June 12, 2017 · Written by Foodtolive Team
Types of Asian Thin Noodles to Enjoy at Dinner
Asian thin noodles are nutritious and delicious, and some types of them are healthier than regular Italian pasta most Americans are used to. Today you can buy a variety of Asian noodles in grocery stores or online, so you need to understand the differences between them to pick the best kind for you.
Guide to Asian Thin Noodles
Chow Mein
Chow mein noodles are a little thicker than vermicelli and sold parboiled. They are used in fried dishes and you can put them in the pan directly from the bag to combine with vegetables and sauce. They are extremely popular in Hong-Kong and are perfect for mist Chinese recipes. The benefit of chow mein is that they retain some firmness, which makes them taste better fried.
Wonton
Wonton are about the size of thin spaghetti but they are rarely sold dried. Therefore, you should look for them in the store’s fridges. Fresh wonton noodles are a good choice for soups but you can also stir-fry them. This variety is popular in the Singaporean cuisine.
Misua
Misua are Asian thin noodles made from wheat flour, so they aren’t fit for a typical gluten-free diet. They are sold dried and they cook very fast, so you must follow the recipe exactly lest they become overcooked. This ingredient would go well for dishes with rich sauces. Traditionally, they are used to make Taiwanese pan-fried noodles. The best way to cook misua is to boil them for a few minutes till they soften and then stir fry with vegetables before adding the sauce that they’ll soak up.
Ramen
Ramen is a popular type of Japanese noodles that contains an alkaline agent that turns them yellow and wheat flour. The product has become known as ‘instant noodles’ and is cheap and very common all over the world today. Ramen is curly and springy, though it becomes very soft when exposed to water for several minutes, so eat your bowl fast. These are perfect Asian thin noodles to put in pre-made broth to get a nourishing bowl of soup in less than 5 minutes. Note that instant ramen you can find in stores is pre-cooked, which is why you can eat it so fast after immersing the noodles in water or broth. Finding fresh ramen can be difficult. The instant variety of these noodles can be used as a cool crunchy ingredient in salads.
Sponsored by Food to live
Soba
Soba are Asian thin noodles made from a mix of buckwheat and wheat flours. The higher the content of buckwheat, the more delicious, nutritious, and expensive the product. Originating from Japan, soba noodles can be used in soups or simply served with a sauce for dipping as they are delicious even without any sides.
Rice Vermicelli
Rice vermicelli are extremely thin and mostly sold dry. They are rather chewy and good for salads and soups. These noodles are popular all over Asia and they taste best with seafood and stir-fried vegetables.
Mung Bean Threads
Numerous mung bean benefits make this type of Asian thin noodles extremely good for you. Also known as cellophane noodles, they take less than a minute to cook. Mostly used in the Vietnamese and Thai cuisines, mung bean threads taste best stir or deep-fried.
