Lo Mein - Revision history

Admin: [CFWK] Point Lanzhou links to Beef Noodles

2026-09-24T07:39:48Z

[CFWK] Point Lanzhou links to Beef Noodles

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:39, 24 September 2026
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	Soft regional menu map: English names are inconsistent across cities. On some East Coast U.S. menus, “chow mein” implies crisp noodles while “lo mein” means soft tossed strands; West Coast houses may use “chow mein” for soft tossed noodles and use “lo mein” less often. Treat that as restaurant-English tendency, not a national law.<ref name="wpchow">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chow_mein English Wikipedia: Chow mein (regional U.S. naming notes)]</ref>		Soft regional menu map: English names are inconsistent across cities. On some East Coast U.S. menus, “chow mein” implies crisp noodles while “lo mein” means soft tossed strands; West Coast houses may use “chow mein” for soft tossed noodles and use “lo mein” less often. Treat that as restaurant-English tendency, not a national law.<ref name="wpchow">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chow_mein English Wikipedia: Chow mein (regional U.S. naming notes)]</ref>

	Lo mein on English menus is '''not''' identical to every Mandarin ''la mian'' hand-pulled soup noodle category (e.g. [[Lanzhou ~~Hand Pulled~~ Noodles]]); shared romanization confuses visitors more than kitchens.		Lo mein on English menus is '''not''' identical to every Mandarin ''la mian'' hand-pulled soup noodle category (e.g. [[Lanzhou Beef Noodles]]); shared romanization confuses visitors more than kitchens.

	Sauce profiles lean soy-savory; some American Chinese kitchens add a mild sweetness or sesame note, while Cantonese tossed plates may stay closer to oyster-sauce and light soy seasoning with roast meats or wontons as toppings rather than a single mixed stir. Texture goals matter more than a fixed spice map: strands should stay separate and coated, not soupy like wonton noodle broth and not brittle like deep-fried noodle cakes.<ref name="wp" />		Sauce profiles lean soy-savory; some American Chinese kitchens add a mild sweetness or sesame note, while Cantonese tossed plates may stay closer to oyster-sauce and light soy seasoning with roast meats or wontons as toppings rather than a single mixed stir. Texture goals matter more than a fixed spice map: strands should stay separate and coated, not soupy like wonton noodle broth and not brittle like deep-fried noodle cakes.<ref name="wp" />

Admin: [CFWK] Enrich from verified facts (original English)

2026-09-23T08:37:27Z

[CFWK] Enrich from verified facts (original English)

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:37, 23 September 2026
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	{{#seo:		{{#seo:
	\|title=Lo Mein (捞面) - Chinese Food Wiki		\|title=Lo Mein (捞面) - Chinese Food Wiki
	\|keywords=Lo Mein,捞面,Chow Mein,American Chinese		\|keywords=Lo Mein,捞面,Chow Mein,American Chinese,Cantonese noodles
	\|description=Lo Mein are soft tossed wheat noodles popular in Chinese diaspora restaurants, distinct from Chow Mein.		\|description=Lo Mein are soft tossed wheat noodles popular in Chinese diaspora restaurants, distinct from many Chow Mein styles.
	}}		}}

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	\| image = Lo Mein.jpg		\| image = Lo Mein.jpg
	\| caption = Lo Mein		\| caption = Lo Mein
	\| alternate_name = American Chinese lo mein; tossed noodles; soft stir noodles		\| alternate_name = American Chinese lo mein; tossed noodles; soft stir noodles; 捞面
	\| pinyin = Lāo miàn		\| pinyin = Lāo miàn
	\| type = Tossed / stir noodles		\| type = Tossed / stir noodles
	\| course = Main		\| course = Main
	\| country = China		\| country = China
	\| region = Chinese diaspora (esp. American Chinese)		\| region = Chinese diaspora (esp. American Chinese); Cantonese roots of the name
	\| other = Soft tossed wheat noodles; contrast with stir-fried Chow Mein		\| other = Soft tossed wheat noodles; contrast with stir-fried or crisp Chow Mein
	}}		}}

