Difference Between Chow Mein, Lo Mein and Chop Suey? Uncovered
Chow mein, lo mein, and chop suey each have their own unique characteristics. Let's talk about their differences below!
Differences in Cooking Methods
Chow Mein: Stir-Fry to Aroma
The essence of chow mein lies in the "stir-fry". First, cook the noodles until they are 80 - 90% cooked, then drain them thoroughly. Next, heat a pan and add oil. Put in side dishes such as green vegetables, carrots, onions, ham, etc., and stir-fry until they are almost cooked. Then add the noodles and stir-fry quickly. Finally, add seasonings such as soy sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, etc., to let the noodles fully absorb the flavors. Throughout the process, you need to be quick to prevent the noodles from sticking to the pan.
Lo Mein: Drain and Mix to Taste
The key to lo mein lies in "draining" and "mixing". After the noodles are cooked, drain them and place them in a bowl. Pour in the pre-prepared sauce, such as soy sauce, vinegar, minced garlic, chili oil, peanut butter, etc., and mix well. The side dishes for lo mein are relatively simple. Common ones include shredded cucumbers, bean sprouts, green vegetables, etc. It can also be served with meats like barbecued pork or roasted duck.
Chop Suey Noodles: Stew and Combine
Chop suey noodles are like a big "hodgepodge" pot. Various ingredients are usually cooked or stewed together. The noodles can be added after being cooked, or raw noodles can be put directly into the soup to be cooked. Its ingredients are extremely diverse, including meats, vegetables, and soy products. Usually, it is stewed with stock or sauce to make the noodles fully absorb the flavor of the soup.
Characteristics of Flavors
Chow Mein: A Blend of Chewiness and Roasted Aroma
The noodles in chow mein are cooked to 80 - 90% done, resulting in a chewy texture. After stir-frying, the surface of the noodles has a slight roasted aroma and absorbs the flavors of the side dishes and seasonings, creating a rich flavor profile.
Lo Mein: Smooth and Refreshing
The noodles in lo mein are cooked a bit softer, offering a smoother and more delicate texture. Since they are directly mixed with sauce, the noodles easily absorb the sauce's flavor, and the overall taste is fresh and not greasy.
Chop Suey Noodles: Soft, Glutinous, and Rich
The texture of the noodles in chop suey noodles is between that of chow mein and lo mein, mostly soft and glutinous. Because they are cooked in the soup, the noodles absorb a lot of the soup, resulting in a rich flavor.
Appearance
Chow Mein: Golden and Appealing
Chow mein is usually golden in color. After stir-frying, the surface of the noodles is slightly caramelized, and when combined with colorful side dishes, it is very attractive.
Lo Mein: Fresh and Simple
Lo mein has a fresh appearance. The noodles are mostly white or transparent, and the color of the sauce depends on the seasonings used. For example, noodles mixed with soy sauce are dark brown, while those with sesame paste are brown.
Chop Suey Noodles: Colorful and Diverse
Chop suey noodles have a rich and varied appearance, with a riot of colors due to the many ingredients added. The color of the soup also affects the overall visual impression. For example, curry chop suey noodles are golden yellow, and tomato chop suey noodles are red.
Ingredient Combinations
Chow Mein: Flexible and Diverse
The ingredient combinations for chow mein are flexible. Common side dishes include green vegetables, carrots, onions, ham, eggs, etc. For meat, you can choose pork, beef, chicken, or even add seafood.
Lo Mein: Fresh and Simple
The side dishes for lo mein are relatively simple. Common ones are shredded cucumbers, bean sprouts, green vegetables, etc. Meats can include barbecued pork, roasted duck, fried eggs, etc., presenting an overall fresh style.
Chop Suey Noodles: Abundant and Inclusive
Chop suey noodles have the most diverse ingredients. You can add almost any ingredients you like. Common ones include potatoes, carrots, onions, green vegetables, tofu, beef, pork, shrimp, squid, etc. After stewing, the ingredients become soft and glutinous.
