No kidding? My fiancé (I’m an American expat living in Thailand) tells me about loving this growing up. I personally can’t stand it. But I don’t care for ketchup in general.z
having worked in a Thai restaurant in america, this was staff meal a few times and i love it, my boss i think said it was kind of a childhood nostalgia/collage dorm meal for her. The whole category of western food as re-imagined by Asian cooks is a goldmine of interesting things
Isn't it?? I feel like there's so much I still don't know about it. Like living in Hong Kong before, I obviously fell in love with the chacaanteng over-the-top western stuff...but this was my first time even considering how expansive the category actually is.
Yes, minus the raisins it's very popular with Thai kids. I had it many times as a kid growing up in Thailand in the 80s. Still popular with Thai kids today. Kids just love junk food and the dish has a lot of those ingredients what with the fried chicken, the cheap hotdogs, ham and ketchup. But rather than being American, the dish itself reminds me more of an English Breakfast fry-up. I might just create a new abomination... English fried rice... Rice stir-fried in baked beans accompanied by the English sauage, bacon, mushroom and fried egg.
I grew up in Bangkok but have been living in Virginia for 30+ years. Growing up, the American fried rice was sold in the pretty fancy steakhouse in Siam Square. It was not sold in street vendors like it is now. It was considered a high end food since ham and hot dog were imported, not locally produced. The name probably inspired by the ingredients; fried chicken, fried egg, hot dog, ham, and ketchup, Thais saw as American. The dish probably created by the chef in American restaurant to cater to local customers who were not familar with American food.
I've heard a different story of this dish. This menu is invented from a funny situation, There was an American's soldier flight which was canceled due to some reason, then a Thai chef who was already prepared foods for those tourists do not want to wasted the ingredients(they were sausages, eggs, ketchups, hams etc) so she decided to mixed everything together to create this wonderful dish. ( She named it American fried rice or ข้าวผัดอเมริกัน in Thai) I hope you understand the story ( not my native language tho)
There is a dish in Thailand that's similar and older than American Fried Rice called ข้าวผัดรถไฟ (Rodfai fried rice consisted of Fried rice with Tomato paste, butter etc .. ) serving the socialite that travel by train (Rodfai in Thai) to Huahin in the mid 1920s. The dish was credited to Bertha Dechanuchit เบอร์ธา เดชานุชิต who oversea the Hotel Rodfai Huahin and the train to Huahin meal . You still can try the original recipe at The Railway Restaurant at Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Huahin which were the Hotel Rodfai Huahin.
Very insightful, I’ve never heard of this fancy rodfai fried rice before. I believe the general idea of rodfai fried rice is the cheap and convenient one consists of very few ingredients like Chinese broccoli ผักคะน้่า dark soy sauce etc. It’s a Thai style fried being sold by vendors on the trains during a brief stop at every station.
well there is a confusion between the actual Rodfai fried rice and the normal fried rice sold by vendors on train. You can find the normal variety anywhere not only on train. Travel by train used to be very luxurious during the mid 1920s. Only the socialite can afford to travel by train (think of the Oriental Express).To add more confusion is the fact that the Rod fai hotel in Huahin was serving food on the train to Huahin. So the name mean the meal created by the Rodfai hotel and served on the train (Rodfai) at that time. It was a luxurious meal (most ingredients have to be imported at that time) not a cheap meal on the train like today.
American fried rice holds a special place in my heart from childhood. It was the ultimate comfort food for me, but I didn't get to eat it often, only on special occasions, such as when my family decided to dine out at what I considered a fancy restaurant (although it was just a local establishment). So, if my words matter to you, please don't feel bad that American fried rice is a representation of American food in Thai cuisine.
Thanks! Haha- my issue isn't with the dish, I just really, really don't like ketchup. I'm glad people like it. It's interesting and I had a blast making this video. But man...I can't do the ketchup rice! Other than that, it's quite fun.
There should be a club for people who absolutely hate ketchup 😆 I swear I can eat pretty much everything and I've travelled quite a bit but ketchup I have a tough time wirh.
@@OTRontheroad You should see what Thai people do when we eat pizzas - take a slice, then dump a dollop of ketchup, oregano, AND shredded cheddar on TOP of the pizza slice. Doesn't matter if it's a seafood topping, Hawaiian, or plain ol' pepperoni. You can imagine as I, having lived in the USA for six years, watch in dumbfound shock as they eat it all up while my plain unadulterated pizza sits limp off my hand. It took a while for most Thai people to also forego eating pizza with fork and knife. The younger generations have begun eating pizza the American way, but the ketchup topping seems to still be a hit. And due to commercial licensing, it's always the Heinz Ketchup that gets used.
@@RavenAdventwings reminds me of the first time I went to a Chinese banquet and saw expensive French wine mixed with ice and 7-Up. But I’ll try not to judge- even if I think something is complete chaos, let everyone eat what they like.
You might not like it, but don't be sad about it. It is a special and nostalgic menu that has its place in many of Thai people hearts. Kids love it and when they become adults, many people still crave it from time to time. I don't like ketchap myself, but sometimes, once in a while, it's still good to have this dish.
American fried rice is most popular among children in Thailand, with its sweetness, ketchup flavour, and particularly its lack of spices. Most young children do not enjoy spices and would not eat stuff like curries and spicy stir fries.
OMG. I was born in Thailand to a Thai family who emigrated to the US 51 years ago. When we were kids, my mom used to make American fried rice as it was quick and inexpensive (both of my parents worked 2 and 3 jobs for a while so price was a big factor in our meals). I remember how much we loved that dish and today I make it for my grandkids when I'm in a rush or am feeling nostalgic. They love it too. Thank you OTR for the walk down memory lane.
I am 72 year old American. Retired in Thailand. My Mother made what she called Spanish Rice. It was rice with maybe spaghetti sauce, onions, more. I do not think Ketchup. But we loved it. Young kids, you know. I now remember, hamburger also.
Very well-created documentary about something I've always wondered about as well! As a Thai person myself, I understand completely why you would be so sad when people associated your food with American fried rice. A lot of my foreigner friends also told me that Pad Thai is the best Thai food in existence, and Pad Thai is not even one on my top 20 favorite Thai food.
The history of this dish was the left over American breakfast from hotel and the chef didn’t want to throw away so he made a special meal with rice for everyone. Thai people eat rice for 3 times a day and bread is just like a snack for many of us. It took me a while to eat bread as a meal even I have been living aboard 😅 we know what real American food taste like and this is just something easy to eat for us.
This video is really well made and deserve more view. As a Thai person i really love this dish as a kid and i still love it now. I'm really addicted to ketchup. I was curious and try to research this dish as well but didn't get far pass Vietnam war before i find a dead end in Thai website. So, this video help a lots.
This is great. Funny, too. When I lived in France, my host family kept offering me ketchup for my food. I never used it, but the French dad put it on everything. Now I use ketchup a lot--but I mix it with sriracha sauce.
FYI, Thailand has something similar to Cha Chaan Teng too. We call it "Cook Shop". It's originated from Hainanese who worked as chef's assistance in foreigner house. Not long ago, it was about to extinct from the restaurant scene but make a little bit of comeback recently. Also, IMO, I think Thai's ketchup and hotdog is actually very different than in the State.
If you’re interested, shoot me an e-mail sometime at otrbkk@gmail.com ....I’d love to learn more about that subject. You just taught me something new. Forgive me if it takes a bit before I respond. In Laos. Back Friday.
