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Location: St Thomas, USVI - Seattle, WA - Gulf Coast, TX
811 posts, read 1,146,098 times
Reputation: 2322
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gerania
I've never had kelp noodles. Oh, I need to get some of those. Thank you!
Gerania, I've given the kelp "noodle" a go and I (someone who loves all things strange and wonderful) CANNOT recommend them at this point. They are not strands of kelp (imagining those delicious, crunchy seaweed salads). They are made partially of kelp and partially of sodium alginate (a standard trick in molecular gastronomy used as a stabilizer - makes things gummy/solidified if they are liquid. Though, ironically/fittingly, sodium alginate is derived from kelp.). Basically they are a processed soup of tiny bits of kelp and water that have been solidified into strings with the sodium alginate. Seriously, these kelp "noodles" taste like strings of stretchy plastic. I thought I could cleverly add them to a noodle bowl or a Vietnamese fresh roll or something, but they squeak in your mouth like plastic, they taste like plastic, and have the most unnatural, unpleasant stretch-&-crunch texture that I've ever experienced. This is coming from a girl who happily eats intestine soup while traveling through Asia... Unless someone comes on here with a magic and amazing use for them to enlighten us, I'm going to say save your money and stay away from them.
Last edited by IslandCityGirl; 02-10-2016 at 09:18 AM..
You probably saw Asian dishes that need to be prepared by adding the content of a flavor mix to the noodle. Those little seasoning sachets are full of salt!
Many plain, Asian wheat noodles do actually contain quite a bit of salt, all on their own. We're not talking about noodles that include seasoning packets or the like, just plain, fresh or dried, Asian wheat noodles: ramen, somen, lo mein...
You can find udon and soba with little to no salt, more often, though! So there's another good reason to sub out other noodles for soba! Rice noodles and bean threads are always sodium-free.
For the 1870 gram stuff that the OP found though, I do wonder if that must have included a seasoning packet. You're right, kgordeeva, that is a TON of salt!
Great post, here, elnina!!
One questions for you: Have you managed to make something delicious out of those kelp "noodles"? I really want to make them into something happy, but they are kind of offensive: squeaky, plastic-y threads - freaks of molecular gastronomy! I'd love to hear if you've made something yummy with them.
OP - I'll throw out another word of support for soba noodles as a more nutritious, high-fiber option.
Also, to more specifically answer your question, YES, you can absolutely make versions of your favorite noodle bowls at home in a way that will keep you from feeling yucky and be much better for you. We have some sort of Asian noodle soup (usually ramen or pho) about once per week at home. To keep us on track health-wise, I watch the sodium in the broth big-time (guaranteed, the sodium content in the restaurant noodle bowls is 90% of what's making you feel like crap and bloaty), and I dominate the soups with veggies, cutting way back on the quantity of noodles to reduce carbs without completely giving up what we all know to be the yummiest, most comforting part of a noodle bowl (slurping those delicious noodles...). I'd rather have a smaller quantity of the noodle I really want than to sub it out completely for something different/less satisfying.
When you cook with Asian wheat noodles (like ramen) at home, remember that the noodles themselves are high in salt, so either add ZERO salt to your broth, or cook the noodles separately and then add them to your broth. Also, avoid the American, dried ramen noodles like the plague. They are dried with all kinds of nasty chemicals and are sure to make you feel like crap (as well as give you heart diseases down the road). They don't taste very good, either. There are lots of great ramen products out there, and of course fresh is best, but here's what's on-hand in my pantry currently: http://www.amazon.com/Hakubaku-Organ...keywords=ramen. I've been really happy with how they cook up: firm/toothy like a fresh noodle, but still really delicate. Yum.
Just as an example, a ramen bowl at my house consists of a simple, homemade stock from chicken carcass, ginger, onion, dried shiitake, peppercorns, and sometimes some miso, or a ham bone or a couple of slices of bacon. I never add extra salt.
The bowl itself will have a ton of veggies: lots of bok choy or brussel sprouts, snow peas, julienned carrots, mushrooms, sliced chilis, scallions... and usually a marinated, soft-cooked egg, and a few bites of roasted chicken, on top of a small but satisfying pile of great noodles. Super healthy, but completely satisfying without the crap-load of carbs and salt.
"Bloating"? I find it funny that everyone warns against starches re: weight gain, but aren't Asians, like, the thinnest people on earth? And their diet is carbohydrate (noodle/rice) based.
Gerania, I've given the kelp "noodle" a go and I (someone who loves all things strange and wonderful) CANNOT recommend them at this point. They are not strands of kelp (imagining those delicious, crunchy seaweed salads). They are made partially of kelp and partially of sodium alginate (a standard trick in molecular gastronomy used as a stabilizer - makes things gummy/solidified if they are liquid. Though, ironically/fittingly, sodium alginate is derived from kelp.). Basically they are a processed soup of tiny bits of kelp and water that have been solidified into strings with the sodium alginate. Seriously, these kelp "noodles" taste like strings of stretchy plastic. I thought I could cleverly add them to a noodle bowl or a Vietnamese fresh roll or something, but they squeak in your mouth like plastic, they taste like plastic, and have the most unnatural, unpleasant stretch-&-crunch texture that I've ever experienced. This is coming from a girl who happily eats intestine soup while traveling through Asia... Unless someone comes on here with a magic and amazing use for them to enlighten us, I'm going to say save your money and stay away from them.
Mmmm, strings of stretchy, squeaky plastic. And they're crunchy, too! Is the texture anything like that brilliant green, semi-transparent, overly sweet seaweed salad that I've been served at some Asian restaurants? That stuff has a weird texture.
Thanks for the warning. I'm going to eat them once; I have to. Now it's a challenge. Then, I get to sashay around and tell people I've eaten kelp noodles. LOL
For some reason this reminds me of the Durian Discussian my husband and I had at an Asian market. He was going to say or do anything he could to stop me from buying it. I countered his comments with, "I'll hold it in my lap so it doesn't break in the car; I'll wear a nose plug; I'll cut it outside." He finally said, "I refuse to transport that in my vehicle." I put it back, and went outside and laughed until my sides ached and tears were running down my face.
"Bloating"? I find it funny that everyone warns against starches re: weight gain, but aren't Asians, like, the thinnest people on earth? And their diet is carbohydrate (noodle/rice) based.
Yeah, I've always wondered that too. But I think the noodles they eat in Asian countries are a lot better for you than what they serve in the U.S. They must add more salt and other unhealthy additives here. My Asian friend did tell me the other day though that diabetes is quite common among Asian people because they eat so many carbs...
Location: St Thomas, USVI - Seattle, WA - