Izumo Soba Noodles
These soft, fresh noodles are made from equal parts buckwheat flour and wheat flour, which yield an especially springy, yet tender texture and full flavor compared to other soba we’ve tried. The flour is milled in-house and no preservatives or other binding agents are used in the noodles—just a dash of salt to round out the flavors. We love the subtle nuttiness of buckwheat and how it plays up the overall umami flavor of soba. Plus, the wider surface area of these noodles allows them to sop up even more sauce.
Sfoglini x Sporkful Vesuvio
Taking shape inspiration from Mount Vesuvius, Sfoglini x Sporkful’s Vesuvio pasta enhances the eating experience with maximized “forkability,” “sauceability” and “toothsinkability.” Made from high-quality North American wheat and slow-dried for over nine hours, the toothsome pasta has a clean flavor—plus, there are no eggs in the dough, which keeps it from being too rich and tender. The thing that really sets apart this experimental pasta shape, though, is the unique spirals. Sauces of all consistencies cling to the many spiraled ridges of the shape flawlessly, from bolognese and pesto to creamy béchamel for mac and cheese. And unlike fusilli, which is hard to keep on your fork, Vesuvio stays put—sauce and all.
Hot Pot Queen Chongqing Spicy Hotpot Thick Cut Noodle Kit
Whip up a weeknight-friendly meal in minutes with Hot Pot Queen's Sichuan Noodle Kit, crafted by Sichuan masters with a legacy dating back to 1982. The perfect balance of spicy yet comforting, the kit was inspired by a popular street food dish: Here, a rich and savory sauce clings to wide, ribbon-like chewy noodles. Made from a blend of authentic Sichuan peppercorns and regional chilis, the sauce is full of peppery, tingly málà flavor, balanced out by funky fermented bean paste and fresh ginger. Ready in just five minutes and ideal for a quick, hearty meal, this kit beat out some of our favorite grocery store brands by a mile.
Kenmin Rice Vermicelli Noodles
While many vermicelli noodles—a long, slender variety of rice noodle—may seem like forgettable fare, these Rice Vermicelli Noodles from Kenmin stand out from the pack. Made by steaming and mashing rice to form ultra-thin, chewy, springy noodles, these vermicelli cook up glassy in appearance and almost elastic in texture, with a mild rice flavor. They particularly shine in herby soups or punchy broths or dressings featuring bold flavors, like lime and fish sauce, as the noodles absorb the flavors of the surrounding dish.
Making these noodles takes a high amount of skill: They’re made from 100% pure, carefully selected, high-quality rice grown in rich soil, without any salt, additives or binders (which makes their impeccable texture and mild aromatic flavor all the more impressive). In fact, these vermicelli noodles from Kenmin earn a certification mark from the Rice Vermicelli Association—an honor reserved for vermicelli made from over 50% rice. Exclusive to Milk Street in the United States.
Wa Imports Ramen Noodles
Made in China with wheat flour and egg, these ramen noodles from Wa Imports are delicate and soft, with a perfect tender chew. Requiring only a few minutes in boiling, these noodles absorb the flavor of whatever they are added to beautifully, adding a springy texture to any dish. Plus, their flat shape offers more surface area for ingredients to cling to and makes them easy to pick up.
Shimanohikari Handmade Somen Noodles
Mild, delicate and nutty, these handmade somen noodles from Shimanohikari cook up tender and smooth to pair perfectly with bold flavorful broths, sauces and more. Thin and long, they come in individual bundles for easy portioning, require little time to boil and take on a pleasant chew when cooked. Over a two day process, the noodles are handmade from high quality wheat flour, local sea salt and sesame oil, unlike other brands that simply use flour, water and oil. They are then sun-dried for a light and flavorful result. Use in stir-fries, soups, stews, chilled noodle dishes and more.
Grand Noodle Five Colored Noodles
Handcrafted by a master noodle maker, these multicolored guksu, or Korean noodles, are infused with clean vegetable flavor. Guksu Master Kim Hyun Kyu started his noodle operation in 1987, wanting to add flavor to basic, bland wheat noodles that only supplemented other recipe components. After years of experimenting with ratios, recipes and aging, Kyu developed vibrant, vegetable-forward twists on the classic noodle. These guksu get their distinctive color-true hues and flavor from garlic chives, sweet pumpkin, beets, and white and black rice. And the ingredients are more than natural food coloring; when cooked, the aromatic noodles impart a subtle but noticeable flavor to dishes and retain a pleasant chew. Try them in pasta dishes, Korean preparations—like bibim-guksu, a spicy noodle stir-fry, or kong-guksu, a cold soy milk soup—or boiled and tossed with oil and sea salt.
Gobun Handmade Inaniwa Udon Noodles
These handmade noodles stand out from the pack. With a versatile thinness unlike traditional udon, yet with the same slurpy, chewy texture that’s distinctive of the noodle, Inaniwa udon has been handmade by artisans for over 300 years. The process takes four whole days: The noodles are kneaded on a starched surface before drying, followed by a series of hand kneading sessions before they’re shaped into their final form and left to sit. The resulting noodles are silky smooth with a mild taste, with a lovely kick of salt that makes the flavor come alive.
Sfoglini x Sporkful Cascatelli
Otherwise known as “little waterfalls” in Italian, cascatelli was created to be an accessible pasta option that enhances the eating experience with maximized “forkability,” “sauceability” and “toothsinkability.” Made from high-quality North American wheats and slow-dried for over nine hours, Pashman’s succeeds in hitting all three categories. We love that it has a good toothsomeness and clean pasta flavor, plus there are no eggs in the dough which keeps it from being too rich and tender. The thing that really sets apart this experimental pasta shape though is the texture. Not only do the ruffles, frills, right turns and curved shape keep sauce clinging on, but each bite becomes a sensory experience for your mouth too. This pasta is the perfect form to serve with a chunky sauce, Rather than finding bits of sauce at the bottom of your bowl like you would with other kinds of pasta, cascatelli will hold on effortlessly.