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Do you prefer your chicken rice roasted or steamed? 😋
Original Hainanese iterations of the dish used wenchang chicken (a bony fowl with very little flesh), later versions of the dish used white cut chicken (young and tender-fleshed birds), giving us the Hainanese chicken rice that we so enjoy in hawker centres and coffeeshops today.
Typically, the chicken is gently poached until tender and succulent and adorned with a layer of light soy sauce and sesame oil. The rice is first stir fried in ginger, then cooked in chicken broth to give a rich, delightful flavour. ✨
And then there’s the condiments — essential elements that add layers of flavour to the dish. Made with fresh red chili peppers, the chilli sauce complements the ginger paste which is made from finely grated ginger and oil. Together, they complement the chicken and rice in a symphony of flavours that is sure to delight!
Today, Hainanese chicken rice is so popular that it is a specialty dish at some hotels and is listed on the STB websites as one of the local dishes that tourists should not miss. It has also gained worldwide fame — in Western countries, it is sometimes known as and sold as “Singapore chicken rice”!
So what are you waiting for? This #FoodieFriday, immerse yourself in Singapore’s wonderful hawker culture and dig in to a delicious plate of chicken rice to cap off the week! 🐓
#FoodieFriday #FoodieFridaySG #chickenrice #hawkerculture