Hainan chicken rice 海南雞飯

Hainan Hainanese chicken rice is a famous dish of the Han nationality, it belonging to Hainan cuisine. As a signature dish of Hainan Province. The main ingredients are chicken and rice, and the main cooking process is blanching. Hainan Chicken Rice originated in Wenchang, Hainan Island, China. Hainanese will use the local poached chicken in Wenchang, together with rice cooked in chicken oil and soaked chicken water, so it is commonly called Wenchang chicken rice in Hainan Island. In the early 20th century, with the wave of immigration, the dish spread to Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Thailand.
Arguably, the most important part of the dish isn’t the chicken, it is the rice – it has to be fragrant and good enough to eat on its own. To stretch out the flavour from the chook as much as possible, the broth from cooking the chicken is used to boil the rice. Accompanying the dish are sauces like soy sauce, chilli sauce and ginger-paste, to enhance the taste. These contribute to the special flavour for which Hainanese chicken rice is known for.

Hainanese chicken rice is the bomb diggity in Singapore, Malaysia, and other Southeast Asian countries. This dish is so simple yet so awesome! It features perfectly cooked chicken, steamed or poached to juicy tenderness, and served with fragrant rice that’s been cooked with garlic, ginger, pandan leaves, and chicken broth. To up the flavor game, you can also pair it with chili sauce, soy sauce, and sliced cucumber.

But what really sets Hainanese chicken rice apart is the special cooking process that creates the most succulent chicken meat ever. The secret? A slow and gentle cooking method in a flavorful broth that delicately infuses the meat with a heavenly taste. And let’s not forget about the rice, which is cooked to perfection with the leftover chicken broth and aromatics.

What’s more, the preparation of this dish requires a lot of attention to detail. From choosing the right chicken to using premium ingredients and ensuring that every step of the cooking process is spot on, Hainanese chicken rice is a dish that truly demonstrates the love and care that goes into making it.