A History of Chinese Fried Rice & Molasses in Massachusetts

Chinese fried rice in the U.S. extends back at least to 1898, and likely prior to that time. The Topeka State Journal (KS), January 5, 1898, noted a multiple-course dinner held in New York City Chinatown, at a restaurant on 14 Mott Street, which included “fried rice.” Maybe the first reference to fried rice in Massachusetts was in 1915. The Transcript-Telegram (MA), April 15, 1915, published a large advertisement for a Chinese & American Restaurant in Holyoke, with a listing for "Fried Rice" for 25 cents. And by 1916, people were already sending inquiries to the newspaper seeking a recipe for making Chinese fried rice.

If you've read any of the articles with a history of New England Chinese Food, you'll usually see the claim that local Chinese restaurants used molasses in their fried rice. This was allegedly because molasses was so prominent in the Boston area, and it made the fried rice darker in color, as well as sweeter. Those claims also seem to indicate molasses was something new to the Chinese. However, none of those articles presented any evidence to support their claim, which has made me question it. Thus, I did some of my own research, to try to get to the truth.

In brief, I didn't find any evidence of a local Chinese restaurant using "molasses" until 1957, and even then, it's not quite what you might think. There's an important distinction which is ignored, and I hope to illuminate the issue for my readers. 

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Probably the first actual Chinese cookbook, and not just a pamphlet, was self-published in 1911, Chinese Cookery in the Home Kitchen by Jessie Louise Nolton. It included three recipes for Fried Rice, including Fried Rice (Chinese Style), Fried Rice (Canton Style), and Fried Rice With Chicken. This might have been the first printed recipes for Chinese fried rice. 

 

The recipe for Fried Rice (Chinese Style) didn't include molasses, or even soy sauce for that fact.

The recipe for Fried Rice (Canton Style) also didn't include molasses, or even soy sauce.

Maybe the first newspaper in Massachusetts to present a recipe for Fried Rice was the Springfield Evening Union (MA), July 10, 1917. The recipe only called for 1 cup of cold boiled rice, 1 small onion, 1 egg, and a teaspoon of butter. No soy sauce or molasses. It would be nearly twenty years before a host of other recipes for Fried Rice would appear in Massachusetts newspapers.   

The Boston Herald, May 23, 1936, presented a recipe for Fried Rice, Chinese Style, from "... a famous Chinese restaurant here in town..." but it wasn't identified. No soy sauce or molasses was used in this recipe.  

The Springfield Daily Republican (MA), April 24, 1938, published a recipe for "Fried Rice (from China)" which called for boiled chicken, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, sugar, stock, and soy sauce. However, there was no molasses used in this recipe. 

 

The Lowell Sun (MA), June 11, 1938, had a recipe for Ha Chow Fan, fried rice with shrimps, which called for soy sauce but no molasses. The recipe also mentioned you could add chopped ham, diced roast pork of sliced fresh crabmeat instead of the shrimp.  

The Boston Globe (MA), March 22, 1940, printed the above recipe for Fried Rice, Chinese Style, and I'll note that "Chinese sauce" commonly refers to "soy sauce."

The Worcester Daily Telegram (MA), January 5, 1942, printed this recipe for Fried Rice and Pork, but once again, no molasses was in the recipe. 

The Worcester Daily Telegram (MA), March 5, 1942, presented this recipe for Moo Goo Chow Fon (Fried Rice with Shrimp). 

The Boston Herald, June 14, 1942, had a recipe for Chow Fon (Fried Rice with Ham), calling for soy sauce, but no molasses.

The Boston Traveler, August 6, 1942, had this recipe for Fried Rice. 

The Boston Herald, May 23, 1943, presented a recipe of Fried Rice with Shrimp. 

The Boston Traveler, June 17, 1943, printed a recipe for Chinese Fried Rice. 

The Worcester Telegram (MA), February 8, 1944, published this recipe for Fried Rice with Eggs. 

