Bihun

Rice vermicelli is a thin form of noodle. It is sometimes referred to as 'rice noodles' or 'rice sticks', but should not be confused with cellophane noodles, a different Asian type of vermicelli made from mung bean starch or rice starch rather than rice grains themselves.

Presentation and varieties

Rice vermicelli is a part of several Asian cuisines, where it are often eaten as part of a soup dish, stir-fry, or salad.
One particularly well-known, slightly thicker variety, called ''Guilin mǐfěn'' (桂林米粉), comes from the southern Chinese city of Guilin, where it is a breakfast staple.

Names

Rice vermicelli is widely known in Asia by cognates of Hokkien 米粉 (''bí-hún'', literally "rice vermicelli"). These include ''bīfun'' ( Japan), ''bíjon'' or ''bihon'' (Philippines), ''bee hoon'' (Singapore), ''bihun'' or ''mee hoon'' (Malaysia and Indonesia), ''num banh chok'' (Cambodia), ''bún'' (Vietnam), and ''mee hoon'' (Southern Thailand).

Naming in Taiwan

Beginning July 1, 2014, Food and Drug Administration of Taiwan rules have been in effect that only products made of 100% rice can be labeled and sold as "米粉" in Taiwan, usually translated as "rice vermicelli" or "rice noodle". If the product contains starch or other kinds of grain powder as ingredients but is made of at least 50% rice, it is to be labeled as "調和米粉", meaning "blended rice vermicelli". Products made of less than 50% rice cannot be labelled as rice vermicelli.

Naming in Philippines

Despite colloquially referred to as ''rice noodles'' in the Philippines, nearly all retail "bihon" in the country is made of potato starch instead of rice.

Notable dishes

East Asia

Mainland China

* Yunnan and Guangxi cuisine—famous dishes including crossing-the-bridge noodles, mixian, Guilin noodle and luosifen (snail noodle). Rice noodle is also a main staple of ethnic Tai, Miao and Zhuang cuisine.
* Cantonese noodles—a large number of Cantonese dishes use this ingredient (called 米粉 ''maifun'' or "rice" in Cantonese). Usually the noodles are simmered in broth with other ingredients such as fish balls, beef balls or fish slices.
* Fujian and Teochew cuisine, rice vermicelli is a commonly used noodle and is served either in soup, stir-fried and dressed with a sauce, or even "dry" (without soup) with added ingredients and condiments.

As the term (''mifen'') literally only means "rice noodles" in Chinese, there is considerable variation among rice noodles granted this name. In Hubei and historically in much of Hunan, ''mifen'' refers to thick, flat rice noodles made using a wet mix, similar to shahe fen. In Changde, the term refer to thick, round noodles that has supplanted the other ''mifen'' in Hunan. These are ''mifen'' in China, but not rice vermicelli noodles.

Hong Kong

* Singapore-style noodles (星州炒米, ''Xīng zhōu cháo mǐ'')—a dish of fried rice vermicelli common in Hong Kong Cantonese-style eateries, inspired by the spicy cuisines of Southeast Asia. This dish is made from rice vermicelli, ''char siu'', egg, shrimp and curry.

Taiwan

*Taiwanese fried rice vermicelli is the dry, stir-fried local style (particularly known in the Hsinchu region). Its main ingredients include sliced pork, dried shrimp, and carrots.
*A Hsinchu specialty is to serve rice vermicelli 'dry' (乾 ''gan'', not in a soup) with mushroom and ground pork.

South Asia

Indian Subcontinent

* '' Sevai'' is a south Indian dish prepared in houses during festive occasions. It is made in different flavours such as lemon, tamarind and coconut milk.
* ''Sawaeyaa'' is a dish made from semolina vermicelli cooked in milk sugar and dry nuts. It is eaten on Diwali, Eid, and other festive occasions in northern parts of India and Pakistan.
* शेवया (in Marathi) or ''shevaya'' are served to the groom and bride a day before their wedding called ''halad'' (हळद) in some parts of Maharashtra.
*'' Paayasam'' is a South Indian sweet dish made from vermicelli, sago, sugar, spices and nuts and milk.
*'' Idiyappam'' is a staple South Indian breakfast dish. It is typical of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and other southern Indian states, as well as Sri Lanka