According to my favorite resource, Nationaldaycalendar.com, National Fried Rice Day is celebrated on September 20th every year. Guess which company is behind this day. Of course, Benihana, the restaurant chain that uses 2,720,350 pounds of California grown rice each year. And why would Benihana want this day to be nationally celebrated? Well, to paraphrase Nationaldaycalendar.com: Benihana believes that high quality rice isn’t just another side dish. They believe that it is the foundational element of every meal.