 Hainanese chicken rice at a Singaporeanfood court | |
| Alternative names | Hainan chicken, Chicken rice, Hainan Chicken Rice, Nasi Ayam, Khao man gai, Khao man kai |
|---|---|
| Region or state | Regions ofSoutheast Asia with Chinese populations[1][2][3] |
| Associatedcuisine | Singapore,Thailand,Indonesia,Malaysia,Vietnam,Cambodia |
| Main ingredients | Chicken, chicken stock, chicken fat, rice, cucumbers |
| 670 kcal (2,800 kJ) | |
| Hainanese chicken rice | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 海南雞飯 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 海南鸡饭 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Hainan chicken rice | ||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
Hainanese chicken rice is a dish of poached chicken and seasoned rice, served with chilli sauce and usually with cucumber garnishes.[4] It was created by immigrants fromHainan insouthern China and adapted from theHainanese dishes ofWenchang chicken and Wenchang chicken rice.[5][6]
It is widely considered one of thenational dishes ofSingapore,[7][8] and is most commonly associated withSingaporean cuisine,[9] being widely available in most food courts andhawker centres around the country.[8] Variants of the dish can also be seen throughoutSoutheast Asia whereHainanese people settled, particularly inIndonesia,Malaysia,Thailand, andVietnam, where it remains a culinary staple.
Hainanese chicken rice is a dish adapted from early Chinese immigrants originally fromHainan province in southern China.[1] It is based on a well-known Hainanese dish calledWenchang chicken, which is one of four important Hainan dishes dating to theQing dynasty.[10] The original dish was adapted by theHainaneseoverseas Chinese population in theNanyang area (present-day Southeast Asia).[11][12][13][14][15] The Hainanese in China traditionally used a specific breed, the Wenchang chicken, to make the dish.[1] They would usually cook rice with the leftover chicken stock to create a dish known as "Wenchang chicken rice" (文昌鸡饭).[5] Wenchang chicken rice remained a dish for special occasions in Hainanese homes in Singapore until the 1940s.[6]
There is a shared culture of seasoned rice dishes acrossHainan and theLeizhou peninsula. Wenchang chicken rice is closely related to another chicken rice dish known as Anpu chicken rice (安铺鸡饭) fromZhanjiang in westernGuangdong province, and Anpu chicken rice is speculated to be the predecessor to Wenchang chicken rice.[16][17][18] The city of Zhanjiang is also known for itswild betel rice (蛤蒌饭)[19] and duck rice (鸭仔饭).[20]
Almost every country in Asia with a history of immigration from China has a version of Hainanese chicken rice.[10] TheSan Francisco Chronicle says, "the dish maps 150 years’ immigration from China's Hainan Island...to Singapore and Malaysia, where the dish is often known as Hainan chicken rice; to Vietnam, where it is called "Hai Nam chicken"; and to Thailand, where it has been renamedkhao man gai ("chicken fat rice")."[12][21]
When it comes to the history ofWenchang chicken, according to the records of Lin Zhemin from the Livestock and Veterinary Research Institute ofHainan Province, it has long been a delicacy used by local officials and people to entertain guests. According to the Hainan Chamber of Commerce, it is said that during theMing Dynasty, a Wenchang native served in the imperial court and brought Wenchang chicken back to his hometown to entertain members of theroyal family during theLunar New Year. As they tasted it, the royals praised, "This chicken hails from the land of culture, where talents gather and the culture flourishes. The chicken is also delicious and fragrant, truly deserving the name Wenchang chicken!"
Additionally, during the reign of theGuangxu Emperor of theQing Dynasty, there were several largebanyan trees in Wenchang, which bore seeds all year round. The chickens pecked at these seeds and became plump and delicious, contributing to the reputation of Wenchang chicken's deliciousness. The earliest mention can be found in the Qing Dynasty book "Lingnan Miscellaneous Poems," which states, "There is a kind of hen in Wenchang County that tastes as good as a rooster."
