Noodles of China

The earliest cereals used by the Chinese were millet and rice, and the pair were known as mi. They were eaten primarily in the form of grains. However, either flour or starch could be produced from them; these, known as fen, were originally used mainly for cosmetic purposes, but from the 6th century onwards for food preparation, including the making of noodles. When this development occurred, the noodles so made were also called fen, and the term subsequently acquired an even wider meaning, embracing for example mung bean flour and soya bean flour (which provide two of the numerous non-cereal noodles which are popular in China).