Cellophane noodles are those Chinese noodles that come in little bundles and look like nylon guitar strings.  They can be made from the starch of mung beans, yam, potato, cassava, and even rice.  In fact in Hawaii, cellophane noodles are often called “long rice.”

Just like when preparing ramen, I seldom boil my cellophane noodles.  I usually put them in a bowl, pour boiling water over them, cover and allow to sit until they have reached the desired texture.   They may then be used in whatever application you desire.

They are excellent added to oriental soup and stir-fries.  Cellophane noodle are also good used as a bed to serve other foods on, just as you might any other noodle or pasta.  Instead of adding them to a stir-fry, I often make my stir-fry, vegetarian or with eat, chicken or fish, and serve it on a bed of them.

 For a fun dish that kids will enjoy, deep fry some of the noodles and use them as a base to serve stir-fries on.  Warning; fry a few at a time.  They increase in size so that if you were to fry an entire bundle they wouldn’t fit in the pan.  Kids love to watch them puff up.  It is rather amazing.