The Boston Herald, July 12, 1944, had the above recipe for Chinese Fried Rice. 

The Worcester Telegram (MA), May 8, 1948, published this recipe for Chinese Fried Rice.

The Boston Sunday Herald, June 18, 1950, had a recipe for Chinese Lobster Sub Gum Fried Rice. 

The first half of the 1950s continued to see Fried Rice recipes, all without using molasses. Why was this so if local Chinese restaurants were allegedly using molasses in their fried rice? Was the use of molasses more of later addition, and not originally part of the first fried rice dishes? 

In 1957, the issue acquired some clarification, and the original claims about the use of molasses in fried rice probably need some revision. 

The Boston Traveler (MA), May 16, 1957, had an article about the famous Cathay House, located in Boston's Chinatown, which was owned by Anita and Gordon Chue. I previously wrote an article about Anita Chue, a fascinating Chinese woman who made a great impact in the local area. It was noted that this was the first time that the Chues were giving out any of their recipes. They presented their Cathay House Fried Rice, which was said “But for Traveler readers, Anita has simplified their wonderful Fried Rice…”

As you can see, the recipe included the use of "1 tablespoon Chinese molasses." Anita also added, “The Chinese molasses may be purchased at any grocery in Chinatown. Don’t substitute molasses from your pantry shelf, Anita cautions. It makes the rice too sweet. Just omit it.” Cathay House was opened in 1945, so their use of Chinese molasses in the fried rice could have started as early as their opening, or it might have started sometime afterwards. 

Chinese molasses! That, and not regular molasses, may be the secret to New England Chinese Fried rice. Once you learn more about Chinese molasses, it also makes logical sense. The addition of Chinese molasses in fried rice in the local area might have originated in the late 1940s or 1950s. 

We need to understand that China was producing molasses-like products for about two thousand years. So, when Chinese immigrants arrived in the Boston area, they were already familiar with molasses. They were already used to using "Chinese molasses", also called "bead molasses," in their cooking. This is a lighter type of molasses, which is less sweet, and was often used for adding a deeper brown color to dishes such as chow mein and chop suey. It possessed more of a savory taste, with hints of smokiness. The typical Boston molasses was too sweet and heavy for the Chinese cooks.  

Chinese molasses was being imported into the U.S. as least as far back as 1850. The Daily Alta California (CA), August 11, 1850, had a brief ad selling 2000 gallons of “Chinese Molasses.” The Daily Pacific News (CA), March 13, 1851, also had a brief advertisement selling “Chinese Molasses,” which it said was a “superior article.” The American Union (WV), October 23, 1857, published a letter from Ohio, discussing Chinese molasses which was now being produced in Ohio, and it retailed for 75 cents per gallon.

The Boston Globe, January 28, 1927, published this advertisement for Fuji Bead Molasses, stating it was "Fine for gravies--and for browning." The Fuji Trading Co. was established around 1910 in Chicago, and sold a variety of Asian food products. So we can see that bead molasses was available in Boston at least as far back as the 1920s.

The Boston Globe, January 31, 1930, had an ad for the Fuji Chop Suey Sauce, and it provided a recipe which also called for their bead molasses. 

The Herald News (MA), March 19, 1931, had an ad for Steiger's Market, which sold  imported bead molasses.

The Boston Evening Globe, February 16, 1934, had another ad for the Fuji Bead Molasses, noting it added flavor and color to Chop Suey. 

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Many other recipes, printed in Boston area newspapers, for Chinese fried rice in the 1960s and on still didn't include the use of molasses, although people started believing molasses was used by restaurants. However, it seems unlikely that the heavy molasses produced in the Boston area would be used in fried rice, when the Chinese had a lengthy history of the use of the lighter Chinese molasses. The bead molasses had the benefit of being less sweet, adding a savory and smoky aspect, and providing a darker brown color to the rice. It was also readily available to Chinese restaurants. So, rather than use heavy molasses in your own home Chinese recipes, seek out Chinese molasses instead.