@@michl2612 The OG: Silom Restaurant (Borommaratchachonnani), Tampa Cafe (Florida Hotel near BTS Phaya Thai), Agave or Fu Mui Kee 2 (Rama 9) Historic one but now known more for Thai and Hainan dish: Mitr Go Yuan (Dinso rd. Near Giant Swing), Hua Hin Potchana (near Ministry of Transport), Ming Lee (Old Town) The one that is so far from BKK: Ko Heng (Sawan Khalok, Sukhothai Province) The new reimagination: Ang Mor (Phra Khanong) The one that is not strictly a cook shop but similar enough: Sa Ard (Si Yaek Baan Khaek); the owner is probably Teochew instead of Hainanese. This show the parallel evolutionn.
40-50 years ago, as a child from outskirt Bangkok, American fried rice was a fancy meal I love to eat at the restaurant that come with fancy ingredients: raisin, ham, sausage. Love it.
I'm 40 and I still order this menu every time I go to Foodland(Supermarket). The story that I've heard since I was a child is This menu was made and sold to American soldiers stationed in Thailand during World War II. Some American soldiers were still unable to eat Thai food during that time. However, I remember that in the 80s and 90s this dish was not sold in street food but only in expensive restaurants. And I can only eat this menu for special occasions. When my family only goes to eat at a restaurant. 😊
Whatever the origin is, I can say that I love this dish as a kid and still do! It is sweet, salty, umami. It is fun and playful to eat. You can argue with your mom that you an eat vegetable (the raisin and tomato which are not vegetable). Btw, Thai has something similar to spagetthi napolitan too. It is pad maccaroni, which you can find in most whatever-you-order food vendors. Some vendors will mix ketchup with the Thai sri racha chili sauce and stir-fry the maccaroni in that. Yum!
I was so horrified at the scene where the woman tried to eat American fried rice with fork instead of spoon. IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY and it clearly showed with how her plate was such a mess lol
I am in 50 and I heard the American Fried Rice story from my friend parents when I was young because as a child I love this dish. It’s the same story that you have. It’s all starting at the airport and flight cancellation. 😅
American fried rice, Stir-fried spagetti(or magaroni) with ketchup & hotdog(sausage), and Magaroni soup are favorite menus for many Thai kids many years ago including me. Again, watching this vid reminding me all the happy times when eating all those dishes cooked by my mum. 😊❤
There's also an equivalent of this for Japan. The Tokyo Pancake or ขนมโตเกียว (Kanom Tokyo) in Thai, which i love so much. They're quite difficult to find as they only sell on a modified motorcycle.
I was an exchange student in America back in like 2003 or something, and I showed this recipe to my host family at first they were disgusted by the thought of having Ketchup in fired rice, but once they tried it they were ok with this combination. looking back at it I'm not regret sharing that experience with my host family, to show them what a perspective an American dishes and an American's influence on Thai ppl.
American fried rice is my favourite childhood breakfast. Just love sweetness of the raisins in the fried rice. Another interesting Western influenced beloved snack that all Thai kids love is Thai style sandwich with sweet shredded pork, sweet mayonnaise and ham. Growing up eating sweet savoury I thought it was common food until I lived aboard and realised this is definitely only Thai test that Westerners wouldn’t get it.😮 Thank you for your vlog. It brings back my happy childhood with this fried rice. I haven’t seen it for a long time already.
Thanks! And yes- I love that stuff. It's not that different from what you'd find in Chinese bakeries- pork floss and sweet mayonnaise on white bread. I'll admit it's a guilty pleasure favorite.
In Malaysia there’s a common dish usually found in Malay stalls call Nasi Goreng USA - or the USA fried rice. Not sure if it was inspired by Thailand or Invented in isolation.
Love the depth of the history and how you compared it to the neighboring countries as well. I learn new things in every of your video. Oh how little I know about everyday food I eat !
I believe Thai people love the experience of eating 'western food'. It feel privileged regardless of the fact that it is actually not the 'western' food- Just the combination of western ingredients with rice. Great job on the video tho. (I love random insert of cat dolls and teddy bears 🐻😆)
Now I can relate to how my Italian friends feel about NY-style Pizza, Chicago Deep Dish, or Pasta Alfredo. Don't get me wrong I love those dishes but my friends don't. Anyway, I love your content!
Thinking of about American food for Thai people in common: - Bread - Tomato (this is why it is aways end up with ketchup) - Sausage - Fried Chicken - Cheese Main reference in their mind: Hamburger, Hotdog, Fast food
Don't be sad because of American fried rice... At least, thai people still enjoy eating it especially kids!! It's only dish that they can eat sausages, eggs, ham, fried chicken, fried rice (all the kids favorite) in the same plate. It's like heaven when i was kid. If we use tomoto sauce to make fried rice.. It become risotto instead!! It's not thai 🤭
Very cool clips. I wish that you have gone to Udontani to find the origin of the dish. I asked my aunt who used to work in Udontani Air Force base where she met her American GI husband. She made us kids, the American fried rice when she visited Thailand when I was young. I asked her how come the dish called American fried rice? She told me “I don’t know but I saw this in the Udontani AFB cafeteria.” She mentioned that it came from the GI leftover food: canned Vienna sausage, spam (my aunt called it ham in a can), snack size box raisins, and ketchup. Fried egg was added per Thai taste. I still do not know how the fried chicken, peas, and carrot came into the dish though. Coz back then it was only some diced onion (if you have it) and raisins. I believe the hotdog and deli ham was a substitute for the Vienna sausage and spam.
I hope the new gens keep asking questions and find the connection of globalization through food. I know my grandmothers and my aunties did not care for me when I helped out in the kitchen but kept asking about the origin of the dish. Lol
I'm from Udonthani and I asked the same question "why did they called it American". My dad used to work at the base #23 as delivery boy when he was a kid during the Vietnam war and he liked American fried rice. He confirmed that the America fried rice came out around that time where every fried rice in Thailand were literally the same old boring fast food and in seriously need of a new veriety. But my grandpa who has been around much longer said the idea of the American fried rice were actually American-Japanese influence. I have no doubt that the idea were much closer to taco rice. In Thailand during that time, hot dogs/hams/ketchup/even cheese were considered rare, foreign, the caviar of ingredients...and it makes sense because the target consumer were actually Thai people themselves.
It was my favorite comfort food. When I was younger than 10..before I moved to the US, now I am 40, I normally ordered it at the swimming pool club near my house. It wasn’t sold at street vendors back then.
I was reading your "About Us" page and noticed that you're a Washington Capital's fan. I actually just attended the wedding of Nicolas Aubé-Kubel...his wife is a friend of mine. Completely off-topic but thought it was an interesting coincidence. Anyway, I'm planning to visit Bangkok in September and now I've gotta find some American Fried Rice when I'm there!
That's wildly random but you're 100% right...I'm still one of the only crazy people (not the only one, but one of...two that I know) who still wakes up at 6 AM to watch Caps games from here. Though it's a lot harder with so many late editing nights for the channel. Thanks for telling me though!
We have something similar in Malaysia. Nasi Goreng USA. Its basically ketchup fired rice with stir fried beef or chicken topped off with a sunny side up egg.
American fried rice, a Thai invention, is a dish unheard of in the US. Chop suey and Egg Foo Young are American inventions, unheard of anywhere else. The other day, I went to a Thai restaurant in West Palm Beach, FL. The waiter served a bowl of soup made from instant noodle powder with a scoop of white rice added to it. He said it was a Thai appetizer. My reaction was like yours after tasting the first spoonful of ketchup fried rice.
