A food tour is always interesting. Even in my travels, trying the local cuisine and delicacies, particularly the street food, is something I always look forward in every place. The flavor, texture and preparation of the food vary from one place to another. But what I always find interesting are the noodle dishes that differ around the world. I realised this when I was strolling at the international section of the grocery store and found a variety of noodle products from different countries.
Asia, in particular, is a region known for noodles, which is a staple in most of these countries. I have gathered a list of countries and some noodle dishes that you can find in these places.
Philippines – Batchoy
The famed La Paz Batchoy traces its roots in La Paz, Iloilo. It was a delight to taste batchoy in La Paz market where generations pass on the torch of whipping up the tastiest batchoy. It has egg noodles, pork liver, kidneys, heart and cracklings, shrimp broth, beef loin, leeks and often with raw egg. Diners can season the soup with soy sauce or fish sauce.
Japan- Ramen
Ramen is one of the popular noodle dishes in Japan. It is a soup made of chicken or pork broth. As it widens its reach, a variety of ramen soups flourishes, such as miso ramen, curry ramen, shoyu ramen and shio ramen. Also, different ingredients and toppings are included in this soup dish.
Malaysia and Singapore – Laksa
What is special with this spicy noodle soup, which is popular in Malaysia, Singapore and other parts of Southeast Asia, is that it is unlike any other noodle soup that has a clear broth. It usually has a curry coconut milk that makes the soup more flavourful. Other versions have sour ingredients like tamarind.
Vietnam – Pho
Pho is consists of rice noodles, a broth, herbs and meat. But what makes pho stand out are the garnishes and fresh herbs, such as Thai basil, green onions, white onions, bean sprouts, cilantro, lime or lemon, among many other things.
China – Chow Mien
China is said to be the origin of noodles, which dates back to as early as the 1st and 2nd centuries. Because noodles are a staple food in China, there are several noodle dishes found in various parts of this huge country. One of its popular noodle dishes is the Chow Mien, which is stir-fried noodles with vegetables and meat.
Thailand – Pad Thai
Another stir-fried noodle dish is the Pad Thai, which comes from Thailand. It has eggs, tofu, dried shrimp, bean sprouts, vegetables and roasted peanuts. It’s a flavorful dish that can capture one’s palate.
Indonesia – Soto Ayam
If you want to have a bit of spice, Indonesia’s Soto Ayam is for you. It’s chicken noodle soup with hard-boiled egg and often with coconut milk. It has some vegetables, turmeric, sambal and other ingredients.
Laos – Khao Soi
The Khao Soi in Laos is consists of wide rice noodles. This soup has tomatoes, chillies, fermented soybeans, cilantro, bean sprouts, chopped pork, pork rind and other vegetables and seasoning. There are also Khao Soi in Myanmar and northern Thailand, but there’s a different way of preparing this dish in Laos, particularly in its northern area.
Cambodia – Kuy Teav
Pork parts in pork broth with rice noodles, bean sprouts and a variety of vegetables and flavors are what make up Kuy Teav. There are two options of eating Kuy Teav. One is with all the ingredients in the broth while another way is to have the ingredients separate from the broth and the diner can put them in according to his taste.
Hong Kong – Wonton Noodles
This Cantonese noodle dish is popular in the Guangdong province of China and Hong Kong. It has wonton dumplings, leafy vegetables, meat or shrimp, or often with mushroom. Toppings and garnishes are also added to this noodle soup.
Korea – Bibim Guksu
This cold dish has spicy noodles, stir-fried beef, mushrooms, cucumber and other garnishes. It’s a unique noodle dish because it is served cold and spicy, balancing things out.
If you want to further expand your boundaries to taste the noodle dishes in different parts of the globe, you can also try the Chicken Noodle Soup in the US, Ash Reshteh in Iran, Tallarin Saltado in Peru, Passatelli in Italy, Halusky in Central and Eastern Europe, Schupfnudel in Germany and many other dishes from all over the world.
Truly, the food reflects the taste and culture of a place, which is why I love to try local cuisine wherever I go.