Simple, Authentic: Stir-Fried Chinese Vermicelli Noodles!

The recipe is as authentic as they get. The ingredients are specified by ancient tradition. And the dish comes from a two-time James Beard Award winner with more than 50 years experience. Behold what may be the ultimate Stir-Fried Chinese Vermicelli Noodle!

I came across this superb recipe while searching for specific instructions re.- prepping and stir-frying Chinese Vermicelli. I’ve tried – even recommended – other methods. But they don’t work as flawlessly as I’d like… In fact, they’re much better-suited to soups and curries.

Watch the video, above, for the details about stir-frying Chinese Vermicelli. And making the author’s Dad’s famous basic recipe.

Chinese or Italian?

The proper ‘name’ for ‘Chinese Vermicelli’ is actually 4 distinct words, one for each specific type:

• 粉丝 (Fěnsī) / Glass Noodles / Cellophane Noodles: Made from mung bean starch, potato, or yam. When cooked, they become translucent and are often used in dishes like Ants Climbing a Tree (螞蟻上樹).
• 米粉 (Mǐfěn) / Rice Vermicelli / Rice Sticks: Made from rice and water, commonly used in Singapore Noodles (星洲炒米粉) or stir-fried. (See photo, top of page.)
• 冬粉 (Dōngfěn): A term often used in Taiwan for Glass Noodles.
• 面线 (Miànxiàn): Thin wheat-based Vermicelli (often salty) used in southern Chinese/Taiwanese soups.

“Originally developed in Southern China, Vermicelli noodles found their place [across] Southeast Asian cuisine,” commenter Pho Life posted to South Jersey Food Scene.

“Numerous cultures have since interacted with Vietnam, namely Western ones, including French and English. Enough Westerners [came] to love the noodles but, due to multiple languages, the name settled on was ‘Vermicelli’, meaning ‘long and thin’ in Italian,” he added.

A Vietnamese staple

Though beloved across Southeast Asia, Vermicelli noodles have a special place in Vietnamese cuisine. They’re considered a staple, by many.

“In Vietnamese cuisine, there are so many dishes that you can eat with vermicelli including […] Vermicelli bowls and noodle soups,” says Becca Du at Cooking Therapy. “Some of my favorite dishes with vermicelli include bun thit nuong, bun rieu, bun thang, Vietnamese Chicken Curry, and Viet-namese Spring Rolls.”

Once you get the technique for properly prepping and stir-frying Chinese Vermicelli under your belt, you’re good to go, exploring a whole world of Vietnamese and other Asian dishes. Not the least of which is classic Pho – the ubiquitous Vietnamese soup/noodle bowl!

My take

Once you get the technique for properly prepping and stir-frying Chinese Vermicelli under your belt, you’re good to go, exploring a whole world of Vietnamese and other Asian dishes. Not the least of which is classic Pho – the ubiquitous Vietnamese soup/noodle bowl!

~ Maggie J.