This used to be my childhood breakfast, I used to get this along with ไส้กรอกผัดซอส(sausages tossed in ketchup) I wonder why did ketchup become widely used in some thai dishes😂
Ketchup Spaghetti is my first try of spaghetti that cook by my sister. it's easy to cook and it doesn't need much ingredient and I love it. it's not better then normal spaghetti but it delicious.
Thanks a lot for telling me to watch this vlog, the origins of American Fried Rice. Yep, you definitely said it's Thai dish. Thanks also for your excellent hard work!! 😊😊😊
I grew up with this dish at diners and street vendors. I believe it first started to become a thing during the Vietnam War to serve to American GIs on R&R in Thailand
It is one of my comfort food. You can order anywhere in Thailand and the taste is all pretty much the same. Especially, when you go to some restaurant and not sure of any dish in the menu. American fried rice is something you can rely on. 😊😊😊
My (Thai) mom makes something she calls ‘Pad Macaroni,’ which is basically Bucatini (the ‘macaroni’ in question) stir-fried with tomato paste, slivers of onions, and chunks of chicken. It actually tastes pretty good. But I always thought it was an anomoly in our at home Thai cooking.
Malaysian's Nasi Goreng USA consist of Shrimp ( U for Udang), Squid ( S for sotong) and Chicken ( A for ayam), probably not related to the country 🤣. My impression is usually slightly more luxurious than the average Nasi Goreng 🤣
It’s interesting that ketchup has made full circle from China to the West and back. The original koe-cheup (Southern Min) was made from fermented fish and soybeans but didn’t have tomatoes.
When I was a kid growing up in 90s China, there was a restaurant chain called “Hao Xiang Lai” that served “western food” - exorbitantly expensive, probably 10x the cost of a normal meal, and had things like “steak” (which in hindsight was just hamburger patty) and “spaghetti” (which in hindsight was macaroni doused in ketchup), and on the side there’s this fancy vegetable called “broccoli” that we’ve never seen before. My mom would always get sick on “undercooked steak” (I suspect it wasn’t undercooked, just different than what we were used to) and I would finish her serving of “steak”. Man it was so fancy… Memories…
I remember when I opened my first restaurant in China (I was a cook at that place, not the owner) in 2011 and was told that I had to cook burgers and steaks for twice as long as I thought was appropriate because old school Chinese customers wouldn't touch meat that was pink in the middle....so we took this amazing meat and cooked it into hockey pucks
@@OTRontheroad haha, to this day my parents (who live in the US now) would need any steak cooked close to well done, at the very minimum medium well. Can’t see any pink at all.
Tangentially related: One of my favorite styles of food is "German" or "beer hall" food in Japan. It's laughably different to actual German food but it's not quite "Japanese" food either. As I understand it, beer halls were largely responsible for the popularization of beer in Japan where beer was served along with Japanese interpretations of German beer hall foods. Which as a whole seem to be still quite popular
I remember going to Oktoberfest in Yokohama in 2010 or so. One of the most absurd (and fun) experiences I’ve ever had. Watching local people trying to eat foot-long bratwurst with chopsticks while maintaining their dignity and class was just amazing. Great beer too. Underrated brewing country, mainly just because the taxes are too high to export
LOL my parents own a Thai restaurant in the US. They serve a variation of the American Fried Rice, and it’s quite popular. Have you had Pad Macaroni? It also has ketchup and hot dogs, but also got eggs.
in malaysia, we got a parody of Fried rice, call Fried rice USA, which is a acronym of Udang, sotong dan Ayam (SHrimp, squid and chicken) its little similar than the fried rice in this video but more seafood and little more tomatoey
Another hypothesis is that a thai chef in American airforce base in Thailand during Vietnam war used the left over breakfsst stuff to cook with fried rice that add ketchup to make it smrll western and called it American fried rice. It usually contain plain rice fried with ketchup, raisin, diced carrot/ onion, and ham. Topped with sunny-side up egg and fried sausage aside. Seasoning stuff is usually maggi on the table.
I was in the US Marine Corp and was stationed at Camp Hansen from 1980 to 1982, the base shown in your video and I know what you are talking about. Though I didn't care of some of the odder Americanized things, I preferred real Japanese and Okinawan food, I have eaten that before. Also I have seen more than one friend while staggering back from the bar stop at a food shop and order either fried rice or Yakisoba and drown it in ketchup. Broke my heart. It was perfect sans the ketchup. When I was in Hong Kong from 1995 to 2001 Pizza Hut had what was called Americas Favorite Pizza and it included Cuttlefish, Corn, and Thousand Island dressing. Being the adventurous kind I actually tried it with a British friend of mine. It went right in the bin and we ordered a Pepperoni Pizza. Americas favorite pizza was disgusting.
History of American Fried Rice It comes from a Thai chef who invented food for American soldiers who fought in the Vietnam War. the chef thinks Americans love to eat sauce and ham. therefore mixed together
You got that kinda right for burma. We don’t add ketchup to the dish. It’s just your normal Asian fried rise with a bit more soy sauce(the sweet one) instead of a toast for our American fried rice.
every time I see the pain on his face and the disappointment in his voice when talking about American Fried Rice, It makes me laugh my ass out 555555555555555 The pain and confusion feed me lmao the "Why" it's just perfect LMFAO
this reminds me of when I ordered an "American Coffee" in Spain, thinking I was going to get a nice single origin pour over, but got a double espresso filled with water, yuck!
lol- that is kind of an American coffee I guess? My worst was when a coffee shop in China told me they didn't sell espresso. Just Americano. So I asked for an Americano without the water, and they filled the cup to the top with espresso. 10 shots.
@@OTRontheroad ye like a chemex kinda thing! Pour overs are super popular in the Great Lakes where I'm from, and Espresso is still here cuz of the cultural dominance of Europe, but we mainly keep it for Lattes
The oldest continuing American Chinese restaurant is only a few hours away from where I live. It's called Pekin Noodle Parlor and has been running since 1909. I've ate there when I was younger. It's chinese food but weird much like I'd imagine American Fried Rice. They haven't changed their recipes much and still sell Chop Suey.
The dish emerged during the Vietnam war. Upon the time Some american cantonments were situated in Thailand so lots of American soldiers including their products imported into Thailand. So you can see some typical American ingredients like sausage, ham and ketchup in the dish. It might not the first time we were introduced to these ingredients, but during the war these stuff were dramatically available. And Fried rice dish is a typical thai comfort food including noodles. The dish, American fried rice, was occurred naturally as another Thai fusion food. The same way happened to Chinese and Indian food. The only thing that relates to American food is the ingredients, sausage, ham,and ketchup. The original recipe always has pea and raisins, in addition.
There's a more decent style of Asianized Western food at restaurants like Agave Restaurant also known as Agavefoomuikee. The beef tongue stew is really good. (the genre is called "Cook Shop" cuisine invented by Chinese immigrants in parts of Southeast Asia I believe)
American fried rice began in the 1970s during the Vietnam War. Thailand was an American ally and was used as a military base during this war. American soldiers likely had sausages ketchup, ham, and raisins as their rations, so they decided to try to combine them with the local food, fried rice.
Judging from the Cooking Haru RUclips channel, SPAM is still popular in at least South Korea. I love spagetti with Norwegian ketchup and black pepper. I will even eat bread with ketchup and mustard. I just love the taste. I also happen to love curries.
