Yakisoba has been a staple food in Japanese cuisine for centuries. Though it possesses many similarities to another popular Asian dish we all know as chow mein, including its name, Yakisoba translated as fried noodles and Chow Mein translated as sauteed noodles, it enjoys its own set of key differences from its western neighbor.
The most noticeable differences between yakisoba and chow mein lie in the sauce and the noodles. Yakisoba sauce is similar to that of tonkatsu sauce, which is sweeter and has a slight tartness. And though the name suggests use of soba noodles, a type of Japanese noodle made using buckwheat, yakisoba is more commonly found prepared using ramen style noodles. But just as is the case of chow mein, yakisoba can be prepared in an infinite amount of ways using different vegetables and meats and complementary garnishes such as dried seaweed and shredded ginger.
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