Noodles

Bean threads, also known as glass noodles, are chan sen in Burmese and wun sen in Thai. They are made from mung beans that are processed to make a paste, then extruded in thin threads and dried. Before they are cooked, they are tough white strands that are most often sold in coils. Soak before using and then cut into lengths with scissors if you wish. Some bean threads contain tapioca starch as well as mung bean starch. Some bean threads soften very quickly in cooking; others are more resilient and may take 5 minutes or more to soften.