A slight tangent to this is Filipino Spaghetti, which is what you get when you substitute ketchup for tomato sauce. I suspect it came out of Filipinos cooking for Americans and only having ketchup. Over the years it has skewed away from the sour acid of vinegar in the ketchup towards being a very sweet sauce. It became the standard preparation and you can now buy prepared Filipino style spaghetti sauce in the Asian aisle at the store. To each their own, but I always give it a miss at get togethers with family and friends.
You could consider a story on the origins of catsup/ketchup. I'm sure you know it's not originally based on tomato and isn't from the west. I seem to recall it's originally from Hokkien people in the Philippines? and was a kind of fish sauce.
As a filipino, this is my first tine hearing about anerican fried rice. Fried rice with ketchup is fancilly called java rice which is usually paired with restaurant style barbeque. All fried rice in my country is called sinangag. Put anything you, but it will still be sinangag.
Every family has a very basic, sometimes even weird comfort dish that they grew up with. And its as familar as that old family sofa thats been in the family for over 20 years. Thats what this dish represents for some Thai families that dream of America.
If you go to ANY restaurant in Malaysia that sells fried rice - be it a Mamak (Indian Muslim) restaurant, a Malay restaurant, a Chinese kopitiam, a street cart, or even a stall in a shopping mall food court, you'll find a huge array of fried rice options, including Nasi Goreng Kampung (with dried anchovies and a couple slices of cucumber), Nasi Goreng Cina, Nasi Goreng Mamak, Nasi Goreng Kantonis, Nasi Goreng Pattaya (I always ask people visiting Pattaya to see if they can actually find Nasi Goreng Pattaya in Pattaya) and Nasi Goreng USA (this usually involves a couple pieces of chicken sausage on the plate).
It has soy sauce and has a sweet taste from raisins So the slightly salty chicken and ham with the mildly flavored fried egg will make it a combination. and even if it's the same menu But the taste of each restaurant is different. It's a taste for locals, not a taste for foreigners But if you like ketchup with fried rice, you might like it.
I think the Hong Kong version balances the soy sauce with the ketchup more than what we tried here, which was a lot more ketchup-forward. But yes your description is good
@@OTRontheroad They knew how to cook fried rice ! In the past, Thai people loved to eat food in Hong Kong very much. They serve Chinese food and Western desserts, but now Many Hong Kong restaurants have opened in Thailand.(restaurants From HK,so Thai people can eat it in TH. Lucky)
Its origin theory of using leftover military rations give me idea to explore, so many items in today's MRE can be put into fried rice or something to improved it rather than eating it right off the pouch. I've just bought a whole US MRE case because it is on discount, US soldiers left them here in Thailand every year on Cobra Goal joint training. After I tried a few menu, I totally understand why they dumped MREs here and went for local food, lol, most of them are bad, I only like the snacks in there, not main course).
This menu was created during Vietnam War. There were military bases in Thailand back then. A lot of girlfriends of GI soldiers cooked this menu using the leftovers from American breakfast.
I heard an opposite story of it's actually Thai guest that refuse to eat English(American) breakfast. So the shop owner/hotel chef need to quickly wrap it into fried rice. Funny enough. It's even easier to cook a big batch, faster, and last longer than a basic fried rice. No wonder why it become popular in Thailand.
I think i only tried AFR once, probably very early when i was visiting Thailand before moving there. Same as your first reaction in this video. Khao Pad Poo (Fried Rice with Crab) is on the other side of the Khao Pad spectrum, much much better in my honest opinion. :D
Ethnic Malay people from Southern Thai provinces brought the American fried rice recipe to Malaysia. Most halal Thai restaurants in Malaysia offered this in their menus with some minor modifications to suit Malaysians' tastebuds and palate.
During the 50s the American culture was popularized in Thailand. Thailand created many jazz and rock&roll songs because of this influences. it goes the same way with food.
When i was kid, they said American Fried Rice is from an airliner leftover like fried egg, bacon and hotdogs.and since airliner did not have fish souce or soy sauce, they use tomato sauce instead.
weirdly in malaysia , the warungs will usually serve a dish call nasi goreng USA (directly translate to america fried rice), & its has no america influence or anything to do w it , its just named that way
as an actual thai person, american fried rice is my favorite childhood meal, i love it sm
True. It's still my fav dish!
Me too😋😋😋❤️❤️👍
It's still my favorite dish although I'm adult rn.
I am not a Thai but I do order it when I am at tok la dee. The 24 hours restaurant with a super market.
No kidding? My fiancé (I’m an American expat living in Thailand) tells me about loving this growing up.
I personally can’t stand it. But I don’t care for ketchup in general.z
having worked in a Thai restaurant in america, this was staff meal a few times and i love it, my boss i think said it was kind of a childhood nostalgia/collage dorm meal for her. The whole category of western food as re-imagined by Asian cooks is a goldmine of interesting things
Isn't it?? I feel like there's so much I still don't know about it. Like living in Hong Kong before, I obviously fell in love with the chacaanteng over-the-top western stuff...but this was my first time even considering how expansive the category actually is.
Chris Yenbamroong (Chef and Owner of Night+Market) seem to like this dish very much too.
Yes, minus the raisins it's very popular with Thai kids. I had it many times as a kid growing up in Thailand in the 80s. Still popular with Thai kids today. Kids just love junk food and the dish has a lot of those ingredients what with the fried chicken, the cheap hotdogs, ham and ketchup.
But rather than being American, the dish itself reminds me more of an English Breakfast fry-up. I might just create a new abomination... English fried rice... Rice stir-fried in baked beans accompanied by the English sauage, bacon, mushroom and fried egg.
@@abmong same. I always put the raisins to the side (i hate it so much) after i devoured all of it.
@@TheBodiesInTheWaterBeckons Raisins and Sultanas are food warts, GROSS.
I grew up in Bangkok but have been living in Virginia for 30+ years. Growing up, the American fried rice was sold in the pretty fancy steakhouse in Siam Square. It was not sold in street vendors like it is now. It was considered a high end food since ham and hot dog were imported, not locally produced. The name probably inspired by the ingredients; fried chicken, fried egg, hot dog, ham, and ketchup, Thais saw as American. The dish probably created by the chef in American restaurant to cater to local customers who were not familar with American food.
Where in Virginia? I’m from Charlottesville
@@OTRontheroad I lived in Alexandria before moving to Woodbridge.
I've heard a different story of this dish. This menu is invented from a funny situation, There was an American's soldier flight which was canceled due to some reason, then a Thai chef who was already prepared foods for those tourists do not want to wasted the ingredients(they were sausages, eggs, ketchups, hams etc) so she decided to mixed everything together to create this wonderful dish.
( She named it American fried rice or ข้าวผัดอเมริกัน in Thai)
I hope you understand the story ( not my native language tho)
@@yugiohduallink681 เรื่องจริงครับ
There is a dish in Thailand that's similar and older than American Fried Rice called ข้าวผัดรถไฟ (Rodfai fried rice consisted of Fried rice with Tomato paste, butter etc .. ) serving the socialite that travel by train (Rodfai in Thai) to Huahin in the mid 1920s. The dish was credited to Bertha Dechanuchit เบอร์ธา เดชานุชิต who oversea the Hotel Rodfai Huahin and the train to Huahin meal . You still can try the original recipe at The Railway Restaurant at Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Huahin which were the Hotel Rodfai Huahin.
