Rice noodles are noodles made with rice flour and water as the principal ingredients. Sometimes ingredients such as tapioca or corn starch are added in order to improve the transparency or increase the gelatinous and chewy texture of the noodles. Rice noodles are most common in the cuisines of China, India and Southeast Asia. They are available fresh, frozen, or dried, in various shapes, thicknesses and textures. Fresh noodles are also highly perishable; their shelf life may be just several days.

Rice noodles
Thin rice noodles in dried form
TypeNoodle
Place of originChina
Region or stateEast Asia and Southeast Asia
Main ingredientsRice flour, water
VariationsBánh canh, bánh phở, khanom chin, kuān tiáo, lai fun, mixian, rice vermicelli, sevai, shahe fen
A rice noodle dish in a pan

History

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The origin of rice noodles dates back to China during the Qin dynasty when people from northern China invaded the south. Due to climatic conditions, the northern Chinese have traditionally preferred wheat and millet which grew in cold weather while the southern Chinese preferred rice which grew in hot weather. Noodles are traditionally made out of wheat and eaten throughout northern China so to adapt, northern cooks tried to prepare "noodles" using rice, thus inventing rice noodles. Over time rice noodles and their processing methods have been introduced around the world, becoming especially popular in Southeast Asia.[1] In India, idi-appam, strings of cooked rice, was known in ancient Tamil country around 1st century AD, as per references in the Sangam literature, according to food historian K. T. Achaya.[2]

The shelf life may be extended by drying and removing its moisture content. Studies of drying rice noodles were conducted by the International Food Research Journal.[3]

Varieties

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Round thick varieties

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  • Bánh canh – thick Vietnamese noodles. The Vietnamese word bánh refers to items such as noodles or cakes that are made from flour, and canh means "soup."
  • Lai fun – a short and thick variety of Chinese noodles, also referred to as bánh canh by Vietnamese
  • Nan gyi thoke – thick round rice noodles mixed with specially prepared chicken curry and chili oil.
  • Nan lat – medium thick round rice noodles used in Burma[4][5]
  • Silver needle noodles – a variety of Chinese noodles. It is short, about 5 cm long and 5 mm in diameter. Similar to Lai Fun but has a tapering end resembling a rat's tail. More commonly known as silver needle noodle in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and rat noodle or "mouse tail noodles" in Malaysia and Singapore and Locupan in Indonesia. They are also known as pin noodles.[6] In Thailand they are known as Giam Ee noodles.[7]

Flat thick varieties

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  • Bánh phở – thick fresh rice noodle used in popular Vietnamese phở noodle soups.
  • Shahe fen/chao fen/chow fun – wide chinese noodles made from rice.
  • Migan – type of rice noodle from the Dai people, a Tai cultural group from Yunnan Province, China. It is made from ordinary non-glutinous rice. It is primarily defined by its relatively broad and flat shape
  • Juanfen – similar to Migan
  • Sen lek – narrow flat rice noodle in Thailand[8] Used in such dishes as pad thai, Sukhothai rice noodles and in noodle soups. Its full name would be kuaitiao sen lek
  • Nan byar – flat rice noodles used in Burma[9] byar/pyar means flat.[10]
  • San see[11]

Thin varieties

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  • Khanom chin – fresh, thin rice noodles in Thai cuisine which are made from rice sometimes fermented for three days, boiled, and then made into noodles by extruding the resulting dough through a sieve into boiling water. Burmese mont bat (မုန့်ဖတ်) or mont di (မုန့်တီ), are similar to this.
  • Rice vermicelli – thin form of noodle sometimes referred to as "rice noodles" or "rice sticks"

Others

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  • Mixian – a type of rice noodle from the Yunnan Province, China, made from ordinary non-glutinous rice. In many areas there are at least two distinct thicknesses produced, a thinner form (roughly 1.5 mm or 0.059 inches in diameter) and a thicker form (roughly 3.5–4 mm or 0.14–0.16 inches in diameter).

Pasta made from brown rice flour is also available (in health food stores in Western nations) as an alternative to wheat flour-based noodles for individuals who react poorly to gluten.

