Cellophane noodles, or fensi (), sometimes called glass noodles, are a type of transparent
noodle
Noodles are a type of food made from unleavened dough which is either rolled flat and cut, stretched, or extruded, into long strips or strings. Noodles are a staple food in many cultures (for example, Chinese noodles, Filipino noodles, Indo ...
made from
starch
Starch or amylum is a polymeric carbohydrate consisting of numerous glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by most green plants for energy storage. Worldwide, it is the most common carbohydrate in human diets ...
(such as
mung bean
The mung bean (''Vigna radiata''), alternatively known as the green gram, maash ( fa, ماش٫ )٫ mūng (), monggo, or munggo (Philippines), is a plant species in the legume family.Brief Introduction of Mung Bean. Vigna Radiata Extract G ...
starch,
potato starch
Potato starch is starch extracted from potatoes. The cells of the root tubers of the potato plant contain leucoplasts (starch grains). To extract the starch, the potatoes are crushed, and the starch grains are released from the destroyed cells. Th ...
,
sweet potato
The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the Convolvulus, bindweed or morning glory family (biology), family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a r ...
starch,
tapioca
Tapioca (; ) is a starch extracted from the storage roots of the cassava plant (''Manihot esculenta,'' also known as manioc), a species native to the North Region, Brazil, North and Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast regions of Brazil, but wh ...
, or
canna starch) and water. A stabilizer such as
chitosan
Chitosan is a linear polysaccharide composed of randomly distributed β-(1→4)-linked Glucosamine, D-glucosamine (deacetylated unit) and N-Acetylglucosamine, ''N''-acetyl-D-glucosamine (acetylated unit). It is made by treating the chitin shell ...
(or
alum
An alum () is a type of chemical compound, usually a hydrated double salt, double sulfate salt (chemistry), salt of aluminium with the general chemical formula, formula , where is a valence (chemistry), monovalent cation such as potassium or a ...
, illegal in some jurisdictions) may also be used.
They are generally sold in dried form, soaked to reconstitute, then used in soups, stir-fried dishes, or
spring roll
Spring rolls are rolled appetizers or dim sum commonly found in Chinese and other Southeast Asian cuisines. The kind of wrapper, fillings, and cooking technique used, as well as the name, vary considerably within this large area, depending o ...
s. They are called "cellophane noodles" or "glass noodles" because of their
cellophane
Cellophane is a thin, transparent sheet made of regenerated cellulose. Its low permeability to air, oils, greases, bacteria, and liquid water makes it useful for food packaging. Cellophane is highly permeable to water vapour, but may be coated w ...
- or
glass
Glass is a non-crystalline, often transparent, amorphous solid that has widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in, for example, window panes, tableware, and optics. Glass is most often formed by rapid cooling (quenching) of ...
-like transparency when cooked.
Cellophane noodles should not be confused with
rice vermicelli
Rice vermicelli is a thin form of noodle. It is sometimes referred to as 'rice noodles' or 'rice sticks', but should not be confused with cellophane noodles, a different Asian type of vermicelli made from mung bean starch or rice starch rather ...
, which are made from
rice
Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima
''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...
and are white in color rather than clear (after cooking in water).
Varieties
Cellophane noodles are made from a variety of
starches
Starch or amylum is a polymeric carbohydrate consisting of numerous glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by most green plants for energy storage. Worldwide, it is the most common carbohydrate in human diets ...
. In China, cellophane noodles are usually made of
mung bean
The mung bean (''Vigna radiata''), alternatively known as the green gram, maash ( fa, ماش٫ )٫ mūng (), monggo, or munggo (Philippines), is a plant species in the legume family.Brief Introduction of Mung Bean. Vigna Radiata Extract G ...
starch or sweet potato starch. Chinese varieties made from
mung bean
The mung bean (''Vigna radiata''), alternatively known as the green gram, maash ( fa, ماش٫ )٫ mūng (), monggo, or munggo (Philippines), is a plant species in the legume family.Brief Introduction of Mung Bean. Vigna Radiata Extract G ...
starch are called Chinese vermicelli, bean threads, or bean thread noodles. Chinese varieties made from sweet potato starch are called Fentiao or Hongshufen. Thicker Korean varieties made with sweet potato starch are called sweet potato noodles or ''dangmyeon''.