What an amazing lead. You’ll get credit when we do this video eventually
Very insightful, I’ve never heard of this fancy rodfai fried rice before. I believe the general idea of rodfai fried rice is the cheap and convenient one consists of very few ingredients like Chinese broccoli ผักคะน้่า dark soy sauce etc. It’s a Thai style fried being sold by vendors on the trains during a brief stop at every station.
well there is a confusion between the actual Rodfai fried rice and the normal fried rice sold by vendors on train. You can find the normal variety anywhere not only on train. Travel by train used to be very luxurious during the mid 1920s. Only the socialite can afford to travel by train (think of the Oriental Express).To add more confusion is the fact that the Rod fai hotel in Huahin was serving food on the train to Huahin. So the name mean the meal created by the Rodfai hotel and served on the train (Rodfai) at that time. It was a luxurious meal (most ingredients have to be imported at that time) not a cheap meal on the train like today.
You can also try it at Took Lae Dee restaurant in every Foodland Supermarket, can be found in downtowns, Bangkok
blah blah blah mansplaining
American fried rice holds a special place in my heart from childhood. It was the ultimate comfort food for me, but I didn't get to eat it often, only on special occasions, such as when my family decided to dine out at what I considered a fancy restaurant (although it was just a local establishment). So, if my words matter to you, please don't feel bad that American fried rice is a representation of American food in Thai cuisine.
Thanks! Haha- my issue isn't with the dish, I just really, really don't like ketchup. I'm glad people like it. It's interesting and I had a blast making this video. But man...I can't do the ketchup rice! Other than that, it's quite fun.
same here. it was quite popular during 90's, remembering always ordered this when dined with family in restaurant.
There should be a club for people who absolutely hate ketchup 😆 I swear I can eat pretty much everything and I've travelled quite a bit but ketchup I have a tough time wirh.
@@OTRontheroad You should see what Thai people do when we eat pizzas - take a slice, then dump a dollop of ketchup, oregano, AND shredded cheddar on TOP of the pizza slice. Doesn't matter if it's a seafood topping, Hawaiian, or plain ol' pepperoni.
You can imagine as I, having lived in the USA for six years, watch in dumbfound shock as they eat it all up while my plain unadulterated pizza sits limp off my hand.
It took a while for most Thai people to also forego eating pizza with fork and knife. The younger generations have begun eating pizza the American way, but the ketchup topping seems to still be a hit. And due to commercial licensing, it's always the Heinz Ketchup that gets used.
@@RavenAdventwings reminds me of the first time I went to a Chinese banquet and saw expensive French wine mixed with ice and 7-Up. But I’ll try not to judge- even if I think something is complete chaos, let everyone eat what they like.
You might not like it, but don't be sad about it. It is a special and nostalgic menu that has its place in many of Thai people hearts. Kids love it and when they become adults, many people still crave it from time to time. I don't like ketchap myself, but sometimes, once in a while, it's still good to have this dish.
American fried rice is most popular among children in Thailand, with its sweetness, ketchup flavour, and particularly its lack of spices. Most young children do not enjoy spices and would not eat stuff like curries and spicy stir fries.
OMG. I was born in Thailand to a Thai family who emigrated to the US 51 years ago. When we were kids, my mom used to make American fried rice as it was quick and inexpensive (both of my parents worked 2 and 3 jobs for a while so price was a big factor in our meals). I remember how much we loved that dish and today I make it for my grandkids when I'm in a rush or am feeling nostalgic. They love it too. Thank you OTR for the walk down memory lane.
I am 72 year old American. Retired in Thailand. My Mother made what she called Spanish Rice. It was rice with maybe spaghetti sauce, onions, more. I do not think Ketchup. But we loved it. Young kids, you know. I now remember, hamburger also.
Very well-created documentary about something I've always wondered about as well! As a Thai person myself, I understand completely why you would be so sad when people associated your food with American fried rice. A lot of my foreigner friends also told me that Pad Thai is the best Thai food in existence, and Pad Thai is not even one on my top 20 favorite Thai food.
The history of this dish was the left over American breakfast from hotel and the chef didn’t want to throw away so he made a special meal with rice for everyone. Thai people eat rice for 3 times a day and bread is just like a snack for many of us. It took me a while to eat bread as a meal even I have been living aboard 😅 we know what real American food taste like and this is just something easy to eat for us.
This video is really well made and deserve more view. As a Thai person i really love this dish as a kid and i still love it now. I'm really addicted to ketchup.
I was curious and try to research this dish as well but didn't get far pass Vietnam war before i find a dead end in Thai website. So, this video help a lots.
This is great. Funny, too. When I lived in France, my host family kept offering me ketchup for my food. I never used it, but the French dad put it on everything. Now I use ketchup a lot--but I mix it with sriracha sauce.
Ketchup...has a place. I’m not against ketchup as a condiment. But maybe not as the centerpiece of a meal
FYI, Thailand has something similar to Cha Chaan Teng too. We call it "Cook Shop". It's originated from Hainanese who worked as chef's assistance in foreigner house. Not long ago, it was about to extinct from the restaurant scene but make a little bit of comeback recently.
Also, IMO, I think Thai's ketchup and hotdog is actually very different than in the State.
If you’re interested, shoot me an e-mail sometime at otrbkk@gmail.com ....I’d love to learn more about that subject. You just taught me something new.
Forgive me if it takes a bit before I respond. In Laos. Back Friday.
That sounds interesting! Do you have the name of a restaurant that currently serves this kind of food?
@@michl2612
The OG:
Silom Restaurant (Borommaratchachonnani), Tampa Cafe (Florida Hotel near BTS Phaya Thai), Agave or Fu Mui Kee 2 (Rama 9)
Historic one but now known more for Thai and Hainan dish:
Mitr Go Yuan (Dinso rd. Near Giant Swing), Hua Hin Potchana (near Ministry of Transport), Ming Lee (Old Town)
The one that is so far from BKK:
Ko Heng (Sawan Khalok, Sukhothai Province)
The new reimagination:
Ang Mor (Phra Khanong)
The one that is not strictly a cook shop but similar enough:
Sa Ard (Si Yaek Baan Khaek); the owner is probably Teochew instead of Hainanese. This show the parallel evolutionn.
@@kaizerkoala Thank you so much for these tips!! I will be in BKK soon and explore them! Can't wait to try this specific kind of food.
@@kaizerkoala Silom restaurant is my childhood fav. Steak salad and beef tongue stew are the best !
You might want to have a look at Japan's Napolitan Spaghetti and the fired rice used in Omurisu which both uses ketchup as well.
40-50 years ago, as a child from outskirt Bangkok, American fried rice was a fancy meal I love to eat at the restaurant that come with fancy ingredients: raisin, ham, sausage. Love it.
I'm 40 and I still order this menu every time I go to Foodland(Supermarket). The story that I've heard since I was a child is This menu was made and sold to American soldiers stationed in Thailand during World War II. Some American soldiers were still unable to eat Thai food during that time.
However, I remember that in the 80s and 90s this dish was not sold in street food but only in expensive restaurants. And I can only eat this menu for special occasions. When my family only goes to eat at a restaurant. 😊
สงครามเวียดนามไหมค่ะ ถ้าสงครามโลกครั้งที่2 น่าจะเป็นญี่ปุ่นที่ตั้งฐานในไทย
Whatever the origin is, I can say that I love this dish as a kid and still do! It is sweet, salty, umami. It is fun and playful to eat. You can argue with your mom that you an eat vegetable (the raisin and tomato which are not vegetable). Btw, Thai has something similar to spagetthi napolitan too. It is pad maccaroni, which you can find in most whatever-you-order food vendors. Some vendors will mix ketchup with the Thai sri racha chili sauce and stir-fry the maccaroni in that. Yum!
