Imagine you’ve never tried Chinese food, or it’s your first time at an Asian restaurant. You get nervous when the server gets to you and asks what you’ll take. With this article, you won’t have to worry anymore.
I have prepared a guide to chow fun vs mei fun, which will teach you both how to distinguish these two different dishes but also how to order the one you’d like. In fact, I will teach you all about both of these rice noodle dishes.
Both of them are quite popular, and if you’ve read the ingredient list or seen pictures in the menu, you would probably know that both of them are relatively healthy. This is because they have rice noodles in them.
But, not to make this guide too long, it’s time to see the differences between chow fun and mei fun noodles. There are some, and I am sure you will be able to tell them apart in no time, even without seeing both of these Chinese dishes.
Know The Chow Fun Vs Mei Fun Basics
This article is here to compare one of the few gluten free Chinese dishes out there, or chow fun vs mei fun. Stay tuned to learn more about both of them here.
What Is Mei Fun Noodles?
Mei Fun Noodles is a type of traditional Chinese noodle dish, usually served with soy sauce and sesame oil and made with thin rice noodles with meat, vegetables, and sauce.
These noodles have become increasingly popular in China as well as other parts of the world due to their flavor profile which combines sweet, sour, salty, spicy, and savory tastes all in one bite.
The dish can be found at many restaurants across Beijing as well as in other major cities around the world, such as Los Angeles, where it has been very successful. It’s made by frying wheat flour dough, and then add the noodles to boiling water for a few minutes before draining them with cold water.
The most well-known recipe for these noodles comes from Singapore, and most Chinese restaurants serve this variation.
Whats Chow Fun?
Chow Fun noodles are served in a stir fry with vegetables and meat, typically served with a thick, dark soy sauce. Needless to say, they are a traditional Chinese dish.
The noodles are made by cooking rice noodles and then frying them to make them crispy. They are made from rice flour and egg, these noodles have a flat, wide, and thin shape.
Chow Fun noodles are typically served in soup or with stir-fried vegetables or meat. They can also be eaten as a side dish in place of rice.
They are not the same as Chow Mein noodles which are made from egg whites and wheat flour instead of whole eggs and wheat flour. In fact, beef chow fun is the most popular option, and it is made with scallions and with high heat.
These flat noodles go with veggies and meat but are not similar to lo mein noodles, Guangzhou noodles, and other mein recipes. All Asian cuisines have a variation, from Cantonese recipes to northern china, and all have a chow fun recipe.
4 Ways Of Finding The Difference Between Chow Fun And Mei Fun
When it comes to the chow fun vs mei fun battle, here are the statistics with a visual guide:
1. Ingredients
The mei noodles are a little thicker than chow mein and are often served stir-fried in soy sauce with a variety of ingredients, such as eggs and bean sprouts. Chow fun is known for wide rice noodles and beef.
The chow fun noodles are made from wheat flour and water, which are then cooked with eggs and other ingredients. The mei fun noodles are made from rice flour and water, which are then steamed with other ingredients.
2. Noodle size
Chow fun noodles are wide, flat and straight, while mei fun noodles are thin and round. The noodle in chow fun is thicker and wider, while the noodle in mei fun is thinner and narrower.
The thickness of noodles can be used to differentiate between the two dishes, since Chow Fun noodles are thicker than Mei Fun noodles.
3. Preparation
The preparation of the dish is what makes it different. Chow fun is made with wide rice noodles, stir-fried with dark soy sauce, and garnished with green onions and bean sprouts. Mei fun noodles are made from wheat flour, stir-fried with light soy sauce, and garnished with bean sprouts.
The thin rice noodles are prepared in a wok and in vegetable oil. This is why chow fun has a chewy texture than mei fun does.
4. Origin
Mei fun noodles originated in Shanghai and were brought to Hong Kong by Chinese immigrants who had migrated to Hong Kong during the late 1940s and 1950s. Chow fun, on the other hand, is a traditional Chinese dish that probably originated in Northern China.
