"Sea Tangle" Noodles - YUCK!
On Monday the hubs and I finally got around to checking out the new Korean owned market that opened up nearby recently. It's "full sized" -- taking the place of a regular grocery store and pretty much keeping the produce department intact. I can see getting fish/seafood from there quite often if that department stays as clean and stocked as it was.
They have a full complement of the shiritake, konjac, yam noodles and such (all the same thing essentially though some have a tinge of soy that makes them look less like cellophane noodles and more like ramen). These days I avoid those although prepared properly they can be an acceptable low carb/calorie filler. But I had heard of the kelp noodles and thought I'd like to give them a try.
So there amongst the others sat a package of Sea Tangle Noodles. I went to try them yesterday. They come in a plastic package, much like the shiritake. I was happy to discover there was no fishy smell that required extensive rinsing. But that's where the happiness ended. They are rather springy, almost like cartilage, utterly tasteless (not such a bad thing), but the texture was just gross. While shiritake noodles are weirdly chewy, these are crunchy! -- and not in a good way.
I think I'll try frying them up with some chili oil just to see if they might have some redeeming quality/use, but I just thought I'd share my experience to save anyone ever wondering the time and money. :D
Comments
The cruchy texture means you have not cooked them enough. Also it could be that they were not cooked on the proper way. In Japan, Korea, or Taiwan, these noodles are used more as sides, the same way tofu or vegetables are used. Mainly the noodles are eaten as part of a hearty veggie hotpot-like stew. So it's kind of like sukiyaki but with veggies and tofu , although many people add slices of seafood or meat to the stew. Typical veggies and mushrooms that accompany kelp noodles are: enoki or shitake mushrooms, carrots, lotus root, green leafy veggies, taro, green onions, and so on. The noodles' springy texture is supposed to add/ contrast to cooked veggies like cabbage or greens or nigiri-type tofu. The noodles soak up the soup flavors really well , and to have not the crunchy texure, one needs to boil them at least 15 minutes. They are not meant to be fried or sauteed or microwaved... You can microwave it in soup but not alone/ dry.
I have made spicy beef noodle soup with tomato/ beef stock, seasoned with Chinese spices, and it's quite good and filling. I like my noodles on soft side so I cook them at least 20 minutes boiling.
I was given this awesome tip for the preparation of the Seatangle Kelp noodles. I agree that the texture can be off-putting if you don't like that weird 'crunch'. The health food store I bought them from advised to do the following:
1/ Soak your noodles in boiling water with the juice from half a lemon, soak for approx. 15 to 20 minutes
2/ Rinse to remove lemon flabvour.
3/ Now mix them into your dish or use them as you r 'carb' replacement!
The acid from the lemon juice along with the hot water softens the noodles amazingly well, so that they become almost like a rice noodle. I use these noodles as a replacement for pasta / rice in dishes like spaghetti bolognaise, stir frys, san choy bau and even omlettes to bulk them out! They are particularly good in dishes that will coat the noodle as the noodles themselves have no flavour.
I too would have discarded these if I had not been told about adding the lemon juice! Please try them again.
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