yin yang fried rice — People's Republic of China

Yin yang fried rice is a rice dish reported from Hong Kong, made of fried rice topped with two sauces poured side by side on the same plate: a white béchamel sauce on one half and a red tomato sauce on the other. It takes its name from yin and yang, and more directly from mandarin ducks — a pair of visibly different birds used in Chinese culture as a symbol of a well-matched couple. The name is applied here to the two contrasting sauces sitting together on one plate, and the dish is often served at wedding banquets in Hong Kong because of that association. Rice, usually cooked the day before so it stays separate when fried, is stir-fried with diced shrimp, ham, egg, and spring onion. A béchamel is made separately with butter, flour, and milk, and a tomato sauce is simmered with onion and a little sugar to balance the acidity. The two sauces are then poured over the rice at the same time, one on each side of the plate, so the white and red stay distinct rather than mixing into pink. The proteins used in the fried rice vary by kitchen — shrimp and ham are common, but chicken, char siu, or vegetables also appear — and some cooks add a little cheese or evaporated milk to the béchamel for extra richness. What stays constant across versions is the visual split between the two sauces, which is the point of the dish.