Chow Fun Vs Mei Fun Comparison
| Type of noodle | Origin | Preparation | Ingredients | Noodle size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chow fun | China | Boiled and stir-fried | Meat and veggies | Thick rice noodles |
| Mei fun | Hong Kong | Stir-fried | Veggies | Thin rice noodles |
What Is In Mei Fun?
The main ingredients in mei fun noodles are rice flour, salt, cornstarch, and water. The dough is then stretched into thin sheets before it is cut into individual portions. The dough can also be deep-fried if desired.
The dish itself is made up of rice noodles, shrimp, eggs, chicken breast, vegetable oil, and bean sprouts. It is usually served with a spicy sauce and chili paste. It is also common to add some vegetables, such as bok choy or choy sum, to the dish.
If you’d like, look for a classic or traditional mei fun recipe when making the thin noodle. The noodles are made by kneading flour, eggs, salt, and water together into a dough. Then the dough is cut into small pieces and put into boiling water to cook them until they are soft.
The eggs are mixed with salt and soy sauce and then scrambled in a wok before they are added to the noodles with some green onions. The dish can be topped with soy sauce or vinegar to taste as well as some chili oil if desired.
Is Mei Fun Healthy?
The debate about the healthiness of Mei Fun has been going on for a long time. Some people say that it is unhealthy and should be avoided. However, others think that it is not as bad as people make it out to be.
In this article, I will explore the arguments for and against Mei Fun in order to find out whether or not Mei Fun is healthy. First of all, let’s look at the arguments for Mei Fun being unhealthy. One argument is that food contains a lot of sugar which can lead to obesity and diabetes.
Another argument is that it contains high levels of sodium which can cause high blood pressure over time. Finally, another argument is that it contains plenty of carbohydrates which can lead to weight gain if consumed too much in one sitting.
If we look at these arguments closely, we will see that they are not necessarily true or backed up by substantial evidence because there are many other foods with just as much sugar as Mei Fun.
When it comes to the nutritional value of these dried noodles and their condiments, they are perfectly combined with dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, curry powder, hoisin sauce, seasonings, and marinades.
Not all of them are healthy, but if you minimize them, you will be able to taste the dish. Of course, when you can’t marinate your meat, use bell peppers in their place, or mix the noodles with hot water to make a soup.
What Does Mei Fun Mean?
Mei Fun means rice vermicelli noodles in Chinese, referring to the small noodles they are known for in chinese cuisine. Not egg noodles or wide rice noodles, but thin noodles.
Mei Fun noodles are a type of Chinese wheat noodles that are served in soup, with toppings such as shrimp, beef, and vegetables. The name Mei Fun can be translated as “beautiful noodles” or “beautiful threads”. They are called this because they are long and thin.
They can be made from rice or wheat flour, which is mixed with water to form a dough. The dough is then rolled out into thin sheets before being cut into the desired shape and boiled in water until cooked through.
Simple Singapore Mei Fun Recipe To Make At Home
Ingredients
• 50 g Roasted pork
• 50 g shrimp
• 2 eggs
• 200 g Angel hair or rice vermicelli noodles
• Onions, carrots, bell peppers, and other veggies to your liking
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
Preparation
1. To simply and easily prepare the noodles, bring water to a boil and soak for 2 to 5 min the noodles. While the noodles rest, cut the meat and the rest of the ingredients and whisk your eggs and the sauce mixture.
2. Heat up the wok and oil, dump the eggs and fry. Then, add the meat for 20 sec and then the cut ingredients and stir for 30 sec, then add your noodles. When serving, serve with sauce.
You could also watch this video for a guide:
What Is In Chow Fun?
This recipe is a Cantonese dish that is popular in the United States. It is made with rice noodles, bean sprouts, and various vegetables. It also includes soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce or light soy sauce, and chili oil or chili paste.
The chow fun noodles are a type of wide, flat rice noodles that are stir-fried in soy sauce and oyster sauce-based sauce. They are usually topped with vegetables and meat.
The ingredients that go into the making of the chow fun noodles include rice noodles, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, salt, sugar, and vegetable oil. The vegetables added to the dish can be onion or garlic cloves. The meat can be shrimp or beef.
