ABSTRACT
It is generally believed that noodles originated in China several thousand years ago, and the present day form of noodle was developed at least two thousand years ago. In the Chinese language, the term “mien (mian)” is used to describe noodle-type products (with a few exceptions in shape) made from common wheat flour (main structural ingredient). In fact, the Chinese character for noodles has “mia (wheat)” on its side as part of its character structure. Similar products made from rice, mung bean, and other ingredients are all grouped under the term “fen” (rice noodles), for example, “mi fen” (rice noodle), “tung fen” (mung bean threads), and “ho fen” (oily rice stripes). The Chinese character for “fen” is written with “mi (rice)” on its side as part of its character structure, indicating it originated from rice or starch material.
