Chow mein

Chow mein
Chow mein
Chow mein 1 by yuen.jpg
Traditional Chinese 炒麵
Simplified Chinese 炒面
Literal meaning stir-fried noodles

Chow mein (Chinese: 炒麵 or 炒面, Mandarin: chǎomiàn, "fried noodles") is a Chinese term for a dish of stir-fried noodles, of which there are many varieties.

Contents

Etymology

The pronunciation chow mein comes from the Taishan dialect of Chinese, spoken by immigrants from Taishan to America. In Taishanese, it is pronounced chāu-mèing. The lightly pronounced Taishanese phoneme /ŋ/ was taken to be /n/ by English speakers.

American Chinese cuisine

Chicken cube chow mein
Subgum chow mein
HK Arena Sunday AsiaWorld Expo Food Soy Sauce chow mein

In American Chinese cuisine, it is a stir-fried dish consisting of noodles, meat (chicken is most common but pork, beef or shrimp can be used), onions and celery. It is often served as a specific dish at westernized Chinese restaurants.

There are two main kinds of chow meins available in the market: 1) Steamed chow mein, and 2) Crispy chow mein, also known as Hong Kong style chow mein (see below). The steamed chow mein has a softer texture, while the latter is crispier and drier. Crispy chow mein uses fried, flat noodles, while soft chow mein uses long, rounded noodles.[1]

Crispy chow mein has either onions and celery in the finished dish or is served "strained", without any vegetables. Steamed chow mein can have many different kinds of vegetables in the finished dish; most commonly including onions and celery but also sometimes carrots, cabbage and mung bean sprouts as well. Crispy chow mein is usually topped with a thick brown sauce, while steamed chow mein is mixed with soy sauce before being served.[2]

There is a regional difference in the US between the East and West Coast use of the term "chow mein." On the East Coast, "chow mein" is always the crispy or Hong Kong style. The steamed style using soft noodles is a separate dish called "lo mein". On the West Coast, "chow mein" is always the steamed style, the crispy style is "Hong Kong style".

The crispy version of chow mein can also be served in a hamburger-style bun as a Chow mein sandwich.

Chow mein is mentioned as early as 1920, in the novel Main Street by Sinclair Lewis.[3]

Canadian Chinese cuisine

Canadian westernized Chinese restaurants may offer up to three different types of chow mein, none of which is identical to either of the two types of American chow mein. Cantonese style chow mein contains deep-fried crunchy golden egg noodles, green peppers, pea pods, bok choy, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, shrimp, Chinese roast pork (char siu), chicken, and beef, and is served in a thick sauce. Plain chow mein is similar to other Western chow meins but contains far more mung bean sprouts; some recipes may be up to one-half bean sprouts. In Canada, Hong Kong style chow mein is similar to plain chow mein but is always served on a bed of deep-fried crunchy golden egg noodles.

Indian Chinese cuisine

Chow mein is also common in Indian Chinese cuisine, having been introduced by the Chinese of Calcutta. It is usually offered Hakka or with gravy. Catering to vegetarian diets, there is an Indian variant, vegetable chow mein, which consists of noodles with cabbage, bamboo shoots, pea pods, green peppers, and carrots. In the New Delhi area, chow mein can sometimes include paneer with the mixture of noodles and vegetables.

Caribbean Chinese cuisine

Many West Indian people include chow mein in their cuisine, especially peoples from islands like Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica which include a significant ethnic Chinese population; much of the cooking has infused itself into the population in general. As well, in the South American country Guyana the culture and cuisine is similar to the Caribbean's. These chow mein dishes are cooked in a similar manner, with green beans, carrots, peas, onions and sometimes other vegetables. Meat used is mostly chicken and sometimes pork and/or shrimp. The main difference is that local spices are added, and the dish is often served with hot Scotch bonnet peppers and/or pepper sauce.

In Cuba, aside from the foreign owned tourist hotels which often serve Western-style Chinese food, local Chinese restaurants can be found in Havana that offer a distinct Cuban style.

Nepali Chinese cuisine

Tibetans who settled in Nepal brought chow mein with them. Arguably it is the second most popular fast food of Nepal.[citation needed] The Newari people of the Kathmandu Valley use water buffalo meat in their cuisine, and chow mein in Nepali is often cooked with onion, vegetables and buff (water buffalo meat).

See also

References


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Chow mein — ist ein Nudelgericht der chinesisch amerikanischen Küche in den USA, das es in ähnlicher Form als chǎo miàn (chin.: 炒面) auch in der chinesischen Küche gibt. Die amerikanische Version besteht aus im Bündel knusprig gebratenen Nudeln mit Fleisch… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Chow mein — Chow mein. El Chow mein (escrito en chino tradicional: 炒麪 o 炒麵 en chino simplificado …   Wikipedia Español

  • chow mein — [ˌtʃau ˈmeın] n [U] [Date: 1900 2000; : Mandarin Chinese; Origin: chao mian, from chao to cook in hot oil + mian dough ] a Chinese dish made with meat, vegetables, and ↑noodles …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • chow mein — [ ,tʃau meın ] noun uncount a Chinese meal consisting of NOODLES (=long thin pieces of pasta) cooked in oil with small pieces of meat and vegetables …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • Chow-Mein — [tʃau me:n] das; [s] <aus chin. ch ao mien zu ch ao »braten« u. mien »Mehl, Teig, Nudeln«> chines. Gericht aus Huhn auf gebratenen Fadennudeln …   Das große Fremdwörterbuch

  • chow mein — 1903, Amer.Eng., from Chinese ch ao mien fried flour …   Etymology dictionary

  • chow mein — chow mein′ [[t]meɪn[/t]] n. coo a Chinese style dish of steamed or stir fried vegetables and chicken, shrimp, etc., served with fried noodles • Etymology: 1900–05, amer.; < Chin chǎo fry +miàn noodles …   From formal English to slang

  • chow mein — ► NOUN ▪ a Chinese style dish of fried noodles with shredded meat or seafood and vegetables. ORIGIN Chinese, stir fried noodles …   English terms dictionary

  • chow mein — ☆ chow mein [chou΄ mān′ ] n. [Chin ch ao, to fry + mien, flour] a Chinese American dish consisting of a thick stew of meat, celery, bean sprouts, etc., served with fried noodles and, usually, soy sauce …   English World dictionary

  • chow mein — [[t]tʃa͟ʊ me͟ɪn, mi͟ːn[/t]] N UNCOUNT Chow mein is a Chinese style dish that consists of fried noodles, cooked meat, and vegetables. ...chicken chow mein …   English dictionary

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