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History of Lo Mein
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Before spreading to other parts of the world, wheat is thought to have originated in the Middle East. Chinese wheat pasta is known as lo mein noodles. Pasta is thought to have originated in China circa 5000 B.C. C. By 300 A.D., the Chinese were producing goods resembling noodles made from whole grain wheat paste. D. Lo mein noodles developed from these wheat product predecessors.
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In Europe, pasta came in various forms by the third and fourth centuries A.D. D. In 4 A, Arab traders created trade routes connecting China, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. D. These long-distance trade routes are thought to have brought noodles to Europe. When visiting Sicily in 1138 A.D., the Arab geographer Idrisi wrote about a pasta that resembled threads, known as “triyah.” D. Famous explorer Marco Polo returned to Italy with pasta that he had discovered in the court of Chinese emperor Kublai Khan in 1295. These ancient pasta varieties gave rise to the spaghetti that is consumed in the West today.
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Round lo mein noodles look veeeeery similar to spaghetti:
Spaghetti 
Lo mein 
The primary distinction in terms of ingredients is that lo mein noodles contain eggs, while dried pasta (presumably) does not.
I am aware that the Chinese restaurant I’ve eaten at a shopping mall food court at least once uses spaghetti for their lo mein. Its kind of obvious, but its not bad. I find that the bite of lo mein is usually chewier and denser than that of spaghetti. In a pinch, spaghetti will make a tasty noodle dish. It wont quite be lo mein, though.
I would suggest giving it a try and seeing what you think. Be careful to not over-cook your spaghetti.
I usually use whole wheat spaghetti when I make this. Regular spaghetti is too mushy for Lo Mein. Additionally, spaghetti costs about $1 per pound at a typical grocery store, while lo mein costs about $4 for half a pound.
The main distinction between many Asian noodles and Italian noodles, particularly wheat-based noodles like lo mein, is that the latter are frequently treated with alkalies like lye-water or alkali salts (potassium/sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate), while the other answers appear to have concentrated on the eggs. This may intensify the noodles’ natural yellow pigments, if any g. , if egg yolks are used), but more crucially, it has a big impact on how the cooked noodles taste. Alkali noodles have a distinctly springy texture, while Italian noodles are designed for an al dente texture. They are simultaneously soft and doughy, yet springy and resilient. Achieving that texture is nearly impossible from non-alkali noodles. Another alkali noodle that could be used to mimic that texture is ramen, which is more widely available at most supermarkets these days and is similar to the cousin of lo mein.
Serious Eats has a very good article on the subject.
It is also relatively easy to make your own alkali noodles at home. You probably already have all of the ingredients necessary: baking soda, water, flour, and optionally whole eggs. Here is a good instructional video.
Its almost the same thing.
Dry pasta is eggless
fresh pasta has egg
Dry Egg Noodles have egg.
You can buy egg noodle spagetti.
Use regular dried spaghetti if you’re vegan, and your “lo mein” won’t contain any eggs. To achieve a more “lo mein-like” texture, cook the pasta first, then add the dried spaghetti and let it absorb all the moisture in a manner similar to that of cooking rice.
Since spaghetti is less expensive, many Asian restaurants in the US do use it. People dont know, and do not notice.
Fresh pasta vs. dry pasta does not mean it contains egg. Egg is simply a choice; it’s more common in Europe than it is in the US, fresh or dry. I dont know about stores in Asia.
It can be very difficult to find fresh or dry pasta with egg in the US, even in Asian grocery stores. Most contain either natural or chemical food coloring (yellow 5) or turmeric; egg powder or fresh eggs are rarely used.
This is where so many people are misinformed! In addition, since you are in South Carolina rather than California or the Northeast, good luck locating Asian egg noodles that contain eggs!
While the article from Serious Eats that was just mentioned is generally excellent, I don’t think it’s accurate to say that sodium carbonate is the cause of the yellow color or “hue.” It is primarily used because, among other things, it can fix dye, but it is not the dye itself. The actual issue is the extremely difficult to avoid Yellow 5 (E102), which is completely ignored in the article; naturally occurring but occasionally acceptable alternatives are beta-carotene or turmeric.
Returning to the spaghetti, I find that the best method is to thoroughly dry the pasta and then quickly cook it on high heat in the pan by itself before combining it with the remaining ingredients at the end. Let’s meet halfway by tossing the lo mein, frying the chow mein, and attempting to stay away from bucatini—instead, try experimenting with thin spaghetti for once. (Note: Compared to thick or regular spaghetti, bucatini and thin spaghetti are more difficult to find.) ).
Forget about the eggs; save your worries for the day you make your own fresh pasta to use in your next Italian meal or German spaetzle.
Noodles were invented in Asia, and for thousands of years, people have experimented with the recipe. Every area and even every home in Louisiana has a unique gumbo recipe. In Asia, there are thousands of distinct noodle recipes, but noodles are essentially the same in every recipe. Simply put, give it a shot and see if you enjoy it. Happy cooking!.
I adore the texture of Pappardelle, so I’m going to use it (it contains egg). After boiling until tender, they will be drained and combined with garlic in olive oil. I’ll add some carefully fried, well-drained, and finely chopped Applewood bacon. I also like a bit of soy sauce. It’s kind of like my interpretation of Lo mien in Chinese or Italian. Add lots of black pepper and parmesan cheese. if you like. Bon Appetite!.
It’s true that spaghetti works well for making pan-fried noodles, and it’s also less expensive. First, cook the spaghetti according to the recipe, taking care not to overcook it. It’s that easy: drain the noodles, pat them dry, and then cook them. Additionally, you can change the cooking time as necessary to achieve the desired results.
Yes you can! Use thin spaghetti or angel hair. I have made pancit out of spaghetti noodles several times. Where I live yellow Asian noodles are hard to find.
I use thin spaghetti that I pan-fry with garlic and maybe some red pepper flakes to make it crisp. Sesame seeds in oil prior to the noodles appear to lessen sticking.
Or oven crisp with a little oil. Just plain spaghetti doesnt sound very good.
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