The Ultimate Guide to Asian Noodle Styles: Exploring the Best Varieties

Arguably one of the most famous Asian noodles in the world, ramen is a staple dish in Japan. It consists of wheat noodles cooked in a soup or broth with various toppings. Modern ramen comes in different forms: the instant variety that is available in supermarkets and grocery stores all over the world, and the ramen that restaurants and noodle shops serve.

What is Ramen Made Of?

To fully understand the uniqueness of ramen, we need to explore its main components (noodles, broth, and toppings).

Ramen noodles are made from wheat flour, kansui (lye water), salt, and water. There is no specific size for the noodles. They can be thick or thin, depending on their production process. However, they have a distinct golden hue and chewy texture, thanks to the kansui or alkaline solution.

Ramen broth is a soup typically made with meat or vegetables and tare (sauce). Common ingredients include chicken, pork bones, fish, seaweed, and lard. The sauce used could be either soy, salt, or miso sauce, and it contains other seasonings. Irrespective of the ingredients or sauce in ramen soup, it’s generally filled with umami-rich flavors. The soup broth or sauce used to make the various types of ramen is frequently a defining characteristic. Hence, we have shoyu (soy sauce) ramen, shio (salt) ramen, miso ramen, and tonkotsu (pork bone soup) ramen.

Toppings placed on ramen include boiled eggs, nori seaweed, fish cake, garlic, sesame seeds, ginger, or scallions. Read our ramen toppings guide to learn more about using these flavorful garnishes.

Regional Variations of Ramen Noodles

Ramen can also be categorized based on what part of Japan they come from. The list below explores the most popular regional variations of ramen and what makes them special:

1. Sapporo ramen: Originating in Sapporo City in Hokkaido, this ramen is famous for its tasty miso soup.

2. Hakata ramen: This ramen comes from the Hakata ward of Fukuoka City. It often contains boiled pork bones and vegetable toppings, which form a cloudy tonkotsu broth. 

3. Toyama ramen: Famous for its black color, this is a regional specialty dish in Toyama. The color comes from black soy sauce mixed with fish and chicken stock.

4. Kitakata ramen: Originating in Kitakata City, Fukushima, this ramen uses flat, curly, and firm noodles of about 4 mm in thickness.

Udon: Japan's Thick and Chewy Delight

Udon is another Asian noodle from Japan. It may not be as popular as ramen, but it’s growing in global recognition every year. Udon is also made from thick wheat noodles, salt, and water. You can tell udon easily from its denseness and chewy flavor. It doesn’t contain kansui, so its noodles are not as flavorful as those of ramen. They are also white in color. As one of the most versatile noodle dishes, udon takes on many forms, including hot, cold, boiled, and stir-fried noodles. You can buy fresh (frozen) or dry versions at the grocery store. Although it takes some time, people also make homemade versions of the noodles.

The broth used in udon dishes is mostly composed of Japanese dashi soup stock and common condiments like soy sauce and mirin. To round out the meal, you’ll typically find udon topped with egg, seafood, seaweed, scallion, beef, tofu, and kakiage.

People love to eat cold udon during the hot summer weather. Some of the most popular cold udon dishes are zaru, bukkake, hadaka, and kijōyu udon. Hot udon, served in steaming hot broth, is popular during the winter and includes dishes such as kake, yaki, tempura, curry, kama-age, and kitsune udon. Of the lot, kake udon is the most common type. It’s refreshingly basic, only containing dashi soup with little to no toppings. There’s so much more to discover about udon, and you can find out for yourself by reading our recent post on the Japanese noodle.

Soba: Nutritious Buckwheat Noodles from Japan

Soba is a Japanese noodle made from both buckwheat flour and wheat flour. The typical ratio of buckwheat to wheat flour used in soba is 7:3. However, there are different grades with a variety of compositions, including one with 100% buckwheat.

Soba is known for its distinct nutty and earthy taste. It also has a grainy texture. Although not as thick as udon, soba is not thin either, and it has the same thickness as spaghetti. You’ll find it in both fresh and dry form, with the former common in restaurants and the latter often sold in supermarkets and stores.

