Wheat Noodle

 

Wheat noodle is a special form of the Chinese staple that is prepared by mixing wheat flour with water and salt. The noodles come in a variety of shapes and can also contain lye or eggs which give it the desired texture. Yellow coloring is often used to enhance the visual appeal of the noodles.

 

The noodles are softer and take only about five minutes to be cooked properly. The shape and size of the wheat noodle depends on its place of origin; with the Chinese, Japanese and Korean noodles varying considerably. Noodles made of wheat are considered to be a traditional food in Northern China.

 

They are low in calories and contain a lesser amount of carbohydrates than the traditional noodles. The ideal method of cooking the wheat based noodles is boiling, although the uncooked noodles can also be deep-fried directly. It is also used to prepare low calorie desserts by cooking them with milk and sugar.

 

The noodles can also be stored in airtight containers to be used later. The dried form keeps for as long as a year while the wet noodles need to be refrigerated and consumed within a couple of days.

 

 

Wheat Noodles Recipe: Ingredients and Preparation Overview

Noodles made of wheat are traditionally cooked with vegetables and mushrooms, with tofu being added to the dishes occasionally. Seafood, pork, ground beef and eggs serve as the primary ingredients while cooking the wheat noodles. The noodles are frequently used as :-

  • The primary ingredient of various stir fried dishes.
  • An ingredient added to soups, salads and stews.
  • An alternative to spaghetti and linguine.
  • A rice substitute in low-calorie desserts.

 

 

Wheat Noodle Types

  • Mee pok-Yellow colored Chinese noodles popularly consumed in South East Asia.
  • Sōmen- A form of thin Japanese noodles.
  • Reshte- Noodles used in Central Asian cuisine particularly to make Iranian and Afghani dishes.
  • Lamian- Chinese hand-pulled noodles.
  • Erişte- Flat, Turkish noodles which can vary from yellow to reddish brown in color.
  • Nokedli- Is a form of wheat based Hungarian noodles.

 

 

Wheat Noodles Recipe Variations

  • Mie goring is an Indonesian noodle dish prepared by stir-frying the yellow colored noodles with prawns, beef or chicken, along with bakso, a special type of sliced meatball.
     
  • Ramen is a Japanese soup consisting of Chinese wheat noodles cooked in fish or meat broth and flavored with miso.
     
  • Kugel is a Jewish pudding prepared with egg noodles which is traditionally served on Shabbat.
     
  • Chow Mein is a popular dish served in America which consists of noodles that are stir-fried with pieces of chicken, beef or pork along with celery and onions.
     
  • Thai glass noodle salad is prepared with carrots, onions and red onions; with cooked and shredded chicken meat and glass noodles, forming the main ingredients. It is topped with fresh mint and roasted peanuts along with fish sauce and a sprinkling of sugar before serving.

 

 

Trivia

Jook-sing is a special type of Cantonese wheat noodle where the dough is softened with the aid of a large bamboo log.