The chow mein sandwich typically consists of a brown gravy-based
chow mein mixture placed between halves of a
hamburger
A hamburger (or simply a burger) consists of fillings—usually a patty of ground meat, typically beef—placed inside a sliced bun or bread roll. The patties are often served with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, bacon, or chilis ...
-style bun, and is popular on Chinese-American restaurant menus throughout
southeastern Massachusetts and parts of neighboring
Rhode Island
Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...
.
Originating in
Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States census, making it the List of municipalities in Massachusetts, tenth-largest city in the state, and the second- ...
, in the 1930s or 1940s,
the sandwich is not well known outside of a relatively small area of
New England
New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
.
This sandwich was created to provide a low-cost meal in an economically depressed region inhabited by recent immigrants from
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
and
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
while providing it in a form with which they were already familiar.
Even the gravy has been modified to be very similar to that used in typical New England cooking.
These sandwiches are sometimes served outside of Chinese American restaurants by the food services in local area schools
and senior citizens' centers.
Celebrity chef and Fall River native
Emeril Lagasse has also publicized this sandwich,
along with food writers
Jane and Michael Stern.
The sandwiches are served "strained" or "unstrained", referring to whether or not the sandwich has vegetables. "Strained" means that it is served without vegetables. Just like plated chow mein without the bun, the sandwich may also include meats or seafood, usually chicken, beef, or shrimp. The Oriental Chow Mein Noodle Company of Fall River is the regional source for the sandwich's distinctive crispy noodles.
These sandwiches can be found in the cities of
Fall River,
New Bedford
New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast (Massachusetts), South Coast region. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, New Bedford had a ...
, and
Taunton
Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England. It is a market town and has a Minster (church), minster church. Its population in 2011 was 64,621. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century priory, monastic foundation, owned by the ...
in Massachusetts; and in the cities of
Woonsocket,
Pawtucket and
Tiverton in Rhode Island.
Although the sandwich is mostly unknown in nearby
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
,
it was on the menu at the more distant
Coney Island
Coney Island is a neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach to its east, Lower New York Bay to the south and west, and Gravesend to ...
location of
Nathan's Famous in Brooklyn, New York as recently as 2013.
See also
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St. Paul sandwich, a Midwestern American sandwich with Chinese food influence
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American Chinese cuisine
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Bánh mì'', the Vietnamese-French style of sandwich
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List of American sandwiches
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List of sandwiches
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Yakisoba-pan
''Yakisoba-pan'' (焼きそばパン) is a popular Japanese food in which yakisoba, ''yakisoba'' is sandwiched between
an oblong white bread roll resembling an American hotdog bun known as ''koppe-pan''.
This high-carbohydrate food item is essent ...
'', similar Japanese noodle sandwich
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Chow Mein Sandwich
American Chinese cuisine
American sandwiches
Chinese fusion cuisine
Massachusetts cuisine
Noodle dishes