Rice vermicelli facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Rice vermicelli

Thin strands of rice vermicelli
Alternative names	Rice noodles, rice sticks
Type	Rice noodles
Place of origin	Southern China
Region or state	East Asia, Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia
Main ingredients	Rice
Variations	Guilin mǐfěn

Rice vermicelli is a very thin type of noodle made from rice. People sometimes call it 'rice noodles' or 'rice sticks'. It's important not to confuse it with cellophane noodles. Cellophane noodles are another Asian noodle, but they are made from mung bean starch, not from rice grains.

What are Rice Vermicelli?

Rice vermicelli are a popular food in many Asian cuisines. You can find them in different dishes like soups, stir-fries, or even salads. One famous type is Guilin mǐfěn from Guilin, a city in southern China. This slightly thicker noodle is a common breakfast food there.

Different Names for Rice Vermicelli

Rice vermicelli has many names across Asia. These names often sound similar to the Chinese word bí-hún, which means "rice vermicelli."

Names Around Asia

• In Japan, it's called bīfun.
• In the Philippines, it's known as bíjon or bihon.
• In Singapore, people call it bee hoon.
• In Malaysia and Indonesia, it's bihun or mee hoon.
• In Cambodia, it's num banh chok.
• In Vietnam, it's simply bún.
• In Southern Thailand, it's also called mee hoon.

Naming Rules in Taiwan

Since July 1, 2014, Taiwan has special rules for naming rice vermicelli.

• If a product is made of 100% rice, it can be called "米粉" (rice vermicelli or rice noodle).
• If it has other ingredients like starch but is at least 50% rice, it's called "調和米粉" (blended rice vermicelli).
• If it has less than 50% rice, it cannot be called rice vermicelli at all.

Popular Dishes with Rice Vermicelli

Rice vermicelli is used in many delicious dishes across different parts of Asia.

East Asian Dishes

China

Guilin rice noodles

• In Yunnan and Guangxi, you'll find famous dishes like Crossing-the-bridge noodles and Guilin noodle. Rice noodles are also a main food for ethnic groups like the Dai and Miao.
• In Cantonese cooking, rice vermicelli (called maifun) is very common. It's often cooked in a tasty broth with things like fish balls or beef balls.
• In Fujian and Teochew cuisine, rice vermicelli is served in soup, stir-fried with sauce, or "dry" with added ingredients.

Hong Kong

Singapore fried rice noodles

• Singapore-style noodles (星州炒米, Xīng zhōu cháo mǐ) is a stir-fried dish popular in Hong Kong. It includes rice vermicelli, char siu (barbecued pork), egg, shrimp, and curry.

Taiwan

• Taiwanese fried rice vermicelli is a dry, stir-fried dish. It's especially known in the Hsinchu area. Key ingredients include sliced pork, dried shrimp, and carrots.
• A special dish in Hsinchu is serving rice vermicelli "dry" (without soup) with mushrooms and ground pork.

South Asian Dishes

Indian Subcontinent

• Sevai is a South Indian dish often made during festivals. It comes in flavors like lemon, tamarind, and coconut milk.
• Sawaeyaa is a sweet dish made from semolina vermicelli cooked in milk, sugar, and dry nuts. It's eaten during festivals like Diwali and Eid in northern India and Pakistan.
• Paayasam is a South Indian sweet dish. It's made with vermicelli, sago, sugar, spices, nuts, and milk.
• Idiyappam is a common breakfast dish in South India and Sri Lanka. It's also known as String hopper.

Southeast Asian Dishes

Cambodia

Num banh chok

• Cha mee sor is a stir-fried glass noodle dish. It's often made during Pchum Ben, a Cambodian festival, and offered at temples. It's made with vermicelli noodles, ground pork, and Asian sauces.
• Neorm is a cold Cambodian noodle salad. It uses cabbage and vermicelli noodles, served cold with chicken, pork, or shrimp. Vegetables and mints are added, mixed with a sweet fish sauce, and topped with peanuts.
• Num banhchok is a very popular Khmer dish. It's usually served with samlor proher, a greenish soup made from fish. Fresh vegetables like cucumbers or bean sprouts are often added.

