Every now and then I like to dig in and compare “old school” dishes that most people have heard of but would have a hard time telling you what exactly they are and how they are different. Today, we will dive into a couple stir-fry staples of the American-Chinese cuisine; Chop Suey and Chow Mein.
We will shine some light on these classics of the American-Chinese restaurant scene and point out their similarities and differences.
Table of Contents
Chop suey is a type of stir fry dish containing a variety of sprouts, vegetables, eggs and meats. When stir-frying, ingredients are cooked in oils in a wok over high heat, stirring constantly. It is a quick cooking method, perfect for a busy household or a bustling restaurant. The chop suey is finished in a sauce, then served over rice or noodles.
It does not have one clear cut list of ingredients making it a great solution for leftovers.
While not as widely seen on menus as it once was, you can still find chop suey in plenty of Chinese restaurants across the country and around the world.
History of Chop Suey
Like many dishes, chop suey doesn’t have a clear story of origin. There are a few different people that claim to have invented it.
One story says that chop suey was invented by a tired Chinese cook in San Francisco during the 1849 gold rush, who put together a dish made of leftovers to feed his hungry patrons.
Other versions credit Chinese diplomat Li Hongzhang with the invention. In 1896, during a visit to the United States, the diplomat asked his chef to prepare a dish for his American visitors that showed off Chinese cooking techniques but still catered to American palates.
Whatever the true origin story, we know for sure that chop suey was invented in the United States and is a symbol of the innovation and fusion cooking that characterizes Chinese restaurants in America.
Chow mein is a dish of stir-fried vegetables and noodles. The vegetables (sometimes with pieces of meat and tofu) are finely chopped and stir-fried in a wok. They are cooked down in a chow mein sauce, usually made of soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, cornstarch, and sesame oil.
Meanwhile, the chef boils the noodles. Once the noodles are almost done, the chef adds them to the stir-fry and finishes cooking them along with the vegetables and the sauce. The noodles can be left slightly soft or fried until crispy.
While sometimes they can be very similar, there are some general differences between chop suey and chow mein.
A big difference between the two types of stir fry is how they originated. Chop suey is a relatively new dish that was invented by Chinese chefs in the United States. The roots of chow mein go back far longer. People in northern China have been eating dishes of stir-fried noodles called “ch’ao mien” going back many centuries.
Chow mein has to be served with noodles, otherwise it is a completely different dish. Chop suey is usually served over rice, but you can serve it over noodles as well.
Many chefs also only use vegetables in their chow mein. On the other hand, chop suey recipes often differ widely depending on who is cooking and what ingredients are available.
Final Thoughts on the Difference Between Chop Suey and Chow Mein
Both chow mein and chop suey are stir-fried dishes with vegetables popular on Chinese takeout menus. However, they have different origins and often use different ingredients. Our goal with each article is to continue to broaden your culinary world by enriching your culinary expertise.
Chow mein has to be served with noodles, otherwise it is a completely different dish. Chop suey
Chop suey
Chop suey (usually pronounced /ˈtʃɒpˈsuːi/) is a dish from American Chinese cuisine and other forms of overseas Chinese cuisine, generally consisting of meat (usually chicken, pork, beef, shrimp or fish) and eggs, cooked quickly with vegetables such as bean sprouts, cabbage and celery. Chop suey.
Chow mein is typically made with thin, wheat-based noodles, while chop suey is made with a variety of vegetables and meats in a thick sauce. #chowmein #chowmeinnoodless #chinesefood #chineseamericanhistory #chowmeinhistory #noodles #eastcoastchowmein #fyp #trending my go to chinese order has always been chow mein.
Chop Suey – a saucy chicken stir fry loaded with tender pieces of chicken, vegetables and smothered in Chinese brown sauce just like you get at the best Chinese restaurants! Use any vegetables you want in this quick and easy stir fry.
Difference between American Chopsuey and Chinese Chopsuey
The American Chopsuey is sweet and sour with a bright orangish-red colour. It is like a one-pot macaroni pasta meal cooked with beef and vegetables in a sweet tomato sauce. Whereas the Chinese Chop Suey is savoury and spicy, served with rice or noodles.
The biggest difference between chow mein and lo mein lies in the translations of their names: chow mein is fried, and lo mein is tossed. The experience is somewhat different between the two. Lo mein tends to be saucier and more toothsome, with a texture some describe as “slippery” because of the noodles' softness.
noun. chop su·ey chäp-ˈsü-ē : a dish made chiefly from bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, onions, mushrooms, and meat or fish and served with rice and soy sauce. Etymology. from Chinese (dialect of Guangzhou and Hong Kong) jaahp seui, literally, "odds and ends"
What is Chow Mein? Chow mein is a stir-fry noodle dish that is made in many different variations, but typically made with noodles, cabbage, celery, green onions, and garlic. Traditional chow mein is made with fried noodles but often it is prepared with boiled lo mein, chow mein, or yaki-soba noodles.
Chop suey can be healthier if it's made with steamed vegetable and rice opposed to chow mein made with fried noodles. You can, of course, alter the chow mein using boiled noodles for a better option.
American chop suey is an American pasta casserole made with ground beef, macaroni and a seasoned tomato sauce, found in the cuisine of New England and other regions of the United States. Outside New England it is sometimes called American goulash or Johnny Marzetti, among other names.
Origins. Chop suey is widely believed to have been developed in the U.S. by Chinese Americans, but the anthropologist E. N. Anderson, traces the dish to tsap seui (杂碎, "miscellaneous leftovers"), common in Taishan (Toisan), a county in Guangdong province, the home of many early Chinese immigrants to the United States.
The dish is designed to use any available ingredients to prevent waste. While there are many variations of chop suey, the dish typically consists of one type of protein (usually either chicken or pork) with an assortment of stir-fried vegetables and a gravy-like sauce. Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu.
With chow mein, you cook noodles and add them to your wok of other ingredients, cooking everything together in one pan. However, with a chop suey recipe, you will cook the noodles or rice and other ingredients separately before combining them in a bowl, serving up the noodles or rice with the sauce served over the top.
Mein gon (面干 miàn-gān), informally referred to as crunchy noodles or crunchy chow mein, are a type of noodle-shaped cracker (or dried biscuit) used in American Chinese cuisine.
Chop suey and lo mein offer contrasting eating experiences. Chop suey is typically served without noodles and features a mix of crunchy vegetables and tender proteins, providing a satisfying contrast of textures that range from crisp to soft. On the other hand, lo mein is known for its smooth and silky noodles.
In China, a chop suey is a simple vegetable stir fry with sauce. When this came to India, it was Indianised and served with crispy fried noodles - a genius addition that takes this stir fry to another level. The best chop suey is served fresh, with the vegetables still crunchy.
In the American market, two types of chow mein include crispy chow mein and steamed chow mein. The steamed chow mein has a softer texture, while the former is crisper and drier. Crispy chow mein uses fried, flat noodles, while soft chow mein uses long, rounded noodles.
Introduction: My name is Msgr. Refugio Daniel, I am a fine, precious, encouraging, calm, glamorous, vivacious, friendly person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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