For many nothing warms the stomach quite like Chinese food (nearly 31 percent of Americans order from a Chinese restaurant at least once a week according to Gitnux). Next to crispy spring rolls piping hot wonton soup and pleasantly chewy fried rice chow mein—along with its slurpable cousin lo mein—are two of the kitchen’s biggest players.
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Lo Mein vs Chow Mein!
To the untrained eye (or should we say taste buds) these dishes appear nearly identical — both feature Chinese egg noodles (made from wheat flour water salt and eggs) bite-sized chunks of meat vegetables and sauce. To further complicate matters they also share strikingly similar names (“mein” is the Chinese word for noodles). And while you could argue that chow mein and lo mein are equally delicious there’s actually a distinct difference between these two dishes and it all comes down to the way they’re cooked. Simply put chow mein refers to stir-fried noodles while lo mein is a dish of noodles tossed and mixed in sauce.
Chow mein has been a staple on our collective chopsticks since the mid-1800s when it was introduced by Chinese immigrants as one of the first examples of American-Chinese cuisine. Early versions made heavy use of vegetables but later meat and sauces were added to please the American palate. Since its arrival chow mein has exploded in popularity appearing on menus across the country (you’d be hard-pressed to find an American-Chinese restaurant today that doesn’t serve some version).
The chow mein that most Americans are familiar with uses fresh or dried noodles that are parboiled and then stir-fried in a wok or pan alongside meat and vegetables then dressed sparingly in a light soy-based sauce. This cooking style is said to have originated in Shanghai and gives the noodles the delightfully springy texture that is the hallmark of the dish.