Indonesia

Bihun goreng

Soto mie bogor style noodle and rice vermicelli

• Bihun goreng is a stir-fried rice vermicelli dish with sweet soy sauce.
• Bihun kari is rice vermicelli mixed with curry.
• Lumpia and risoles are types of spring rolls with rice vermicelli and vegetable fillings.
• Mie bakso is meatballs served with rice vermicelli soup.
• Soto (traditional Indonesian soup) often includes rice vermicelli, like in soto ayam.
• Tekwan is a fish ball soup from South Sumatra that also includes rice vermicelli.

Malaysia

Singaporean-style Hokkien mee

Laksa Sarawak is a famous dish from Sarawak

In Malaysia, rice vermicelli can be called mihun, mi hoon, mee hoon, bihun, or bee hoon.

• Ak thui bihun reng is a duck noodle herbal soup.
• Bihun kari is mixed with curry, mung bean sprouts, fried tofu, and chilies.
• Bihun soto is in a yellow spicy chicken broth, served with chicken and potato cutlets.
• Bihun sup is a Malay-style dish mixed with spiced beef or chicken broth.
• Bihun tom yam is mixed with tom yam soup.
• Char bihun is a Chinese version of fried noodles.
• Hokkien mee varies a lot across Malaysia depending on the region.
• Laksa Sarawak is mixed with a base of sambal belacan, sour tamarind, garlic, and coconut milk. It's topped with omelette strips, chicken, prawns, and fresh coriander.
• Mee siam is a dry, stir-fried dish in Malaysia.

Myanmar

Mohinga with fritters

Rakhine mont di fish soup with garnish

• Mohinga is rice vermicelli served with curry gravy and fish. Many consider it the national dish of Myanmar.
• Mont di is a fish soup. The Rakhine version from western Myanmar is very popular.
• Kyar san kyaw is rice vermicelli fried with vegetables. Chicken, pork, and seafood can be added.

Philippines

Filipino pancit bihon served with calamansi

Filipino pancit palabok

• Pancit bihon (or pancit bihon guisado) is a general term for rice vermicelli dishes. It's stir-fried with shrimp, meat (pork or chicken), and vegetables. It's cooked in an adobo-style sauce and often topped with hard-boiled eggs and served with calamansi (a small citrus fruit).
• Pancit choca is a black seafood noodle dish from Cavite, made with squid ink and rice vermicelli.
• Pancit palabok is a rice vermicelli dish with shrimp sauce. It's topped with shrimp, pork, crushed chicharon, smoked fish flakes, hard-boiled eggs, and green onions. It's also served with calamansi.

Singapore

• Kerabu bee hoon is a Nyonya-style rice vermicelli dish. It's mixed with herbs and other seasonings.
• Hokkien mee in Singapore often has rice vermicelli mixed with yellow noodles. It's fried with shrimp, sliced cuttlefish, and pork bits.
• Satay bee hoon is rice vermicelli served with a spicy peanut satay sauce. It's common in Singapore.
• Seafood bee hoon is rice vermicelli cooked in a tasty seafood broth. It includes seafood like lobster, crayfish, clams, scallops, and prawns.

Vietnam

Vietnamese bún thịt nướng chả giò

A dish of bánh hỏi in Ho Chi Minh City

A bowl of bún riêu and a dish of vegetables

A bowl of bún bò (at Bún Bò Huế An Nam restaurant)

• Bánh hỏi is a Vietnamese dish where rice vermicelli is woven into neat bundles. It's often topped with chopped green onions or garlic chives and served with a meat dish.
• Bún riêu is rice vermicelli in a soup with crab meat. It has a fresh, sour taste, making it popular in summer.
• Bún bò Huế is rice vermicelli in a beef soup from Huế.
• Bún thịt nướng is a Vietnamese dish with grilled pork and vermicelli noodles. It's served over a bed of greens, herbs, and bean sprouts. It often includes chopped spring rolls and is topped with roasted peanuts and a special fish sauce.
• Gỏi cuốn are fresh spring rolls. They contain rice vermicelli with pork, shrimp, and herbs, all wrapped in rice paper. They are served with a dipping sauce called nước chấm.

See also

In Spanish: Vermicelli de arroz para niños