What's The Difference Between Lo Mein And Chow Mein?

Both chow mein and lo mein both feature Chinese egg noodles, bite-sized pieces of meat, vegetables, and sauce. However, they are set apart by their distinct cooking processes.

Chow mein was introduced by Chinese immigrants in the mid-19th century as one of the earliest examples of American-Chinese cuisine. Early versions made heavy use of veggies.

Later, the dish embraced meat and sauce to appease American taste buds, which is served with fresh or dried noodles that are parboiled and then stir-fried.

It is then dressed sparingly in a light, often soy-based sauce. This style of cooking is said to hail from Shanghai and gives the noodles their lovely, springy texture.

On the other hand, the American-Chinese style of lo mein takes fresh, fully cooked noodles and adds them to a pan or wok with meat and vegetables that have already been stir-fried.

These ingredients, along with a generous serving of sauce, are then tossed or stirred together, as the final step in the cooking process.

The pre-cooked noodles, combined with the liberal use of a thicker sauce, give lo mein a softer texture than the crunchy, almost dry quality that is characteristic of chow mein.