Asian noodles

Cook dried wheat noodles for about a minute less than the packet suggests, then drain and toss them straight into a very hot wok with the sauce. They finish cooking in the pan; adding them wet or fully soft can make the stir-fry soggy.

Usually not: many dried rice noodles soften in a bowl of hot water. Soak them until pliable but still a little firm, then drain; they finish cooking in a hot broth or wok. Very thin vermicelli may need only a brief soak, so use the packet’s timing.

Use wheat noodles for chewy soups and wok dishes, rice noodles for pho-style soups or pad Thai, and glass noodles made from starch for spring-roll fillings and cold salads. Thin noodles suit light broths; thicker ones hold up better in a stir-fry.

Drain them well, cool them promptly and refrigerate in a covered container within two hours. Use within two days; toss with a little oil if they are sticking together, and reheat until steaming hot.

Ramen and udon are well-known Japanese noodle soups, while pad Thai is a Thai stir-fried rice-noodle dish. Chinese lo mein uses wheat noodles, and Vietnamese pho is served with rice noodles in broth.

No. Asian noodles include wheat, rice and starch-based varieties, while rice noodles are one type. Rice noodles have 5.95 g protein per 100 g, compared with 12 g in Asian noodles.

Some wheat noodles contain egg, but many are made from wheat flour and water alone; rice and glass noodles are generally egg-free. If you need to avoid egg, check the ingredient list, since recipes differ by product.