That actually sounds like it might be sneaky delicious
I was so horrified at the scene where the woman tried to eat American fried rice with fork instead of spoon. IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY and it clearly showed with how her plate was such a mess lol
I am in 50 and I heard the American Fried Rice story from my friend parents when I was young because as a child I love this dish. It’s the same story that you have. It’s all starting at the airport and flight cancellation. 😅
American fried rice, Stir-fried spagetti(or magaroni) with ketchup & hotdog(sausage), and Magaroni soup are favorite menus for many Thai kids many years ago including me. Again, watching this vid reminding me all the happy times when eating all those dishes cooked by my mum. 😊❤
There's also an equivalent of this for Japan. The Tokyo Pancake or ขนมโตเกียว (Kanom Tokyo) in Thai, which i love so much. They're quite difficult to find as they only sell on a modified motorcycle.
Yes, we’ve had others also suggest a video on Thai-Japanese street snacks. Something to file away for sure
I was an exchange student in America back in like 2003 or something, and I showed this recipe to my host family at first they were disgusted by the thought of having Ketchup in fired rice, but once they tried it they were ok with this combination. looking back at it I'm not regret sharing that experience with my host family, to show them what a perspective an American dishes and an American's influence on Thai ppl.
American fried rice is my favourite childhood breakfast. Just love sweetness of the raisins in the fried rice.
Another interesting Western influenced beloved snack that all Thai kids love is Thai style sandwich with sweet shredded pork, sweet mayonnaise and ham. Growing up eating sweet savoury I thought it was common food until I lived aboard and realised this is definitely only Thai test that Westerners wouldn’t get it.😮
Thank you for your vlog. It brings back my happy childhood with this fried rice. I haven’t seen it for a long time already.
Thanks! And yes- I love that stuff. It's not that different from what you'd find in Chinese bakeries- pork floss and sweet mayonnaise on white bread. I'll admit it's a guilty pleasure favorite.
I love the way this channel uncovers the history of food.
I'm in 40s and this is still my favorite dish since childhood!!
In Malaysia there’s a common dish usually found in Malay stalls call Nasi Goreng USA - or the USA fried rice.
Not sure if it was inspired by Thailand or Invented in isolation.
Love the depth of the history and how you compared it to the neighboring countries as well.
I learn new things in every of your video. Oh how little I know about everyday food I eat !
I believe Thai people love the experience of eating 'western food'. It feel privileged regardless of the fact that it is actually not the 'western' food- Just the combination of western ingredients with rice.
Great job on the video tho. (I love random insert of cat dolls and teddy bears 🐻😆)
Don't know Why But I really enjoy watching your content, I learned more about my own culture from your channel than school .
Now I can relate to how my Italian friends feel about NY-style Pizza, Chicago Deep Dish, or Pasta Alfredo. Don't get me wrong I love those dishes but my friends don't.
Anyway, I love your content!
Only in Thailand for this menu ❤ the history is they used some materials that left from breakfast for Americans GI in 60’s. ❤
Thinking of about American food for Thai people in common:
- Bread
- Tomato (this is why it is aways end up with ketchup)
- Sausage
- Fried Chicken
- Cheese
Main reference in their mind: Hamburger, Hotdog, Fast food
I rarely order American Fried Rice but every time I eat it, it’s not bad at all 😀
Don't be sad because of American fried rice... At least, thai people still enjoy eating it especially kids!! It's only dish that they can eat sausages, eggs, ham, fried chicken, fried rice (all the kids favorite) in the same plate. It's like heaven when i was kid. If we use tomoto sauce to make fried rice.. It become risotto instead!! It's not thai 🤭
thank you 😆. this is one of my favorite. I always eat this everytime I go to Bangkok. And this is the first time knowing the history of this food.
This and Pad Macaroni (stir fried macaroni with ketchup, tomatoes, onion, and eggs) are DEVINE.
Omg thanks a lot for this channel 😊. This is so satisfying for a Thai food fanatic nerd like myself
Thanks so much!
Very cool clips. I wish that you have gone to Udontani to find the origin of the dish. I asked my aunt who used to work in Udontani Air Force base where she met her American GI husband. She made us kids, the American fried rice when she visited Thailand when I was young. I asked her how come the dish called American fried rice? She told me “I don’t know but I saw this in the Udontani AFB cafeteria.” She mentioned that it came from the GI leftover food: canned Vienna sausage, spam (my aunt called it ham in a can), snack size box raisins, and ketchup. Fried egg was added per Thai taste. I still do not know how the fried chicken, peas, and carrot came into the dish though. Coz back then it was only some diced onion (if you have it) and raisins. I believe the hotdog and deli ham was a substitute for the Vienna sausage and spam.
Wow! I wonder if I could find anyone today who would talk about that story. Fun angle to check out.
I hope the new gens keep asking questions and find the connection of globalization through food. I know my grandmothers and my aunties did not care for me when I helped out in the kitchen but kept asking about the origin of the dish. Lol
I'm from Udonthani and I asked the same question "why did they called it American". My dad used to work at the base #23 as delivery boy when he was a kid during the Vietnam war and he liked American fried rice. He confirmed that the America fried rice came out around that time where every fried rice in Thailand were literally the same old boring fast food and in seriously need of a new veriety. But my grandpa who has been around much longer said the idea of the American fried rice were actually American-Japanese influence. I have no doubt that the idea were much closer to taco rice. In Thailand during that time, hot dogs/hams/ketchup/even cheese were considered rare, foreign, the caviar of ingredients...and it makes sense because the target consumer were actually Thai people themselves.
American fried rice also exists in Hong Kong. Didnt expect it in Thailand of all places though!
It was my favorite comfort food. When I was younger than 10..before I moved to the US, now I am 40, I normally ordered it at the swimming pool club near my house. It wasn’t sold at street vendors back then.
This was my favorite food when I was a kid, 40 years ago. Even now, I still have it quite often sometimes.
Deep fried peanut butter french toast sounds incredible to be honest.
And it is.
I was reading your "About Us" page and noticed that you're a Washington Capital's fan. I actually just attended the wedding of Nicolas Aubé-Kubel...his wife is a friend of mine. Completely off-topic but thought it was an interesting coincidence. Anyway, I'm planning to visit Bangkok in September and now I've gotta find some American Fried Rice when I'm there!
That's wildly random but you're 100% right...I'm still one of the only crazy people (not the only one, but one of...two that I know) who still wakes up at 6 AM to watch Caps games from here. Though it's a lot harder with so many late editing nights for the channel. Thanks for telling me though!
American Fried Rice is also comfort food from my childhood 🙏🥰
We have something similar in Malaysia.
Nasi Goreng USA.
Its basically ketchup fired rice with stir fried beef or chicken topped off with a sunny side up egg.
American fried rice, a Thai invention, is a dish unheard of in the US. Chop suey and Egg Foo Young are American inventions, unheard of anywhere else.
The other day, I went to a Thai restaurant in West Palm Beach, FL. The waiter served a bowl of soup made from instant noodle powder with a scoop of white rice added to it. He said it was a Thai appetizer. My reaction was like yours after tasting the first spoonful of ketchup fried rice.
