What Is Chow Mein?
These stir-fried noodles can be tossed and topped with veggies, proteins and more.
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Chow mein is a hearty comfort dish that’s been in the United States since the 19th century. Usually whipped up in a giant wok, it’s made up of bouncy, al dente strands of wheat noodles tossed with bite-sized pieces of protein and vegetables. There are myriad ways to flavor chow mein— with any sort of protein, with lots of vegatables or dressed with a dollop of gravy.
What Is Chow Mein?
Chow mein is a dish of stir-fried Chinese-style noodles that can be served with proteins, vegetables or gravy.
Chow mein is the English derivative of the word chau meing and comes from the Taishan dialect of Chinese. Chau means stir-fried and meing means noodles. The noodles are usually parboiled and then finished off in a hot wok, where they’re combined with aromatics, protein, and crunchy vegetables. It works beautifully as a stand alone dish or served family-style.
History of Chow Mein
Stir-fried noodles have long been a staple throughout Asia, a quick way to use up leftovers and create a filling meal without much effort. The first iterations of chow mein in America were brought over by Chinese immigrants in the 19th century, who mostly came from Taishan, a Cantonese-speaking region in southern China. The original variations were dressed with a miscellanea of kitchen sink veggies like cabbage, onions, mushrooms, or celery. Eventually, to cater to the average American palate, chunky bits of meat and gravy were added. Today, chow mein is a popular staple in the broad canon of Chinese American dishes.
It’s one of the few dishes just as popular in China as it is in America. Whereas variations in the States are varied—dependent on the whims of the restaurant or the clientele—chow mein in China is more specific depending on the region. In Hong Kong for example, long string-like strands of egg noodles are shallow fried in oil until crisp, then topped with seafood (usually shrimp, squid, bite-sized chunks of tilapia) and crunchy vegetables like carrots and peas for texture. In Shanghai, thick wheat noodles are flavored with piquant strands of scallions and then coated in a delectable soy sauce-based dressing.
Chow Mein vs Lo Mein: Understanding the Differences
Lo mein means stirred noodles in Cantonese and it is sometimes considered a variation of chow mein. Typically speaking, lo mein is saucier and the noodles aren’t crispy; whereas the sauce for chow mein tends to be more mild and thin, lo mein sauce is dark, thick, and sticky.
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How to Make Chow Mein
Making chow mein is relatively easy, as long as you have your mise en place set up. The noodles have to be par-boiled first and the proteins and veggies cut to bite-sized pieces so they don’t weigh down or overpower the noodles. Prioritize crunchy vegetables like bell peppers, bean sprouts, and carrots. Next, there should be a base sauce, which usually consists of soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, chicken broth, and a touch of corn starch. The corn starch acts as a thickener and helps bring everything together.
Then it’s a matter of putting together the dish. There are a number of ways to do this, but for a simple progression, heat up a wok over high heat then cook the protein and vegetables. Add in the noodles and toss until the noodles are crispy and dry. Finally, drizzle in the sauce and mix to combine. It’s important to do this over high heat so the noodles don’t absorb too much liquid and get soggy.
If you’d like, you can also crisp up the noodles first in a shallow layer of oil, then set it to the side on a serving plate. Cook proteins and veggies separately, mix in the sauce thoroughly, then pour everything over the crispy noodles.
Recipes For Chow Mein
There are countless ways to make chow mein. Here are some tried-and-true recipes.
Teri Lyn Fisher
This simple, vegetable-forward chow mein is quick and easy to whip up.
Renee Comet
If you prefer a meatier chow mein, give this chicken, shiitake mushroom, and celery rendition a whirl.
If you’re confident with your wok skills and want to try a recipe that is a little bit more advanced, this Hong Kong-style chow mein is not only crispy, but packed with flavor.
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