March 11th is National Eat Your Noodles Day. Didn’t know? That’s okay, most people probably don’t. And if you didn’t know that, you also might not know that March is National Noodle Month, or that March 13th is National Chicken Noodle Soup day, either. Well, now you do! So celebrate and eat some noodles!
The question now is, what kind of noodles to eat? The traditional noodles we most often think of when the word is mentioned are made from flour, egg, milk or water and a bit of salt mixed into a paste and rolled out into thin strips or otherwise shaped. The first macaroni shaped noodles were brought to American in 1789 by Thomas Jefferson after returning from France.
But aside from the “Yankee Doodle went to town…and called it macaroni” song that image conjures up (or is it just me?), there are actually more than six HUNDRED shapes of noodles world-wide, and we haven’t even started on the different varieties popping up these days, now that “gluten-free,” and “plant-based” are the catch words of the nutritional day! More and more we are seeing alternatives to the “traditional” flour noodle. Rice noodles, made from either white or brown rice are a gluten free alternative to flour noodles. The brown rice noodles are traditionally used as a substitute in regular pasta dishes, while the white rice noodles are more often used in Asian cuisines.
Mung Bean noodles are Chinese noodles that have also been calld glass noodles or cellophane noodles due to their almost transparent appearance. They are most often used in stir fry, spring rolls and soups. And have you tried Chickpea noodles, yet? They are reported to be high in protein, gluten free, and also higher in nutrients than other forms of noodles. Black Bean noodles are also another nutrient dense alternative.
Then there are Zucchini noodles, also known as “Zoodles,” which are another nutritious, plant-based and tasty alternative to flour noodles. They are made by “spiralizing” zucchini squash into thin ribbons that resemble spaghetti noodles. They are quite easy to make and don’t significantly alter the taste of your favorite Italian pasta dishes. If that idea floats your noodle boat, the same technique can be done with any number of squash varieties, carrots, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, etc. And Spaghetti Squash is nature’s own veggie spaghetti noodle creation!
So go ahead, noodle it up!
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