Why are chinese noodles called lo mein on the east coast and chow mein on the west coast?

Question

On the east coast if you order chow mein they will give you chop suey with crunch noodles to sprinkle on top

Answer 1

Those above who have stated that it is the method of cooking, not the type of noodle that is the difference.

There are different ways to make chow mein. Crispy noodles have been popular with US take-out Chinese restautrants and canned chow mein. Soft noodle are found in more authenic Chinese restaurants. Some restaurants also offer Hong Kong style chow main served over deepfried very thin noodles.

"Both lo mein and chow mein are made with Chinese egg noodles - wheat flour noodles with egg added.

The main difference between lo mein and chow mein lies in what happens to the noodles before they are combined with the other ingredients. In chow mein, the noodles are fried separately. Usually, the fried noodles are combined with the meat, vegetables and other ingredients in the wok at the end of cooking.

Noodles destined for a dish of lo mein skip this separate frying stage. In fact, the noodles may not undergo any further cooking at all: it is common to serve the parboiled noodles in individual bowls at the table and pour the other ingredients over top. Alternately, the noodles may be quickly tossed with the sauce and other ingredients in the wok before serving.

Since the real star of any lo mein dish is the sauce, it's not surprising that Lo Mein recipes often use more sauce than chow mein recipes. Frequently, the sauce is thickened with a cornstarch and water mixture before being combined with other ingredients."

Answer 2

Chinese has many different type of noodles. Your so called lo mein the cooking method is by boiling then put sauce and ingredients something like spagetti. Chow mein is a common fry noodle. Overall both are different type of food nothing to do with east or west coast.

Answer 3

well, these are two different types of dishes. But they are not different because of where they are served. lo mein literally means "mixed/tossed noodles" and that is when you use a pulled noodle (usually flour) and lightly stir fry with some spring onions. If I remember correctly, this is a native Beijing dish. Chow mein is literally "Fry noodle" and it is thin egg noodles dressed with soysauce and stir fried to cook and then in the last part, they will deep fry it so that the top forms a sort of "shell". This dish is native to Canton or Hong Kong. If you order both in a resteraunt and recieve the same thing, it could just be that the resteraunt have either gotten the names mixed up (because they are that familiar with english) or they just wanna make either one sound more appealing. Personally i like both!

Answer 4

Chow Mein noodles and Lo Mein noodles are different. It's not an East/West coast thing.

Answer 5

Know your noodle vocabulary

People frequently assume that the main difference between lo mein and chow mein is the type of noodles that are used. It makes sense - after all, chow mein noodles are crisp while lo mein noodles are soft, right? Actually, the main distinction between these two popular dishes lies in how the noodles are prepared



Both lo mein and chow mein are made with Chinese egg noodles - wheat flour noodles with egg added. The noodles need to be softened in boiling water before cooking. Dried noodles are parboiled in boiling water for 5 to 6 minutes before using, while fresh egg noodles only need to be boiled for 2 to 3 minutes.

Answer 6

They are different noodles. Chow mein are much thicker.

chow mein noodles Notes: These egg and wheat flour noodles are used to make chow mein, in which the cooked noodles are formed into a pancake and fried on both sides. Substitutes: Hong Kong noodles OR Chinese egg noodles OR Chinese wheat noodles

lo mein noodles = Cantonese noodles = Cantonese-style noodles Notes: These popular Chinese egg noodles are often used to make lo mein, in which the noodles are stir-fried along with the other ingredients. They come in various sizes; use the flat ones for stir-fries and the round ones for soups. They're available fresh, dried, and frozen in Asian markets. Substitutes: Chinese egg noodles OR fettuccine OR Chinese wheat noodles

Answer 7

"lo Mein" is literally braised noodle in Chinese and "Chow Mein" means Stir fried noodle, tends to be dry and without any sauce.

I don't live in the US, but I guess you may notice the difference in cooking methods and presentation from east and west coast.

Answer 8

That's not the name of the noodles. Chow Mein is a food invented in San Francisco by the Chinese Ambassador's chef. If you add water to it it would be labeled a meat and vegetable soup. The chow mein noodles act like crackers in the meat and vegetable soup.

Lo mein is a type of spaghetti noodle which is best served wet.

Answer 9

actually Lo mein and chow mein are Cantonese style staples made by egg-noodle, which is popularly chosen for staple in the south China, Guangdong province ( including HK and Macao). They differentiate in the way of cooking. lo mein is kidda braised noodle mixed with sauce, while chow mein is stir-fired noodle. They should be different kinds of dishes.

Answer 10

They are supposed to be two different ways of cooking noodles.
"Chow mein" in Chinese means "stir-fried noodles" ("Chow ": to stir fry something. "Mein": noodles.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chow_mein

"Lo" in Chinese means "to scoop something out of water"
In American Chinese restaurants, lo mein is a popular take-out food. In this setting, Lo mein noodles are usually stirred with brown sauce (a sauce made from soy sauce, corn starch, sugar, and other seasoning), carrots, bok choy or cabbage, onions, and shrimp, roast pork, beef, or chicken. Lobster Lo mein, vegetable Lo mein, and "House" Lo mein (more than one meat) are often available. Lo mein and Fried rice are often the only dishes sold without white rice, and is normally more affordable than other dishes.

Lo mein in Hong Kong, unlike other lo mein elsewhere, is not stir fried. It is almost identical to a regular boiled noodle soup with various toppings, except that the broth is served separately in a bowl. This bowl of broth is distinguishing as Hong-Kong lo mein.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lo_mein

Therefore, to certain extent, "Chow mein" and "Lo mein" are interchangeable. However, if you really want the Hong-Kong style boiled noodle, you have to say "Lo mein, please!" .

Hope this will help for your next order :-)