How to make the best fried rice, according to physics
To make fried rice like a pro, use physics. Chefs typically toss fried rice from their woks into the air before catching it again. Launching the rice and its fixings allows the food to cook at a high temperature without burning, essential for creating the tastiest stir-fried fare. Now, using video of five chefs in Chinese restaurants, physicists have analyzed the repetitive movements used to toss the rice. These chefs made a specific set of motions that repeated about three times a second, the researchers report February 12 in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface. Each repetition includes sliding the wok back and forth while simultaneously rocking it to and fro, using the rim of the stovetop as a fulcrum. Cooking fried rice like a pro requires tossing it in the air to avoid burning. Physicists analyzed details of chefs’ movements and report that sliding and rocking motions repeat about three times a second, launching the food from a wok....