It’s a Chinese restaurant staple: chow mein. This dish is usually on any Chinese restaurant menu and although it sounds Chinese, it’s really one of those dishes for Americans. does mean “whMein eat noodle” in Chinese, and chow mein is generally served with noodles. There are as many chow mein recipes as there are cooks, but in general, chow mein is a stir-fried dish containing meat and Chinese vegetables, all in a soy sauce-based brown sauce.

Chow mein does have its roots in Chinese peasant cooking, with its emphasis on vegetables and stir-fry preparation. However, it has been somewhat westernized by Chinese cooks who realized most Americans wouldn’t touch what native Chinese people eat. As Chinese restaurants began popping up in the United States, chow mein became a popular dish.

One of the distinctive features of chow mein is those crispy noodles. Whether the smaller crunchy noodles found in a can, or the fried egg noodles in restaurants, the crispy noodles are what people expect to find in chow mein. Most people call the same mixture with soft noodles lo mein.

Chow mein is one of those dishes that most cooks can make at home. And, with frozen Chinese vegetables readily available, it becomes even easier. The cook usually makes a sauce with soy sauce, water, cornstarch and oil, but some cooks recommend marinating the meat in soy sauce as well. Cooks wanting a more “authentic” flavor, may also throw some fish sauce and oyster sauce into the mix. These sauces are rather like soy sauce and are available in most Asian markets, and some Asian food aisles in the supermarket. A little goes a long way.

The cook then stir fries the meat and sets it aside while cooking the vegetables through. The meat and sauce are returned to the pan and all warmed through. The chow mein is then served with crispy noodles. Chow mein noodles from a can, incidentally, have a number of non-Chinese-food uses. They are often used in Christmas candy like haystacks to give crunch and a slightly salty taste.

There is no “wrong” way to make chow mein. The cook is free to substitute and tinker with the ingredients in any recipe — and there are many online. This makes chow mein a healthy and flavorful alternative for a family.