Bartending. Margaret Brooker

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      Soba (buckwheat) noodles Slender noodles, square in cross section, made with buckwheat flour or, more usually, buckwheat and wheat flour, water and salt. Nutty flavoured, soba vary in shades of mushroom brown, the darkest (yabu soba) being made from the whole grain and the palest and most prized (gozen soba) from the kernel. A speciality of northern Japan and Tokyo, soba are typically served cold with a dipping sauce, or hot in soup. Pale green chasoba are flavoured with green tea.

      Egg noodles Golden noodles made from a paste of wheat flour, water and egg, extruded into round and flat ribbon shapes of varying widths. The classic fine strands (pictured) may be fresh or dried, while the fatter versions, such as the thick, round Hokkien noodles, are sold fresh and often oiled. Already steamed, egg noodles require little cooking. The all-purpose Chinese noodles, they are also used throughout Asia in soups, and stir fries, enjoyed for their rich flavour and soft texture.

      Somen Very fine, creamy-white, straight Japanese noodles made from wheat flour, salt, water and oil, generally sold dried, in even-length bundles. Formed by pulling the dough, somen differ from other Japanese noodles, which are rolled then cut. Somen are a summer food, traditionally served chilled.

      Wheat noodles Thin, pale strands of various widths made, at their most basic, from a dough of wheat flour and water. Often flavoured with ingredients such as shrimp, crab or spinach, wheat noodles are sold fresh or, more commonly, dried. They are versatile noodles, inherently resilient, and readily absorb flavours. In northern China, where they originated, they are typically served in soups or stir-fried.

      Udon Plump, white Japanese noodles made from a dough of wheat flour and water, and sometimes vinegar to make them whiter. Udon are formed in various dimensions: the fresh ones are usually fat and square-cut, while the dried versions may be flat, square or round in cross section. Neutral in flavour, their character is in their texture – soft, chewy and slippery. Udon are popular in the south of Japan, where traditionally they are served in soups.

      PREPARING NOODLES

      Noodles are generally boiled, or reconstituted in boiling water, until they are softened but still firm, before further preparation.

      Rice and Bean noodles

      Rice vermicelli Fine, dried, brittle noodles made from an extruded paste of rice flour and water. Translucent when dry, when cooked they become opaque. Vermicelli are versatile, used throughout Asia in soups, stir fries and spring rolls to add texture and contrast; either soft or deep-fried until crisp, their neutral taste is a vehicle for strong flavours. The Chinese call rice vermicelli ‘rice sticks’, but see below.

      Rice stick noodles Dried, brittle, flat ribbon noodles ranging in width from narrow to broad. Made from a paste of rice flour and water, like rice vermicelli, they are translucent when dry, becoming opaque when cooked. Though similarly bland in taste, being thicker they are more robust and elastic. Rice sticks are commonly used in Vietnam and Thailand, notably in the famous pad Thai.

      Bean thread noodles Fine, wiry, shimmering, translucent noodles extruded from a paste of mung bean starch and water. Extremely tough when dry, they need soaking before cooking (unless deep-frying) when they become glassy and transparent, with a gelatinous, slithery texture. They absorb a lot of cooking liquid so, being relatively tasteless, take on its flavours. Used throughout Asia in spring rolls, soups, braised dishes and desserts, their many names include cellophane, glass, jelly, silver and shining noodles.

      Bean curd noodles Brittle, shiny, plastic-looking tubes cut from the thin, СКАЧАТЬ