Thick vs thin chow mein
Felix Oscar
what they were. The waitress just said chow mein.
I was surprised because most restaurants have thicker noodles. One
place had thinner noodles and called them Singapore noodles. I prefer
the thinner kind. What's the story?
Steve Wertz
wrote:
Chow mein translates to "fried noodle", thick or thin doesn't
matter. They're both technically chow mein. Singappore noodles
are a pretty common name for the thinner, "vermicelli" noodles.
They're often egg noodles instead of the wheat noodles used to
make the thicker noodled - chow meins.
Outside of CA, chow mein is often called lo-mein, which implies
wheat noodles from what I can tell. Anybody know the difference
between lo-mein and chow-mein?
-sw
Blah
styled. I believe the words means "Picked up Noodle" (the noodles are
usually "picked up" from within the boiling water first) Usually the
egg-noodles are boiled and drained, then topped with cooked
sauce/ingredients. Since it was boiled first, alot of the time, you will
also get the soup with it.
Chow-mein sounds more Mandarin. The words literally mean "Stired Fried
Noodle". So, you can use just about any noodle you want. Usually the
noodle is cooked first (usually with boiling water), and the the noodles are
stir fried toegether with ingredients.
Lo-mein can be a bit softer. Chow mein can be a bit more greasier. They
should be different cookie styles.
"Steve Wertz" <swe...@cluemail.compost.gov.invalid> wrote in message
news:h6edndGY2Ps...@io.com...
Dr. Gee
>I think the words "lo-mein" is from Cantonese, so it's probably more HK
>styled. I believe the words means "Picked up Noodle" (the noodles are
yes, lo means "pick up". (mein = wheat noodle).
>
>Chow-mein sounds more Mandarin. The words literally mean "Stired Fried
>Noodle". So, you can use just about any noodle you want. Usually the
yes, this is correct.
>
>Lo-mein can be a bit softer. Chow mein can be a bit more greasier. They
>should be different cookie styles.
>
strange that you think chow mei is greasier. cause my experience is just the
opposite (lo mein is greasier, drenched in source). but this may be different
from restaurants.
regards,
Pam @ Home
Cort Furniture Rental and Honesty are two exclusive concepts.
Gary &
> I think the words "lo-mein" is from Cantonese, so it's probably more HK
> styled. I believe the words means "Picked up Noodle" (the noodles are
> usually "picked up" from within the boiling water first) Usually the
> egg-noodles are boiled and drained, then topped with cooked
> sauce/ingredients. Since it was boiled first, alot of the time, you will
> also get the soup with it.
Right. Lo-mein is, as far as I know, strictly Cantonese. Lo means to mix
together, and mein without additional modifiers is the thin egg noodle.
Hence lo-mein means boiled egg noodle mixed together with some kind of sauce,
usually meat based. Often served with a soup on the side.
> Chow-mein sounds more Mandarin. The words literally mean "Stired Fried
> Noodle". So, you can use just about any noodle you want. Usually the
> noodle is cooked first (usually with boiling water), and the the noodles are
> stir fried toegether with ingredients.
In Cantonese cooking, chow-mein is crispy pan fried thin egg noodle dish.
I know chow means stir fried, but trust me on this.
So this is how it works in the old country. In the US things are a bit
more complicated.
In the Bay Area, lo-mein is still lo-mein, that is a dish with boiled
noodles topped with a sauce of some kind. Chow-mein is a stir fried noodle
dish, but the noodles are still soft. This is somewhat similar to northern
style chow-mein, except with thin egg noodles instead of thicker white
noodles. If you want Cantonese style chow-mein, you have to order something
called jeen-mein.
This applies if you're going to a relatively authentic place. I have no
idea what you will get if you're ordering at a Chef Chu's or some other
restaurant of that ilk.
I believe in the east coast, lo-mein is called chow-mein. I have no idea
what they would call the equivalent of a Cantonese lo-mein dish out there.
- Gary
axlq
Gary & <t...@VeryDull.COM> wrote:
>I believe in the east coast, lo-mein is called chow-mein. I have no idea
>what they would call the equivalent of a Cantonese lo-mein dish out there.
When I lived east (DC area) I never encountered anything called chow
mein. It was all lo mein.
-A
Louis Cohen
flour. They can also be hand-cut (or spun by hand, which is something to
see) or machine-made.
Noodles can be cooked fresh, or dried and then cooked.