Rant: Choosing Thanksgiving Wines With Ease

Every year countless people stress over which wines to pair with their Thanksgiving dinner. These people also worry that their holiday might be a failure unless they have the correct wines. The media contributes to this worry, with countless articles about the "proper" wines to have on Thanksgiving. The holidays can be stressful enough without having to worry about the wine, especially when those worries are generally needless.

Cast your memory back to last year's Thanksgiving. Can you remember which specific wines you had with dinner? Can you remember the specific wines you had with Thanksgiving dinner two years ago?

I'm sure that nearly everyone won't be able to remember except maybe in the most general terms. Maybe they recall having had a Pinot Noir or a Riesling. They're unlikely to recall the specific producer or much else about the wine. What they are more likely to remember is the good (at least hopefully it was good) time they had, the family and friends that shared their table. They might remember that the food and wine was good or bad but the specifics may be foggy. 

Generally, it's for a short time after Thanksgiving that people will remember the wines they enjoyed at their dinner. During that time, they are likely to tell other people about what they ate and drank, sharing any special wines they might have discovered. If they especially enjoyed the wines, they might then seek them out for their next holiday feasts. They may rave about their host, complimenting their choice of wines. 

Do you really need to worry about specific Thanksgiving wine recommendations? I don't think so. The more I ponder the question, the more I realize that all you need for Thanksgiving are some good wines, the varietals and/or blends being much less important. As long as they do not blatantly clash with the meal, then they should work just fine. And few wines are going to so blatantly clash. Drink wines you'll enjoy and don't worry so much about "perfect pairings."

A Thanksgiving meal is diverse, with many different flavors, from savory to sweet, and many different textures. No single wine is a perfect pairing with all these different dishes. So you need wines that people will enjoy in of their own right. I don't think many hosts are actually seeking the "perfect" wine pairing. They simply want something that people will enjoy and which won't greatly detract from the food.

Plus, who'll remember the wines next year?

We must also remember that any wine shared with good friends and family is likely to taste better, or at least seem that way, than one drank alone. The circumstances of the day, the good feelings, the fond memories, the thanks for the past year, will all lead to your wine seeming better. And it's all those surrounding circumstances that people will most remember about Thanksgiving. The wine will always take the back seat.

The wine is simply an extra, not a necessity. It pales in importance to everything else about the holiday. Like the Whos from "The Grinch Who Stole Xmas," there should still be joy even if all of the food and wine were taken away.

I'll bring a variety of wines to my Thanksgiving feast, a mix of sparkling wine, white, red and dessert wines. In general, I'll pick interesting and delicious wines that I feel people will enjoy. I won't spend much time worrying about pairing them with specific dishes and foods, although I'll consider which wines might clash too much with the various dishes. I want wines that will make people smile, that will enhance the spirit of the day.

If you want some assistance with selecting wines to make your guests smile, then come see me at the Victoria Hill Wine, Spirits & Gourmet shop in Melrose. I can show you plenty of delicious and interesting wines which would work well for your Thanksgiving table. I can show you different wines rather than the traditional pairings. Everyone else might bring the standard wines, so why not stand out by bringing a more unique wine? Give your guests something to talk about once the feast is over.

Consider wines, both whites and reds from Croatia, Greece, Uruguay, Slovenia, Palestine, Lebanon, Hungary, or Georgia. The shop has wines from around 25 different countries. Pick up some Bubbly, such as Cava, Cremant d'Alsace, or Grower Champagne. If you want something different, consider a White Pinot Noir from Oregon, a White Malbec from Argentina, or a White Sangiovese from Italy. Try an Orange Wine, a skin-contact white wine, which goes well with roast turkey. You'll find a couple dozen Orange Wines, from all over the world. You should also consider Sake for your Thanksgiving table, which is actually a very food friendly beverage, and we have a diverse selection from Sparkling Sake to Junmai Daiginjo. If you want more Natural Wines, the store stocks over 350 such wines. For after-dinner consumption, consider Port (Ruby to White), Sherry, Sauternes or Tokaj.      

