On top of spaghetti, all covered with cheese, I lost my poor meatball, when somebody sneezed.
My very first memories of noodles date back to my early childhood in Australia when, as a treat, my parents took my brother and me out for dinner at an Italian restaurant. I remember the candles on the tables, the while linen tablecloths, and the spaghetti bolognese we always ordered. With parmesan cheese sprinkled on top, this meal also usually had us singing, ‘On top of spaghetti, all covered with cheese…’
When we took a ship from Sydney to England when I was about five, I was shocked to discover green pasta on our plates in the ship’s dining room. The Italian waiters laughed at our response and explained that the pasta derived its colour from spinach. Though this sounded positively horrifying (spinach infused pasta??), it was delicious and we quickly moved past our initial reluctance and gobbled up our meals. [Curious about how we were taught to eat our spaghetti as kids? Read this article about whether or not to use a spoon to roll your spaghetti strands onto your fork.]
Ancient Noodles Unearthed in China
According to an article in National Geographic, a bowl of millet noodles discovered in an archeological dig in China is the oldest example of the dish ever found. The noodles, estimated to be 4,000 years old, suggest people have been making and enjoying some version of long, stringy dough for a very long time.
What makes a noodle a noodle? The shape of a noodle (long) is one distinguishing feature. But from there, the variations are endless. Noodles may be flat or round and may be made from a number of ingredients. There are still areas in China where you’ll find millet noodles, but wheat-based noodles are more common in Italian pasta, udon noodles from Japan, Indonesian bakmi noodles, and several other varieties, too.
Rice noodles are popular in a number of Vietnamese or south Indian dishes, while others are made from acorn meal (dotori guksu from Korea, for example) or mung beans or potato starch (cellophane noodles).
Noodles and soup go together like… spaghetti and meatballs.
Boiled, Baked or Fried - Noodle Preparation
Preparation varies from place to place - noodles may be boiled, baked, chilled, or fried. Perhaps my favourite way to consume a noodle is in soup - chicken noodle soup is a comfort food I first grew to love in childhood. My German grandmother made a delicious version using delicate vermicelli broken into shorter pieces and finely chopped green onions. Much later, I discovered the delights of Udon noodles in broth. A good bowl of ramen is something I still enjoy today.
How Do You Like Your Noodles?
What about you? What’s your favourite noodle dish? Let us know in the comments. That’s one easy way to earn menu hunter points and be eligible for some fun foodie prizes!
Looking for some great dining options in Banff? Have a browse through our online menus by clicking on the big orange ‘EXPLORE’ button on the homepage of TasteMagazine.ca.