Noodles can be boiled or stir fried or even deep fried (often in a "bird's
nest" to hold some other dish). Dried noodles are always boiled first, I
think.
That said, my experience in the Bay Area is that:
Lo mein is a narrow, boiled wheat noodle
Chow mein is a stir-fried wider wheat noodle (usually like linguini, but in
Shanghai restaurants they have thicker, round noodles). Chow mein Hong Kong
style involves frying the noodles first, in enough oil to really crisp them
up. The veggies, meat, and sauce are served on top of the bed of crisp
noodles (rather than mixed in with them).
Singapore noodles are narrow thin rice noodles ("vermicelli"), stir fried,
with curry, and some roast pork and veggies - it's a particular dish.
Chow fun are rice noodles, usually wide, stir fried. Beef chow fun is a
particular common version and is popular in Thai cuisine as well. The
difference between chow fan (fried rice) and chow fun (fried rice noodle) is
subtle in Cantonese, at least for an untrained Western ear/tongue. If you
order in Cantonese, you may want to confirm which of these the waiter thinks
you said.
Vietnamese restaurants tend to use rice noodles exclusively, especially the
really narrow thin ones.
It is customary to eat soup with really long noodles on Chinese New Year, to
guarantee long life ("Longevity Noodles").
Store-bought wonton skins are a good substitute for ravioli wrappers, if you
don't feel like pulling out your pasta machine.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Louis Cohen
Living la vida loca at N37° 43' 7.9" W122° 8' 42.8"
"Felix Oscar" <tre...@inreach.com> wrote in message
news:22986a60.04070...@posting.google.com...
Steve Wertz
<louis...@alum.mit.edu> wrote:
>Store-bought wonton skins are a good substitute for ravioli wrappers, if you
>don't feel like pulling out your pasta machine.
I use wonton and egg roll wrappers for [almost] everything.
Little fried tacos w/cream cheese, crab rangoon, ravioli, fried
wontons, cinnamon-sugar crisps, fried sausages or hot dogs, cream
cheese puffs, fried pierogis, minature apple turnovers, and just
today: 42 [large] chicken, shrimp, purple cabbage shu mai.
I hate making, rolling, and cutting dough. These things rock.
-sw
Ian MacLure
news:10eh3uc...@corp.supernews.com:
> I think the words "lo-mein" is from Cantonese, so it's probably more
> HK styled. I believe the words means "Picked up Noodle" (the noodles
Isn't "lo" simply "rice"?
So "lo mein" would be "rice noodle".
My chinese is mostly nonexistent so I'm operating by analogy.
F'rinstance "lo mai gai"/"lo mee jee" is something like
"chicken sticky rice"
When something is "chow" its stir fried AFAIK nothing more nothing
less.
IBM
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Ian MacLure
news:22986a60.04070...@posting.google.com:
Noodles come in many different forms and ingredients. There are
wheat, buckwheat, rice, and mung bean forms. There's a Japanese
variety. made from yams. Thick, thin, round, flat, square,
spindle shaped [my favorite and something I rarely see], etc.
Then there are rice cakes which I've seen in Korean and Chinese
dishes. In short, there's a huge variety. Just think how many kinds
of pasta there are and consider the Chinese have been at the noodle
biz far longer than the Italians.
Louis Cohen
"Gai" is chicken in Cantonese. In Mandarin it's more like "ji" (gong pao ji
ding - gong bao or kung pao is the the stirfry with peanuts, ji is chicken
and ding means diced; hence gong bao diced chicken).
Chow is stir-fried.
--
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Louis Cohen
Living la vida loca at N37° 43' 7.9" W122° 8' 42.8"
"Ian MacLure" <i...@svpal.org> wrote in message
news:Xns951DC9D3EE...@129.250.168.14...
PurpleTomato
mai" together means "sticky rice" and in this case, I believe "mai" is the
character for "rice". There are lots of characters in Chinese that sounds
the same but have different meanings. In Mandarin, "sticky rice chicken"
sounds more like "nwoh me ji".
"Ian MacLure" <i...@svpal.org> wrote in message
news:Xns951DC9D3EE...@129.250.168.14...
ian maclure
> In "lo mai gai" (Cantonese?), As Louis said, "gai" is chicken. I think "lo
> mai" together means "sticky rice" and in this case, I believe "mai" is the
> character for "rice". There are lots of characters in Chinese that sounds
> the same but have different meanings. In Mandarin, "sticky rice chicken"
> sounds more like "nwoh me ji".
