G Noodles

If you make a dish with glass noodles, you’ll see right away how they got their name: Glass noodles are clear like glass once they’re cooked. But what are glass noodles, exactly? Well, glass noodles, also called cellophane noodles or bean threads, are long, thin noodles commonly used in Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Filipino, and other East and Southeast Asian cuisines. They’re made from the starch of mung beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and/or tapioca and they look almost translucent when you cook them. Glass noodles taste similar to wheat pasta, but they’re slightly softer and heavier than, say, angel hair pasta, which is their closest Italian relative in shape and size. Because glass noodles don’t contain wheat flour, they’re usually gluten-free. (Always check ingredient labels to make sure that your glass noodles are produced in a gluten-free facility.) Keep scrolling to learn more about glass noodles and how to cook them.

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Glass noodles are sold dried in packages, and you’ll usually find them among the shelves with other Asian noodles, like rice and soba noodles. (You can also easily find the noodles online.) Glass noodles are long and thin and white or tan in color—they won’t turn clear until they’re cooked. They’re great in stir-fries and salads—they soak up tons of flavor.

Are glass noodles healthy?

Despite not being made with flour, glass noodles are nutritionally similar to white flour–based pastas. (Each 1 cup serving of cooked glass noodles has 160 calories and 39 grams of carbohydrates, whereas the same amount of cooked spaghetti has 200 calories and only 24 grams of carbs.) Glass noodles are not a great source of fiber, protein, or vitamins, but they do offer a gluten-free alternative to flour-based pastas (again, be sure to check your package labels).

How do you cook glass noodles?

Glass noodles actually do not need to be cooked in boiling water. The easiest way to prepare them is to pour boiling water over them in a heatproof bowl and let them sit for 10 to 15 minutes until softened before draining. (Check the label for instructions.) If you do choose to boil them, they will only need a quick 3 to 5 minutes.

What dishes can I make with glass noodles?

Glass noodles are very popular in East and Southeast Asian cuisines and are often served in both hot and cold preparations such as soups, hot pots, stir-fries, spring rolls, and cold salads. If you can’t find them, you can usually use rice vermicelli (for chilled salads or spring rolls), soba noodles (for dishes like stir-fries) or angel hair pasta (for most soups) in their place. None of these substitutes will have the same translucent appearance, but they can be used in a pinch. Glass noodles are often served on the bottom of a dish with the sauce, vegetables and protein on top—and it’s not mixed together until the last minute. (Glass noodles soak up liquid easily!) Try them in Ree Drummond’s Veggie Stir Fry, Thanksgiving-inspired Leftover Turkey Spring Rolls, or these Shrimp Spring Roll Noodle Bowls!

• When it comes to fen si, or cellophane noodles, soup broths can make them difficult to eat with chopsticks
• These ‘dry’ dishes offer an alternative, and the noodles work equally well in spring rolls

The world of noodles expands so far past spaghetti and fettuccine and yet we usually stick to what we know best. Glass noodles are commonly used in many Asian cuisines and can be found in stir fries, soups, hot pots, and salads. They can be found in most grocery stores and especially Asian markets. Glass noodles—also referred to as cellophane noodles, bean thread noodles, or fensi—are packaged dry and usually white or a light tan color. Once they are cooked, the noodles become transparent and look like glass, hence their name. They don’t have a strong flavor and are a pretty neutral tasting noodle making them great for a lot of dishes. They soak up liquids very well so don’t be shy when adding sauces to them!

What are glass noodles made of?

Where the glass noodles are from will determine exactly what they are made of. The most common variety comes from China and is made of mung bean starch. Korean and Japanese glass noodles are typically made from sweet potato starch. Some other starches, like arrowroot or tapioca can be used as well, but mung bean and sweet potato are the most common.

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How do you cook glass noodles?

Glass noodles are easy to make and cook quickly. They can be soaked in warm water for about 10 minutes or boiled like regular noodles, like here in our Japchae recipe. They don’t take long to boil, so be careful not to overcook them. Only cook them until they are soft, which should take about five minutes. If you are adding them into a soup where they will cook longer, you may want to cook them for even less time!

