They are generally sold in dried form, boiled to reconstitute, then used in soups, stir fried dishes, or spring rolls. They are called "cellophane noodles" or "glass noodles" because of their appearance when dried, resembling cellophane, a clear material or a translucent light gray or brownish-gray color.
Cellophane noodles are generally round, and are available in various thicknesses. Wide, flat cellophane noodle sheets called mung bean sheets are also produced in China.
Cellophane noodles should not be confused with rice vermicelli, which are made from rice and are white in color rather than clear.
In China
Naming
In , the most commonly used names are:
*''fěn sī'' : with ''fěn'' meaning "noodle" and ''sī'' meaning "thread"
*''dōng fěn'' : with the literal meaning of "winter noodle"
They are also marketed under the name saifun, the pronunciation of the Mandarin ''xì fěn'' , though the name ''fan2 si1'' is the term most often used in Cantonese.
Production
In China, the primary site of production of cellophane noodles is the town of Zhangxing, in the city of Zhaoyuan , which is administered by the prefecture-level city of Yantai, in the eastern province of Shandong. However, historically, the noodles were shipped through the port of Longkou , and thus the noodles are known and marketed as Longkou ''fensi'' .
Use
In China, cellophane noodles are usually made of mung bean starch and are a popular ingredient used in , soups, and particularly hot pots. They can also be used as an ingredient in fillings for a variety of Chinese ''jiaozi'' and '''' , especially in vegetarian versions of these dishes. Thicker cellophane noodles are also commonly used to imitate the appearance and texture of in vegetarian soups. Thicker varieties, most popular in China's , are used in stir fries as well as cold salad-like dishes. A popular soup using the ingredient is fried tofu with thin noodles . A popular dish called ants climbing a tree consists of stewed cellophane noodles with a spicy ground pork meat sauce.
Health concerns
In 2004, testing by Chinese authorities determined that some brands of cellophane noodles produced in Yantai, Shandong were contaminated with lead. It emerged that several unscrupulous companies were making their noodles from cornstarch instead of mung beans in order to save costs, and, to make the cornstarch transparent, were adding lead-based whiteners to their noodles. In December 2006, Beijing authorities again inspected cellophane noodles produced by the in Siduitou village, Zhangxing town, Zhaoyuan city, Yantai, this time determining that , a toxic and possibly carcinogenic industrial bleach which is an illegal food additive in China, had been used in the production of the noodles. The company, which formerly sold its noodles both in China as well as overseas, was ordered to cease production and distribution.
Outside China
In Indonesian cuisine, they are called ''soun'' or ''suun'', and in Malaysia they are known as ''tanghoon''. Sometimes, people confuse them with ''bihun'' which are .
In Japanese cuisine, they are called ''harusame'' , literally "spring rain." Unlike Chinese glass noodles, they are usually made from potato starch. They are commonly used to make salads, or as an ingredient in hot pot dishes. They are also often used to make Japanese adaptations of Chinese and Korean dishes.
In Pakistan, glass noodles are called ''saewiyan'', and are always used in desserts. They are usually boiled with sweetened milk with dried nuts and are sometimes coated with ''chandi varak'' usually served on religious occasions. They are also eaten with ''falooda'', which could be bought from numerous food stalls throughout Pakistan.
In Korean cuisine, glass noodles are usually made from sweet potato starch and are called ''dangmyeon'' . They are commonly stir-fried in sesame oil with beef and vegetables, and flavoured with soy and sugar, in a popular dish called ''japchae'' They are usually thick, and are a brownish-gray color when in their uncooked form.
In , cellophane noodles are called ', ', or ''.
In Filipino cuisine, the noodles are called ''sotanghon'' because of the popular dish of the same name made from them using chicken and wood ears. These noodles are often confused with , which are called ''bihon'' in the Philippines.
In Thai cuisine, glass noodles are called ''woon sen'' . They are commonly mixed with pork and shrimp in a spicy salad called ''yum woon sen'' , or stir-fried as ''pad woon sen'' .
In Hawaii, where cuisine is heavily influenced by Asian cultures, cellophane noodles are known locally as long rice, supposedly because the process of making the noodles involves extruding the starch through a potato ricer. They are used most often in ''chicken long rice'', a dish of cellophane noodles in chicken broth that is often served at luaus.
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