# Smoky fried rice **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 10, 2011, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoky-fried-rice/592147 "2011-08-10T00:53:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoky-fried-rice/592147/1 "2011-08-10T00:53:26Z")
Dinner at a Japanese steak house, and I have been charged with discovering what ingredient cause the fried rice to taste smoky. ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoky-fried-rice/592147/2 "2011-08-10T00:55:36Z")
Toasted sesame oil? ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoky-fried-rice/592147/3 "2011-08-10T01:05:23Z")
Smoke ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoky-fried-rice/592147/4 "2011-08-10T01:19:12Z")
> [@Hades](#): > > Smoke [Marty Feldman]Then it would be smoked rice, then, wouldn’t it? [/Marty Feldman] 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoky-fried-rice/592147/5 "2011-08-11T23:05:26Z")
More seriously, I second the toasted sesame seed oil. It has a definite smokiness to it. I love it. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoky-fried-rice/592147/6 "2011-08-12T00:23:25Z")
I use sesame seed oil in rice, but it doesn’t taste smoky. Does one toast the oil, or but oil made from toasted sesame seeds? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoky-fried-rice/592147/7 "2011-08-12T00:52:58Z")
Could it be black bean paste? It imparts kind of a sweet, smoky flavor (I never saw them add that, though). I’m thinking it’s just a function of being cooked at high heat on a teppanaki grill or something. ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoky-fried-rice/592147/8 "2011-08-12T02:07:25Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I use sesame seed oil in rice, but it doesn’t taste smoky. Does one toast the oil, or but oil made from toasted sesame seeds? The seeds are roasted, much like coffee beans, and then are pressed. The oil is dark and smoky and you use it as a condiment, not as a cooking oil. You only need a few drops to impart a rich, smoky flavor in your dish. ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoky-fried-rice/592147/9 "2011-08-12T02:17:29Z")
I’m betting on heat. Specifically, an extremely hot wok in which to cook the fried rice. You get a smoky flavor from almost charring the rice as it cooks in the very hot oil and wok. There’s a term for this “wok hey”; not sure of the Chinese translation or what have you. Not being able to do it at home is why I don’t try to make fried rice myself. I go to the places where I know they can produce the smoky, well cooked but not burned quality I look for in fried rice. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoky-fried-rice/592147/10 "2011-08-12T12:11:25Z")
Yeah; unless you have a commercial grade stove or something, you can’t replicate that high heat. ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoky-fried-rice/592147/11 "2011-08-12T12:31:45Z")
> [@An\_Arky](#): > > Yeah; unless you have a commercial grade stove or something, you can’t replicate that high heat. You can wok cook over lump hardwood in your grill though, and that will get you the same result. It’s the heat. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoky-fried-rice/592147/12 "2011-08-12T15:52:12Z")
Yeah, plus maybe an outdoor gas burner would work, too. Just not your regular kitchen stove. Man, this is making me want to rig up some kind of hot ass wok thing! ---
**Author:** ![OtisCampbellWasRight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d78d45/32.png) [@OtisCampbellWasRight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtisCampbellWasRight)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoky-fried-rice/592147/13 "2011-08-12T18:29:54Z")
Alton Brown came up with a great idea for super high heat which I suppose would work great with a single-handle wok: cook directly over a charcoal starter chimney. He used this technicque to sear fresh tuna and said it was like cooking over a jet engine; which I’m sure it would be. Just don’t knock it over or else “you got problems.” ---
**Author:** ![Kyrie\_Eleison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kyrie_eleison/32/7682_2.png) [@Kyrie\_Eleison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyrie_Eleison)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2011, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoky-fried-rice/592147/14 "2011-08-13T02:02:37Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I use sesame seed oil in rice, but it doesn’t taste smoky. Does one toast the oil, or but oil made from toasted sesame seeds? Around here you can buy both toasted sesame seed oil and regular sesame seed oil at the grocery. I would think the toasting must be done before the oil extraction; otherwise, at best, you’re just going to wind up with scorched sesame oil. At worst, you’re going to need a fire extinguisher. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2011, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoky-fried-rice/592147/15 "2011-08-13T04:40:25Z")
> [@Acid\_Lamp](#): > > You can wok cook over lump hardwood in your grill though, and that will get you the same result. It’s the heat. Now that gives me an idea - hmmmmmmmm…