There have been several theories about its origin but most probably, the dish came about because early Chinese miners and railway workers cooked together whatever vegetables and meats they had; in other words, “a little of this and that”. The Mandarin words for chopped up odds and ends are “tsa sui,” close enough to “chop suey.” These noodles are dry, which means they can be stored for around 12-18 months if kept in a cold and dry place.

COOKING

Simmer the noodles in boiling water for approximately 3-5 minutes, stir and loosen noodles, then drain and rinse with cold water. They are now ready to use either in soup or for frying. Noodles in Soup: Once the noodles have been prepared following the directions above, they can be cooked in soup stock. To this can be added vegetables, meat, Chinese dumpling and /or wonton.
Fried Noodles: Once the noodles have been prepared according to the directions they can be stir-fried with vegetables and meat.