Lo Mein VS Chow Mein!

Many people assume the distinction between chow mein and lo mein dishes is the kind of noodles used. This conclusion makes sense considering that chow mein noodles are delightfully crisp while lo mein noodles are silky smooth. However, what makes chow mein different from lo mein is ••how the noodles are prepared, not the type of noodle used.••

WHAT IS CHOW MEIN?
In general, the term #chowmein refers to fried noodles. More specifically, there are two main types of chow mein dishes:

#steamed chow mein: the noodles are initially flash-fried, then stir-fried while being tossed with additional ingredients like meat or vegetables and coated in a light sauce.
#crispy chow mein: the noodles are pressed flat while frying, creating a pancake-like dish. Any additional ingredients and sauces are layered on top of the noodle pancake.
In both styles of chow mein recipes, the noodles are the true star of the dish. Any extra vegetables or protein ingredients are kept to a minimum so they do not distract from the crunchy noodles. These accompaniments are added to the noodles only after the noodles have been boiled and fried in oil on their own.

Similarly, the sauce in a chow mein recipe is used sparingly. Instead of dousing the noodles with sauce, a chow mein dish allows its crispy noodles to shine without becoming soggy.

Here are some easy #tricks to determine whether you’re eating chow mein:
The noodles are distinctly crispy — in the case of crisp chow mein.
The noodles are oily — in the case of steamed chow mein.
The amounts of protein and vegetables are kept at a minimum.
The sauce is lightly applied and does not overshadow or weigh down the noodles.

WHAT IS LO MEIN?
At its root, lo mein simply refers to tossed or mixed noodles. A lo mein dish most often includes vegetables and some sort of protein, such as chicken, beef, pork, seafood or tofu. In essence, lo mein is a dry variation of traditional noodle soup. To mimic the texture of soup, the chef drowns the noodle dish in a savory sauce.

Lo mein is made with fully cooked noodles that have been boiled and drained. These cooked noodles are added to a wok containing various vegetables and proteins that have already been cooked and tossed in the lo mein sauce. All the ingredients are gently tossed together until the noodles are just heated through. At this point, some extra sauce may be drizzled over the wok to complete the dish.

If you’re unsure whether you are eating lo mein, look for these clues:

The entire dish is generously coated with lo mein sauce to give it a bold, delicious flavor. The noodles are not greasy. The dish includes a considerable amount of veggies and protein, which have been mixed in with the noodles and sauce.

If you confuse chow mein for lo mein and vice versa, you’re not alone. It is easy to see the word “mein” and assume they are the same dish. However, “mein” simply means “noodles,” which means mixing up chow mein and lo mein is similar to confusing tortellini with ravioli — both culinary terms refer to a type of Italian pasta, but they are distinct.

In English, chow mein means fried noodles and lo mein translates to tossed or stirred noodles. Because both dishes are variations of noodles, the main difference in chow mein and lo mein lies in how the noodles are prepared.

main differentiators:

The cooking method: Chow mein noodles are soaked in hot water to soften them up before stir-frying. The process of stir-frying fully cooks the noodles along with the remaining ingredients. In contrast, lo mein noodles are completely cooked before getting mixed in with the meat, vegetables and sauce. Instead of getting stir-fried, the lo mein ingredients are lightly mixed and tossed.
The wok technique: Making chow mein noodles involves using a small amount of oil in a very hot wok to lightly fry the ingredients while stirring briskly. For lo mein, the noodles are already cooked and are simply mixed and tossed with the rest of the ingredients instead of fried.
The sauce: Chow mein is more of a dry noodle dish with an extremely light and delicate sauce — if any sauce at all. Lo mein is a saucy noodle dish that depends on a rich sauce for much of its flavor.
The texture: Chow mein noodles tend to be crunchier than lo mein noodles due to the way they are cooked.
Despite their differences, chow mein and lo mein dishes are both made with Chinese egg noodles, which are wheat flour noodles with egg added. While lo mein requires fresh egg noodles, chow mein can be made with either fresh or dried egg noodles.

feel like having some amazing #streetside chow mein? how about #lomein ? head out to Inchin's Bamboo Garden! OR Inchin's Wok!

✅✅
SUBSCRIBE:
INSTAGRAM:
inchinsbamboo
inchinsbamboowok
WEBSITE:

🐮Find your nearest IBG on HappyCow!

[sarahnadeofpoetry]

Wow, you guys went above and beyond with this! Also very much appreciate the detailed description. It's clear you guys care very much about your craft and aren't just in it for the marketing. I even looked up your locations but am gutted to find you're not in my state. Well, if I ever manage to make it back to California, I know exactly where I'll be eating to cure my jet lag! Cheers for this!

[ghostinthenetworks]

I really dislike all the reading here I would love to of heard your sweet voice explaining things rather than tiny lil captions at the bottom of the screen 🙄

[ErdriedDeirdre]

Then what's the dish that's called chicken Chow mein but there's no noodles you just get a bag of crispy noodles, a lot of vegetables (mostly cabbage) swimming in a pale sauce and you put it over rice? I love this dish but when I order it there's a good chance I'm ending up with the noodle dish.

[Harlem]

Which one comes with the cream of someyunghui?

[RocketRon]

Chow mein does not need noodles, that is Lo Mein (translates to stirred noodles). We also see deep fried noodles on bottom called Chow Mein but again, it is not Chow Mein but rather a dish called "two sides yellow"...even in Hong Kong :)

[Eugene-jw]

Me & my dog love to share Chow Mein, 😂😂😂😂

[serba_serbi]

Special spice fried noodles taste delicious and delicious 😋💞💯 Thank you for the video 🙏

[Novaximus]

honestly I seem to always get a different experience. When looking up the difference, i don't get it. They're both the same thing, in description. It's like going to Taco Bell where it doesn't matter. What ever you get it's still just the same ingredients more or less. They're both noodles with stuff thrown in it. However, sometimes I'll order chow or lo and in one has no noodles at all. I think it's the "chow" that I've had that happen to me. Idk, I never get a straight answer so I'll often wind up just doing chicken nuggets. Oh I'm sorry, Sweet and Sour Chicken they call it. lol ffs.