Cellophane noodles are available in various thicknesses. Wide, flat cellophane noodle sheets called
mung bean sheet
Mung bean sheets are a type of Chinese noodle. It is transparent, flat, and sheet-like. They can be found, in dried form, in China and occasionally in some Chinatowns overseas.
Description
Similar to cellophane noodles, mung bean sheets are ...
s are also produced in China. In Korea, ''napjak-dangmyeon'' (literally "flat ''dangmyeon"'') refers to flat sweet potato noodles.
File:Dongfen.JPG, Dried Chinese vermicelli made with mung bean
The mung bean (''Vigna radiata''), alternatively known as the green gram, maash ( fa, ماش٫ )٫ mūng (), monggo, or munggo (Philippines), is a plant species in the legume family.Brief Introduction of Mung Bean. Vigna Radiata Extract G ...
starch
File:Fentiao.jpg, Dried Chinese fentiao or Hongshufen made with sweet potato
The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the Convolvulus, bindweed or morning glory family (biology), family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a r ...
starch
File:Suanlafen.jpg, Sì chuān suān là fěn( Hot and sour noodles) made with Fensi or Hongshufen
File:Dong bei da la pi.jpg, ''Dōng běi dà lā pí'' made with Chinese mung bean sheet
Mung bean sheets are a type of Chinese noodle. It is transparent, flat, and sheet-like. They can be found, in dried form, in China and occasionally in some Chinatowns overseas.
Description
Similar to cellophane noodles, mung bean sheets are ...
s
File:Dangmyeon.jpg, Dried Korean ''dangmyeon'' made with sweet potato
The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the Convolvulus, bindweed or morning glory family (biology), family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a r ...
starch
File:Napjak-dangmyeon in jjimdak.jpg, ''Napjak-dangmyeon'' in ''jjimdak
Andong-jjimdak () is a variety of ''jjim'' (a Korean steamed or boiled dish), which originated in the city of Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province and is made with chicken, various vegetables marinated in a ''ganjang'' (Korean soy sauce) based sauc ...
''
Production
In China, the primary site of production of cellophane noodles is the town of Zhangxing, in
Zhaoyuan,
Shandong
Shandong ( , ; ; alternately romanized as Shantung) is a coastal province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the East China region.
Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilizati ...
province. However, historically the noodles were shipped through the port of
Longkou
Longkou (), formerly Huang County (), is a port city in northeastern Shandong province, China, facing the Bohai Sea to the north and the Laizhou Bay to the west. Longkou, a county-level city, is administered by the prefecture-level city of Yantai ...
, and thus the noodles are known and marketed as Longkou ''fensi'' ().
Use
East Asia
China
In
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...
, the most commonly used names are ''fěnsī'' (, literally "noodle thread") and ''fěntiáo'' or ''hóngshǔfěn'' ( or , literally "noodle strip" or "sweet potato noodles"). They are also marketed under the name ''saifun'', the
Cantonese
Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding are ...
pronunciation of the Mandarin ''xìfěn'' (; literally "slender noodle"), though the name ''fánsī'' (粉絲) is the term most often used in Cantonese.
In China, cellophane noodles are a popular ingredient used in
stir fries, soups, and particularly
hot pot
Hot pot or hotpot (), also known as soup-food or steamboat, is a cooking method that originated in China. A heat source on the dining table keeps a pot of soup stock simmering, and a variety of Chinese foodstuffs and ingredients are served b ...
s. They can also be used as an ingredient in fillings for a variety of Chinese ''
jiaozi
''Jiaozi'' (; ; pinyin: jiǎozi) are Chinese dumplings commonly eaten in China and other parts of East Asia. ''Jiaozi'' are folded to resemble Chinese sycee and have great cultural significance attached to them within China. ''Jiaozi'' ar ...
'' (dumplings) and ''
bing
Bing most often refers to:
* Bing Crosby (1903–1977), American singer
* Microsoft Bing, a web search engine
Bing may also refer to:
Food and drink
* Bing (bread), a Chinese flatbread
* Bing (soft drink), a UK brand
* Bing cherry, a variety ...
