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Variations by location


eatingwitheddie

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Has anybody noticed that on the East Coast the sweet-and-sour dishes are orange whereas on the West Coast they're red?

This is an important and interesting observation. The differences that have developed in Chinese dishes served in different parts of the country/world.

For example:

Chow Mein is a white sauced dish in some local variations and brown sauced (soy added) item in others.

Duck sauce is a different color/flavor in different parts of the country

And as Fat Guy has pointed out Sweet & Sour is a different color on the east and west coasts. Probably varies in different countries.

Any comments?

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I have found that the sizzling rice has a different sounding sizzle depending on the restaurant. Some of them go 'Sssssss' with a big S and some just quietly go 'sssss.' Any comments on why this happens?

The temperature of the rice makes the difference in the sizzle -- the hotter the more Ssssss. It all has to be popped at the same temp -- just how much cooling takes place before it is moistened.

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In Ontario sweet and sour is reddish-brown, chow mein is brown. Duck sauce is called plum sauce.

Sizzling rice goes SSsssSS(pop)ssSSssssssssss.

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

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Duck sauce is called plum sauce.

Plum sauce is one of those terms that has a different meaning depending upon location and usage. I try to avoid it.

In my experience many people say that Peking Duck is served with plum sauce -- of course they mean hoisin. CONFUSION!

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actually eddie in San Francisco, "Chow Mein" is interpreted as what we in the East Coast refer to as "Lo Mein". Its a stirfried noodle dish.

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actually eddie in San Francisco, "Chow Mein" is interpreted as what we in the East Coast refer to as "Lo Mein". Its a stirfried noodle dish.

Chow mein literally means fried noodle, no? Lo mein is tossed. You can usually get both in the same restaurant. As you can imagine, I got really confused when I moved east from SF...but then I'd never heard of chop suey either. How did something fried end up being called lo?

regards,

trillium

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Aren't different noodles used? Thin for chow mein, thick for lo mein?

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

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Try ordering Shrimp with Lobster Sauce. Most likely you'll get a white sauce with lots of egg white.

I prefer the brown version with black beans sans the egg whites, but finished with an whole egg. Since I'm now far removed from NYC's Chinatown, I make it at home.

PJ

PS If you order Shrimp with Black Bean Sauce you might get what you expected. Or maybe not.

"Epater les bourgeois."

--Lester Bangs via Bruce Sterling

(Dori Bangs)

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Aren't different noodles used? Thin for chow mein, thick for lo mein?

Hmmm. The people I know who have opinions about it think that lo mein should be made with fresh egg noodles that are thin and about 1/4 inch wide (like wonton mein but wider). Thicker ones without egg for chow mein...so I guess it varies.

regards,

trillium

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  • 2 weeks later...

I don't think this is really a regional difference, but I've had what's been labeled "chow mein" as fried crispy noodles with a light brown sauce as well as soft, thin noodles with the same light brown sauce. Will the real chow mein please "stand" up?

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