What are noodle made out of?

Rice noodles are usually made from just rice and water. They come in varying shapes and sizes, from thin rice vermicelli, to rice stick noodles (used in pad Thai) and large, flat rice noodles. They are usually available dried in cellophane packaging.

How do you cook rice noodles?

Rice noodles can simply be covered with boiling water until just tender. Rice vermicelli only needs 2 minutes, thicker or wider noodles may take a few minutes longer, so test every minute.

Try these recipes with rice noodles:

Egg noodles

Get the recipe: Teriyaki Beef Noodles

What are egg noodles?

Egg noodles are made with egg and wheat flour, they have a chewier texture than pasta (which is made from the same ingredients).

What are Hokkien noodles?

Hokkien noodles are a type of egg noodle, you can recognise it by its bright yellow colour. Used across various Southeast Asian cuisines, these chewy spaghetti-looking noodles are great in traditional Hawker type dishes and as well as in our own Aussie style stir-fry recipes. Hokkien noodles can be bought fresh, or pre-cooked and vacuum packed.

How do you cook egg noodles?

Simply cover with boiling water and stand for 1-2 minutes. Separate strands with tongs before draining and adding to your adding to stir-fries or soup dishes.

Try these recipes with Hokkien noodles:

What can you use instead of egg noodles?

If you can't find any variation of egg noodles, you can substitute with a thick, whole egg spaghetti that has been cooked and drained.

Udon noodles

What are udon noodles?

Udon noodles originated in Japan and are made from wheat flour, salt and water. Udon noodles are pale, thick and have either a round or square-ish shape. They have a characteristic chewy and slippery texture. 

They have very little flavour and so are a perfect vehicle for rich sauces and fragrant ingredients. Udon noodles can be used hot in soups, stir fries and also served cold in salads.

They are sold either semi-dried and vacuum packed, dried and, if you’re very lucky, freshly made at Asian grocers.

How do you cook udon noodles?

Fresh vacuumed-packed udon noodles do not require pre-cooking. Refresh by soaking in boiling water for a few minutes and stirring with tongs or chopsticks to untangle the noodle strands. Drain well before adding directly into your soup or stir-fry.
Semi-dried noodles should be cooked in boiling water for 5-8 minutes, while dried udon noodles need to be cooked for 10 minutes.

What noodles can you use instead of udon noodles?

You can use soba or ramen noodles in stir fries, but they don’t have the same texture and thickness. Choose thicker ramen noodles to substitute in dishes with broths.

Ramen noodles

Get the recipe: Ramen Carbonara

This quick noodle dish uses instant ramen for extra convenience, they pair well with the rich eggs in this budget-friendly meal.

What are ramen noodles?

Ramen noodles are a relatively thin, long and bouncy noodle that originated in China, but is now most often associated with Japan. Made primarily of wheat and egg, it has a springy, firm texture. 

Dried ramen noodles are available in most supermarkets in cellophane packs, you can also find fresh ramen in the refrigerator or freezer section of Asian grocery stores. Note that dried ramen is different to instant ramen in flavour and texture, so make sure to check which type of ramen your recipe requires.

How do you cook ramen noodles?

Bring a large pan of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add noodles and keep at a steady rolling boil. Stir gently and separate the strands. If serving the noodles in a hot broth, undercook the noodles by 30 seconds and drain well. If serving cold, cook until tender, drain and rinse in cold water.

Try these recipes with ramen noodles:

What can you use instead of ramen noodles?

If ramen noodles are not available, substitute with Japanese udon. These are thicker and have a different colour but will provide similar texture. You can also try vermicelli rice noodles or even thin spaghetti.

More noodle recipes

There are many types of Asian noodles, and even more noodle dishes! Discover more noodle recipes that you can make at home.

If you've ever perused the noodle aisle at an Asian supermarket, you know the variety can be dizzying for home cooks who aren't familiar with the many types.

And it's one thing to follow a recipe—simply buy and use whatever noodle the recipe calls for. But what if you're looking to experiment and branch out a little? In that case, you'll want to know a little more about what each type of noodle is all about.

Asian noodles are broadly divided into three types: wheat noodles, rice noodles, and glass or cellophane noodles. Learn more about each type below, complete with the most popular examples of each, handy cooking tips, and recipes.

In many cases, each type of noodle can be served in various ways, like in broth, stir-fried, deep-fried, as well as either cold or hot.

Wheat Noodles

Wheat is the most popular grain used for making noodles around the world, and this is true of Asian noodles as well.

Asian wheat noodles are generally made with wheat flour and egg, just like Italian pasta. One key difference, however, is that—while Italian pasta is made by rolling and then slicing the dough—many forms of Asian egg noodles are made by pulling and stretching the noodles.

This works the glutens in the dough, just as rolling does, but the resulting noodles differ in their texture and consistency. In general, Asian noodles are springier and bouncier than their Italian counterparts.

