The Economics – and Meme-ification – of Fried Rice

Fried rice consumption was first recorded during the Sui dynasty in China around 600 A.D. Over the past 1400 years, it has become a global sensation: according to Square data, fried rice was purchased over 4 million times during the first half of 2025 alone. 76% of those sales were made in the United States.

Currently, there are nearly 12,000 fried rice varieties sold on Square’s platform, from classics like shrimp, chicken, and vegetable fried rice to less standard options like basil, kimchi, and lobster fried rice. While restaurateurs find inspiration in unique places and push the creative envelope, to the average consumer, the possibilities can be too much to process. In 2013, @TamiCru called for clarity on Twitter: you’re telling me a chicken fried this rice?^ The likes and retweets rolled in, suggesting widespread resonance.

Then, in 2018, @emiilywrld went viral by expanding the discussion to shrimp: So you mean to tell me that a shrimp fried this rice?^

As online attention continues to swell, so does in-person demand. In the US, fried rice sales have grown by 145% since early 2019.

Given the buzz, we set out to learn: which fried rice might be the next meme? Where is it frying? At what cost? For this exploration, we analyzed item-level transactions from Square sellers across the US during the first half of 2025.

We found that, true to the original meme, chicken fried rice still leads the charge, making up 11% of all fried rice dishes and dominating the kitchen in 29 states. But what really shocked us? Pineapple came in second, with 5% of all fried rice dishes. Pineapple was the top choice in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, West Virginia, North Dakota, Montana, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, and Oregon. That’s right: soon you’ll be making memes about how a pineapple fried that rice.

Whether it memes or not, the economic story behind pineapple fried rice is equally compelling – our data shows pineapple fried rice dishes consistently come with the highest costs:

Yet at the same time, pineapple is actually a far less expensive ingredient than the others shown: In 2022 in the US, it sold for 62 cents per pound on average, compared to around $1.90 for chicken and $4.10 for pork. Pineapple fried rice may indeed be destined for greatness – and viral popularity – driven by the compelling margins it offers restaurateurs.

^https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/youre-telling-me-a-shrimp-fried-this-rice