The name "chop suey" first originated in the 19th century as an anglicizing of the the Cantonese tsaâp suì which meant ‘mixed bits’.
Because chop suey does not appear on many "traditional" Chinese menus, the dish is popularly considered to be an Americanization. Some even claim that it was first a Japanese chef who made chop suey. It is likely that neither story is true.
It is more likely that chop suey first originated in the region of southern China known as Toisan as an easy way to prepare leftovers, much like the burrito in Mexico. Chinese people had no "proper" name for what was essentially leftovers. For much the same reason it would not be featured on any menus in a restaurant. When the Chinese began immigrating to North America to work on the railroad, chop suey was one of the things that was made and the dish was given a name.
Served over rice, chop suey is essentially chow mein minus the noodles.
If you desire to consume chop suey, you can either follow DMan's recipe or find it as a canned good in the "ethnic aisle" of your local supermarket.
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