Rice Left at the Bottom of the Pot

This rice preparation exists throughout China. It is known by several names, including guor bah, its name from its beginnings in Shanghai; wor bah, a Western corruption of the Shanghainese term; and the Cantonese fan jiu. It is, in simplest terms, the overcooked, crisp layer of rice that is sometimes found on the bottom of the pot in which rice has been cooked. Often this is accidental, and just as often it is deliberate. Either way, it has evolved into a classic.