ORIGINS

WHO invented the noodle is a hotly contested topic - with the Chinese, Italians and Arabs all staking a claim.

But the discovery of a pot of thin yellow noodles preserved for 4000 years in Yellow river silt may have tipped the bowl in China's favour. It suggests that people were eating noodles at least 1000 years earlier than previously thought, and many centuries before such dishes were documented in Europe.

"These are undoubtedly the oldest noodles ever found," says Houyuan Lu at China's Institute of Geology and Geophysics in Beijing. His team found the noodles buried 3 metres deep in flood-plain sediment at Lajia in north-eastern China after lifting out an upturned bowl. The "spaghetti-like" noodles, up to 50 centimetres long, sat atop a mound of silt which had sealed them in the bowl following a major earthquake and flood.

Lu's team report that the noodles came from two species of millet grass grown in north-eastern China at that time. They believe the noodles were made by pulling dough into long strands before boiling.

MAKING NOODLES

In China, making "hand-pulled" noodles is an art involving holding the stretched out paste in both hands and whirling it around several times. Then the paste is laid out on a board and folded and refolded repeatedly. Eventually the paste is transformed into long, thin, noodles. While in China it is still possible to watch vendors make hand-pulled noodles, today most noodles are made by machine.

TYPES OF NOODLES

Chinese noodles, known collectively as mien, fall into three main categories.

The most common are wheat flour noodles, which can be made with or without eggs. While today wheat flour noodles are enjoyed throughout China, they originated in the north, where wheat is a staple crop. Depending on the ingredients, wheat noodles can be white or yellow, thin as spaghetti or thick as fettucine, stiff or extremely elastic. Chinese egg noodle is one of the varieties made from wheat flour, water and eggs, Chinese egg noodles is typically 3mm wide and pale yellow in color. There are endless delicious soup and stir fry recipes using Chinese egg noodles i.e. Shrimp ‘Chow Mein' is one particularly tasty variation.

Made from rice flour, water, and salt, rice noodles can also be thick or very thin, the latter almost resembling long strings of coconut. The same is true of rice sticks. There are also rice paper wrappers which come in either circular or triangular shape. Rice vermicelli - Thin translucent noodles, this rice-flour noodle is delicious when stir fried or used in soups. Rice vermicelli can be used to garnish several dishes when deep-fried.

Finally, glass noodles or bean vermicelli, are clear noodles made from ground mung bean paste.These noodles have little if any taste, but provide texture and a base for soup and stir fry dishes, absorbing the flavor of the foods they are cooked with and can also be deep fried. When deep-fried fried, they are crispy and used as a garnish.

COLD NOODLE : BIRTHDAY NOODLE

The "cold noodle", was originated by Wu Zetian, the only female emperor of China.

It is said that Wu's beauty got her chosen into the imperial palace as a scholar when she was 14. Having to leave Chang Jianfeng, her lover since childhood, for the palace, Wu and Chang went to a restaurant for noodles before they parted. It was a very hot day. Wu came up with a bright idea and created the tender and delicious cold noodle with the restaurant owner.

It happened that the day was also Wu's birthday. In order to serve as a memorial to what happened, she would order the chefs to make cold noodle on her birthdays. This custom remain unchanged until the last day of her life.