The East and West have different understandings of the essence of noodles: Europeans appreciate appearance, while Asians prefer the content. In Italy, the pasta Wonderland, a simple tomato paste serves the basis for the incredible variety of forms and color is provided by natural dyes: spinach, tomato, red peppers or cuttlefish ink. These multiple colors are mixed with wheat flour and eggs or without them. Japan and the Far East are traditionally limited to three forms of noodles: thick, thick and long a la spaghetti. But flour is made from anything from wheat and rice to bean starch and buckwheat in their pure form or with additives such as green tea or yams.
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Pasta fresca – fresh egg noodles made of wheat flour and comes in soft varieties. Usually, it is homemade pasta, though you can find factory-made types.
Pasta secca – dry pasta from hard wheat without the eggs.
These noodles are made mostly by industrial methods: heavy elastic dough requires thorough mixing. Pasta secca can be stored for a long time without losing its quality, easy to transport and simple to cook. All these traits make pasta one of the most popular dishes in the world.
Udon – noodles made of sticky flour. It comes in a cream color and is thicker and longer than spaghetti. The emergence of Udon in Japan is associated with the Buddhist priest Kukai, who along with food for the mind brought the Chinese this noodle recipe.
A cup of hot soup with noodles, udon is any hungry Japanese dream. Udon is the main Japanese fast food and seasonal dish. In winter it is served hot, while in summer usually cold.
Soba – noodles made of buckwheat flour or a mixture of buckwheat and unbleached wheat in proportions of 40 to 60 (this Soba is called Ito – meaning “thread”). Green tea, Shiso herbs or yams are often added to Soba. It is traditionally served at the end of the year and believed to ensure good health for the next year and make one’s life as long as a stretched out noodle thread.
Somen are very thin, white Japanese noodles made of wheat flour with a small amount of salt. Slim and light. The paste for Somen is cut into one very long rope, oiled and then scrolled through rolls, stretched by hand and dried on special frames. Each noodle should be from 0.3 to 0.9 mm in diameter. It takes only a minute or two to boil somen. After it is ready, somen is rinsed in cold water and served with ice. Somen is traditionally served in a cold soup based on a dashi broth, soy sauce and other ingredients, depending on the cook’s preferences. It is a popular Japanese summer meal to keep one cool.
Harusame is are a type of transparent Asian noodle made from starch (such as mung bean starch, yam, potato starch, cassava starch) and water. It is generally round and available in various thicknesses. Harusame Long noodles are twisted several times or stored in beams. Harusame prepared in two ways: simply pour boiling water or boil it for 3-4 minutes in salted boiling water. Singapore laksa with prawns made from rice noodles is a bestseller. This dish embodying a synthesis of two cultures – Chinese and Malay (in Singapore there are lots of mixed marriages). Boiled rice noodles with shrimp served with sauce, such as a thick broth. Other ingredients are coconut milk with curry, ginger, herbs and spices. It has a rich, spicy and fresh taste.
Ramen is a Japanese name for ancient Chinese wheat noodles. Thin long yellowish noodles are also popular among the Kazakhs, Kyrgyz and Uzbeks. One of the hits of Central Asian cuisine — Lagman – is based on ramen noodles in a large quantity of broth with sauce and a sophisticated filling of meat and vegetables.
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Tokmach. Behind the Tatar name hides a simple and all beloved home chicken noodle made of wheat flour and egg; chicken meat is boiled with carrots, parsnip roots and parsley raw and fried. When the broth is actually ready and the meat is soft, add a bay leaf, pepper and noodles. Five minutes later add chopped greens and after five more minutes it is ready to be served.
Pappardelle is large and very broad pasta made with eggs and flour. Traditional sauces for pappardelle, as well as its cousin tagliatelle are made of all kinds of meat stew: wild boar, hare or rabbit, deer and roe deer. But the simple Bolognese beef and pork fit optimally. The rule is: the broader the pasta, the more saturated the sauce should be. The noodle is so popular that in Italy there are towns that have festivals honoring it.
Manpar. Another Central Asian hit. It is a self-sufficient, thick and satisfying main dish that can be served both as a soup or a stew. In the Kazakh version these noodles are made of wheat flour with water and salt and served with meat sauce (cubes of meat, onions, tomatoes, potatoes and peppers stewed with black and red pepper, garlic and lots of greenery) with omelette strips on top.
Butsiki. Square noodles made in a village in the Ternopil region. The pasta of flour, milk and eggs, cut into small squares that are diagonally folded in half and boiled in salted water, then fried in butter. Serve with honey or sour cream.
Miso soup. Quoting from the Japanese, “You can put all that you love, with the exception perhaps of chocolate in your miso soup.” Required minimum for traditional miso soup: broth, soybean tomato paste, tofu and seaweed. Other popular addings are daikon, carrot, mushroom Shiitake, leek, zucchini, ginger and udon noodles.
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