National Noodle Month

March is National Noodle Month in the United States.

Not merely a single day, but an entire month dedicated to noodles.

To users of American English, "noodles" cover a variety of shapes of flour paste products. To those that use British English they are considered to be long, thin strips.

Different kinds of flour can be used to make noodles. Egg noodles are common in many dishes from China and the surrounding countries and can be used in a number of different ways, such as a side dish or the basis of a main meal.

Noodles can be used fresh, or they can be dried and stored for later use. They are a staple in many different countries, especially in East Asian cuisine, but Italian pasta are also a type of noodle. The oldest known reference to what would be a noodle dish dates back to China over 2,000 years ago.

National Noodle Day

In the United States October 6th is National Noodle Day.

The word "noodle" covers a wide range of different foods. They are predominately made from an unleavened dough which is then made into different shapes. Noodles are quite an old dish, with the earliest traces dating back over 4,000 years in China.

The dough used to make noodles can use a number of different primary ingredients, such as wheat, rice and eggs. Many different Eastern cuisines use noodles in their cooking, and they have been a staple in Chinese cooking for centuries.

In British English, the term noodle is usually used to refer to long, thin shapes (not dissimilar to spaghetti). In US English the term is used more generally, and can be used to mean different shapes.

Noodles are often dried for ease of storage, although they can be bought and made fresh, and, although often cooked by boiling, they can also be fried. Many stir fry dishes use noodles in them.

In some ways noodles are similar to pasta.

National Noodle Ring Day

National Noodle Ring Day is on December 11th in the United States.

Noodle rings are pretty much what they sound like. Pretty much, as there are two possible interpretations for the name. The first, inaccurate, one is it being noodles in the shape of a ring. The second, accurate, one is noodles cooked in the shape of a ring.

Noodles, or other similar foods such as pasta, are mixed with cheese and eggs and then baked in a ring mould. Other ingredients can also be used. The finished dish is in a torus or doughnut shape, with a hole in the centre of it. This hole can then be filled with other foods, making it an interesting and different way of serving pasta.

Before being placed in the ring, the noodles or pasta generally need cooking first - if they aren't, they may not cook properly in the oven.