Noodles around the world

Noodles are an international dish. Everywhere you travel will likely have some form of noodles, whether it is from Japan or the U.S. While you may think “It’s just noodles, there is nothing special about that!”, different countries have very distinctive styles of cooking noodles. Come with me on a delicious and stomach rumbling journey while we explore all sorts of noodles from all around the globe!

Vietnam

Phở is a traditional type of Vietnamese noodles. It is a type of rice noodles, but it is special because it is flat and rectangular, making them better for heartier meals. The soup of phở is usually made of beef bone broth. There are two main variations of phở, beef and chicken. Spices and herbs that are commonly used in phở are coriander seeds, star anise, fennel, cardamom pods, cinnamon, and cloves.

Italy

Carbonara is a creamy cheesy spaghetti dish from Italy. The sauce is creamy from the beaten eggs that are added in, and the saltiness usually comes from the bacon that you add in. For extra flavor, people also add black pepper.

Japan

Ramen is a Japanese wheat noodle. Ramen is made of wheat flour, water, salt, and sometimes eggs. The key ingredient in ramen that makes ramen ramen, is kansui (alkali water). The kansui makes the noodles yellow, and it’s what gives ramen the elastic yet firm texture. The broth that ramen is served in is usually either pork or chicken, and toppings can vary from super quick; bean sprouts and chopped green onion, or they can be cooked in the oven for many hours, such as chasu (slowly cooked pork).

The U.S.

Mac & cheese is a classic American pasta dish. The pasta in mac & cheese is macaroni, and the sauce usually contains flour, butter, and milk. The milk in the sauce is what gives the mac & cheese its creaminess. There are many different variations of this dish, some people put some crispy bacon on top of their mac & cheese, while some others will just add an enormous amount of cheese to make it cheesier.

By just seeing the diverse types of noodle/pasta all around the world, you can clearly see the countries distinct cooking styles. You now know that there isn't just one way of cooking, there are many, many different ways of cooking, and ALL of them are correct.

Ali. “Homemade Pho Recipe.” Gimme Some Oven, 22 Apr. 2021, www.gimmesomeoven.com/pho-recipe/.

Spaghetti Carbonara - Foodwiki - Takeaway.Com, www.takeaway.com/foodwiki/italy/spaghetti-carbonara/. Accessed 18 Nov. 2023.

Www.facebook.com/thechunkychef. “Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese (Contest-Winning!).” The Chunky Chef, 19 Nov. 2021, www.thechunkychef.com/family-favorite-baked-mac-and-cheese/.

Ramen - Foodwiki - Takeaway.Com, www.takeaway.com/foodwiki/japan/ramen/. Accessed 19 Nov. 2023.