Tomato “Egg” Rice

The tomato was first introduced to China in the 1500s, either via Hong Kong’s neighbor, Macau, or the Philippines by way of the Spaniards. It was given the name faan ke 番茄 (“foreign eggplant”) because of its general shape and shiny skin and the fact that it came from abroad. Tomatoes were typically used only in Western cuisine, and it wasn’t until the 1920s that some Chinese chefs began to cook with them. Tomato and scrambled eggs first made an appearance sometime in the 1940s. It is