Are glass noodles gluten-free?

Yes! Since the noodles are typically made from sweet potato or mung bean starch, they are gluten-free. Be sure to check labels, however, as many manufactures may make other products that include gluten.

Sweet potato glass noodles stir fry with shredded cabbage-another super yummy and simple dish, easy to prepare but bring a big flavor.

We are using glass noodles again today. Remember in the previous ants climbing a tree, mung bean vermicelli is fried with minced beef. Vermicelli noodles (Cellophane noodles)are also known as glass noodles in Chinese. Usually, they are made from starch including mung bean starch, yams (like konjak, sweet potato and potato). For this recipe, you can use either sweet potato glass noodle or mung bean glass noodle.

To cook dried glass noodles, you need to pre-soak them either in cold water or warm water. Warm water can shorten the time. Usually the soaking process takes around 10-15 minutes with warm water. And drain them completely before frying.

Heat up cooking oil in wok; add garlic, ginger, green onion, dried pepper and Sichuan peppercorn to fry until aroma over slow fire. Do not get the garlic slices get burnt, otherwise the dish may come out slightly bitter.  And then fry cabbage until slightly soft.

And soaked noodles and all the other seasonings. Gibe a big stir fry and transfer out immediately.  Overcooking may break the noodles.

Besides, if you love cabbage, this Chinese style cabbage stir fry is highly recommended.

The most comprehensive and authentic Japchae (Korean glass noodle stir fry) recipe! 

WHAT IS JAPCHAE

Japchae or chapchae (잡채) is a very popular Korean dish. It is the number one sought after dish particularly during the Korean festive holidays (e.g. New Year’s day and Harvest festival) but it is also enjoyed on any other common day as well.

Japchae translates as mixed vegetables. When it was first invented in the 17th century, japchae was a noodle-less dish.

But nowadays, the main highlight of the dish is glass noodles, which is made from sweet potatoes, along with colorful vegetables and well seasoned meat.

Japchae is typically served as a side dish but it can also be served on a bed of rice (i.e. Japchae-bap, 잡채밥) as a main dish. In this case, I normally serve it with Korean black bean sauce, just like a Korean-Chinese restaurant in Korea. – I will cover that variation at some other time.

Preparing for Japchae is a lot like making bibimbap. It typically requires meat and vegetables (unless you make a vegetarian version) and they are individually prepared and cooked.

Some might argue that this separate cooking process is unnecessary. (I hear you! It’s cumbersome!)

But by cooking them separately you can enhance their individual flavor, texture and color better. (This is really true. I had many mediocre / failed Japchae dishes by stir frying it all at the same time before). After all, they all have a different cooking point.

Well made Japchae should have a balanced sweet and savory flavor, crunchy vegetable texture (not too raw and not too soft) and bouncy noodle texture (not mushy).

And, I’m very happy to share my well made Japchae recipe today! We just couldn’t get enough of it. 🙂 I hope you enjoy my recipe as much as we did!

INGREDIENTS FOR JAPCHAE (6 TO 8 SERVINGS)

MAIN

• 250g / 8.8 ounces Korean sweet potato starch noodles (dangmyeon,당면)
• 100g / 3.5 ounces rib eye fillet, cut into strips
• 1 carrots (120g / 4.2 ounces), rinsed, peeled & julienned
• 110g / 3.9 ounces baby spinach, rinsed
• 1/4 red capsicum / bell pepper (50g / 1.8 ounces), rinsed & julienned
• 1/2 yellow onion (105g / 3.7 ounces) – peeled, rinsed & thinly sliced
• 100g / 3.5 ounces fresh shiitake mushroom – cleaned, stems removed & thinly sliced

SPINACH SEASONING

• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

BEEF MARINADE

• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp rice wine (mirin)
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

