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Noodles that stay or become transparent after soaking and cooking are made with flour other than rice or wheat flour. Often referred to in the English-speaking world as glass or cellophane noodles, these varieties may be made from sweet potato flour, mung bean flour or cassava flour. They are chewy and no matter how long you cook (or overcook) them, they remain clear. They are also very slippery. The Filipino pancit bihon and pancit sotanghon are cooked with this variety of noodles.


With all this noodle information in mind, scouring the grocery shelves for the Asian noodle that will go best with the dish you intend to cook shouldn't be difficult at all. 

To recap, here are the most important things to check the package label for:

1. The flour used;

2. Whether lye or artificial color has been added; and

3. Whether the noodles need soaking, blanching or boiling.