Chilled Chinese noodles are a popular summer dish.
Cold and sour, it is a delicious dish that is easy to eat even when you have no appetite. That’s why I want to eat chilled Chinese food in winter! You may think, “I want to eat chilled Chinese food in winter!
However, in winter, have you ever thought, “I can’t find chilled Chinese noodles at the store…”?
They don’t sell chilled Chinese noodles. What should I do…?
You may be able to make the soup yourself using soy sauce and vinegar, but it is difficult to make the noodles yourself.
In this article, we will introduce you to “substitutes for chilled Chinese noodles.
Please refer to them if you have any trouble!
Are Chilled Chinese noodles different from regular noodles?
Chilled Chinese-style noodles are basically the same as regular fresh Chinese noodles.
For this reason, restaurants often use the same Chinese noodles as ramen.
However, the texture feels different from ramen, doesn’t it?
The reason for this is that when making chilled Chinese noodles, they are boiled longer to make them softer and then closed in cold water.
As a result, it is well cooked but also has a firm texture.
Also, commercially available cold Chinese noodles are thinner than regular Chinese noodles. The noodles are made thinner and softer in texture because they become hard when they are tightened in cold water.
Other noodles are pre-seasoned, such as adding vegetables to the noodles to make them green and freshly colored, or eggs to make them more yolk-yellow.
7 top choices for chilled Chinese noodle substitutes
Most restaurants use regular Chinese noodles, the same as ramen noodles, for chilled Chinese noodles, so you can substitute them by devising your own cooking method.
Also, if you don’t have Chinese noodles at home, you can make a delicious chilled Chinese dish with other noodles.
It is recommended to devise cooking methods, sauce, and toppings according to the characteristics of each noodle.
Substitute for Chilled Chinese Noodles 1: Regular Chinese noodles
When using Chinese noodles, cook them for a longer time.
When making ramen noodles, boil them for one and a half minutes, whereas for chilled Chinese noodles, boil them for three minutes. After boiling, let the noodles cool down under running water to remove the wetness, and then close them in ice water.
After that, it is important to squeeze the noodles tightly with your hands to thoroughly remove excess water.
By removing excess water, you can prevent the sauce from becoming watery.
Substitute for Chilled Chinese Noodles 2: Yakisoba Noodles
Yaki-soba noodles are steamed Chinese noodles with the surface coated with oil.
This makes the noodles easier to break apart and fluffy when stir-fried.
When substituting with yakisoba noodles, boil the noodles for 1.5 to 2 minutes, then rinse them in water to remove the oil from the noodles and drain them well.
After that, toss the noodles with sesame oil for a better taste.
The noodles are a little softer than Chinese noodles, so the texture maybe a little less firm, but you can use them instead without feeling that much discomfort.
Substitute for Chilled Chinese Noodles 3: Champon Noodles
Champon noodles, which are slightly thicker than Chinese noodles, can also be substituted for chilled Chinese noodles.
After boiling chanpon noodles for about 1.5 to 2 minutes, cool them in cold water, then close them in ice water, and finally drain them well.
Since the noodles are thick and the sauce is difficult to mix, season the noodles with sesame oil.
For the sauce, I recommend using a thickened sesame sauce and tossing it into the noodles before adding the ingredients.
Substitute for Chilled Chinese Noodles 4: Pasta Noodles
It may seem surprising, but pasta noodles can also be used as a substitute for chilled Chinese noodles.
When you boil pasta, you can add baking soda, which will cause a chemical reaction that will bring it closer to the unique aroma of Chinese noodles.
Add 1 tablespoon of baking soda per 100 grams of pasta and boil it for 2 minutes longer than the indicated boiling time. Once the baking soda is added, it will start to bubble a little, so be careful not to spill it.
After boiling, let it cool under running water to remove the wetness, and then cool it in ice water. After that, drain well.
Any thickness of pasta noodle can be substituted, but I recommend the thin “Cappellini” noodle, which is often used for cold pasta, as it is the easiest for the sauce to blend with.
When using pasta noodles, boiled eggs or steamed chicken goes well with the ingredients.
I also recommend sprinkling some black pepper on top of the ingredients to enhance the flavor!
Substitute for Chilled Chinese Noodles 5: Somen noodles
Somen noodles can also be used in the same way as chilled Chinese noodles.
Boil the noodles for about two minutes, then rinse them under running water to remove the wetness, and drain them thoroughly.
Somen noodles are thin, so it is easy for the sauce to be absorbed.
The taste will be different from regular Chilled Chinese-style noodles, but the result will be more light and easy to eat even when you have no appetite!
Substitute for Chilled Chinese Noodles 6: Udon Noodles
You can make chilled udon noodles Chinese style by making the sauce Chinese style and topping it with ingredients.
Boil the udon noodles, as usual, rinse them thoroughly under running water to remove the slime from the surface and then put them in ice water to tighten.
Top with your favorite toppings and pour on the sweet and sour Chinese-style sauce made of soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar.
The result is a Chinese-style udon noodle dish that is more refreshing and easier to eat than regular Chinese-style noodles.
Substitute for Chilled Chinese Noodles 7: Konnyaku Noodles
Konnyaku noodles, which are made from konjac, can also be used as a substitute for chilled Chinese noodles.
Boil the konjac noodles, as usual, close them in cold water, pour the sauce over them, and top them with your favorite ingredients.
It does not have much of the characteristic smell of konjac, so it goes well with Chinese sauce.
Konjac noodles are refreshing and healthy, are also recommended for those on a diet!
Summary
- Cold Chinese-style noodles are basically the same as regular Chinese noodles used for ramen.
- Cold Chinese-style noodles can be substituted with regular Chinese noodles or other noodles. It is important to devise a cooking method, sauce, toppings, etc. to suit the characteristics of each noodle.
- The following seven are recommended substitutes for chilled Chinese noodles. [Regular Chinese noodles, yakisoba noodles, chanpon noodles, pasta noodles, somen noodles, udon noodles, konnyaku noodles
- The following three substitutes are especially recommended.
- Regular Chinese noodles: Many restaurants also use Chinese noodles for chilled Chinese noodles, so they are recommended.
- Yaki-soba noodles: Chinese noodles are steamed and coated with oil, but it is recommended to boil them briefly and remove the oil with water as it is an easy substitute.
- Pasta noodles: When boiling pasta, baking soda can be added to give it the texture of Chinese noodles. I recommend Cappellini, which are particularly thin noodles, as they are easily tangled with the sauce.