Traditionally, this variant is painstakingly kneaded, allowed to rise, and then pounded and roughly shaped with hands and feet, avoiding overmixing the dough to prevent a monotonous, homogenous mouthfeel. In fact, udon is so vital to the Kagawa Prefecture (oft dubbed the Udon Prefecture) that a local company has introduced an Udon Special Education Kit for children, encouraging families to keep the tradition alive through generations to come.

Try it in: stir-fry dishes like yaki udon, choc-full of vegetables, mushrooms, and meat, coated in a rich umami soy-based sauce. Alternatively, enjoy it in a soothing, warm soup like this beef-based niku udon.

Learn how to make udon at home here.

See also: Tequila Pairings: Scallop Udon And Chicken Sisig—Perfect With Patrón?

Characteristics: thin; toothsome; earthy flavour, though you can also find many flavoured variants like cha soba (green tea flavoured soba).

Main ingredients: buckwheat flour, wheat flour

Soba noodles rose to prominence in the streets of Tokyo where street vendors satiated the stomachs of late-night wanderers well after brick-and-mortar restaurants would shut. Although orthodox iterations of soba noodles are made with 100 per cent buckwheat (ju-wari soba), the most common soba variants in Tokyo follow a 2:8 ratio of wheat flour to buckwheat (hachi-wari soba). This 2:8 soba variety results in a dough that is much easier to work with (thanks to the elasticity of wheat flour) and slightly more affordable to produce. In Japan, it is customary to slurp up a bowl of toshikoshi soba (year-crossing soba) on New Year’s Eve to invite fortune, resilience, a fulfilling life, and a fresh start. 

Try it in: a refreshing zaru soba, where soba noodles are served chilled (at times with ice) over a bamboo basket and accompanied by a light dashi dipping sauce with ginger, scallions, wasabi, nori, and a raw quail egg, each of which you can add to your liking. Enjoy it with a generous helping of ebi or vegetable tempura for a classic meal.

Learn how to make soba at home here.

Characteristics: thin; slippery and elastic; neutral flavour

Main ingredients: mung bean starch (China) or sweet potato starch (Korea and Japan), though less common alternatives may use tapioca or arrowroot

Also known as cellophane noodles or bean thread noodles (and commonly mistaken for rice noodles, but more on that later), glass noodles are commonly used in a range of Asian cuisines. In China, it is often incorporated into hot soups like suan la fen (hot and sour glass noodle soup), which allow the noodles to soak up all the vibrant heat and zing from the soup base. Meanwhile, in the Philippines, where the noodles are known as sotanghon, it is commonly enjoyed in a comforting chicken soup or a festive pancit. Though its ingredients and uses may differ from culture to culture, they are characterised by the use of a vegetable starch slurry as well as their translucent appearance.

Try it in: japchae, a popular Korean noodle dish with a bright assortment of mushrooms and vegetables, thin strips of beef or pork in a sweet-savoury marinade, and a soy and sesame finish to complete the mouthwatering stir-fry.

Learn how to make Korean-style potato starch glass noodles here.

See also: 10 Snacks and Drinks You Often See In Korean Dramas: Banana Milk, Tteokbokki, Iced Americano And More

Characteristics: tender and light; comes in different sizes (from thin rice vermicelli to the far broader he fen or huo fun); neutral flavour

Main ingredient: white rice flour

While rice noodles are often used in place of glass noodles (and vice versa), they are actually a distinct noodle variant that tends to be more opaque than the latter. Made with rice flour, the white noodles are also well-loved across a number of Asian cuisines. Fans of Vietnamese fare will be intimately familiar with the noodle as it is a main ingredient in phở, bún salad bowls, and gỏi cuốn, albeit often varying in thickness and width. Rice noodles are typically cooked by soaking them in tepid water for three to 10 minutes (depending on size) as boiling water will produce an unpleasant, mushy texture.

Try it in: the beloved pad thai, which hugs the rice stick noodle variety in a distinct sweet-savoury tamarind-soy sauce. 

Learn how to make rice noodles here - call a friend, this is a two-person operation.

See also: 7 Must-Try Asian Condiments: XO Sauce, Sambal, And More

Characteristics: bouncy; chewy; neutral flavour

Main ingredients: wheat flour, alkaline water, salt

The story of ramen noodles dates all the way back to the 5th century when Chinese immigrants first made their way to Japan equipped with wheat noodles known as lamian. These lamian noodles were quite particular compared to the other wheat noodles the Japanese were familiar with, as they were made using alkaline mineral water. Ultimately, the addition of an alkaline substance allows the flour to absorb more water and break down more starch in the process, resulting in a “springy, chewy noodle that’s less likely to dissolve in a bowl of hot broth” while imparting a slightly yellow hue as well.

As the Chinese lamian evolved into today’s Japanese ramen, a number of changes were introduced to further differentiate the two noodles. For example, unlike lamian, ramen is not hand-pulled but rather rolled flat and cut into strands - a process that affects both visual appearance and texture.

Try it in: a timeless, delicious shoyu ramen. For something more unique, try this curry ramen, inspired by a dish featured in Netflix’s Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories.

Learn how to make ramen noodles here.

Characteristics: springy; silky; slightly savoury flavour

Main ingredients: wheat flour, eggs, salt

As its name suggests, egg noodles are prepared with a blend of wheat flour, salt, and eggs. However, compared to Italian egg pasta, Asian egg noodles have a higher proportion of egg to flour, lending a richer flavour and a deeper yellow tinge. Another key difference is that most Italian egg pasta are rolled, whereas Asian egg noodles are typically pulled and stretched, inviting a texture that is much bouncier than the former. Of this noodle family, lo mein and chow mein are among the best-known varieties, both of which are commonly used in Chinese stir-frys.

Try it in: this extremely saucy lo mein stir fry recipe, glistening with dark soy sauce; or this dryer, but equally delicious stir-fried chow mein recipe with a more delicate flavour.

Learn how to make basic Chinese egg noodles here. 

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