Based on historical records and inference, Wenchang chicken was introduced to Hainan Island, specifically Wenchang County, around the early 1600s during the Ming Dynasty, along with mainland immigrants, and was cultivated in this unique natural environment. By the Ming and Qing dynasties, there was already a tradition of raising Wenchang chickens in rural areas of Wenchang. It was mainly used as a delicacy for festivals, entertaining guests, and giving gifts. After the revolution in China in 1949, it was still difficult to buy or eat Wenchang chicken in the market or restaurants.
According to a 2006 study in "Meat Research," Wenchang chicken is a high-quality chicken breed in Hainan with a history of over 400 years and is one of the four famous dishes of Hainan. In the 1980s, due to the impact of foreign chicken breeds, Wenchang chicken was once on the brink of extinction.[22]
In a debate that stretches back decades to 1965, when the two countries split, Malaysia and Singapore have both laid claim to inventing the dish.[23][24]
In 2009, Malaysian Tourism MinisterNg Yen Yen said that Hainanese chicken rice was "uniquely Malaysian" and had been "hijacked" by other countries.[25][26][27] Ng later clarified that she was misquoted on her intention to patent the foods, and that a study on the origins of the foods would be conducted "and an apology conveyed if it was wrongly claimed."[28]
In 2018, then Malaysian Finance MinisterLim Guan Eng joked that Singapore claimed "chicken rice is theirs (and) if we're not careful, ‘char koay teow‘ will become theirs" one day.[23][24]
The debate has been described as an example ofgastronationalism.[29]
.jpg)
Catherine Ling ofCNN called Hainanese chicken rice one of the "40 Singapore foods we can't live without."[30] It was listed as one of the "World's 50 best foods" by CNN in 2018.[31] David Farley of theBBC called it "the dish worth the 15-hour flight" and said it was "deceptively simple – which is good, because on paper it sounds awfully boring."[32]Saveur called it "one of the most beloved culinary exports of Southeast Asia."[33]
In Malaysia,nasi ayam (lit. "chicken rice" inBahasa Melayu) is "a culinary staple"[34] and a popular street food, particularly inIpoh, a center of Hainanese immigration.[35]
The general termnasi ayam can refer to multiple variations including roasted and fried chicken, can be served with a variety of sauces including barbecue, and can be accompanied by a variety of side dishes including steamed rice rather than seasoned 'oily' rice, soup, or chickenoffal.[36]
InMalacca andMuar, the rice is served in balls rather than in bowls; this dish is commonly known asChicken rice balls.Steamed rice is shaped into golf ball-sized orbs and served alongside the chopped chicken.[36][37]
In Singapore, the dish was born out of frugality, created by servant-class immigrants trying to utilise limited sources to its maximum. An old hen which had passed its eggs laying years would be slaughtered to be cooked into broth and rice to extract the chicken flavour.[32]
The first chicken rice restaurants opened in Singapore duringJapanese occupation in World War II, when the British were forced out and their Hainanese servants lost their source of income. One of the first was Yet Con, which opened in the early 1940s.[32] There were also sources stating that Wang Yiyuan, a street hawker first started selling "chicken rice balls wrapped in banana leaves" in Singapore during the 1920s.[38][2][39] The dish was popularised in Singapore in the 1950s by Moh Lee Twee, whose Swee Kee Chicken Rice Restaurant operated from 1947 to 1997.[40] Hong Kong food criticChua Lam credits Moh with the creation of the dish.[1]
Hainanese chicken rice is considered one of Singapore'snational dishes.[21][11][15] It is eaten "everywhere, every day" in Singapore[15] and is a "ubiquitous sight in hawker centres across the country".[11] The chicken is typically served with seasoned rice, with chilli sauce and usually with cucumber garnishes.[41] While most commonly associated with Singaporean cuisine, the dish is also seen throughout Southeast Asia and in parts of the United States,[42][15] where the dish is named "Singapore chicken rice" in some places.[43] The dish is widely popular in Singapore and can be found in hawker centres, restaurants and hotels.[11]
Thechicken is prepared in accordance with traditional Hainanese methods, which involvepoaching the entire chicken at sub-boiling temperatures to both cook the chicken and produce the stock. The chicken is dipped in ice after cooking to produce a jelly-like skin finishing and hung to dry.[32]