Whatever you do for Thanksgiving, enjoy yourself and appreciate all that you have, rather than worry about what you do not.

(This is an expanded/revised version of a post originally from 2009. My basic sentiment has not changed one iota since that time and I felt it was important enough to raise it once again.)

Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I'm back again with a new edition of Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I highlight some interesting, upcoming food and drink events. I hope everyone dines out safely, tips well and are nice to their servers.
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1) For Thanksgiving, Margeaux’s Supper Parlor is hosting a Thanksgiving Dinner on Thursday, November 26, from 3–8 p.m. for $80 per person, featuring a choice of starter, primary, and sides, followed by dessert. Options include "Turducken" with Italian sausage and gravy, Halibut with beurre blanc, spinach, caviar, and crab ravioli, Beef Wellington with truffle and spinach, and pumpkin ravioli as a vegetarian option. Check out the full Menu HERE. 

2) Aquitaine is also offering its annual Thanksgiving pre-order menu for four for $310, with pickup on Wednesday, November 25, from 11 a.m. 3:30 p.m. The menu includes roast turkey breast and braised turkey leg, Apple & Sage Stuffing, Pommes Robuchon, Roasted Cauliflower Agrodolce, Autumn Butternut Succotash, cranberry sauce, gravy, and French dinner rolls. Guests can also add options including Charcuterie & Cheese, Shrimp Cocktail, Cider Braised Short Ribs, Truffled Mushroom Lasagna, and pies.

3) Seeking a special holiday dinner experience? On Wednesday, December 9, A Tavola, in Winchester (One of my Top Five Favorite Restaurants) will be collaborating Heaven Hill Distillery for an epic dinner: BOURBON. BIRDS. BBQ. This will be a 5 Course dinner, paired with bourbons, and it surely will be an excellent event. I've previously gone to their BBQ dinners, and they have been impressive and delicious. Advance tickets are now on sale, priced at $125 per person. You can call to make a Reservation at 781-729-1040. This event is sure to sell out so I recommend making your reservation as soon as you can. I've already got my reservation and hope to see some of my readers there as well. 

Rant: Eliminate Drink Stereotypes!

Over the weekend, I presided over a Sake Tasting, showcasing four different Junmai Sakes, from light & fruity to earthy & umami-dominant. A number of customers were hesitant to try the Sake because of their prior negative experiences. They probably had cheap Sake, mostly hot, and found it too harsh, or it gave them a terrible hangover. 

Fortunately, after a little persuasion, pointing out that these were premium Sakes, very different from what they previously tasted, they were willing to give it a try. And they were surprised that they enjoyed the Sake! It was very different from their prior bad experiences, and most of them ended up purchasing a bottle. They realized that their negative stereotype about Sake had been incorrect. 

There are drink categories, such as Beer, which I generally dislike, especially hoppy beers. It would be simple for me to never drink any beer, but I don't write off the entire category. I've found, by willing to try something different, that I commonly like Sour Beers, and I love the Backacre Sour Golden Ale (sadly not produced in Vermont any longer), and have about 12 bottles in my wine cellar.    

Unfortunately, I have seen too many people stereotype certain categories and types of alcoholic beverages. For example, some claim to hate all Chardonnay, Port, Sherry, or Mezcal, and won't ever drink it, refusing any offers to sample it. When presented with a new bottle, they will refuse to even take a sip, already convinced they will hate it. They wrongfully assume that all the examples of that type of beverage are the same, so they believe they will hate it.

I strongly encourage my readers to avoid such stereotypes and be open to the myriad diversity in alcoholic beverages. I know that even if I dislike 95% of the beers on the market, that still leaves 5% which I may greatly enjoy. I refuse to stop sampling and tasting beers even though I will dislike most of them.  

