.

The line is dairy-free, gluten-free, and keto-friendly. All products have zero sugar, and zero carbs.

The snack is also an excellent source of collagen protein, the protein found in connective tissue, skin, tendon, bone, and cartilage. Collagen provides structural support to tissues and is also involved in essential bodily processes, including tissue repair and signaling between cells. (here’s more about it).
 
 
WAYS WE USE FLOCK CHICKEN CHIPS

Add them to the plate, or incorporate them into:

 
Recipes

[1] Crispy snacking: chicken chips (all photos © Flock Foods).

[2] There are four flavors.

[3] Toss some on a salad instead of croutons.

[4] Add them to a cheese or charcuterie board.

Head to FlockFoods.com.

In addition to a supply for yourself, treat friends who are on carb-avoiding diets, and give them as party favors and stocking stuffers.

For a bigger gift, sign someone up for a subscription!
 
 
THE HISTORY OF CHICHARRONES

As with so many cooked foods, the origin of chicharrónes (the plural of chicharrón) is lost to history. Certainly, pork skins and other edible animal skins have been consumed since man discovered how to use fire. Every part of an animal that could be eaten, was.

The word entered the English lexicon in the 1940s. In the U.S., the snack crossed the border into the Southwest, and became popular with followers of the Atkins Diet in the 1970s.

It got a boost in the 1990s when President George H.W. Bush proclaimed chicharrónes to be his favorite snack.

Their compliance with gluten-free, keto, low-carb, and paleo diets helped raise awareness even more in recent years. Here’s more history of chicharrónes.
 
 
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*Chicharrones can also be made from the skin of chickens, cows, pigs, or sheep. The snack began in Spain and traveled to Latin America. Here are the regional differences.
 
 

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