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History
of Noodles
Every meal should contain the right division between
rice, grain, starches, vegetables and fruits. One
of the items that Asian people rely on to provide
this dietary balance is noodles. Noodles are made
out of wheat flour, which is an excellent source of
carbohydrates adn proteins. Whether it is slurped,
gulped or twirl around the fork, everyone seems to
love noodles. Nearly all cultures have at least one
famously loved noodle dish, from the German Spaetzle
(homemade noodles with eggs), to the Japanese Ramen.
There have been several disputes over the years over
who originally came up with the idea of mixing water
and flour to create noodles.
The Arabs claim to have been the first to used dried
pasta as a means of preserving flour during their
forays across the desert. However, regardless of their
origin, many people know that the Chinese have been
feasting on noodles for at least 5,000 years, since
the Han Dynasty. Some experts believe that the Italians
got their first taste of pasta when Marco Polo returned
home from his long trek across China with a host of
exotic food items, including noodles.
Like Italian pasta, Asian noodles vary in width -
they can be as thick as fettucine or as thin as a
spaghetti. When it comes to length though, the Asian
noodles are usually served long and uncut. This is
because long noodle symbolizes long life in Chinese
tradition. Noodles are commonly served during birthday
celebrations and weddings as a symbol of longevity.
The art of making noodles comes from the theory of
"multiplicity". In China, making "hand
pulled" noodles is an art, involving holding
the starched out paste in both hands and whirling
it around several times. The paste is then laid out
on a board and folded and refolded repeatedly. Eventually
the paste is transformed into long, thin noodles.
While it is still possible to watch hand-pulled noodles
in China, today most noodles are made by machine.
Noodles are eaten hot or cold, steamed, stir-fried,
deep-fried, boiled or served in a soup. For the nutritionally
inclined, noodles are an excellent source of protein.
Besides being low in calories, they are extremely
high in complex carbohydrates. Instant noodles are
usually available in the form of soup base or the
dry base. The difference between these two lies not
in the type of noodles used, but in the way
the two dishes are prepared.
As the name suggests, soup based noodles are
cooked and served together with the soup. In
the case of the dry base noodles, the noodles
are cooked separately and then the ingredients and sauces are tossed and mixed together over
the noodles similarly to how pasta is prepared.
Unlike the sauces used for pasta, which are
usually creamy and thick, the sauces used for
oriental dry base noodles are light. The common
ingredients used include soya sauce and sesame
oil.
The dry base instant noodle or more commonly
known as the MiGoreng was first introduced to
the consumers by Indomie (Malaysia) in 1982.
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| 1. |
Boil
noodle in briskly boiling water for 3 minutes. |
| 2. |
Mix
the seasoning and sauces while noodle is
being cooked. |
| 3. |
Take
noodle out from water and drain well. |
| 4. |
Mix
noodle thoroughly with the seasoning and
it is ready to be served. |
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