Glass Noodles

Also known as mung bean noodles, Chinese vermicelli, and green bean threads, this is a wire-thin specialty noodle made from mung bean starch. Sold dry and in tightly looped rectangular skeins, the typical tiny package that is perfect for home use weighs just shy of 2 ounces. Giant skeins are available for restaurant use. I favor a P.R.C. brand of glass noodle called “Lungkow Vermicelli, ” sold in cellophane bags tied with a ribbon.

I use glass noodles in soups and casseroles for their wonderful, slithery quality. For frying, I prefer rice sticks, though glass noodles can also be fried into a puffy nest.