Shahe fen

Shahe fen or he fen is a type of wide Chinese noodle made from rice.

Names

While ''shahe fen'' and ''he fen'' are transliterations based on Standard Mandarin, there are numerous other transliterations based on , which include ho fen, hofen, ho-fen, ho fun, ho-fun, hor fun, hor fen, sar hor fun, etc. In addition, ''shahe fen'' is often called kway teow or guotiao , as in the name of a dish called ''char kway teow''.

Origin

''Shahe fen'' is believed to have originated in the town of , now part of the Tianhe District in the city of Guangzhou, in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, from whence their name derives. ''Shahe fen'' is typical of southern Chinese cuisine, although similar noodles are also prepared and enjoyed in nearby Southeast Asian nations such as , , , , and , all of which have sizeable Chinese populations.

Types

''Shahe fen'' noodles are white in color, broad, and somewhat slippery. Their texture is elastic and a bit chewy. They do not freeze or dry well and are thus generally purchased fresh, in strips or sheets that may be cut to the desired width. Where fresh noodles are not available, they may also be purchased packaged in dried form, in various widths.

''Shahe fen'' noodles are very similar to Vietnamese '''' noodles, which are likely derived from their Chinese counterpart. Although the ''ph?'' noodles used in soups may vary in width, wide ''ph?'' noodles are also common in stir fried dishes. The popular Thai dishes ''pad see ew'' and ''pad Thai'' are also made with similar noodles.

Chao fen

''Shahe fen'' is often with meat and vegetables in a dish called chao fen . While ''chao fen'' is a transliteration based on Standard Mandarin, chow fun - a transliteration based on the Cantonese language - is the name to which this dish is most often referred in . Some people who do not realize the fact that ''chao fen'' and ''chow fun'' are merely transliterations sometimes mistakenly interpret the terms with the meaning of the words "" and "."