Know Your Noodle

I am constantly confused by restaurants that purport to be Asian yet serve you udon when the menu described soba. Maybe I'm not alone, friends often ask me which ones are the skinny buckwheat noodles? Which are the thick, white chewy ones? 

Here's a little intro to help you sort it out. Additional resources below.

Ramen Noodles - These are probably the most familiar to everyone. The Japanese adopted them from the Chinese and have been in love with them ever since. You can find a shop on about every corner in Tokyo. One will be known for their pork broth, another for their miso broth. Ramen Noodles are usually yellow or white, thin and very squiggly. Typically you will find them dried.

If you want to know what "Hard Gay Ramen" noodles are read about Toe Sox and Ramen here, where I cover a crazy Japanese TV show about just such a shop.

Udon Noodles - Thick, wheat noodles used in Japanese soups and casseroles. They are chewy.

Soba Noodles - Thin, brown Japanese noodles made from buckwheat flour, mixed with wheat and sometimes green tea is added. They can be served in a hot soup, or cold with a dipping sauce in summer. They're a Northern Japanese tradition.

Somen Noodles - are white, very thin, delicate wheat noodles. Typically served cold like Soba noodles, with a dipping sauce.

Cellophane Noodles - also known as mung bean, or bean thread noodles are made from mung bean starch. They can be simply softened in hot water then cooked quickly in broth where they will absorb the flavor of the soup. These often accompany shabu-shabu meals.

Rice Noodles - made from rice flour are pearly white and usually need only be soaked before added to simmering or stir-frying dishes. Wide rice noodles are typical in a dish calld Chow fan. Thin or thick they may also be served in Thai dishes where they are called sen mee or Vietnamese dishes where they're called bun.

Shanghai Noodles - white, wheat flour noodles are similar to somen but thicker. They are usually sold soft, rather than dried.

Shirataki Noodles - used in Sukiyaki. Shirataki are Japanese and made from a plant called devil's tongue. They're quite firm, which is why they work well with Sukiyaki and pick up the flavors of the other ingredients they're cooked with.

Bento.com is a great site for Japanese recipes and more. Check out the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum.

Asian Noodles - Deliciously SImple Dishes to Twirl, Slurp and Savor. Nina Simonds, Hearst Books, 1997. This is a great introduction to Asian noodle cooking. 

Borders published The Essential Asian Cookbook, 2005. This book does a pretty good job at covering a wide array of Cuisines and ingredients.