Soba is gluten-free if it contains 100% buckwheat and no wheat, making it an ideal option for people dealing with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. However, you can still enjoy lots of health benefits from all kinds of soba, whether mixed or not, such as a helpful supply of minerals, high fiber intake, low fat, and antioxidant properties. The noodle is a rich source of manganese, which helps with bone formation, metabolism, and healing. Head over to our soba guide to dive deeper.

There are two ways to enjoy soba. The first is hot soba, which involves serving the noodles in a hot broth, and the second is cold soba, which requires a chilled dipping sauce or tsuyu served on the side. Most types of soba can be served using any of those two methods. However, zaru soba can only be served cold, while kake soba, sansai soa, and tsukimi soba only have hot versions. Contrary to what some people think, yakisoba is not a type of soba noodles. It’s an entirely different noodle dish, and we explained why in our yakisoba guide.

Somen: Japan's Delicate Summer Noodles

This is yet another noodle originating from Japan, which is a testament to the immense noodle culture in the country. Somen is not as popular as ramen, udon, or soba, but it has garnered a niche portion of the Asian noodles market. Somen noodles are quite delicate and have a thickness of less than 1.3 mm. They are most similar to udon noodles in terms of composition because they’re made of wheat flour, water, and salt, just like udon.

Somen production involves a traditional hand-stretching technique from over 600 years ago. The noodles are repeatedly stretched and twisted for several hours to make them more thin and delicate. The resulting somen tends to have a springy texture, mild flavor, and white color. 

Although somen will taste fantastic in almost any soup, it’s commonly served chilled in a cold dipping sauce made with soy sauce and dashi stock. During the summer, you’ll find a lot of people enjoying cold somen in households and restaurants. Nagashi somen is a favorite offering at some of those restaurants.

Nagashi Somen: The Flowing Noodle Experience Explained

This is a unique restaurant experience in Japan, in which somen noodles are served to customers through an inclined bamboo tube containing cold water. The chef slides down the noodles and customers have to use chopsticks to grab and eat as much of it as they can. Nagashi somen translates to “flowing noodles,” in reference to the experience and not the type of noodles. Most times, somen noodles are classified according to their region of production. They include Banshu, Miwa, Shodoshima, and Handa somen. Read more about somen noodles in our previous post!

Rice Noodles: A Staple in Southeast Asian Cuisine

Moving away from Japan, we head over to China to explore the world of rice noodles, a staple dish in Southeast Asia. Besides China, India and Thailand consume a lot of rice noodles. The typical rice noodle is made from rice flour and water. But many producers include additional ingredients like cornstarch and tapioca to improve texture and flavor. Most rice noodles have a neutral flavor and rely heavily on other ingredients for their taste. They can be frozen, dried, or fresh noodles, depending on their intended usage. They can also be round, thick, or thin.

A lot of Asian dishes contain rice noodles as one of their core ingredients. One of them is pad thai, a popular stir fry dish in Thailand. Rice noodles are also used to make Singapore noodles and pho. The cooking time and method for rice noodles depend on its form. For fresh rice noodles, you should cook them in warm water. However, the dry version does not require cooking and can simply be rehydrated. Below are the three main types of rice noodles common in Asia and how they’re used:

Glass Noodles: The Transparent and Versatile Choice

Don't be confused if you hear the names "cellophane noodles," “fensi,” or "bean thread noodles" at an Asian restaurant. Those are all alternative names for glass noodles, a popular dish originating in China. As the name implies, glass noodles are transparent. They’re made from a wide variety of starch and water. Mung bean starch, sweet potato starch, canna starch, potato starch, and tapioca are the common starch options for making traditional glass noodles. Most of these types of noodles are gluten-free, but we suggest that you check the label to be sure. They also offer mild flavors and a little sweetness. The texture of glass noodles is typically gelatinous with a slight chewiness, and they tend to be long and thin.

You’ll find Asian glass noodles in stir-fries, hot pots, and soups. In China, they’re used as part of the fillings for Chinese dumplings (jiaozi). Because of their healthy nature, glass noodles are often used in vegetarian soups and dishes. They’re not only restricted to Chinese cuisine but have found applications in several other foods across the globe.

