Vietnamese Rice Noodles

January 19, 2003

Vietnam is known for its handmade rice noodles, which are made using the following process:

1. Short grain rice is rinsed with water and mechanically spun dry.
2. The rice is put in large vats and soaked in water overnight.
3. The softened rice is drained and crushed by a wet mill with an equal amount of water. The rice comes out as a thick white paste, which is left to sit for 2 to 3 days.
4. The rice-water mixture is put into bags and a jack is used to compress the rice and remove the water. The rice water is saved for the next step.
5. The dry rice paste is mixed with the rice water at a precise ratio of 3 parts rice paste, one-part rice water. As the rice and water are mixed, a soft white paste, similar to custard, forms at the bottom of the vat.
6. The custard-like paste is collected and pushed through a device similar to a showerhead. The paste squirts out in the desired shape of thin bun noodles and they are trimmed to a manageable length to be rinsed and dried.
7. Once the noodles cool off, they are gathered into bunches, packaged and delivered to markets and restaurants all over the city.