'' (
flatbreads
A flatbread is a bread made with flour; water, milk, yogurt, or other liquid; and salt, and then thoroughly rolled into flattened dough. Many flatbreads are unleavened, although some are leavened, such as pizza and pita bread.
Flatbreads ra ...
), especially in
vegetarian
Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter.
Vegetarianism m ...
versions of these dishes. Thicker cellophane noodles are also commonly used to imitate the appearance and texture of
shark's fin in vegetarian soups. Thicker varieties, most popular in China's
northeast
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...
, are used in stir fries as well as cold salad-like dishes. A popular shanghai cuisine using the ingredient is fried tofu with thin noodles (;
Pinyin
Hanyu Pinyin (), often shortened to just pinyin, is the official romanization system for Standard Mandarin Chinese in China, and to some extent, in Singapore and Malaysia. It is often used to teach Mandarin, normally written in Chinese for ...
: ''yóu dòu fu-xiàn fěn tāng''). A popular
Sichuan
Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...
dish called ''
ants climbing a tree'' consists of stewed cellophane noodles with a spicy ground pork meat sauce.
In
Tibetan cuisine
Tibetan cuisine includes the culinary traditions and practices and its peoples. The cuisine reflects the Tibetan landscape of mountains and plateaus and includes influences from neighbors (including India and Nepal where many Tibetans abide) ...
of
Tibet Autonomous Region
The Tibet Autonomous Region or Xizang Autonomous Region, often shortened to Tibet or Xizang, is a Provinces of China, province-level Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China in Southwest China. I ...
, glass noodles are called ''phing'' or ''fing'' and are used in soup, pork curry or with mushrooms.
Japan
In
Japanese cuisine
Japanese cuisine encompasses the regional and traditional foods of Japan, which have developed through centuries of political, economic, and social changes. The traditional cuisine of Japan (Japanese: ) is based on rice with miso soup and other ...
, they are called ''harusame'' (), literally "spring rain". Unlike Chinese glass noodles, they are usually made from potato starch. They are commonly used to make salads, or as an ingredient in
hot pot
Hot pot or hotpot (), also known as soup-food or steamboat, is a cooking method that originated in China. A heat source on the dining table keeps a pot of soup stock simmering, and a variety of Chinese foodstuffs and ingredients are served b ...
dishes. They are also often used to make Japanese adaptations of Chinese and Korean dishes.
''Shirataki'' noodles are translucent, traditional Japanese noodles made from the
konjac
Konjac (or konjak, ) is a common name of the East and Southeast Asian plant ''Amorphophallus konjac'' ( syn. ''A. rivieri''), which has an edible corm (bulbo-tuber). It is also known as konjaku, konnyaku potato, devil's tongue, voodoo lily, sn ...
yam and sometimes
tofu
Tofu (), also known as bean curd in English, is a food prepared by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness; it can be ''silken'', ''soft'', ''firm'', ''extra firm'' or ''super firm ...
.
Korea
In
Korean cuisine
Korean cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient agricultural and nomadic traditions in Korea and southern Manchuria, Korean cuisine reflects a complex interaction of the natural envi ...
, glass noodles are usually made from
sweet potato
The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the Convolvulus, bindweed or morning glory family (biology), family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a r ...
starch and are called ''dangmyeon'' (
Hangul
The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, . Hangul may also be written as following South Korea's standard Romanization. ( ) in South Korea and Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea, is the modern official writing system for the Korean language. The let ...
: ;
Hanja
Hanja (Hangul: ; Hanja: , ), alternatively known as Hancha, are Chinese characters () used in the writing of Korean. Hanja was used as early as the Gojoseon period, the first ever Korean kingdom.
(, ) refers to Sino-Korean vocabulary, wh ...
: ; literally "
Tang
Tang or TANG most often refers to:
* Tang dynasty
* Tang (drink mix)
Tang or TANG may also refer to:
Chinese states and dynasties
* Jin (Chinese state) (11th century – 376 BC), a state during the Spring and Autumn period, called Tang (唐) b ...
noodles"; also spelled ''dang myun'', ''dangmyun'', ''tang myun'', or ''tangmyun''). They are commonly stir-fried in sesame oil with beef and vegetables, and flavoured with soy and sugar, in a popular dish called ''
japchae
''Japchae'' () is a savory and slightly sweet dish of stir-fried glass noodles and vegetables that is popular in Korean cuisine.
