noodle

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Misua noodle making in Lukang, Taiwan

The noodle is a type of food, made from any of a variety of dough, which is rolled flat and cut into long thin ribbons, strips, waves, helices, tubes, strings, shells, or other various shapes, sometimes folded. They are usually cooked in a mixture of boiling water and/or oil, but are often pan fried or deep fried. Depending upon the type, noodles may be dried or refrigerated before cooking.

In English usage, the word "noodle" is an inclusive term that denotes texture and culinary use, and to a lesser extent, shape, as many people may associate it with the more common string varieties, such as spaghetti or ramen. Material composition or geocultural origin must usually be specified. However, the actual word derives from the German language Nudel (noodle).^[1]

History

In 2002, archaeologists found an earthenware bowl containing world's oldest known noodles, roughly 4000 years old, at the Lajia archaeological site of the Qijia culture along the Yellow River in China.^[2][3][4] The noodles were well-preserved.^[2][3] After research with parts of the noodle remains in 2004,^[3] scientists have determined that the noodles have been made from foxtail millet and broomcorn millet.^[2][3][4] The findings were published in October 2005 by Houyuan Lu et al. in the journal Nature.^[5] The earliest written record of noodles is from a book dated to the Eastern Han period (25–220).^[2] Noodles, often made from wheat dough, became a prominent staple food by the Han Dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE).^[6]

Types of noodles by primary ingredient

Wide, uncooked egg noodles.

Idiyappam, Indian rice noodles.

Types of noodle dishes

A simple noodle soup consisting of Soy sauce and Sesame oil.

• Basic noodles: These are cooked in water or broth, then drained. Other foods can be added (for example a pasta sauce) or the noodles are added to other foods (see fried noodles) or the noodles can be served plain with a dipping sauce or oil to be added at the table. In general, noodles are soft and absorb flavors.
• Frozen noodles: noodles are sometimes served in a salad. An example is the Thai glass noodle salad.
• Fried noodles: dishes made of noodles stir fried with various meats, seafood, vegetables, and dairy products. Typical examples include chow mein, lo mein, mee goreng, hokkien mee, some varieties of pancit, yakisoba, and pad thai.
• Noodle soup: noodles served in broth. Examples are phở, beef noodle soup, chicken noodle soup, ramen, laksa, saimin, and batchoy.
• Noodle casseroles: lasagna, kugel, tuna casserole, baked ziti, timballo, and pastitsio
• Cup noodles
• Instant noodles

See also

Look up noodle in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Noodles

Food portal

References

1. ^ Harper, Douglas. "noodle". Online Etymology Dictionary. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=noodle. Retrieved 2009-10-14. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d} Roach, John. "4,000-Year-Old Noodles Found in China". National Geographic. pp. 1-2. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/10/1012_051012_chinese_noodles.html. Retrieved 12 October 2011. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d} Ye, Maolin; Lu, Houyuan. "The earliest Chinese noodles from Lajia". The Institute of Archaeology. Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. http://www.kaogu.cn/en/detail.asp?ProductID=986. Retrieved 12 October 2011. 
4. ^ ^{a b} "Oldest noodles unearthed in China", BBC News, 12 October 2005
5. ^ Lu, Houyuan; Yang, Xiaoyan, Ye, Maolin, Liu, Kam-Biu, Xia, Zhengkai, Ren, Xiaoyan, Cai, Linhai, Wu, Naiqin, Liu, Tung-Sheng (13 October 2005). "Culinary archaeology: Millet noodles in Late Neolithic China". Nature 437 (7061): 967–968. doi:10.1038/437967a. 
6. ^ Sinclair, Thomas R.; Sinclair, Carol Janas (2010). Bread, beer, and the seeds of change: Agriculture's imprint on world history. Wallingford: CABI. p. 91. ISBN 9781845937041.