	'''Lo Mein''' (Simplified Chinese: 捞面; Traditional Chinese: 撈麵; Pinyin: ''Lāo miàn'', "scooped/tossed noodles") in English restaurant usage usually means soft wheat noodles tossed with sauce, vegetables, and protein. On diaspora menus it is commonly contrasted with [[Chow Mein]], which may be crispier or more aggressively stir-fried.<ref name="wp">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lo_mein English Wikipedia]</ref>		'''Lo Mein''' (Simplified Chinese: 捞面; Traditional Chinese: 撈麵; Pinyin: ''Lāo miàn''; Cantonese: often romanized ''lo mein'', "scooped/tossed noodles") in English restaurant usage usually means soft wheat noodles tossed with sauce, vegetables, and protein. On diaspora menus it is commonly contrasted with [[Chow Mein]], which may be crispier or more aggressively stir-fried.<ref name="wp">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lo_mein English Wikipedia: Lo mein]</ref>

	== Characteristics ==		== Characteristics ==

	~~Noodles stay~~ soft and ~~sauced~~; wok char is milder than ~~many~~ chow mein ~~plates~~. Sauce is soy-savory~~, sometimes slightly sweet in~~ American Chinese kitchens.		In Cantonese cooking contexts, lo mein typically starts from boiled egg wheat noodles that are tossed with sauce or served with toppings and sauce alongside—not traditionally the same as pan-fried crisp chow mein cakes.<ref name="wp" /> In many American Chinese restaurants, lo mein becomes a soft, soy-savory stir-or-toss plate with cabbage, bean sprouts, and optional meats; wok char is usually milder than aggressively fried chow mein.

			Soft regional menu map: English names are inconsistent across cities. On some East Coast U.S. menus, “chow mein” implies crisp noodles while “lo mein” means soft tossed strands; West Coast houses may use “chow mein” for soft tossed noodles and use “lo mein” less often. Treat that as restaurant-English tendency, not a national law.<ref name="wpchow">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chow_mein English Wikipedia: Chow mein (regional U.S. naming notes)]</ref>

			Lo mein on English menus is '''not''' identical to every Mandarin ''la mian'' hand-pulled soup noodle category (e.g. [[Lanzhou Hand Pulled Noodles]]); shared romanization confuses visitors more than kitchens.

			Sauce profiles lean soy-savory; some American Chinese kitchens add a mild sweetness or sesame note, while Cantonese tossed plates may stay closer to oyster-sauce and light soy seasoning with roast meats or wontons as toppings rather than a single mixed stir. Texture goals matter more than a fixed spice map: strands should stay separate and coated, not soupy like wonton noodle broth and not brittle like deep-fried noodle cakes.<ref name="wp" />

	== Ingredients (overview) ==		== Ingredients (overview) ==

	Fresh or par-cooked egg wheat noodles, soy, oyster sauce, vegetables, optional meat. ~~Not the same linguistic object as every mainland "la mian" hand-pulled noodle soup~~.		Fresh or par-cooked egg wheat noodles; soy; oyster sauce or similar savory seasonings; vegetables; optional meat or seafood. Overview only—not a recipe.

	== History and culture ==		== History and culture ==

	English ~~"lo mein"~~ entered American Chinese restaurant English; related ~~Cantonese~~ tossed-noodle ideas exist, but this page documents the diaspora menu category beside [[Chow Mein]], [[Chop Suey]], and [[Beef Chow Fun]].		English “lo mein” entered American Chinese restaurant English through Cantonese and broader Chinese diaspora foodways; related tossed-noodle ideas exist in Guangdong and Hong Kong restaurant cooking, but this page documents the diaspora menu category beside [[Chow Mein]], [[Chop Suey]], and [[Beef Chow Fun]].<ref name="wp" /><ref name="acc">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Chinese_cuisine English Wikipedia: American Chinese cuisine]</ref>

			Twentieth-century takeout culture fixed lo mein as a soft-noodle counterpart in many house menus even when home cooks in China would simply call comparable plates ''chao mian'' or other local names. Comparing plates across cities is more reliable than assuming one “authentic” overseas template.<ref name="acc" />

			Soft linguistic note: the character 撈/捞 can mean “to scoop from water” in Mandarin teaching contexts, while Cantonese restaurant usage for this dish emphasizes tossing/stirring noodles with sauce. English “lo mein” freezes one Cantonese-facing romanization into a menu category; it does not inventory every tossed-noodle bowl on the mainland.<ref name="wp" />

			Peer diaspora plates that share the same English-menu shelf include [[Egg Foo Young]], [[Singapore Noodles]], and older chop-suey-era mains. When ordering abroad, asking whether noodles are soft-tossed or crisp-fried usually clarifies more than debating Mandarin dictionary glosses.