Lo Mai Gai is the Catonese AIUI.
Lo Mee Jee is the Mandarin.
And, as luck would have it I remembered what the word for
rice ( fan ) was about two seconds after I hit send.
"Lo" is I think usually "white".
What does "Mai/Mee" mean though.
Dr. Gee
the Chinese character "noodle" (mein) means wheat noodle; it has a "wheat"
radical. the ones that are made with rice is not "mein" (but "fun" or
something else)
>
>That said, my experience in the Bay Area is that:
>
>Lo mein is a narrow, boiled wheat noodle
bye now,
Dr. Gee
>On Mon, 05 Jul 2004 23:24:20 -0700, PurpleTomato wrote:
>
>> In "lo mai gai" (Cantonese?), As Louis said, "gai" is chicken. I think "lo
>> mai" together means "sticky rice" and in this case, I believe "mai" is the
>> character for "rice". There are lots of characters in Chinese that sounds
>> the same but have different meanings. In Mandarin, "sticky rice chicken"
>> sounds more like "nwoh me ji".
>
> Lo Mai Gai is the Catonese AIUI.
> Lo Mee Jee is the Mandarin.
yes. more like "nuo mee" (nwoh me) (sticky rice, mi = mai = rice)
bye now,
Tim May
<p...@ieee.org.SPAMMER.BAD.DIE.DIE> wrote:
> the Chinese character "noodle" (mein) means wheat noodle; it has a "wheat"
> radical. the ones that are made with rice is not "mein" (but "fun" or
> something else)
My understanding is that "chow mein" comes from the Germans living
along the Bund in Shanghai, as in,
"Mein chow ist sehr gut." ("My food is very good.")
In other words, mein chow became chow mein when the word order changed.
--Tim May
Ian MacLure
news:ccfqh2$b...@dispatch.concentric.net:
[snip]
> yes. more like "nuo mee" (nwoh me) (sticky rice, mi = mai = rice)
Have to take your word on that one but I've never heard
the "Nuo" before. Always and very clearly "Lo Mee Jee"
( when it wasn't "Lo Mai Gai" )
I've even had the clerk say it slowly for me. Maybe I'm
missing something but I have a reasonably good ear for
pronunciation.
Mai? Isn't that Japanese for "rice"?
A borrowed word perhaps?
Guy Bannis
p...@ieee.org.SPAMMER.BAD.DIE.DIE (Dr. Gee) wrote:
Some Cantonese words can be pronounced starting with an "L" or an "N"
sound. Native speakers understand both.
ian maclure
[snip]
> "Luo Mi Ji" ("Lo Mai Gai") is, essentially, "Luo Mi Fan" with chicken
> added...though, I must say, this doesn't make any fucking sense to me
> as there doesn't ever seem to be terribly much chicken going on.
My first introduction to this dish some 20 years ago
in Montreal leads me to believe that chicken should
in fact be a component. There was a certain consistency
to the recipe in Montreal's Chinatown in any case.
Here and now some places have it that way.
Most have some ground meat and mushroom and a few have
Chinese Sausage as well.
Dr. Gee
>>
>> yes. more like "nuo mee" (nwoh me) (sticky rice, mi = mai = rice)
>>
>> bye now
>
>Some Cantonese words can be pronounced starting with an "L" or an "N"
>sound. Native speakers understand both.
yes. i noticed that some people. nuo is Madarin pronounciation.
bye now,
Dr. Gee
>My understanding is that "chow mein" comes from the Germans living
>along the Bund in Shanghai, as in,
>
>"Mein chow ist sehr gut." ("My food is very good.")
>
>In other words, mein chow became chow mein when the word order changed.
>
never heard of that.
Dr. Gee
>p...@ieee.org.SPAMMER.BAD.DIE.DIE (Dr. Gee) wrote in
>news:ccfqh2$b...@dispatch.concentric.net:
>
> [snip]
>
>> yes. more like "nuo mee" (nwoh me) (sticky rice, mi = mai = rice)
>
> Have to take your word on that one but I've never heard
> the "Nuo" before. Always and very clearly "Lo Mee Jee"
> ( when it wasn't "Lo Mai Gai" )
> I've even had the clerk say it slowly for me. Maybe I'm
perhaps they are speaking Cantonese. "nou mee" is Mandarin for sticky rice. (it's my native language)
> Mai? Isn't that Japanese for "rice"?
> A borrowed word perhaps?
possible,