Asian Noodles: Udon, Ramen, Soba
Introduction to Asian noodles from Ramen to Soba to Vermicelli
In the Asian world, the simple noodle is not so simple: from broad noodles to vermicelli, from soba to ramen, there's a plethora of them.
Oodles of Noodles:
In this lesson, we'll cover the most common noodles that are used in Japanese, Chinese and Southeast Asian cooking.
Noodles cut a wide food swatch across Asia: hawker stands, noodle bars and noodle vendors are as common, if not more, than Starbuck's or McD's. It's a good thing too!
WHEAT NOODLES
Originally, from China, these are the oldest kind of noodles. Directions are for dried noodles.
Japanese Udon: Made into round, square, or flat shapes and often served hot in dashi broth and sometimes stir-fried. Dried udon should be boiled for 3-5 minutes. Be sure to skim the excess foam on top and rinse to remove starch at the end.
Japanese Somen: An everyday, thin and white noodle traditionally served cold with a dipping sauce. Boil for 3 minutes and follow the skimming and rinsing method described above.
Ramen Egg Noodles: Crinkled and pale yellow, these are a Japanese version of the Chinese wheat noodle.
Chinese Wheat Noodles: Usually sold in nests, which equal one serving. Boil for 3 to 5 minutes.
Shanghai Noodles: Made from wheat alone or wheat and egg dough, looking similar to Ramen. Boil for 3 minutes.
Hokkien Noodles: Thick and pale yellow, often served in Malaysia. Used for stir-fry or a substitute for Shanghai noodles. Boil for 3 minutes.
RICE NOODLES
Prevalent in South-East Asia, often served in soups or cold.
Fine Rice Vermicelli (banh hoi): Rinse in cold water and cook for 1 minute.
Thin Rice Vermicelli (bun): Usually used in soups and spring rolls. Boil for 1 to 2 minutes.
Rice Ribbon Noodles (ho fun): Can be used in Vietnamese pho soups. Soak in hot water for 15 minutes and boil or stir-fry for 1 minute.
OTHER NOODLES
Chinese Bean Thread: Made from mung bean flour, often called glass noodles and available in various thicknesses. Soak in hot water 15 minutes and then drain and boil or stir-fry for 1 minutes.
Japanese Soba: Made from buckwheat and what floor or yam potato starch. Used in soup or chilled and served with dipping sauce. Boil 4 minutes.
Korean Naeng Myun:A chewier version of the soba and paler in colour. Composed of a blend of buckwheat flour, potato starch and cornstarch. In Korean, it means "cold noodle" which is the most common way of serving it. Boil for 5 minutes.
Stay tuned for noodle recipes to come! Check out some of my other noodle recipes in the meantime including Thai Steak with Somen Noodles.
