The secret to flavorful lo mein is a balanced, robust sauce with oyster, sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and sesame oil.
Also other secrets to flavorful lo mein is proper protein marination through velveting with soy sauce, egg white and cornstarch, and also achieving some char or wok hei by cooking ingredients separately at high heat before you combine the ingredients and using fresh noodles and not overcrowding the pan.
The sauce to use for lo mein is a savory, slightly sweet, umami rich sauce which coats the noodles.
The sauce to use for lo mein is made from a base of soy sauce, oyster sauce and sesame oil and is thickened with cornstarch and also balanced with sugar, and often also includes garlic, ginger and sometimes even dark soy sauce for color as well as Shaoxing wine for depth.
The sauce for lo mein creates a rich glaze that clings to the noodles and other ingredients in lo mein.
Good sauces to use for lo mein are Panda Express Chow Mein Noodle sauce, House of Tsang classic stir fry sauce, Burman's stir fry sauce and even Kikkoman stir fry sauce.
The kind of noodles that are used in lo mein are fresh and chewy Chinese egg noodles that are often found in the refrigerated section of your grocery store.
The egg noodles that are commonly used in lo mein are yellow, wheat based egg noodles that are often labeled as lo mein noodles and are in the refrigerated section of Asian markets and larger grocery stores and they have that classic and chewy texture.
Gefen Ramen Noodles Oriental Style, Simply Asia Chinese Style noodles, Manischewitz fine es and even Ka-me Wide Low Mein noodles are also good and can be bought at Walmart.
You can also use linguine noodles for lo mein.
linguine noodles are a great and convenient substitute for traditional egg noodles that are used in lo mein.
Many recipes and home cooks also use linguine noodles with success for quick and tasty meals including in lo mein, although if you use linguine in lo mein the texture will be slightly different and more Italian style al dente than the springy Chinese noodles that are used in lo mein.
Other closest noodles to low mein is chow mein, udon, yakisoba and even pancit noodles.
Chow mein noodles are very similar in ingredients and texture to lo mein.
Yakisoba noodles are excellent substitutes for lo mein noodles and are often found fresh in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.
Udon noodles are thick and chewy wheat noodles that also work great for heartier dishes as well as low mein.
Pancit noodles are another Chinese wheat noodle that is similar in feel to lo mein.
And even Ramen noodles without the seasoning are good noodles that are also close to lo mein and the dried, straight kind of Ramen noodles can also work well.
You can also use regular spaghetti noodles for lo mein, although using regular spaghetti noodles instead of lo mein noodles will result in a slightly different less chewy and springy texture.
To get a better texture when using regular spaghetti noodles for low mein, cook the spaghetti noodles until dente and add a pinch of baking soda to the boiling water, which will mimic the alkaline noodles that are used in authentic low mein.
The difference between lo mein noodles and chow mein noodles is that lo mein noodles are boiled and then tossed with sauce as well as other ingredients for a nice chewy texture, and chow mein noodles are stir fried longer and can also be crispier than lo mein noodles,
Chow Mein means fried noodles, which results in crispy and drier noodles and Lo Mein means tossed noodles, which keeps the noodles soft and saucy.
Also when it comes to the difference of chop suey vs chow mein, chop suey is more about the saucy stir fry served with a carb and chow mein focuses on noodles as the base.
Chop suey is also a Chinese American stir fry that is made of mixed ingredients like veggies and protein, in a thicker and gravy like sauce and is often served over rice or sometimes crispy noodles.
Chow mein is a stir fried noodle dish in which noodles are cooked with meat and vegetables, in a thinner sauce.
Chow mein is also more traditionally Chinese and chop suey is an American creation and not Chinese creation.
Chow mein is also considered to be one of the signature dishes in Chinese cuisine, and chop suey is an American creation, which utilizes Chinese cooking techniques.
Chop suey ingredients include a mix of proteins like pork, chicken and sometimes shrimp, a variety of different vegetables like carrots, cabbage, celery, bell peppers, mushrooms, cauliflower, bean sprouts, baby corn, snow peas, aromatics like garlic and onions and a savory sauce that is made from soy sauce, broth and cornstarch for thickening, and is often served over noodles or rice.
Chop suey's beauty also lies in the flexibility of Chop suey, allowing for many variations with different meats, seafood and fresh or even canned vegetables.
Chow mein, which is a stir fried noodle dish consists of egg noodles, a savory sauce like soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar, garlic, ginger and various different vegetables like cabbage, celery, carrots, often with added protein, like chicken or shrimp, which creates a flavorful mix of soft and also slightly crispy textures.