Asian Noodles 101: Which Noodles to Choose for Which Dish?

In the shelf of our toko in Amsterdam, noodles of all thicknesses and colours sit side by side, from thick white udon to glass noodles as thin as thread, and that’s exactly what makes choosing so difficult. Which ones belong in your pho, which in the wok and which in a cold salad? This guide explains them by ingredient and country, with cooking tips that make the difference between a sticky lump and perfectly cooked noodles. These are the same packs you’ll see in supermarkets across Asia, from Japanese soba by Hakubaku to Chinese glass noodles by Golden Lily and Vietnamese rice noodles by Tufoco.

Which Asian noodles should you buy for which dish?

Which Asian noodles you buy depends mainly on the dish: egg noodles and mie for the wok, flat rice noodles for pho and pad thai, thin rice vermicelli for fresh bowls, sweet potato glass noodles for japchae and udon or soba for Japanese soup and cold dishes. Wheat gives firmness and spring, rice makes a noodle soft and light, and starch provides a glassy, chewy bite.

Egg noodles wheat with eggFor chow mein and fried noodles from the wokMie for bamiFor bami goreng and Surinamese bamiUdon thick wheat noodleIn hot broth or fried as yaki udonBanh pho flat rice noodleThe noodle that belongs in a bowl of phoRice noodles 3 mm sen lekThin and flat, for pad thaiRice vermicelli bun · bihunFor bun thit nuong, salads and spring rollsDangmyeon sweet potato starchChewy, glassy noodle for japchaeSoba buckwheatCold with a dipping sauce or warm in broth

Which Asian noodles are made from wheat?

Hakubaku Organic Ramen Noodles are made from wheat, like udon, mie, lamian and Chinese egg noodles; the difference lies in what else goes into the dough. Ramen gets its yellow colour and springy bite from kansui, an alkaline water that makes the dough firmer. Udon is simpler, made only from wheat flour, salt and water, and is therefore soft, thick and white. Egg noodles and mie have egg in the dough, for a richer flavour and noodles that hold their shape in the wok.

Ramen ラーメンSpringy and yellow, for a bowl of ramenUdon うどん · driedThick and soft, stays on the shelf for a long timeThick egg noodles 蛋面Firm enough for the wok and a thick sauceWonton noodles 云吞面Thin and springy, for wonton soupChinese wheat noodles without eggNeutral and firm, for soup and sauceSomen そうめんVery thin, especially eaten cold in summer

Which Asian noodles are made from wheat?

Hakubaku Organic Ramen Noodles are made from wheat, like udon, mie, lamian and Chinese egg noodles; the difference lies in what else goes into the dough. Ramen gets its yellow colour and springy bite from kansui, an alkaline water that makes the dough firmer. Udon is simpler, made only from wheat flour, salt and water, and is therefore soft, thick and white. For mie and bami, choose Cap Atoom Bulan or Kuda Menjangan Mi Telur Lebar, or the quick Long Life Quick Cooking Noodles With Egg.

Ramen ラーメンSpringy and yellow, for a bowl of ramenUdon うどん · driedThick and soft, stays on the shelf for a long timeThick egg noodles 蛋面Firm enough for the wok and a thick sauceWonton noodles 云吞面Thin and springy, for wonton soupChinese wheat noodles without eggNeutral and firm, for soup and sauceSomen そうめんVery thin, especially eaten cold in summer

What types of rice noodles are there?

Tufoco Rice Sticks Banh Pho 10mm are wide rice noodles. Rice noodles are made from rice flour and water, and come flat in all widths and round as vermicelli. Flat noodles a few millimetres wide are used for pho and pad thai, the wide ones for wok dishes such as beef chow fun and pad see ew. Round vermicelli is called bun in Vietnam, bihun in Indonesia and bihon in the Philippines: for cold bowls, soup and fried noodles.

Wide rice noodles 10 mmFor beef chow fun and pad see ewFlat rice noodles 5 mmAn allrounder for soup and stir-friesThick vermicelli bun bo HueRound, firm noodles for spicy soupRice vermicelli Kong MoonThin, for fried vermicelli and soupBihon FilipinoFor pancit bihon with vegetables and meat

For a bowl of pho bo, choose Tufoco Rice Sticks Banh Pho 5mm or the narrow Banh Pho 1mm. Rice noodles contain no wheat themselves, but if you cook them gluten-free, always check the label.

What is soba and what is it made of?

