What kind of "rice" is "Hainan Chicken Rice"?
In Southeast Asia, especially Singapore and Malaysia, "Hainan Chicken Rice" is a well-known delicacy, and it is also a common nostalgia for Hainanese around the world.
A chef were making plain chicken at Sanxi Hainanese Chicken Restaurant in Singapore. Photo provided by He Ruizhou
This delicacy came into being during the migration of People from Hainan to South Asia. After more than a century, it has gradually evolved into the characteristic diet of overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia, and eventually became the "national dish" of Singapore and Malaysia.
Business is booming at the Hainan Chicken Restaurant in Singapore. Photo provided by He Ruizhou
"Hainan Chicken Rice" is based on Wenchang Chicken, one of the four most famous dishes in Hainan. Various delicacies have been developed, including plain chicken, roasted chicken, steamed chicken and coconut chicken soup. In Hainan, there is no banquet without chicken.
Hainan Wenchang chickens raised in the woods. Photo provided by Wenchang Rong Media Center
The exterior of Wenchang Hainanese Chicken Restaurant in Penang, Malaysia. Photo by Zheng Xiangpeng
Some Chinese cultural scholars said that "Hainan Chicken Rice" embodies the tenacious fighting spirit of Hainan's ancestors to survive and grow in a foreign land, and it is the link between Hainan and the people around the world. This dish has become a "cultural messenger".
Zhang Yonghong, chef of Hainan Longquan Fishing Village Hotel, shows the recipe of Wenchang chicken. Photo by Luo Yunfei
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