Types of Asian noodles Types of Asian noodles Noodles are a very important part of Asian cooking. They are a staple ingredient in many recipes and a lot of signature Asian dishes involve noodles. However, it can often be confusing trying to find the right kind of noodles. To make things even more confusing there are many different names for the same types of noodles. Often if you are shopping for these ingredients in an Asian grocery you will not be able to tell from the package what kind of noodles are inside so it is important to know what the noodles look like.
Asian noodles vary from their counterparts quite a bit.
For instance, many recipes say to substitute linguine for rice noodles but they really aren't comparable. Rice noodles are also known as rice sticks or vermicelli. They are white in color and the texture is a lot like rice. The classic Asian dish, Pad Thai, usually uses rice noodles. There are also many Vietnamese dishes that consist of rice noodles topped with meat and served with a light sauce.