Hakubaku Organic Soba Noodles are soba: Japanese noodles made from buckwheat flour, grey-brown and slightly nutty. They usually also contain wheat, so soba is not gluten-free by default. You eat them cold with a dipping sauce or hot in broth; compare all packages in the buckwheat noodles.

What are glass noodles and what is se-oen?

Golden Lily Premium Longkou Vermicelli are glass noodles: noodles made from starch, usually from mung beans or sweet potato, which become transparent after soaking or cooking. In Javanese-Surinamese cuisine they are called se-oen, and for se-oen you use exactly these thin mung bean vermicelli. They have almost no taste themselves, but absorb broth and sauce well, and that makes them great in soup, salads and lumpia filling.

Se-oen mung bean glass noodlesThin and transparent, for soup and stir-friesLongkou vermicelli 龙口粉丝 · fensiChinese mung bean glass noodlesSotanghon FilipinoGlass noodles for soup and pancitDangmyeon 당면Thicker and chewier, the noodle for japchaeSweet potato noodles thinFor hotpot, soup and Korean dishes

Mung bean noodles are thin and only need to be soaked in hot water, while dangmyeon is made from sweet potato, is thicker and greyish, and needs to be boiled for a few minutes.

What are shirataki noodles?

Thai Delight Shirataki Konjac Noodle is shirataki: a Japanese noodle made from konjac, a tuber that is processed into a firm jelly, and which you buy ready-made in a pouch with moisture. They are translucent, have little taste of their own and a firm bite. Rinse them well, because the moisture in the packaging smells a bit strange, and then heat them in a dry pan or in the sauce.

There are also thin angel hair and small knots from Fishwell, all in the shirataki noodles.

Which noodles do you eat in which Asian country?

Every country has its own noodles, and often its own way of eating them. Choose a country to see everything in that shelf.

Japan 日本Ramen, udon, soba and somenShop nowChina 中国Egg noodles, mie and wheat noodlesShop nowKorea 한국Ramyeon, glass noodles and buckwheat noodlesShop nowThailand ไทยRice noodles in every widthShop nowVietnam Việt NamBanh pho and bunShop nowIndonesia IndonesiaMie and bihun for bamiShop nowPhilippines PilipinasPancit canton and bihonShop nowTaiwan 台灣Wide wheat noodles for soupShop now

How to cook Asian noodles

Cook Asian noodles according to the package instructions, but follow these four habits to make them better every time.

• Boil or soak: boil wheat noodles in plenty of water; thin rice vermicelli and glass noodles often only need to soak in hot water for a few minutes.
• Rinse: for stir-fries and cold dishes, rinse them under cold water to remove the sticky starch; if adding them to hot broth, simply drain them.
• Prevent sticking: use plenty of water, stir during the first minute, and toss with a few drops of sesame oil after rinsing.
• Stir-fry: cook the noodles for a little less time, drain them well and fry over high heat, because wet noodles steam instead of fry. That's how to make Cantonese fried egg noodles or bami goreng.

Japanese noodles and instant noodles: read more

Japanese noodlesRamen, udon, soba and somen: hot or cold, and what to buy to serve with them.Instant noodlesCup or packet, brands by country and the toppings that make all the difference.

Recipes with Asian noodles

These recipes will take you on a culinary journey through Asia, from Canton to Suriname.

Cantonese fried egg noodlesWok-fried egg noodles with beef, bean sprouts and scallions.Dan dan mianThin wheat noodles with chili oil and spicy ground meat from Sichuan.YakisobaJapanese stir-fried noodles with cabbage and yakisoba sauce.JapchaeKorean sweet potato glass noodles with vegetables and sesame.Pad thaiNarrow rice noodles with shrimp, egg, bean sprouts and peanuts.Pho boFlat rice noodles in a clear, aromatic beef broth.Surinamese bamiDark mie noodles with chicken, cabbage and fried onions.Pancit bihon guisadoFilipino rice vermicelli with meat, shrimp and vegetables.

Or make beef chow fun, pad see ew, bun thit nuong, bun bo Hue, pancit palabok or the Hong Kong noodle soup caan daan min.

Frequently asked questions

Cooking noodles is mainly a matter of trial and error, because after a few times you know exactly how long your mie needs to boil and how thin you prefer your rice noodles, and then that pan of noodles on a weekday evening becomes something very ordinary. If you are standing in the toko in Amsterdam in front of the noodle shelf and are not sure, feel free to ask us, and if you want to continue with the Japanese side of the story, you will find the basics in Japanese cuisine 101 and the full selection in Noodles & Rice.