- The noodle was invented in China and brought to Europe and Italy by explorers. Its popularity there grew immediately and soon people were making their own noodles, typically from semolina or eggs. The Chinese soft noodle was the original noodle used in Chinese cuisine, and it was called chao mian (mian is Chinese for noodle). As Westernized Chinese food was brought to America, though, crispy noodles were used for what is now known as chow mein.
- Chow mein is a popular dish because it can be made with so many ingredients. Chinese restaurants can add their own flavorings or twists on this dish to make it their own. Since it is so well known, it is available in almost any restaurant and customers can easily identify it even if they can't relate to any other dish on the menu. The dish has also spread to other cultures and countries that have Chinese food, including Canada, India, the Bahamas and Angola.
- The dish can be made with pork, chicken, shrimp, scallops, beef or a combination of a few or all. To add to the variety there is crispy or dry chow mein, and soft noodle chow mein, depending on the type of noodle used. In each case a variety of ingredients are thrown into the mix. The only difference is the texture of the noodle and how it is prepared. Crispy noodles are fried until crispy after being cooked.
- Chow mein is soft egg noodles that are stir fried with other ingredients. Many restaurants use cabbage, snow peas, celery, broccoli and salted pork as staples in their chow mein, adding the meat chosen by the customer to the dish upon order. Soy sauce is mixed in to give a spicy flavoring.
- Chow mein will change from state to state in the U.S. and even from block to block within a city. Chow mein at one restaurant can be entirely different than at another one in the same city. But in the United States, the typical preparation is with soft noodles boiled and stir fried in soy sauce with your choice of meat. In Canada, chow mein is made with more bean sprouts and there is a Cantonese style that is made with a thicker sauce and deep fried egg noodles. India also has chow mein that is more tailored to vegetarians and served with a gravy. It is also available with paneer in New Delhi.