Use of Seasonings
Chow Mein: Rich and Varied
Chow mein uses a rich variety of seasonings. Common ones include soy sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, chili sauce, ketchup, five-spice powder, etc. Depending on different tastes and side dishes, you can flexibly adjust the types and proportions of seasonings.
Lo Mein: Highlighting Freshness and Sourness
Seasoning for lo mein is relatively simple, mainly highlighting the freshness and sourness of the sauce. Common seasonings are soy sauce, vinegar, minced garlic, chili oil, peanut butter, sesame paste, etc. The sauce is usually prepared in advance before being mixed with the noodles.
Chop Suey Noodles: Seasoned by Soup
The seasonings for chop suey noodles mainly rely on stock or sauce. Common ones are chicken stock, bone broth, ketchup, curry paste, etc. The choice of seasonings depends on the style of the chop suey noodles. For example, add curry cubes to make curry chop suey noodles and ketchup for tomato chop suey noodles.
Cooking Styles
Chow Mein: Strong Flavors and Convenience
Chow mein has a strong and rich flavor. It is suitable for people who prefer strong flavors and a variety of side dishes. It leans towards the style of Chinese fast food, with quick service, making it a popular choice for many people's breakfast or late-night snacks.
Lo Mein: Light and Delicate
Lo mein has a light and refreshing style, suitable for those who like light and smooth textures. It focuses on the quality of the noodles and the preparation of the sauce, giving a fresh and natural feeling, and is suitable for savoring carefully.
Chop Suey Noodles: Diverse and Shared
Chop suey noodles have rich and diverse flavors, with both thick soups and a variety of ingredients. It is suitable for people who are willing to try multiple ingredients and flavors. It is also suitable for family gatherings or sharing among friends.
Which Has More Vegetables: Chow Mein or Chop Suey?
Chop suey has more vegetables.
Chow mein mainly features noodles, and a certain amount of vegetables are added as ingredients, but generally not too many. Common vegetables in chow mein include onions, cabbage, shredded carrots, bean sprouts, green peppers, or Chinese chives.
In short, in chow mein, vegetables are just side ingredients, with a relatively low proportion.
Compared with chow mein, chop suey focuses on vegetables, with meat or seafood as secondary ingredients, and a high proportion of vegetables. Common vegetables in chop suey include cabbage or Chinese cabbage, bean sprouts, carrots, green peppers or colored peppers, celery, bamboo shoots, onions, mushrooms, etc.
Chop Suey or Chow Mein: Which Is Healthier
Determining which is healthier between chop suey and chow mein requires an analysis based on the actual situation.
From the perspective of ingredients, chow mein is mainly based on noodles, and vegetables and meat can be added to enrich the nutrition. However, after stir-frying, it has relatively high oil and calorie content. In contrast, chop suey mainly consists of various vegetables, with some meat and seafood added. Relatively speaking, it is low in carbohydrates and high in fiber.
Secondly, in terms of the amount of cooking oil used, some oil is added during the stir-frying of chow mein, resulting in a relatively large amount of oil consumption. Especially for American-style crispy noodles, the oil content is even higher. Chop suey, on the other hand, mainly involves stir-frying followed by thickening, with a relatively small overall amount of oil used.
In addition, nutritionally speaking, the ingredients such as chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, or tofu paired with chow mein can provide a certain amount of protein, but the main energy still comes from the noodles. Chop suey, which is mainly composed of vegetables, paired with lean meat, chicken, shrimp, etc., not only has a high protein content but also relatively low calories.
Moreover, there is a rich variety of vegetables in chop suey, such as celery, carrots, mushrooms, and bean sprouts, which have a high dietary fiber content. This not only gives a strong sense of fullness but also is beneficial for digestion.
Therefore, if you want to eat healthier, it is recommended to choose chop suey. However, this does not mean you can't eat chow mein. You can make chow mein a healthier choice by using whole wheat noodles, reducing the amount of oil, and increasing the amount of vegetables.