NOODLES & MUSHROOM MARINADE – MIX THESE IN A SMALL BOWL

• 4 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper

FINISHING TOUCH

• 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
• (Optional) 1 extra large egg – rinsed, egg white and yolk separated

OTHER

• cooking oil – I used rice bran oil.
• fine sea salt
• water to boil the spinach and the noodles

* 1 Tbsp = 15ml

** If you’re not sure of the above Korean cooking ingredients, check my essential Korean cooking ingredients list!

HOW TO MAKE JAPCHAE

1. Place the beef strips into a medium bowl. Add the “beef marinade” and gently mix the sauce into the meat. Cover the bowl with food wrap and set it aside while you’re working on other ingredients.

2. Get the rest of ingredients ready per below.

• Prepare the vegetables as instructed in the “main ingredients” section.

• Put the sliced mushroom into a medium bowl and add 1 Tbsp of “noodles & mushroom marinade” mixture. Mix them well. Set it aside until you cook it (in about 20 mins).

• Blanch the spinach in rolling boiling water (5 to 10 seconds). Drain the water and quickly cool it down by running it under cold tap water. Squeeze the spinach to remove any excess water and put it into a mixing bowl.

Add the “spinach seasoning” and mix them gently and evenly. Put it into a large mixing bowl where we will be adding the rest of the prepared ingredients in later.

• Boil some water in a large pot. Once the water starts to boil (6 to 8 mins later), add the noodles and boil them for 6 to 7 mins. Drain the water. Rinse in cold water to cool down and let the water drain for 1 to 2 mins.

Cut the noodles with a pair of kitchen scissors a couple of times. (Between 15 to 20 cm / 6 to 8 inches length is good). Move the noodles into a mixing bowl and pour in the rest of the “noodles & mushroom marinade” mixture. Mix them well. Set it aside until you cook it (in about 10 mins).

3. Start cooking the prepared ingredients per below. Follow the order if you can. We are cooking lighter color to darker color (to minimize the color transfer and avoid washing up in between) and will be using only one non-stick pan/skillet.

Once each step is completed, move them into the large mixing bowl (except for the first two – egg white and egg yolk), where we will be mixing all ingredients in before serving.

• Beat the egg white with a fork. Add some cooking oil (1 tsp) on a well heated pan and spread it well. Pour the egg white mixture and cook both sides on low heat (1-2 mins). Transfer it onto a clean cutting board and set aside.

• Beat the egg yolk with a fork. (If necessary, add more cooking oil onto the pan and spread it well.) Pour the egg yolk mixture and cook both sides on low heat (1-2 mins). Transfer it onto a clean cutting board and set aside.

• Add more oil if necessary. Cook the onion with a pinch of salt over low to medium heat until it softens (1-2 mins). Transfer it to the large mixing bowl.

• Add more oil if necessary. Cook the carrots with a pinch of salt over medium heat until it softens (1-2 mins). Transfer it to the large mixing bowl.

• Add more oil if necessary. Cook the red capsicum with a pinch of salt over low to medium heat until it softens (1-2 mins). Transfer it to the large mixing bowl.

• Add more oil if necessary. Pour in the marinated mushroom (incl. the residue sauce from the bowl) and stir fry until it is cooked (1-2 mins) over low to medium heat. Transfer it to the large mixing bowl.

• Add more oil if necessary. Pour in the marinated meat and stir fry until it is cooked (2-3 mins) over medium heat. Transfer it to the large mixing bowl.

• Add more oil if necessary. Stir fry the marinated noodles until the noodles are well coated with the sauce (2-3 mins) over low to medium heat. Transfer it to the large mixing bowl.

4. Thinly slice the egg white and egg yolk like match sticks. Add them into the large mixing bowl as used above.

5. Add the rest of the “finishing touch” ingredients – sesame oil and sesame seeds into the large mixing bowl and gently mix them around with your hands.

(Watch your hands, as the ingredients, particularly the noodles might be still hot. You can also use a salad server to mix initially then mix with your hands once it cools down enough.)

Serve and enjoy!

