August 04, 2021
IN Thai Cuisine
Noodles may be the ultimate comfort food. They are adaptable, versatile, and delicious. Invented in China about 10,000 years ago, noodles enjoy worldwide popularity today.
Noodles come in a wide variety. Each offers its own taste and texture. From udon and soba to rice and egg noodles, there’s something for everyone.
Two popular Thai noodles are rice noodles and egg noodles. Both are staples of Thai cooking. The choice of rice noodles vs egg noodles isn’t an easy one to make.
Here’s more about both to help you decide which to try next.
Two Popular Thai Noodles
Since its introduction to the US in 1972, Thai food has rapidly become one of the most popular cuisines in America. The quintessential Thai dish is Phad Thai; a noodle stir fry served worldwide.
Traditional Phad Thai, like ours, is a combination of rice noodles stir-fried with egg, bean sprouts, onion, and fresh roasted ground peanuts in tamarind sauce. At Thai Ginger, we serve it with a fresh-cut lime.
Egg noodles are the noodle of choice in Ba Mee Hang, a delicious steamed noodle dish with garlic sauce.
What are egg noodles?
Egg noodles are long, thin noodles. As their name suggests, egg noodles contain eggs—a lot of eggs compared to other types of noodles. They are made with wheat flour, eggs, water, and salt.
Egg noodles are similar to Italian pasta, but not the same. Italian pasta is made with semolina, a coarse durum wheat flour. In contrast, egg noodles use finer milled wheat flour. You combine wheat flour, eggs, water, and salt to make egg noodles.
What are rice noodles?
Rice noodles contain mostly rice flour and water. Sometimes tapioca or cornstarch is added to improve the appearance and texture of the noodles.
Like egg noodles, rice noodles are usually long noodles. But they come in a variety of widths. Thai cooking uses thin rice noodles in many dishes. But wide noodles are used in rice noodle dishes like Thai Ginger’s Phad See Iew.
Nutritional Differences
Egg Noodles
Because egg noodles contain eggs, they have more protein than other noodles.
One cup of cooked egg noodles has about 221 calories, 3.3 grams of fat, 40.3 grams of carbohydrates, 1.9 grams of fiber, and 7.3 grams of protein.
Egg noodles have a low glycemic index score of 40, meaning they’re less likely to cause blood sugar levels to spike than foods with higher scores.
Rice Noodles
Unlike egg noodles, rice noodles are gluten-free and vegan. That’s because they contain no wheat or animal products. They can be made using red, white, or brown rice.
Rice noodles are lower in calories, fat, and protein than egg noodles. They also have more carbohydrates.
One cup of cooked rice noodles made with white rice has about 193 calories, 0.4 grams of fat, 43.8 grams of carbohydrates, 1.8 grams of fiber, and 1.6 grams of protein.
Choosing: Rice Noodles vs Egg Noodles
Noodles are important in Thai cuisine. There are many yummy rice noodle dishes. But there are also many tasty egg noodle Thai dishes.
The issue of rice noodles vs egg noodles is a matter of personal taste. And Thai Ginger can help you decide, we’re your Thai noodle experts! Try one or both at one of Thai Ginger’s locations today!
