Fried Rice and Shrimp Will Save Your Life

By Synthia Dorlean

My mom’s fried rice and shrimp is the most magical food because it makes me feel like I’m flying. One time, my mom was cooking and I snuck into the kitchen and took a shrimp. When I took a bite out of the shrimp, it was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. It tasted like lemons seasoned with sweet honey. The Spruce Eats article “All About Chinese Fried Rice” says, “while the exact origins of fried rice are lost to history, it’s believed that it was invented some time during the Sui Dynasty (A.D. 589-618), in the city of Yangzhou in eastern Jiangsu province.” Did you know that fried rice is usually mixed with other ingredients such as eggs, vegetables, seafood, or meat? Fried rice and shrimp is special to me and my family because we used to eat it together for dinner. However, when my parents got divorced it was one of the memories that made me happy. I enjoyed being together with my brothers during those dinners. The fried rice and shrimp tasted so lemony, with honey and plantains on the sides. When my mom or her aunt would make fried rice and shrimp, they sometimes put in the hottest peppers in the rice and shrimp to give it spice. And when I first took a bite of the spicy rice and shrimp, my tongue burned with heat. I had to drink six bottles of water so my tongue would cool down.

Fried rice and shrimp is special to me and my family because my mom’s aunt used to make it for dinner for us. But she died, so eating fried rice and shrimp now makes us feel closer to her. It’s like she’s eating with us. She fried the rice and shrimp separately, and the smell would

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always fill our home. She’d season the shrimp with honey and peppers, and when she finished frying the shrimp, I’d always try to take one. She’d always catch me. The dinner always tasted like lemons and peppers with honey. The lettuce had the lemon’s sourness, and tasted sour and crunchy. The rice and shrimp was spiced with yellow, green, and red

peppers. My mom’s fried rice and shrimp is the most magical food because it makes me feel like I’m flying. This dish is important to me and my family because it reminds me of when my parents were together and when we lived together. It also reminds me of my mom’s late aunt, who used to make us fried rice and shrimp for dinner. Ever since my mom’s aunt died, her fried rice and shrimp has been my favorite meal.