* ''Japchae'' is typically prepared with ''dangmyeon'' (당면, 唐麵), a type of cellophane noodles made from swee ...
'' (hangul: 잡채). They are usually thick, and are a brownish-gray color when in their uncooked form.
South Asia
India
In
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, glass noodles are called ''falooda'' (see
falooda
A ''falooda'' is a Mughlai Indian version of a cold dessert made with noodles. It has origins in the Persian dish ''faloodeh'', variants of which are found across West, Central, and South Asia. Traditionally it is made by mixing rose syrup, ...
, the dessert dish), and are served on top of ''
kulfi
Kulfi () ( fa, ) is a frozen dairy dessert originating in the Indian subcontinent during the Mughal era in the 16th century. It is often described as "traditional Indian ice cream". Kulfi is a traditional sweet of the Indian subcontinent, wh ...
'' (a traditional ice cream). They are usually made from arrowroot starch using a traditional technique. The noodles are flavorless so they provide a nice contrast with the sweet ''kulfi''. ''Kulfi'' and ''falooda'' can be bought from numerous food stalls throughout northern and southern parts of India.
Southeast Asia
Indonesia
In
Indonesian cuisine
Indonesian cuisine is a collection of various regional culinary traditions that formed the archipelagic nation of Indonesia. There are a wide variety of recipes and cuisines in part because Indonesia is composed of approximately 6,000 popula ...
, they are called ''soun'' or ''suun'', probably from (POJ: suànn-hún). Its usually eaten with
bakso
Bakso or baso is an Indonesian meatball, or a meat paste made from beef surimi. Its texture is similar to the Chinese beef ball, fish ball, or pork ball. The word ''bakso'' may refer to a single meatball or the complete dish of meatball soup. '' ...
,
tekwan
Tekwan is a Palembang soup dish originated from the Indonesian region of Palembang. The dish contain some small size fish cakes made of local Musi river's fish similar to pempek preparation, and it served with the savoury shrimp (or prawn) brot ...
, and
soto. In
Klaten
Klaten Regency ( jv, ꦏ꧀ꦭꦛꦺꦤ꧀, Klathèn) is a Regencies of Indonesia, regency in Central Java province in Indonesia. It covers an area of 655.56 km2 and had a population of 1,130,047 at the 2010 Census and 1,260,506 at the 2020 ...
, soun made from
aren Aren may refer to:
People
; Given name
* Andreas Arén (born 1985), Swedish ski jumper
* Aren b, also known as Brendan Vintedge, American singer-songwriter
* Aren Davoudi (born 1986), Armenian basketball player
* Aren Kuri (born 1991), Japanese bas ...
starch.
Malaysia
In
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
they are known as ''tanghoon'' (
冬 粉). They are sometimes confused with ''bihun'' (
米粉) which are
rice vermicelli
Rice vermicelli is a thin form of noodle. It is sometimes referred to as 'rice noodles' or 'rice sticks', but should not be confused with cellophane noodles, a different Asian type of vermicelli made from mung bean starch or rice starch rather ...
. Sometimes also known as suhun or suhoon.
Myanmar (Burma)
In
Myanmar
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
, cellophane noodles are called ''kyazan'' (; ), more specifically called ''pe kyazan'' (, ), which is typically made with mung bean flour. The other form of ''kyazan'', called ''hsan kyazan'' (), refers to
rice vermicelli
Rice vermicelli is a thin form of noodle. It is sometimes referred to as 'rice noodles' or 'rice sticks', but should not be confused with cellophane noodles, a different Asian type of vermicelli made from mung bean starch or rice starch rather ...
.
''Kyazan'' is the primary starch used in a Burmese consomme called ''
kya zan hinga
Kya zan hinga ( my, ကြာဆံဟင်းခါး; ), also known as kyazan chet (), is a dish of glass noodles in chicken consommé in Burmese cuisine. It is made with mushrooms, bean curd skin, lily stems, shrimp, garlic, pepper and someti ...