Lo Mein and Chow Mein

The two most common types of Chinese wheat noodles are lo mein and chow mein. Both are made from wheat flour and egg, and they're cylindrically shaped, like spaghetti, but a bit thicker, closer to 1/4 of an inch.

Both lo mein and chow mein are available in fresh and dried forms, especially if you're fortunate enough to live near a large Asian grocery store. If not, you might be limited to the dried kind.

Both the fresh and dried varieties need to be parboiled briefly (follow the package instructions; cooking time for dried noodles will be a bit longer, and also depends on thickness), which allows them to puff up slightly and achieve their desired "bite" (the equivalent of al dente in Italian cooking).

After parboiling, the noodles are cooked with stir-fried meat and vegetables, along with a sauce, or alternately, the noodles themselves can be stir-fried for additional crispiness.

Chow mein noodles are usually crispier, while lo mein noodles are soft. Therefore, given a choice, fresh noodles work better for making lo mein. Plus, it's often possible to substitute Italian spaghetti, vermicelli, or angel hair for Asian egg noodles. Here's more about the difference between lo mein and chow mein.

Ramen Noodles

Another massively popular variety of egg noodle hails from Japan in the form of the ramen noodle.

Ramen noodles are treated with an alkaline ingredient called kansui, which causes them to take on a curly shape.

Thinner than either chow mein or lo mein, ramen is traditionally served in a broth flavored with salt, soy sauce, miso, or pork, along with various kinds of vegetables, meat, and other toppings.

The instant variety of ramen unquestionably has its appeal, as evidenced by its ubiquity on grocery shelves from North America to Asia. Authentic ramen restaurants, however, will serve a fresh variety, which are also available at larger Asian groceries.

Because they're relatively thin, ramen noodles will soften as they linger in the broth such as miso ramen soup, so it's important not to overcook them initially.

Udon Noodles

Udon noodles are another Japanese favorite, but unlike ramen, udon are fat and chewy, offering a distinct bounce as they dangle from your chopsticks and a toothsome consistency in your mouth. Also generally paired with broth, udon noodles are most often sold fresh but dried and even frozen ones are available, although the fresh variety boasts a superior texture.

Soba Noodles

Soba noodles are a unique product for a couple of reasons. One, they're made with buckwheat flour in addition to wheat flour, which gives them a distinctive flavor, texture, and light to dark brown color. And two, rather than being served hot, soba noodles are usually served cold, alongside a flavorful dipping sauce. Cold soba noodles, sometimes actually chilled with ice before serving, are a refreshing summertime dish in Japan.

Note: Somen noodles are similar to soba except that they're fully made from wheat rather than buckwheat, so they're white instead of brown and have a smoother texture. They're also typically served cold.

Rice Noodles

Rice noodles make up the second broad category of Asian noodles. Made from rice starch, rice noodles are available in all kinds of lengths and widths, and can be found in the cuisines of nearly every Asian and Southeast Asian country.

They boast a firm, springy texture—to a greater degree with wider, thicker varieties—and they're able to absorb the flavors of the sauces or broths that they're served with.

While fresh rice noodles are available in the bigger Asian groceries, the number of varieties of dried rice noodles far outnumber the fresh kind. Rice noodles are featured in soups and stir-fries, and dried rice noodles will often need to be soaked or parboiled before cooking.

Most rice noodles are flat and while there is great variation in noodle width—with some of the wider ones being around a centimeter wide—most measure around 1/4-inch, or about the same width as linguine.

Pad Thai, for instance, is a classic Thai stir-fried noodle dish made with 1/4-inch rice noodles.

Thinner, finer varieties of rice noodles are sometimes called rice sticks or even rice thread. Vietnamese pho is another popular noodle soup that's made with rice stick or rice thread.

Note that while not technically a noodle, the same ingredient that goes into making rice noodles can also be formed into sheets called rice paper, which is what those Vietnamese or Thai spring or summer rolls are wrapped in.

Glass Noodles

Finally, glass noodles—sometimes also called cellophane noodles—are a broad category of noodles made from any other sort of starch other than wheat or rice. Mung bean noodles are quite common, as are noodles made from tapioca starch and sweet potato starch.

Despite their diverse origins, the process for making these noodles involves isolating the starches from these various sources, so that the noodles themselves do not taste of anything in particular. These noodles are usually much thinner, almost threadlike, and are called glass or cellophane noodles because after they're boiled they take on a glassy, nearly transparent appearance.

Their texture is generally very springy, and they are often served in stir-fries. Deep-frying these noodles makes them particularly crispy.

Like rice noodles, glass noodles also need to be soaked before cooking, except if you're going to deep-fry them.

Once they're soaked, glass noodles require a relatively short cooking time, from 3 to 6 minutes depending on the quantity. After draining and rinsing thoroughly with cold water, toss with oil to prevent them from sticking. And remember, glass noodles absorb the flavors of their cooking liquid, so if you're not cooking them in broth or stock, make sure to at least salt the cooking water.

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