The easiest way to classify glass noodles is by the type of starch used to make them. Hence, we have mung bean glass noodles, tapioca glass noodles, potato starch glass noodles, and arrowroot starch glass noodles.

Vermicelli Noodles: Light and Thin Options

The term “vermicelli” is Italian for “little worms” and is a loanword used in Asian cuisine. Unlike the other Asian noodles we’ve explored so far, vermicelli noodles can have any number of ingredients, preparation methods, and origins. What matters is the thickness. Hence, any noodle with a diameter of less than 1.5 mm is a vermicelli noodle. These thin Asian noodles can be made from any ingredient, including rice, potato starch, tapioca, mung beans, and wheat. In Vietnam, there’s a vermicelli noodle variant called pad woon sen that’s made from mung bean. China has misua, a wheat-based vermicelli noodle. Other variations include kya zan (glass vermicelli noodles) and the most popular of them all, rice vermicelli noodles (mai fun in China). 

Rice vermicelli noodles are popular because of their ability to absorb flavors from soups and sauces. Most people eat them with salads and use them to make stir fries, rice paper rolls, or traditional Vietnamese soups like Bún Riêu. Mung bean vermicelli is a popular filling for spring rolls. It’s also used to make soups, hot pots, and stir fries. All of these noodles are super thin, but some could be as long as 18 inches. 

Shirataki Noodles: The Low-Calorie Alternative

Shirataki noodles are gelatinous and translucent noodles from Japan. They’re derived from the root of the konji plant. Shirataki noodles are also called “miracle noodles” because of their health benefits, particularly when it comes to weight management. The noodles undergo a production process that involves boiling a mix of glucomannan flour, lime water, and regular water. Hence, it contains about 97% water. Shirataki noodles are nearly flavorless, so they absorb any flavor, a trait that allows them to be used in a variety of Asian dishes.

The health benefits provided by the noodle are its major selling point. Glucomannan is an indigestible starch and is responsible for shirataki’s low caloric value. This makes it a favorite among people looking to lose weight. Noodle lovers who want gluten-free, wheat-free, or dairy-free noodles can rely on shirataki. Other health benefits offered by the noodle are lower cholesterol levels and reduced constipation. Most shirataki products come in either dry or wet forms. You can use them to replace rice in any dish or in hot pots, sukiyaki, niku jyaga, potato stew, and oden dishes.

Japchae: Korea's Famous Sweet Potato Noodles

Straight from Korean cuisine comes japchae, a stir-fried glass noodle dish. Japchae is much different from your average cellophane noodles because it's made from sweet potato starch. With a unique, chewy texture, japchae is like a salad and stir-fry dish rolled into one. It typically contains an assortment of meats, vegetables, and mushrooms. You can season it with soy sauce, sesame oil, or a mixture of both.

In the past, japchae used to be an exclusive dish for members of the Korean royal court. But today, it’s a popular celebration dish that’s served at weddings, birthdays, and parties. People all over the world eat japchae, warm or cold, either as a side dish or main course.

A typical japchae recipe contains mushrooms, beef, carrots, garlic, scallions, pork, soy sauce, eggs, sugar, sesame oil, and onions. Chili threads and sesame seeds are often used as the main garnishes. The most common type of noodle used to prepare the dish is dangmyeon, a glass noodle containing sweet potato starch. Dive deeper into the world of sweet potato noodles and read our previous post exploringjust how diverse sweet potato noodles are.

Where to Find and Buy Authentic Asian Noodles

If you’d like to try some of the Asian noodles in this post, the best place to buy them is in  Asian supermarkets and grocery stores. The most popular noodles, like ramen and udon, may be available in regular local markets, so feel free to check those out. You could also go for convenience by shopping for these noodles in online Asian markets. We highly recommend that you use Bokksu Market as your one-stop online shop for authentic Asian noodles and related ingredients.

Why Asian Noodles Are a Global Favorite

From spicy hot soups to healthy vegan options, there’s an Asian noodle for every person. They can fit into any meal, providing delicious options for any palate. Getting into the world of these treats is easy. Start by visiting authentic Asian restaurants to explore different noodle types. After that, you can buy your favorite noodles and try new recipes at home.