'', and is also used in
Burmese salads
Burmese salads (; transliterated ''athoke'' or ''athouk'') are a diverse category of indigenous salads in Burmese cuisine. Burmese salads are made of cooked and raw ingredients that are mixed by hand to combine and balance a wide-ranging array of ...
.
Philippines
In
Filipino cuisine
Filipino cuisine ( fil, lutong Pilipino/pagkaing Pilipino) is composed of the cuisines of more than a hundred distinct ethnolinguistic groups found throughout the Philippine archipelago. A majority of mainstream Filipino dishes that compose Fi ...
, the noodles are called a similar name: ''sotanghon'' because of the popular dish of the same name made from them using chicken and
wood ears. They are also confused with rice vermicelli, which is called ''bihon'' in the Philippines.
Thailand
In
Thai cuisine
Thai cuisine ( th, อาหารไทย, , ) is the national cuisine of Thailand.
Thai cooking places emphasis on lightly prepared dishes with strong Odor, aromatic components and a spicy edge. Australian chef David Thompson (chef), David ...
, glass noodles are called ''wun sen'' ( th,
วุ้นเส้น). They are commonly mixed with pork and shrimp in a spicy salad called ''yam wun sen'' ( th, ยำวุ้นเส้น), or stir-fried as ''phat wun sen'' ( th, ผัดวุ้นเส้น).
Vietnam
In
Vietnamese cuisine
Vietnamese cuisine encompasses the foods and beverages of Vietnam. Meals feature a combination of five fundamental tastes ( vi, ngũ vị, links=no, label=none): sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and spicy. The distinctive nature of each dish reflec ...
, there are two varieties of cellophane noodles. The first, called ''bún tàu'' or ''bún tào'', are made from
mung bean
The mung bean (''Vigna radiata''), alternatively known as the green gram, maash ( fa, ماش٫ )٫ mūng (), monggo, or munggo (Philippines), is a plant species in the legume family.Brief Introduction of Mung Bean. Vigna Radiata Extract G ...
starch, and were introduced by Chinese immigrants. The second, called ''miến'' or ''miến dong'', are made from
canna ( vi, dong riềng), and were developed in Vietnam. These cellophane noodles are a main ingredient in the dishes: ''miến gà'', ''miến lươn'', ''miến măng vịt'', and ''miến cua''. These cellophane noodles are sometimes confused with rice vermicelli (
Vietnamese
Vietnamese may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia
** A citizen of Vietnam. See Demographics of Vietnam.
* Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam
** Overse ...
:
bún
B, or b, is the second letter of the Latin-script alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is '' bee'' (pronounced ), plural ''bees''. It r ...
) and
arrowroot
Arrowroot is a starch obtained from the rhizomes (rootstock) of several tropical plants, traditionally ''Maranta arundinacea'', but also Florida arrowroot from ''Zamia integrifolia'', and tapioca from cassava (''Manihot esculenta''), which is oft ...
starch noodles (
Vietnamese
Vietnamese may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia
** A citizen of Vietnam. See Demographics of Vietnam.
* Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam
** Overse ...
: arrowroot: ''củ dong'', arrowroot starch: ''bột dong/bột hoàng tinh/bột mì tinh'').
Polynesia
French Polynesia
In
French Polynesia
)Territorial motto: ( en, "Great Tahiti of the Golden Haze")
, anthem =
, song_type = Regional anthem
, song = " Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui"
, image_map = French Polynesia on the globe (French Polynesia centered).svg
, map_alt = Location of Frenc ...
, cellophane noodles are known as ''vermicelle de soja'' and was introduced to the islands by
Hakka
The Hakka (), sometimes also referred to as Hakka Han, or Hakka Chinese, or Hakkas are a Han Chinese subgroup whose ancestral homes are chiefly in the Hakka-speaking provincial areas of Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan, Zhej ...
agricultural workers during the 19th-century. They are most often used in ''maa tinito'', a dish made with cellophane noodles mixed together with pork, beans and cooked vegetables.