This used to be my childhood breakfast, I used to get this along with ไส้กรอกผัดซอส(sausages tossed in ketchup) I wonder why did ketchup become widely used in some thai dishes😂
He missed another dish I ate in elementary school. They served elbow maccaroni stir fried with ketchup and hot dog.
I missed more than one for sure!
Ketchup Spaghetti is my first try of spaghetti that cook by my sister. it's easy to cook and it doesn't need much ingredient and I love it. it's not better then normal spaghetti but it delicious.
Very interesting, well-researched and informative.
Thanks a lot for telling me to watch this vlog, the origins of American Fried Rice. Yep, you definitely said it's Thai dish. Thanks also for your excellent hard work!! 😊😊😊
I grew up with this dish at diners and street vendors. I believe it first started to become a thing during the Vietnam War to serve to American GIs on R&R in Thailand
It is one of my comfort food. You can order anywhere in Thailand and the taste is all pretty much the same. Especially, when you go to some restaurant and not sure of any dish in the menu. American fried rice is something you can rely on. 😊😊😊
My (Thai) mom makes something she calls ‘Pad Macaroni,’ which is basically Bucatini (the ‘macaroni’ in question) stir-fried with tomato paste, slivers of onions, and chunks of chicken. It actually tastes pretty good. But I always thought it was an anomoly in our at home Thai cooking.
You missed “Pad Macaroni Moo” (ผัดมักกะโรนีหมู). Must try!!!
We love to use old rice as fried rice. Its like pot au feu. They uses leftover ingredients.
Malaysian's Nasi Goreng USA consist of Shrimp ( U for Udang), Squid ( S for sotong) and Chicken ( A for ayam), probably not related to the country 🤣. My impression is usually slightly more luxurious than the average Nasi Goreng 🤣
Here in Chiangmai they appear to mostly make it with canned mixed vegetables. Another American food that would be on the shelf next to the ketchup.
It’s interesting that ketchup has made full circle from China to the West and back. The original koe-cheup (Southern Min) was made from fermented fish and soybeans but didn’t have tomatoes.
When I was a kid growing up in 90s China, there was a restaurant chain called “Hao Xiang Lai” that served “western food” - exorbitantly expensive, probably 10x the cost of a normal meal, and had things like “steak” (which in hindsight was just hamburger patty) and “spaghetti” (which in hindsight was macaroni doused in ketchup), and on the side there’s this fancy vegetable called “broccoli” that we’ve never seen before. My mom would always get sick on “undercooked steak” (I suspect it wasn’t undercooked, just different than what we were used to) and I would finish her serving of “steak”. Man it was so fancy… Memories…
I remember when I opened my first restaurant in China (I was a cook at that place, not the owner) in 2011 and was told that I had to cook burgers and steaks for twice as long as I thought was appropriate because old school Chinese customers wouldn't touch meat that was pink in the middle....so we took this amazing meat and cooked it into hockey pucks
@@OTRontheroad haha, to this day my parents (who live in the US now) would need any steak cooked close to well done, at the very minimum medium well. Can’t see any pink at all.
Tangentially related: One of my favorite styles of food is "German" or "beer hall" food in Japan. It's laughably different to actual German food but it's not quite "Japanese" food either. As I understand it, beer halls were largely responsible for the popularization of beer in Japan where beer was served along with Japanese interpretations of German beer hall foods. Which as a whole seem to be still quite popular
I remember going to Oktoberfest in Yokohama in 2010 or so. One of the most absurd (and fun) experiences I’ve ever had. Watching local people trying to eat foot-long bratwurst with chopsticks while maintaining their dignity and class was just amazing. Great beer too. Underrated brewing country, mainly just because the taxes are too high to export
LOL my parents own a Thai restaurant in the US. They serve a variation of the American Fried Rice, and it’s quite popular. Have you had Pad Macaroni? It also has ketchup and hot dogs, but also got eggs.
สวัสดีครับ ผมเกิดปี 1974 ในตอนที่ผมยังเด็ก ข้าวผัดอเมริกัน ไม่ได้หากินได้ทั่วไป ต้องเป็นร้านอาหารหรู ตามโรงแรม ซ้อสมะเขือเทศไม่ได้มีทุกบ้าน ต้องบ้านคนที่พอมีฐานะดีพอสมควร น่องไก่ทอด ใส้กรอกและแฮมเป็นของมีราคา ไม่ใช่ทุกคนจะหากินได้อย่างทุกวันนี้ และแน่นอนว่าในสมัยก่อนคุณภาพของแฮมและใส้กรอกจะมีคุณภาพที่ดีมาก ข้าวผัดอเมริกันสำหรับคนรุ่นผมคือเมนูที่หรูหราดูดี และอร่อยถูกปาก ตอนผมเป็นวัยรุ่นจะมีภาพยนตร์ไทยที่โด่งดัง ที่มีตัวละครเอกชอบกินข้าวผัดอเมริกัน ยิ่งทำให้เมนูนี้เป็นที่รู้จัก และไข่ดาวที่มีในเมนูนี้จะต้องเป็นไข่ดาวที่ทอดแบบฝรั่งไม่ทอดจนสุกกรอบแต่จะทอดพอสุก สวยงาม ข้าวผัดจะผัดกับเนยและซ้อสมะเขือเทศกระป๋องเข้มข้น ใส้ถั่วเขียวเป็นเม็ด ใส่ลูกเกดอย่างดี แม้ทุกวันนี้ข้าวผัดอเมริกันจะมีอยู่ในร้านอาหารทั่วไปแต่ก็ไม่ใช่ส่วนใหญ่ ส่วนตัวแล้วผมมีความทรงจำที่ดีกับเมนูนี้ครับ
ขอบคุณครับ
คนไทย
in malaysia, we got a parody of Fried rice, call Fried rice USA, which is a acronym of Udang, sotong dan Ayam (SHrimp, squid and chicken) its little similar than the fried rice in this video but more seafood and little more tomatoey
Another hypothesis is that a thai chef in American airforce base in Thailand during Vietnam war used the left over breakfsst stuff to cook with fried rice that add ketchup to make it smrll western and called it American fried rice.
It usually contain plain rice fried with ketchup, raisin, diced carrot/ onion, and ham. Topped with sunny-side up egg and fried sausage aside. Seasoning stuff is usually maggi on the table.
I was in the US Marine Corp and was stationed at Camp Hansen from 1980 to 1982, the base shown in your video and I know what you are talking about. Though I didn't care of some of the odder Americanized things, I preferred real Japanese and Okinawan food, I have eaten that before. Also I have seen more than one friend while staggering back from the bar stop at a food shop and order either fried rice or Yakisoba and drown it in ketchup. Broke my heart. It was perfect sans the ketchup. When I was in Hong Kong from 1995 to 2001 Pizza Hut had what was called Americas Favorite Pizza and it included Cuttlefish, Corn, and Thousand Island dressing. Being the adventurous kind I actually tried it with a British friend of mine. It went right in the bin and we ordered a Pepperoni Pizza. Americas favorite pizza was disgusting.
History of American Fried Rice It comes from a Thai chef who invented food for American soldiers who fought in the Vietnam War. the chef thinks Americans love to eat sauce and ham. therefore mixed together
You got that kinda right for burma. We don’t add ketchup to the dish. It’s just your normal Asian fried rise with a bit more soy sauce(the sweet one) instead of a toast for our American fried rice.
