Noodles: a user’s guide

(left to right)

Soft udon (£1.25, 2 x 150g, waitrose.com) Ready in a minute or two! We prefer adding these to stir-fries (current obsession: a kind of wok carbonara, with miso and spring onions) rather than soups, where they’re too soft.

Soft egg noodles (£1.35, 275g, waitrose.com) An instant friend for stir-fries, saucy or quite dry with a bit of char – add straight to the wok on a high heat.

Shirataki – aka konjac aka miracle noodles (£2.50, 375g, souschef.co.uk) They’re 97% water, vegan (despite the fishy smell, which will rinse away), low in calories, high in fibre and kind of tasteless. Come around to their chewy nothingness and they’re an excellent sauce conveyer.

Knife-cut (£5.50, 400g, souschef.co.uk) Their frilly edge, rough and chewy texture and long strands make these the best for sauce to cling to, or for creating your own viral “oil-splash” noodle-pull at home.

Dried egg noodles (£2.50, 125g, waitrose.com) Cook these little nests to al dente before adding to soups or stir fries.

Glass (mung-bean thread) vermicelli (£3.70, 400g, souschef.co.uk) Easily prepared by soaking in boiling water, these bouncy sauce absorbers are perfect in soups or claypot cooking and dressing-heavy salads, but also a classic filling in spring rolls. See chef Kaneda Pen’s recipes for stir-fried and claypot glass noodles here.

Hiyamugi (£2.50, 270g, souschef.co.uk) This Japanese wheat stick takes 5 minutes to cook – drain, rinse and serve in a broth, or with a dipping sauce.

Soba (£2, 270g, ocado.com) Made in part, or wholly (£4.60, 200g, waitrose.com), from buckwheat flour. We most love these Japanese noodles in summer salads, tossed with a sesame-soy dressing.

Rice stick Boil first, then add to pho and other soups, or look for a slightly thicker version to add to woks for pad thai-style dishes.

Sweet potato vermicelli (£4.20, 400g, souschef.co.uk) Gluten-free and most famously used in the slightly sweet, soy-sauce-based stir-fry of japchae, but excellent in soups and salads, like other glass vermicelli.

Green tea (£5.20, 640g, souschef.co.uk) Switch up your noodle palette, and palate – these are basically soba, but the addition of powdered matcha adds an earthier, slightly bitter flavour.

Rice vermicelli (£2.50, 260g, ocado.com) A store-cupboard essential – rehydrate these pale threads in boiling water, then drain and use in soups or salads. Perfect in summer with leftover roast chicken and plenty of herbs.