Shahe fen

Shahe fen(沙河粉), orhor fun / he fen(河粉), is a type of wideChinese noodlemade fromrice.ItsMinnan Chinesename, 粿條 (pronouncedguǒtiáoin Mandarin), is adapted into alternate names which are widely encountered inSoutheast Asia, such askway teow,kwetiau(kwetiau goreng), andkuetiau;Thai: ก๋วยเตี๋ยว (kuaitiao).Shahe fenis oftenstir-friedwith meat and/or vegetables in a dish calledchao fen(炒粉; pinyin: chǎo fěn). Whilechao fenis a transliteration ofMandarin,chow funfromCantonese(see the main article atbeef chow fun) is the name most often given to the dish inChinese restaurants in North America.
Whileshahe fenandhe fenaretransliterationsbased onMandarin, there are numerous other transliterations based onCantonese, which includeho fun,hofoen(a Dutch transliteration in Suriname),hor fun,sar hor fun, etc. In addition,shahe fenis often synonymously calledkway teow(粿條), literally "ricecake strips", transliteration based onMinnan Chinese,POJ: kóe-tiâu) or in Mandarin,guotiao(Mandarin pinyin: guǒtiáo), as in the name of a dish calledchar kway teow.
However, generally, Minnan people considershahe fenandkway teowto be two distinct foods, and continue to make a distinction betweenshahe fenandguotiao/kway teowin their speech.Hor funwas developed by the Cantonese and is thin and tapered like strips of tape, with some porous areas that absorb the gravy, taste, and flavour of the broth or sauce that it is cooked in because it contains less starchy content, which has been stripped away during the production process. In contrast,guotiao/kuay teowis dense, and less absorbent and contains a higher level of starch and is more impermeable to absorbing flavours, and thus has to be soaked for a longer period of time in the dish preparation usually for a day or more, or is soaked in water first for a long time before it is fried aschar kway teow. The taste, texture, flavour, ingredients, length, thickness, width, style, density are considered very different to many people in China and Asia more broadly, but often people from other regions are not be able to tell the difference immediately.
Guotiao/kway teowhas a different origin fromshahe fen, from Northeast instead of Central China, and is a modification of theguo/kway(rice cake) production process, and originated as the ancient preservation of rice as a starch-filled cake patty (of which Korean rice strips are yet another descendant, as it was brought as a recipe from China to Choseon dynasty when the Emperor of China during the Ming dynasty took the Korean princess as one of his concubines, and this recipe was gifted to the people of Choseon as a betrothal gift to the Korean people).In Hokkien (Fujian) of China, this version ofguotiao/kway teowwas then influenced by the Cantoneseshahe fenfrom the neighboring province ofGuangdong. Cantonese culture from the 17th century onwards was thought of as the dominant culture of civilization and culture, of wealth, excess, and sophistication, so the ancientguotiao/kway teowunderwent modification to become similar to the standard Cantoneseshahe fen/hor fun. However, these two versions (guotiao/kway teowvs.shahe fen/hor fun) were spread to Southeast Asia and the world differently, thus they are presented differently in different dishes. Though some restaurants will make a strong distinction, other, more casual Chinese restaurants may use the two interchangeably. Original ricecakes and its strips (i.e. authenticguotiao/kway teow) are stiff in texture, even after cooking, often making them less popular with modern consumers.
Another similar noodle is themee tai mak(米苔目) which is like thehor funand thebee hooncombined with Milanese pasta.
It is also known inSabahasda fen(大粉), means "widevermicelli", due to its similarity of colour and texture torice vermicelli.
These noodles are calledkwetiauin Indonesia,kuaitiaoor guay tiew (ก๋วยเตี๋ยว)sen yai(เส้นใหญ่,lit.'large rice noodles') in Thailand,hsan-bya(ဆန်ပြား,lit.'flat rice') ornan-bya(နန်းပြား,lit.'flat filigree') inMyanmar, andhủ tiếuorphoin Vietnam.
Shahe fenis believed to have originated in the town ofShahe(Chinese:沙河;pinyin:Shāhé;Jyutping:Saa1 Ho4), now part of theTianhe Districtin the city ofGuangzhou, in the southern Chinese province ofGuangdong, whence their name derives.Shahe fenis a common component of southern Chinese cuisine, although similar noodles are also prepared and enjoyed in nearbySoutheast Asiannations such asCambodia,Vietnam,Thailand,Philippines,Malaysia,IndonesiaandSingapore, all of which have sizeable Chinese populations.
Shahe fennoodles are white in color, broad, and somewhat slippery. Their texture is elastic and a bit chewy.  They do not freeze or dry well and are thus generally (where available) purchased fresh, in strips or sheets that may be cut to the desired width. Where fresh noodles are not available, they may also be purchased packaged in dried form, in various widths.
Shahe fennoodles are very similar to Vietnamesebánh phởnoodles, which are likely derived from their Chinese counterpart.Although thephởnoodles used in soups may vary in width, widephởnoodles are also common in stir fried dishes. The popular Thai dishesphat si-ioanddrunken noodlesare also made with similar noodles.
Shahe fenis oftenstir-friedwith meat and vegetables in a dish calledchao fen(炒粉; pinyin: chǎo fěn; jyutping: caau2 fan2). Whilechao fenis a transliteration of Mandarin,chow fun, from Cantonese, is the name to which this dish is most often referred inChinese restaurants in North America.