N'oodles of fun

If you're a fan of Asian food or cooking, chances are you'll have had your fair share of noodles. They're delicious and versatile, so you can try them with all sorts of flavours. Also, there are different types, which vary in terms of ingredients and nutrition – so you're sure to find one to suit you!

To celebrate Noodle Day on the 6th October, let's take a look at what's on offer and how they work best.

Egg noodles

Ingredients – wheat flour, egg, salt

Characteristics – these differ from other noodles, in that they contain egg. They're versatile and can be used in lots of noodles dishes, but are most commonly used in things like chow meins or stir-frys.

Rice noodles or vermicelli

Ingredients – rice flour, water

Characteristics – very thin, light noodles that are white in colour because they're made from rice flour. These can be used in stir-fried vermicelli dishes or they go great in chinese soups and broths. These can be a good gluten free choice, but always check the label as it depends on where and how they're manufactured.

Udon noodles

Ingredients – wheat flour, water, salt – sometimes tapioca starch

Characteristics – these are much thicker than other noodles and should be cooked al dente to give them more of a bite. They're great for making stir-fried udon dishes and pick up flavour well.

Ramen noodles

Ingredients – wheat flour, water, salt

Characteristics – these are essentially just regular noodles, but they're called ramen noodles if they're specifically used in ramen or come in a pre-flavoured instant noodle pack called ramen noodles. But the basis of the classic noodle – as with these – which is wheat flour, water and salt produces a noodle suitable for all sorts of dishes.

Soba noodles

Ingredients – buckwheat flour (but sometimes wheat flour is mixed in too), water and salt

Characteristics – another gluten free option, providing only buckwheat flour is used - so always check the label. These noodles can be used in a variety of stir-fry style noodle dishes and offer a different flavour and texture to that of the egg noodle.

Top tips!

1. As with other starchy carbs such as pasta and rice, try to choose wholegrain versions whenever you can. There are lots of noodle brands which offer wholegrain/brown versions, so make sure you check the shelves!
2. Fresh noodles have already been cooked and tend to have a little oil added to them, so they will be a little higher in fat than dried versions. Just ensure you choose the right product from our food database to represent whether you have bought fresh or dried noodles.