Hawaii
In
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
, where cuisine is heavily influenced by Asian cultures, cellophane noodles are known locally as long rice, supposedly because the process of making the noodles involves extruding the starch through a
potato ricer
A potato ricer (also called a ricer) is a kitchen implement used to process potatoes or other food by forcing it through a sheet of small holes, which are typically about the diameter of a grain of rice.
Description
A common variety of potato ri ...
. They are used most often in ''chicken long rice'', a dish of cellophane noodles in chicken broth that is often served at
luaus.
Samoa
Glass noodles were introduced to
Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono an ...
by
Cantonese
Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding are ...
agricultural workers in the early 1900s where they became known as "''lialia''", a Samoan word meaning "to twirl", after the method of twirling the noodles around chopsticks when eating. A popular dish called ''sapasui'' (transliteration of the
Cantonese
Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding are ...
chop suey
Chop suey () is a dish in American Chinese cuisine and other forms of overseas Chinese cuisine, consisting of meat (usually chicken, pork, beef, shrimp or fish) and eggs, cooked quickly with vegetables such as bean sprouts, cabbage, and celery ...
) is common fare at social gatherings. Sapasui, a soupy dish of boiled glass noodles mixed with braised pork, beef, or chicken and chopped vegetables, is akin to Hawaiian "long rice".
Health concerns
In 2004, a number of companies producing
Longkou
Longkou (), formerly Huang County (), is a port city in northeastern Shandong province, China, facing the Bohai Sea to the north and the Laizhou Bay to the west. Longkou, a county-level city, is administered by the prefecture-level city of Yantai ...
cellophane noodles produced in
Yantai
Yantai, Postal Map Romanization, formerly romanization of Chinese, known as Chefoo, is a coastal prefecture-level city on the Shandong Peninsula in northeastern Shandong province of People's Republic of China. Lying on the southern coast of ...
,
Shandong
Shandong ( , ; ; alternately romanized as Shantung) is a coastal province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the East China region.
Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilizati ...
were discovered to be
adulterated
An adulterant is caused by the act of adulteration, a practice of secretly mixing a substance with another. Typical substances that are adulterated include but are not limited to food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, fuel, or other chemicals, t ...
, with unscrupulous companies making noodles from
cornstarch
Corn starch, maize starch, or cornflour (British English) is the starch derived from corn (maize) grain. The starch is obtained from the endosperm of the kernel. Corn starch is a common food ingredient, often used to thicken sauces or soups, ...
instead of green beans in order to reduce costs; the companies, to make the cornstarch transparent, were adding
sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate
Rongalite is a chemical compound with the molecular formula Na+HOCH2SO2−. This salt has many additional names, including Rongalit, sodium hydroxymethylsulfinate, sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate, and Bruggolite. It is listed in the European Cos ...
and lead-based whiteners to their noodles.
In December 2010, Czech food inspection authorities (SZPI) again inspected Chinese cellophane noodles, this time determining that of
aluminium
Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. I ...
had been used in the production of the noodles.
Above is an illegal amount for noodles in Czech and EU markets (see Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 669/2009 and its amendments (EU) No 187/2011, 618/2013 annex I).
See also
*
List of noodles
This is a list of notable noodles. Noodles are a type of staple food made from some type of unleavened dough which is rolled flat and cut into long strips or strings. Noodles are usually cooked in boiling water, sometimes with cooking oil or ...
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Hiyamugi
Hiyamugi ( ja, 冷麦, lit=chilled wheat) are very thin dried Japanese noodles made of wheat. They are similar to but slightly thicker than the thinnest Japanese noodle type called ''sōmen''. The Western style noodle that most closely resembles ' ...
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Kelp noodles
Kelp noodles or cheon sa chae (Korean: 천사채), are semi-transparent noodles made from the jelly-like extract left after steaming edible kelp. They are made without the addition of grain flour or starch. Kelp noodles have a crunchy texture and ...
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Khanom chin
References
External links
Cook's Thesaurus: Other Asian Noodles
{{Japanese food and drink, state=autocollapse
Chinese noodles
Korean noodles
Noodles
Philippine noodles
Vietnamese noodles
Japanese noodles
Hawaiian cuisine
Samoan cuisine
French Polynesian cuisine
Polynesian Chinese cuisine