You should be open to tasting new beverages, even if you've disliked others of that beverage in the past. Maybe you actually only dislike oaky Chardoanny but would love an unoaked version. Maybe you've hated hot Sake but would like a fine, chilled Sake. Maybe you hate sweet Sherry, but might enjoy a dry Manzanilla. Be adventurous with your palate and willing to taste new drinks.

Please don't write off an entire category of drinks. The diversity of beverages means you are likely to find something you will enjoy. By denying an entire category, you shut yourself off to a myriad of possibilities, and life is too short to do that. Be open to sampling everything you can, taking a chance on something new and different. Experience all that life has to offer and I'm sure your life will be richer for it. And that applies to many aspects of our lives, not just beverages.

Celebrate diversity in all its forms! 

Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I'm back again with a new edition of Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I highlight some interesting, upcoming food and drink events. I hope everyone dines out safely, tips well and are nice to their servers.
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1) Salt & Straw’s Halloween Series is back, bringing five spooky, candy filled flavors to scoop shops nationwide. Available through November 1, this year’s lineup leans into the playful side of Halloween, finding inspiration in everything from a trick or treater’s dream candy stash, to edible chocolate-covered creepy crawlers and nostalgic confections.

Additionally, on October 30 and 31, guests who trick or treat at Salt & Straw can also dress up their scoop with a free Halloween upgrade featuring black and orange sprinkles, whipped cream and a sugar cone, plus a limited edition sticker designed by Portland artist Mike Bennett, available while supplies last.

Flavors in The Halloween Series include:
The Great Candycopia – A trick or treater’s bag of chocolate candies including Crunch Bars, Reese’s, Snickers and Heath dumped into salted butterscotch ice cream, with chocolate feuilletine, peanut butter and BOOrbon vanilla toffee throughout.
Jack O’Lantern Pumpkin Bread – Pumpkin spiced ice cream with hunks of pumpkin bread and generous ribbons of whipped cream cheese frosting.
Witch’s Brew Fruit Punch Sherbet – A refreshing fruit punch sherbet bursting with orange flavored candy and finished with ribbons of sour candy apple.
Creepy Crawly Critters – Sweet green matcha ice cream scattered with candy coated chocolate crickets and toffee brittle mealworms, made in collaboration with Don Bugito. (Yes! There are real insects!)
Chocolate Graveyard Cookie Crumble (v) – Dairy free black cocoa coconut cream with black cocoa cookie crumbles and crimson swirls of vegan white chocolate frosting.

2) During the entire month of October, Maple & Ash in the Seaport will feature a cocktail with a cause for Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Second Chances with Grey Goose, housemade fig vermouth, spiced pear, cranberry-apple, and citrus. The cocktail costs $20 and with each purchased, Maple & Ash will donate $2 to The Ellie Fund in collaboration with Bacardi Limited.

3) Croatian Premium Wine Imports has announced their next Masterclass, focused on the region of Istria, on Tuesday, October 27 at 8 pm Eastern/5 pm Pacific. The class will start with an intro to Croatian regions and then focus on Istrian regions and winemaking as well as taste four wines: two whites – a Malvasia and a blend with Malvasia, followed by two reds – a coastal Teran as well as a Teran from Motovun, which have very different expressions. 

No purchase is necessary. If you register HERE you will get a link to the Zoom video call, where they always take Q&As, or if you cannot join them, they will also send registrants the recording and slides.

If you want to taste the wines along with them during the Zoom, they are offering these four wines as an Istrian Masterclass Bundle at a 15% discount. East Coasters should order by October 15 to make sure they receive the wines in time for the Masterclass. The bundle includes:
Damjanic Malvazija
Franković Filiam Blend
Ritoša Teran
Fakin Teran

I've been to the Istria region, and loved their wines. Many people may know about the Dalmatia region, which is the most popular tourist destination in Croatia, but Istria is very worthy of your attention.