The stock is skimmed of fat and some of the fat and liquid, along withginger, garlic, andpandan leaves, are used in the cooking of the rice, producing an oily, flavourful rice sometimes known as "oily rice".[32] In Singapore "the most important part of chicken rice is not the chicken, but the rice."[32]
The dish is served with a dipping sauce of freshly minced red chilli and garlic, usually accompanied withdark soy sauce and freshly ground ginger. Fresh cucumber boiled in the chicken broth and light soy sauce with a dash of sesame oil is served with the chicken, which is usually served at room temperature.[21][32] Some stalls may also servenonya achar as an additional side.[38]
Hainanese chicken rice is a commondish in Thailand where it is calledkhao man kai (Thai:ข้าวมันไก่,pronounced[kʰâːwmānkàj]), literally meaning "chicken oily rice". The chickens used in Thailand for this dish are usually free range chickens of local breeds, resulting in a leaner and tastier texture; however, meat from chickens oflarge scale poultry farms is increasingly being used.[44]Khao man kai is served with a garnish of cucumbers and occasionally chickenblood tofu and freshcoriander, along with a bowl ofnam sup, a clear chicken broth which often contains sliceddaikon. The accompanying sauce is most often made withtauchu (also known asyellow soybean paste), thick soy sauce, chilli, ginger, garlic and vinegar.[45]
One famous Bangkok neighbourhood forKhao man kai isPratunam inRatchathewi district, located near toPlatinum Fashion Mall,CentralWorld andRatchaprasong Intersection.[46] A restaurant inPratunam receivedBib Gourmand awards from the 2018 Michelin Guide.[47]Khao man kai is also well known in other areas, includingPracha Chuen,[48]Yaowarat[49] andPhasi Charoen nearBang Wa BTS station andPhyathai 3 Hospital[50] including various places areThanon Tok nearRama III Bridge,[51]Thong Lor onSukhumvit Road,Wat Suthiwararam School,Yan Nawa,Bang Kapi,Wat Saket, andSaphan Kwai neighbourhoods.[52][53]
The dish is known asCơm Gà Hải Nam in Vietnamese, and is common in South Vietnam.
InCambodia, the dish is known asbay moan (បាយមាន់) inKhmer,[54] which translates to "chicken rice." An assortment of pickled vegetables is served alongside as astreet food. Its origins can be traced back to the 17th century, where it is believed to have been introduced byHokkien andHainanese immigrants.[55]
The food gallery offered an overview of ten dishes common and special to Singapore...the first person to bring chicken rice to Singapore. His name was Wang Yiyuan, and he started off selling chicken rice balls wrapped in banana leaves as an itinerant hawker in the 1920s, according to the gallery (National Museum of Singapore, 2014).
Most sources will state that the chicken rice dish known as Hainanese Chicken Rice popular in Southeast Asia these days was created by Singaporeans, with some estimates going back to the 1920s. This is said to be the time when a certain Mr Wang Yiyuan had brought the dish from China and sold chicken rice balls from his hawker stall.
Chicken rice is a ubiquitous dish found at almost all eateries in Singapore, from hawker stalls to high-end restaurants. It has been lauded as one of Singapore's "national dishes".
Regional twists were added as it spread across South Asia, from Vietnam to Singapore—where it's known as a national dish—to Malaysia to Thailand.
Dr Ng said a study on the origins of foods in the country would be conducted and an apology conveyed if it was wrongly claimed.
| Dishes |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snacks |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Beverages |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bumbu |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Influences and overseas dishes |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| List articles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Related topics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Articles | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dishes |
| ||||||
| Snacks and desserts | |||||||
| Drinks | |||||||
| Common dishes |
| ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snacks |
| ||||||||||||
| Desserts | |||||||||||||
| Drinks |
| ||||||||||||
| Condiments | |||||||||||||
| Individual dishes | |
|---|---|
| Shared dishes | |
| Isan dishes | |
| Northern Thai dishes | |
| Southern Thai dishes | |
| Snacks |
|
| Desserts |
|
| Miscellaneous |
|
| Beverages | |
| See also | |
