Chow Mein

chow mein one of a pair of prominent Chinese-American dishes, the other being the somewhat similar chop suey. Mariani (1994) notes that the term first appeared in print in 1903.

Chow mein is related to and takes its name from chao mian, a Chinese dish consisting of previously boiled noodles stir- fried with meat and vegetables. There is, however, an important difference. In chow mein the noodles are deep fried in bundles, which are crisp and brittle when they emerge; whereas in the Chinese dish the noodles are soft.