	== Serving and variations ==		== Serving and variations ==

	Takeout/restaurant main. See [[Chow Mein]] for the usual menu contrast.		Takeout and restaurant main, often with roast pork, chicken, beef, shrimp, or vegetable-only versions. See [[Chow Mein]] for the usual menu contrast; also [[Singapore Noodles]], [[Egg Foo Young]], and [[Beef Chow Fun]].

	== See also ==		== See also ==
	* [[Egg Foo Young]]
	* [[Singapore Noodles]]
	* [[Egg Drop Soup]]
	* [[Sesame Chicken]]
	* [[Mongolian Beef]]

	* [[Chow Mein]]		* [[Chow Mein]]
	* [[Beef Chow Fun]]		* [[Beef Chow Fun]]
			* [[Egg Foo Young]]
			* [[Singapore Noodles]]
	* [[Chop Suey]]		* [[Chop Suey]]
	* [[Hong Kong Food]]		* [[Hong Kong Food]]
			* [[Guangdong Food]]
	* [[List of dishes (A-Z)]]		* [[List of dishes (A-Z)]]

Admin: [CFWK] Round16 P6b: See also +Singapore Noodles, Egg Foo Young

2026-09-22T13:59:54Z

[CFWK] Round16 P6b: See also +Singapore Noodles, Egg Foo Young

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:59, 22 September 2026
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	== See also ==		== See also ==
			* [[Egg Foo Young]]
			* [[Singapore Noodles]]
	* [[Egg Drop Soup]]		* [[Egg Drop Soup]]
	* [[Sesame Chicken]]		* [[Sesame Chicken]]

Admin: [CFWK] Round12 P5 blue-link / See also for new dishes

2026-09-22T11:25:45Z

[CFWK] Round12 P5 blue-link / See also for new dishes

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:25, 22 September 2026
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	== See also ==		== See also ==
			* [[Egg Drop Soup]]
			* [[Sesame Chicken]]
			* [[Mongolian Beef]]

	* [[Chow Mein]]		* [[Chow Mein]]

Admin: [CFWK] create Lo Mein (Round11 P4 dish)

2026-09-22T10:37:03Z

[CFWK] create Lo Mein (Round11 P4 dish)

New page

{{#seo:
|title=Lo Mein (捞面) - Chinese Food Wiki
|keywords=Lo Mein,捞面,Chow Mein,American Chinese
|description=Lo Mein are soft tossed wheat noodles popular in Chinese diaspora restaurants, distinct from Chow Mein.
}}

{{Infobox chinese food
| image = Lo Mein.jpg
| caption = Lo Mein
| alternate_name = American Chinese lo mein; tossed noodles; soft stir noodles
| pinyin = Lāo miàn
| type = Tossed / stir noodles
| course = Main
| country = China
| region = Chinese diaspora (esp. American Chinese)
| other = Soft tossed wheat noodles; contrast with stir-fried Chow Mein
}}

'''Lo Mein''' (Simplified Chinese: 捞面; Traditional Chinese: 撈麵; Pinyin: ''Lāo miàn'', "scooped/tossed noodles") in English restaurant usage usually means soft wheat noodles tossed with sauce, vegetables, and protein. On diaspora menus it is commonly contrasted with [[Chow Mein]], which may be crispier or more aggressively stir-fried.<ref name="wp">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lo_mein English Wikipedia]</ref>

== Characteristics ==

Noodles stay soft and sauced; wok char is milder than many chow mein plates. Sauce is soy-savory, sometimes slightly sweet in American Chinese kitchens.

== Ingredients (overview) ==

Fresh or par-cooked egg wheat noodles, soy, oyster sauce, vegetables, optional meat. Not the same linguistic object as every mainland "la mian" hand-pulled noodle soup.

== History and culture ==

English "lo mein" entered American Chinese restaurant English; related Cantonese tossed-noodle ideas exist, but this page documents the diaspora menu category beside [[Chow Mein]], [[Chop Suey]], and [[Beef Chow Fun]].

== Serving and variations ==

Takeout/restaurant main. See [[Chow Mein]] for the usual menu contrast.

== See also ==

* [[Chow Mein]]
* [[Beef Chow Fun]]
* [[Chop Suey]]
* [[Hong Kong Food]]
* [[List of dishes (A-Z)]]

== References ==

{{reflist}}