March is National Noodle Month
March 08, 2008
A noodle is a thin strip of pasta, usually cut or extruded from
some kind of dough. It is the basic unit in dishes like spaghetti,
linguine, etc. The word noodle derives from Latin nodus (knot), via
German Nudel (noodle, pasta). The Chinese, Arab and Italian people
all claimed to have been the first to create this string-like food,
though the first written account of noodles is from the East Han
Dynasty. Legend has it that the noodle was brought to Italy from
China by Marco Polo.
What is the difference between
Pasta and Noodles?
Pasta is usually made with wheat (usually durum or
semolina –extracted from durum wheat kernels) but not with eggs; by
federal law a noodle must contain 5.5 percent egg solids by weight
to be called a noodle. Asian noodles are made from flour usually
contain eggs and are classified as egg noodles. Noodles in Asian
dishes are often made from other flours: rice, buckwheat and
potatoes. Sometimes they are made with other ingredients, such as
yams (not to be confused with sweet potatoes) and soybeans.
You can prepare noodles in soups, stews, casseroles and with
sauce. One of the most popular ways toeat noodles is in Chicken
noodle soup. Egg noodles are available in Fine, Medium, Wide and
Extra Wide. Noodle consumption increases by approximately 20 %
during the colder months as well as during Lent, when countless
people prepare meatless meals prior to Easter. Noodles are comfort
food and are used to sooth a cold, a broken heart, and burst bubble
or winter-time blues.
You can substitute noodles for many pasta varieties. The
difference in lo mein and chow mein isn’t the actual noodle, but in
the preparation. In Chinese, mein refers collectively to noodles.
Lo mein is a poultry, beef, shrimp or vegetable dish served over
soft noodles and chow mein is a dish that is prepared by stir
frying the noodles with the other ingredients in the wok.
A half-cup serving of cooked noodles contains just one gram of fat, 106 calories, one gram of fat, five milligrams of sodium, B-vitamins, iron, and protein. Noodles are high in complex carbohydrates.
Today most people have machines to help knead dough for pasta and
bread and a pasta machine that will do both kneading and rolling
dough and cut it into a variety of shapes and sizes to prepare
dishes like cannelloni, tortellini, ravioli, fettuccine and
lasagna.
Enjoy National Noodle
month!
