Mung Bean Noodles

Mung bean noodles — commonly called glass noodles, cellophane noodles, or bean thread noodles — are made from pure mung bean starch. When dried they’re white and wiry; when cooked they turn translucent and slippery, with a pleasantly springy, chewy texture. They have almost no flavour of their own, which makes them excellent at absorbing the sauces and broths they’re cooked in.

These noodles are a staple across East and Southeast Asian cuisines. They appear in Chinese hot pots, Korean japchae, Thai glass noodle salads (yum woon sen), and Vietnamese spring rolls. They can be soaked in hot water until soft or briefly boiled, and they also hold up well in soups without turning mushy.

In Australia, mung bean noodles are widely available at Asian grocers and in the international aisle of most supermarkets. They’re sold dried in bundled skeins and keep indefinitely in the pantry.