Store-bought noodles are nonnegotiable in our pantries, but homemade noodles? They are something else—earthy, chewy, and ridiculously fun. So grab an apron and let us show you how to Make Your Own Noodles. We’ve got glorious recipes, expert tips, handy guides, and so much more.
The sheer vastness of the grocery store noodle aisle can be staggering, especially since you’ll often find the same ingredients labeled under different names. The typically thin, round, light-colored strands referred to as “glass noodles” are a prime example. They’re popular in a wide range of dishes in Chinese and Southeast Asian cooking, from soups to hot pots to stir-fries. They’re fast-cooking, delightfully chewy, and highly versatile. But what makes a noodle a glass noodle?
What are glass noodles?
“Glass noodles are not one thing,” says cookbook author Hetty Lui McKinnon. “There are actually many types.”
The category is defined by noodles made from a mixture of starch and water. Long noodles are pulled, washed, stretched, shaped, and dried, while other varieties can be hand-shaped. Starches can include mung bean starch, which is common in Chinese cooking, or sweet potato starch, which is common in Korean and Japanese glass noodles. Standard potato starch (like in McKinnon’s Bouncy Potato Noodles, which are handmade glass noodles) and tapioca starch are also frequently used. And often, glass noodles use a blend of different starches.
What makes them turn transparent? Let’s get into it: In uncooked glass noodles, the starch granules are tightly packed together and do not allow light to pass through, which is why raw glass noodles are usually a milky white or beige color. When they’re cooked, the starch granules absorb water and swell, causing them to separate and become, true to their name, glassy and crystalline. (“Wheat and rice flours, which haven’t been processed into a pure starch, still have plenty of insoluble proteins and fiber in the mix that keeps them opaque,” explains food editor Shilpa Uskokovic.)
Of course, there are slight variations in color, depending on which starch they contain. But the characteristic see-through appearance makes them excellent at picking up the colors of sauces during cooking.
Some other names for glass noodles that you might see include cellophane noodles, fensi, bean thread noodles, vermicelli, bean threads, or miến. They can be sold in a variety of shapes—anything from thin noodles in tight spools, or broader sheets as wide as a bookmark. McKinnon’s recipe, also called loh shi fun, are named after mouse tails for their pudgy, tapered shape.
Don’t get confused by similar-sounding terms, like rice vermicelli. Rice noodles are their own vast category, though their white color may seem similar to glass noodles when uncooked.
What do glass noodles taste like?
Glass noodles are smoother, softer, and more slippery than wheat noodles. (Plus, they’re gluten-free, but always double check the ingredient list and potential cross-contamination details on the package.) These starch noodles are bouncy and chewy, with a relatively neutral taste, so they’re all about texture.
Think of them as a blank canvas, ready to soak up the flavors around them. That’s why they’re an ideal pick for stir-fried dishes like japchae with plenty of veggies and sauce (associate food editor Zaynab Issa’s favorite application). They’re a win in noodle salads—like this bright and spicy version with shrimp—where they hold up to a large assortment of ingredients and flavors. But the options are endless.
How do you cook glass noodles?
Hydrate thin glass noodles, like fensi or bean thread noodles, in hot water for stuffing spring rolls and dumplings. If you’re reaching for widely available dried varieties in the grocery store, McKinnon recommends letting them soak in warm water for about 10 minutes until soft. This method, as opposed to hot water or boiling water, will give you more control over their doneness and preserve that defining bouncy chew..
Ready to take a swing at homemade glass noodles? Of course you are. These hand-rolled noodles are your ultimate weekend project.
