Martin Yan - Wheat Noodles

"The more you understand the ingredients, the better cook you will become."
-Martin Yan

These are common ingredients found in local cuisine. You can find these ingredients readily available in your local supermarket.

WHEAT NOODLES

Soba, udon and somen are three of Japan's most popular noodles. They not only differ in looks, but vary greatly in flavor and texture, allowing the cook to make endless variations with hot and cold noodle dishes.

Fat chewy udon noodles and delicate thread-like somen noodles are made from wheat flour. Both are white in color, but sometimes somen is colored: green (cha somen) is tined with green tea: red (ume somen) is tinted with red perilla oil; and yellow (tamago somen) is tinted with egg yolk.

Soba, or buckwheat noodles, are made from a combination of buckwheat flour and wheat flour. They are light tan in color and have a wonderful earthy flavor. A green tea variety (cha soba) has an olive-green color and a delicate tea flavor.

Dried and fresh wheat noodles are available in plastic packages. Check the package for storage information and expiration date. Cook wheat noodles according to the package directions.