The ingredients for chow fun are very simple and easy to find. The most important one is the rice noodles which can be found at any Asian grocery store or supermarket.
Is Chow Fun Healthy?
The Chow Fun dish can be healthy if it is made with fresh ingredients and served in moderation. But the dish can also be unhealthy if it contains too much oil and salt, which will increase the bad cholesterol levels in the body.
Chow Fun is a type of rice noodle that is very popular in Cantonese cuisine. It is a dish that has been around for many years, and it is one of the most popular dishes in Hong Kong.
The noodles are long and thin, and they are made from rice flour and tapioca starch. They are usually served with beef, chicken, shrimp, or roast pork. The sauce can be either brown soy sauce or black bean sauce. Chow Fun can be eaten as an appetizer or as a full meal.
There are many people who believe that Chow Fun is healthy because it contains some vegetables like carrots and celery, but there are also people who believe that this dish is not healthy at all because it contains MSG, which makes it very salty.
What Does Chow Fun Mean?
The literal translation of Chow Fun is “fried rice noodles” or big noodles. Of course, this compares them to small mei fun noodles.
Chow Fun is a popular street food in Hong Kong and Taiwan. The noodles are made from rice flour and are usually served with a sauce, such as soy sauce or oyster sauce, and vegetables.
In China, the term “chow fun” means “stir-fried rice noodles.” The word “chow” means stir-fry or fry in Cantonese, and the word “fun” refers to any type of noodles, especially rice noodles.
Simple Beef Chow Fun Recipe To Try For Dinner
Ingredients
• 1 lb of Beef, chopped into thin strips
• 1 tbsp of cooking oil
• 2 tbsp of soy sauce
• 2 tsp of oyster sauce
• 2 tsp of sesame oil
• 1 tsp of sugar (optional)
• 8 oz dried rice noodles, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes and drained.
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 red pepper, diced
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tsp of cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp of cold water to make a slurry
Preparation
1. Mix together your sauce and whisk together the eggs, cornstarch and light soy sauce until smooth. Add beef strips and mix well.
2. Heat up a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add cooking oil to the pan then add the meat mixture. Stir fry for about 2 minutes before adding the rest ingredients (except noodles). After stir frying for up to 8 minutes, your meal should be done.
You can also try and make this traditional beef option:
Is Chow Fun Similar To Lo Mein?
No, there are many differences between chow fun and lo mein, and not just when it comes to noodles. They have different ingredients, types of noodles and origins.
There are a lot of misconceptions about chow fun. Some people assume that it is the same thing as lo mein. Chow fun noodles are usually wider and thicker than lo mein noodles, but also a different texture, flavor, and cooking method.
One of the dishes that I found in China was called lo mein, which is an Americanized Chinese dish. While chow fun is a Cantonese dish that can be found in Hong Kong.
Chow Fun is wider and has a soy sauce or Hoisin sauce. Lo mein is thinner and made from egg or wheat noodles. Also, the first one has meat while the other does not.
What Is Chow Fun Sauce Made Of?
The ingredients of this sauce generally include soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine vinegar. It’s perfect to marinate chicken as well as add to a rice noodle dish.
This sauce is a type of stir-fried rice noodle dish that originates from the Teochew region in southern China. A lot of people are curious about what the ingredients of this popular sauce are and how it is made. This article will answer that question for you!
Some restaurants make their own Chow Fun Sauce or they buy the premade one from grocery stores. The most common brands are Lee Kum Kee which has a dark brown color with an aroma that resembles soybean oil or oyster sauces.
Another brand is Kikkoman, which has a deep brown color with an aroma resembling vinegar, and Golden Mountain, which has a light brown color with an aroma resembling rice wine.
Know Mei Fun Vs Chow Fun
I hope this article taught you what the difference between chow fun vs mei fun is, and that you chose your Chinese noodle dish. They sure are fun, not just what their name is. The noodles perfectly go with their traditional ingredients.
In fact, these fun dishes are quite similar, and regardless of which type of noodle dish you order, be it from Vietnam or Thailand, I am sure you will love it.