Noodles

Equally as important, although not quite as prevalent as rice, are noodles. Roughly 2,000 years ago, noodles came about in China, and it is rumored to be the basis of Italian pasta since Marco Polo brought it back there from his legendary journey. Why his name comes up in swimming pools across the United States is totally unrelated. Noodles offer a great texture to dishes, and their long, thin shape is supposed to help with one’s longevity. So don’t shorten them, or else! Noodles are used heavily in Thai food and in Chinese soups. You should be able to find them readily at your local markets. There are many different kinds, used for different things. Cellophane noodles, egg noodles, rice noodles, and wheat-flour noodles come in plenty of different shapes and thicknesses but are usually long and stringy. Rice paper is also considered a noodle, but is used to wrap spring rolls.