Bean Thread (Transparent or Cellophane) Noodles

These noodles are not made from a grain flour but from ground mung beans; mung beans also give us the familiar bean sprouts. Freshly made noodles can sometimes be seen in China, fluttering in the breeze on lines like long, threadlike fabric. They are available dried, and are very fine and white. Easy to recognize, packed in their neat, plastic-wrapped bundles, they are stocked by most Chinese grocers and some supermarkets. They are never served on their own, but always added to soups or braised dishes, or deep-fried and used as a garnish. Once they have been soaked, they become soft and slippery, springy and translucent. Since they are a vegetable product, they are popularly used in vegetarian dishes. When fried, they puff up immediately and become very white and crispy.