You may not like the dish but American Fried Rice is one of my favorite since I was a kid and no one can change my mind on that.
every time I see the pain on his face and the disappointment in his voice when talking about American Fried Rice, It makes me laugh my ass out 555555555555555
The pain and confusion feed me lmao the "Why" it's just perfect LMFAO
On your next trip to Japan... check out Sasabo hamburgers in Kyushu!
this reminds me of when I ordered an "American Coffee" in Spain, thinking I was going to get a nice single origin pour over, but got a double espresso filled with water, yuck!
lol- that is kind of an American coffee I guess? My worst was when a coffee shop in China told me they didn't sell espresso. Just Americano. So I asked for an Americano without the water, and they filled the cup to the top with espresso. 10 shots.
@@OTRontheroad ye like a chemex kinda thing! Pour overs are super popular in the Great Lakes where I'm from, and Espresso is still here cuz of the cultural dominance of Europe, but we mainly keep it for Lattes
The oldest continuing American Chinese restaurant is only a few hours away from where I live. It's called Pekin Noodle Parlor and has been running since 1909. I've ate there when I was younger. It's chinese food but weird much like I'd imagine American Fried Rice. They haven't changed their recipes much and still sell Chop Suey.
Oh that’s awesome!! Would love to visit one day. Mainly for the food but also because I hear nothing but good things about Butte, MT.
6:32 I can hear his thought "Please end this agony~"
The dish emerged during the Vietnam war. Upon the time Some american cantonments were situated in Thailand so lots of American soldiers including their products imported into Thailand. So you can see some typical American ingredients like sausage, ham and ketchup in the dish. It might not the first time we were introduced to these ingredients, but during the war these stuff were dramatically available. And Fried rice dish is a typical thai comfort food including noodles. The dish, American fried rice, was occurred naturally as another Thai fusion food. The same way happened to Chinese and Indian food. The only thing that relates to American food is the ingredients, sausage, ham,and ketchup. The original recipe always has pea and raisins, in addition.
There's a more decent style of Asianized Western food at restaurants like Agave Restaurant also known as Agavefoomuikee. The beef tongue stew is really good. (the genre is called "Cook Shop" cuisine invented by Chinese immigrants in parts of Southeast Asia I believe)
American fried rice began in the 1970s during the Vietnam War. Thailand was an American ally and was used as a military base during this war. American soldiers likely had sausages ketchup, ham, and raisins as their rations, so they decided to try to combine them with the local food, fried rice.
Judging from the Cooking Haru RUclips channel, SPAM is still popular in at least South Korea.
I love spagetti with Norwegian ketchup and black pepper.
I will even eat bread with ketchup and mustard. I just love the taste.
I also happen to love curries.
A slight tangent to this is Filipino Spaghetti, which is what you get when you substitute ketchup for tomato sauce. I suspect it came out of Filipinos cooking for Americans and only having ketchup. Over the years it has skewed away from the sour acid of vinegar in the ketchup towards being a very sweet sauce. It became the standard preparation and you can now buy prepared Filipino style spaghetti sauce in the Asian aisle at the store. To each their own, but I always give it a miss at get togethers with family and friends.
You could consider a story on the origins of catsup/ketchup. I'm sure you know it's not originally based on tomato and isn't from the west. I seem to recall it's originally from Hokkien people in the Philippines? and was a kind of fish sauce.
As a filipino, this is my first tine hearing about anerican fried rice. Fried rice with ketchup is fancilly called java rice which is usually paired with restaurant style barbeque. All fried rice in my country is called sinangag. Put anything you, but it will still be sinangag.
Every family has a very basic, sometimes even weird comfort dish that they grew up with. And its as familar as that old family sofa thats been in the family for over 20 years. Thats what this dish represents for some Thai families that dream of America.
When I was young American Fried Rice is usually serve only in fancier restaurants. Every time I was in restaurant in hotels, I had to order it.
If you go to ANY restaurant in Malaysia that sells fried rice - be it a Mamak (Indian Muslim) restaurant, a Malay restaurant, a Chinese kopitiam, a street cart, or even a stall in a shopping mall food court, you'll find a huge array of fried rice options, including Nasi Goreng Kampung (with dried anchovies and a couple slices of cucumber), Nasi Goreng Cina, Nasi Goreng Mamak, Nasi Goreng Kantonis, Nasi Goreng Pattaya (I always ask people visiting Pattaya to see if they can actually find Nasi Goreng Pattaya in Pattaya) and Nasi Goreng USA (this usually involves a couple pieces of chicken sausage on the plate).
Bro, try TOKYO NEXT its a dessert too and fr ya gonna love no cap
I agree with the comment about "Cook Shop" it'll worth your time.
It has soy sauce and has a sweet taste from raisins So the slightly salty chicken and ham with the mildly flavored fried egg will make it a combination. and even if it's the same menu But the taste of each restaurant is different. It's a taste for locals, not a taste for foreigners But if you like ketchup with fried rice, you might like it.
I think the Hong Kong version balances the soy sauce with the ketchup more than what we tried here, which was a lot more ketchup-forward. But yes your description is good
@@OTRontheroad They knew how to cook fried rice ! In the past, Thai people loved to eat food in Hong Kong very much. They serve Chinese food and Western desserts, but now Many Hong Kong restaurants have opened in Thailand.(restaurants From HK,so Thai people can eat it in TH. Lucky)
@@OTRontheroad We also have Tim Cook's favorite Michelin-star restaurant. recommended for foreigners !
I've found Took Lae Dee to be near my hotel haha, should I order americn fried rice or maybe try something else haha
I watch Cooking Haru on RUclips. I get the impression that the Koreans love Spam.
I love spagetti with black pepper and Norwegian ketchup.
Its origin theory of using leftover military rations give me idea to explore, so many items in today's MRE can be put into fried rice or something to improved it rather than eating it right off the pouch.
I've just bought a whole US MRE case because it is on discount, US soldiers left them here in Thailand every year on Cobra Goal joint training.
After I tried a few menu, I totally understand why they dumped MREs here and went for local food, lol, most of them are bad, I only like the snacks in there, not main course).
This menu was created during Vietnam War. There were military bases in Thailand back then. A lot of girlfriends of GI soldiers cooked this menu using the leftovers from American breakfast.
I heard an opposite story of it's actually Thai guest that refuse to eat English(American) breakfast. So the shop owner/hotel chef need to quickly wrap it into fried rice.
Funny enough. It's even easier to cook a big batch, faster, and last longer than a basic fried rice. No wonder why it become popular in Thailand.
I think i only tried AFR once, probably very early when i was visiting Thailand before moving there. Same as your first reaction in this video. Khao Pad Poo (Fried Rice with Crab) is on the other side of the Khao Pad spectrum, much much better in my honest opinion. :D
Ethnic Malay people from Southern Thai provinces brought the American fried rice recipe to Malaysia. Most halal Thai restaurants in Malaysia offered this in their menus with some minor modifications to suit Malaysians' tastebuds and palate.
During the 50s the American culture was popularized in Thailand. Thailand created many jazz and rock&roll songs because of this influences. it goes the same way with food.
Absolutely- good comparison
When i was kid, they said American Fried Rice is from an airliner leftover like fried egg, bacon and hotdogs.and since airliner did not have fish souce or soy sauce, they use tomato sauce instead.
weirdly in malaysia , the warungs will usually serve a dish call nasi goreng USA (directly translate to america fried rice), & its has no america influence or anything to do w it , its just named that way
Why the hell are there raisins in it?
We have something similar in my country , malaysia called usa fried rice