Different Types Of Asian Noodles And How To Use Them

Think of noodles and you will undoubtedly think of Asia, of soups and stir-fries, and classic dishes from Japan, China, and Thailand. Noodles are part of Asia's rich cultural heritage and these countries have made their own traditional noodle dishes. What makes Asian noodles so ubiquitous and has given them such longevity, having been used in cooking over many years, is that they are incredibly versatile. Made from simple ingredients, noodles complement many dishes and soak up the taste of ingredients such as ginger and garlic.

Noodles originated in China and one of the earliest discoveries was a millet-based noodle around 4,000 years old. There are many customs when it comes to making noodles too, from stretching the dough a certain number of times, to hand-pulling it and leaving it hanging to dry. There is an art to noodle-making with talented chefs honing their skills over years. Not only that, but they're important not just to the cuisine of Asia, but also relevant to cultural celebrations such as birthdays, rituals, and customs. Cooking with noodles can be fun, and there are lots of quick and easy noodle recipes to try at home. However, what's vital is to understand the different types of Asian noodles and how to use them, so that you know the difference between rice noodles and egg noodles, as well as soba, udon, and ramen and the different dishes they are used in.

Kanom jeen is a popular street food and roadside dish in Thailand. Originating from the Mon people in Southeast Asia, the white rice noodles are fermented overnight, using water and yeast, giving the noodles a subtle sour taste. They are served cold with a variety of different kanom jeen hot curries over the top, which range in terms of heat. A classic curry to serve with these noodles is nam ya with lots of incredible Asian ingredients. This is a fish curry made with coconut milk with ginger, lemongrass, and garlic added. A lighter, sweeter curry with fish balls is a popular kanom jeen dish, as is a coconut milk and sweet chili paste with shrimp known as nam prik. Other kanom jeen favorites include green curry and a hot Southern curry made with fish entrails. 

Part of the kanom jeen experience is adding extra ingredients which are integral to the dish. Once the hot curry has been spooned onto the noodles,  beansprouts and pickled vegetables, plus long beans, herbs and chopped-up cabbage can be added according to taste. Stink beans can also be added which are also called bitter beans which come in long, bright green pods and are packed with nutrients. The flavor of the noodles cuts through the other flavors, while the soft, silky texture is a great contrast with the crunchy additions and a wonderful alternative to the well-known Thai green curry with rice which is one of Thailand's much-loved dishes. 

Traditional Japanese soba noodles are made from buckwheat, which may suggest they contain gluten, but they're actually gluten-free. However, some varieties do add wheat into the mix too, which those with food intolerances need to be aware of, while buckwheat itself is a known allergen for some people. Soba noodles can be eaten hot or cold, with so many different ways to serve them. One idea is a stir-fry such as a spicy peanut soba noodle bowl recipe or perhaps soba noodles with mushrooms and broccolini. Dishes served cold are varied too, with a peanut soba noodle salad, while soba noodles, which look like long pieces of brown spaghetti, have a nutty, strong flavor (via Insider).

There is a definitive way to eat soba noodles, which involves slurping them up rather than chewing them, with any noises being a positive sign that you're enjoying them. Eaten cold, soba noodles are great when they are dipped into a tsuyu sauce in which you can add whatever condiments you like, such as green onions and wasabi. 

After all the noodles are finished, you may want to enjoy some sobayu. As explained by Global Kitchen, the water that the soba noodles are cooked in is served up in a cup and enjoyed warm. This adds a fun, quirky experience to the ritual of eating noodles Japan-style. Not only that, but the potassium-rich brew, which is also packed with nutrients and vitamin B is regarded as healthy.

Ramen is an incredible soup and what makes this Japanese broth so delicious are the soft, yet firm yellow ramen noodles. These are not just any noodle, but specific to this dish, and are actually Chinese in origin and made from wheat. One important ingredient is kansui which is an alkaline salt made from potassium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate, which gives the noodles their distinctive golden hue and enhances the robust texture of the noodles as well. Chef Teiichi Sakurai has demonstrated how best to eat ramen, which involves slurping up the noodles and advises that however ramen is eaten it should be fast, as in within five minutes, so that the noodles don't soak up too much of the broth (via Eater). 

Ramen noodles were given new meaning in the classic Japanese film "Tampopo" where life is explored through the connection between love and food, with perhaps, "no greater joy than consuming a glistening bowl of ramen" (via Far Out Magazine). What also adds to people's passion for ramen is the different broths served with the noodles from a thick, gravy-like tonkotsu, to a clear shoyu with pieces of seaweed, and miso (via Taste Mag). There are a variety of toppings, including roasted meat, hard-boiled egg halves, and beansprouts. There are also many different ramen spice combinations too which all create individual broths, such as ginger, cayenne, and pepper, as well as garlic and herbs too.

Just like soba noodles, udon noodles are Japanese, yet they are different. Udon noodles are made from wheat flour and are thick and long, with a firm texture that means they have some real substance to them and are chewier than many other noodles. They're the Japanese noodle version of comfort food and certainly look filling. One of the classic ways to serve these noodles is in a broth that is made from dashi which is seaweed- and fish-based. While soba noodles are fairly thick, udon is even fatter and is often rounded. Teuchi udon noodles, however are square in shape and flat, and are a favorite in Japan's Shikoku region. 

The kneading process is really important to create just the right texture and springiness to the udon noodle and an interesting cultural tradition is to make the noodles using the feet! The dough is wrapped and stomped on to make the process less arduous. Udon noodles can be served cold with a dipping sauce, just like soba noodles. However, there are many dishes in which udon noodles are hot too, such as a hot-pot-style udon-suki made with sweet and savory miso. Meanwhile, yaki-udon is made by stir-frying udon noodles and adding a sauce made from soy, plus lot s of different ingredients.  A curry udon is a real winter warmer with noodles served in a bowl of curry sauce that can range from mild to hot, depending on personal taste.

Most people have heard of a chow mein, which is a Chinese sir-try dish with different recipe variations that are quick to make. A similar dish is lo mein, which again, can be made using different ingredients, such as a vegetable lo mein to a beef and broccoli lo mein. Both are egg noodles, and the chow mein variety is often referred to as Hong Kong noodles and are thin and partially cooked in water so that they can be simply added to a stir-fry where they quickly cook with a sauce. Another option is to instead fry the chow mein noodles in some oil to make them a little crunchier, and create a noodle pancake, adding the sauce and any other ingredients such as meat and vegetables on top.

Lo mein are a thicker variety than chow mein, and this gives them a denser quality so that they can withstand reheating and also sit for longer in a sauce. They are ideal for dishes with a heavier or richer sauce and take a few minutes to cook in boiling water. Because chow mein are potentially crispier, or not as soft as lo mein, they are often used in dishes with a little sauce rather than one where the sauce is much more of a main ingredient. An alternative to these specific noodles, is to use wonton noodles instead, which are similar. Either way, these dishes are popular Chinese takeout orders.