Dishes

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Closeup of pad thai, a Thai dish made from rice noodles
 
Boiled rice noodles
 
Rice noodles in coconut milk on a plaintain leaf, with jackfruit masala.
 
Curry rice noodles served at a hotel in Kajang, Malaysia. The curry noodles contain fish balls, red chillies, mung bean sprouts, tofu, star anise, and cloves.

Burmese

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Cambodian

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Chinese

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Filipino

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Indonesian

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Malaysian

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South Indian/Sri Lankan

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Singapore

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Thai

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Vietnamese

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Liu, Y.L. (2010). Processing technology of rice and its products. China: China Light Industry Press. pp. 84–85.
  2. ^ K. T. Achaya (November 2003). The Story of Our Food. Universities Press. p. 80. ISBN 81-7371-293-X.
  3. ^ Ismail, M.H.; Law, C.L.; Hii, C.L. (December 2016). "Transparency phenomena of flat-rice noodles (kuew teow) at drying at soaking variation" (PDF). International Food Research Journal. 23 (Suppl): S195 – S202. Retrieved 26 June 2018 – via www.ifrj.upm.edu.my.
  4. ^ "Epic Guide to Delicious Local Foods in Mandalay". 7 March 2019.
  5. ^ "Uniquely Mandalay Foods".
  6. ^ "pin rice noodles".
  7. ^ "All About Noodles, Sen Guay Tiew – Thai Noodles for the Beginner Episode I".
  8. ^ "Types of noodles in Thailand". 10 October 2016.
  9. ^ "A Burmese Food Pop-Up Hyde-ing In Plain Sight In My Own 'Hood At Jonas On Hyde". 19 March 2014.
  10. ^ Aye, Mimi (13 June 2019). nan-byar-ghi-thoke meaning. ISBN 9781472959508.
  11. ^ "Burmese Food Primer: Essential Dishes To Eat In Myanmar". 22 February 2017.
  12. ^ "Shan Khauk Swè". 10 July 2017.
  13. ^ "BEST BURMESE FOOD: WHAT TO EAT IN MYANMAR". 6 January 2017.
  14. ^ "THROUGH TIME & PLACE WITH A BOWL OF NOODLES".
  15. ^ "Eating in Burma".
  16. ^ "21 Most Popular Burmese Foods To Fall In Love With 2022". 4 March 2022.
  17. ^ "Kua Mee (Pad Lao)". 16 May 2021.
  18. ^ "Khua Mee (Fried & Caramelised Rice Noodles)". 30 June 2021.
  19. ^ "KUA MEE". 29 January 2018.
  20. ^ "String Hoppers".
  21. ^ "Bún Cá Rô Noodle Soup".
  22. ^ "A Speciality of Phu Quoc, Bún Kèn is a Tropical Island in a Bowl".
  23. ^ "Ha Tien trumpet rice noodle soup".
  24. ^ "Bun Ken Phu Quoc - rich and delicious flavor".
  25. ^ "10 Must Try Phu Quoc Foods & Where to find them".
  26. ^ "Bun Ken - Another type of unique noodle at Phu Quoc island, Vietnam".
  27. ^ "Ken Vermicelli (Bún Kèn)".
  28. ^ "Ken noodles Phu Quoc: A local delicacy that leaves a delicious aftertaste".
  29. ^ "Bún Kèn – Vietnamese Fish Curry".
  30. ^ "Bún kèn, a speciality of Phú Quốc Island".
  31. ^ "Searching for the Elusive Vietnamese Noodle Dish Bún Kèn".
  32. ^ "Red Boat Fish Sauce recipe: Bún kèn (Coconut Fish with Noodles)".
  33. ^ "Bun nuoc ken: Chau Doc's speciality".
  34. ^ "Top 11 Best Dishes in Mekong Delta".
  35. ^ "TOP 6 SPECIAL FOODS YOU SHOULD NOT MISS IN PHU QUOC ISLAND".
  36. ^ "8 Famous Breakfast Dishes in Phu Quoc to Taste".