aem > writes:

> Same for bean sprouts, never in the rice, almost
> essential for the chow mein.......

Wow! I thought I was the only one who insists on bean sprouts in my
chow mein.

Bean sprout-based chow mein used to be the norm. When I was a kid,
every dish of chow mein from every Chinese restaurant I ever ate at,
and there were many, was basically bean sprouts and other great
veggies --water chestnuts, snow peas, onions, baby corn, etc-- dished
over crispy fried noodles. Later, as an adult, when I moved to the
SFBA, the largest Chinese population on the West Coast, I never saw a
bean sprout ever again. Chow mein was now always pan fried noodles
(basically limp greasy spaghetti) with a few (very few!) veggies mixed
in. If I even mentioned bean sprouts, the resto ppl looked at me like
I'd ordered bbq'd baby lips! What the Hell happened?

I thought is was all me. One of the largest newsgroup threads I ever
instigated was on ba.food and was about chow mein. I argued tooth and
nail for days against an overwhelming majority who claimed chow mein
IS ALWAYS pan fried noodles. Chow mein means noodles in Chinese, yada
yada. I even went to old restos I knew as a kid, if they still existed.
Nary a bean sprout in sight. I began to doubt my sanity.

I finally found one lone restaurant, where my dad lives, that still
serves bean sprout chow mein over crispy noodles. I am vindicated!
One other questionable source still does that particular combination.
Unfortunately, it's canned. Yes, Chung King! Ick.

Now, if I want it my way with my beloved bean sprouts, I gotta make my
own ...and I do.

nb