Cooking fried rice with that very "roasted" or "nutty" wok scent and taste?

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Originally Posted by Eddie1

You may be thinking of "Maggi" seasoning, can get at Cao Nguyen Market...makes everything better.

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Maggi liquid is genius for adding to leek soup. I think the company is one of the huge German conglomerates, and while it looks like soy sauce, it tastes like if Worcestershire jumped in an umani blend. Great for Belgian cooking.

I wonder if OP ever figured out if sesame oil was the missing ingredient?

To me, good fried rice has a nutty flavor (I suspect from sesame oil) and a charred flavor, which comes from the super hot wok. I've only tasted the charred flavor from a commercial kitchen.

It's probably sesame oil, like others have pointed out, but in moderation.
Also, if you're using an electric range, find a good stainless steel skillet or wok. Pre-heat it - can't stress this enough, at about level 4, or at about the 7 o'clock mark on the dial (just under medium heat). Let it pre-heat until drops of water thrown on it turn into "dancing beads." That means it's hot enough. Add oil first, let it just come to a slight smoke, and then add the rice and stir it around. Don't move the pan off the element much if at all. (Same technique as making and omelet with stainless steel cookware, minus the butter.)

Wok hei (wok's breath) is most likely to what you are referring. Here's a method for approximating the effect