TIPS

• If you buy dried shiitake mushrooms instead of fresh mushroom, you will have to soak them in water for a few hours before using them. If you can’t find shiitake mushrooms, oyster mushrooms can be a good substitute.
• I used pre-cut noodles (자른 당면) that are 30-40 cm (12 – 16 inches) long individually. I still cut a bit with my scissors after boiling them but a lot less than if I was using more traditional noodles. In general, these pre-cut noodles are much easier to cook with, so I highly recommend it.
• The best way to save time in preparing and cooking for Japchae is to familiarise yourself with the instructions above and multi-task (e.g. boil two pots of water for spinach and glass noodles at the same time).
• Japchae can be served hot or cold. You can also microwave it to reheat when necessary.
• Japchae can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days in an air tight container. It can be stored for a bit longer but the noodles don’t look as good by then.

What Are Glass Noodles?

Glass or cellophane noodles are noodles made from mung bean, potato, sweet potato, or tapioca starch and are frequently used in Asian cuisine. They are commonly available dry in packaged bundles and are often imported from China and other Asian countries. Glass noodles appear white or pale brown or grey, and opaque in the package and turn translucent and glass-like after soaking in water. They are sometimes confused with rice vermicelli, but are made of different ingredients and are clear when cooked. If you are not sure whether they are rice or glass noodles, just check the ingredients.

Glass noodles taste similar to wheat noodles but are softer and slightly heavier in texture. In restaurants, the noodles are usually served at the bottom of the platter or serving bowl with the other ingredients served on top. The noodles easily absorb liquid, so you can be liberal with sauce when stir-frying. They commonly appear in soups, hot pot, stir-fries, salads, spring rolls, and as a filler for vegetarian versions of dishes.

You can buy the noodles in any Asian specialty store. Glass noodles are a popular cuisine component in China, India, Japan, Indonesia, Korea, Thailand, The Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia. If you do not have an Asian market near you, you can find the noodles easily online. Glass noodles tend to be affordable, with a similar price point to other pasta.

How to Cook Glass Noodles

Glass noodles can be boiled like regular noodles or soaked in warm or hot water. If boiling, only cook them until they are transparent and soft enough to eat, which should only take about three to five minutes. Drain well and rinse through with plenty of cold water to remove the excess starch. To keep the noodles from sticking together, toss the noodles with a small amount of oil. If stir-frying, you may want to cut the noodles before stir-frying, as they can be very long and hard to toss in the pan otherwise.

Alternatively, the noodles can simply be soaked in hot water for about 10 minutes and drained before using. If you plan to add the noodles to a soup, a very wet sauce, or stir-fry, be careful not to overcook the noodles since they will continue to soften in the hot liquid or pan. Read the instructions on the box for best results.

Varieties

There is a wide variety of cellophane noodles, with different regions and brands using different starches to make their noodles. The end result is fairly similar, with thin glass noodles the most commonly available. Chinese glass noodles are also available in a wide, flat variety called mung bean sheets that can be used similarly to standard glass noodles. A thicker variety popular in Korea called sweet potato noodles or dangmyeon is made with sweet potato starch and is commonly stir-fried with sesame oil, beef, and vegetables.

Substitutes

Nothing is quite the same as glass noodles, with their translucent appearance and unique texture, but they can be replaced in most recipes in a pinch. For soups, cold salads, and spring rolls, try thin rice vermicelli. For stir-fries, use thin egg noodles, soba noodles, or angel hair pasta. Note that most glass noodles are gluten and grain-free, while some of the substitutions are not. Glass noodles do have a similar amount of carbs to traditional pasta.

Glass Noodle Recipes

You can toss the noodles in a soup, use as an accompaniment to main dishes, or add as the base of a stir-fry dish or salad. They also help fill out a vegetarian dish and are often used in spring rolls. Keep in mind that glass noodles readily absorb liquid, so sauce them generously.

• Thai Glass Noodles
• Korean Japchae Stir-Fry
• Vietnamese Spring Roll Filling