Asian noodles not just
vary in shape, width and length, but
also in the ingredients they are made
out of. Some are sold dried often in
poly bag or even gift boxes (a common
gift for birthdays) or bundled
up (Japanese style). Dried
noodles sometimes need re-hydrating
or par-boiling in water before use -
whether in soup or stir fried or deep
fried recipes, with the exception of
straight boiling like spaghetti. Noodles
are also sold fresh in refrigerated
section, or frozen (like udon) which
can go straight into a pot.
Asian noodles are eaten hot and cold,
steamed, stir-fried, deep-fried, boiled,
or are served in a soup.The e-fu noodles
Chinese restaurants serve, are fried
noodles cooked in soup. Some are even
fancy and flavored - including infused
with abalone, shrimp eggs, etc.
Overcooking is a common problem in cooking
noodles. Like Italian Spaghetti, we
should retain the integrity of the texture,
so home chefs should test for done-ness
and keep the eyes on that pot. Some
types of noodles should be shocked as
well, to quickly stop that cooking,
and then use for frying.
Fresh rice noodles become stiff when cold, so they are usually sold at room temperature. Fresh Asian noodles will keep for a day or two in refrigerator or upto three months in the freezer, if tightly wrapped.
Various Asian noodles require some preparation before they are used in their
final cooking stage. Click here to find some preparation processes . Also find a handy chart to cook different Asian noodles.
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Chinese
Noodles
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Rice
Noodles
Rice noodles are made from rice flour, water,
and salt. They can be thick or very thin.
The classic Asian dish, Pad Thai, usually
uses rice noodles. |
Chinese
wheat noodles
Wheat noodles can be white or yellow, and stiff or extremely elastic. They vary in sizes; they can be as thin as vermicelli or as thick as fettuccini. They are mostly used in soups.
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Chinese egg noodles
These wheat noodles are made with eggs. Eggs add flavor and color to the noodles. These noodles are used to make chow mein ( in which cooked noodles are formed into a pancake and fried on both sides) and lo mein noodles (in which the noodles are stir-fried along with the other ingredients). Egg noodles are also use to make wontons. They're available fresh, dried, and frozen in Asian markets.
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Cellophane
noodles
These clear noodles are made from ground
mung bean paste. They are very thin, string-like
noodles that become almost transparent when
cooked. Cellophane noodles tend to "absorb"
liquid, so many chefs like to use that in
hot pot, to reduce the soup content and
making the dish flavorful.
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Japanese Noodles
Ramen
Ramen noodles are Chinese noodles made
the Japanese way. They are usually seasoned
with bean paste, soy or salt flavored soup.
They can be topped with meat, bean sprouts
or bamboo shoots.
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Soba
Soba is one of the most common types of
noodles in Japan. It is made from buckwheat
flour and can be served hot or cold. Soba
has a nutty flavor and is also available
in green color, which is produced by adding
ground green tea to the dough when the noodles
are being made.
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Somen
Somen noodles are thin and very delicate.
They are made of wheat flour and oil and
are usually served cold. They are sold dried
and bundled together with a band.
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Udon
Udon noodles are white and the thickest
noodles. They are made by kneading wheat
flour, salt, and water. Udon can be eaten
hot or cold and can be cooked in many ways.
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Korean
Gook soo
A staple of Korea, these flat wheat noodles
resemble fettuccine. They're usually served
in a soup.
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Korean sweet potato
vermicelli
These noodles are made from sweet potato
starch. They are thin long, translucent
and have a chewy texture. They are similar
to cellophane noodles, except they are slightly
thicker and tougher.
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Korean
buckwheat noodles
These Korean noodles are made from buckwheat
flour and potato starch. They are brownish
in color and are translucent. The noodles
are usually eaten cold.
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Malaysia
and Singapore
Hokkien noodles
These egg and wheat-flour noodles are very popular in Malaysia and Singapore. They look like thick yellow spaghetti.
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Filipino
Miswa
These Filipino wheat noodles are very fine
and delicate and are slightly off-white
in color. The dried noodles can be deep-fried,
boiled or added directly to soup
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Pancit Canton
These noodles are dried, yellow and are used to make a dish called pancit. They're made with wheat flour, coconut oil, and yellow food coloring.
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Taiwan
Taiwanese noodles
These noodles are very thin and long. They are generally made with whole-wheat but can be found flavored with yam and green tea.
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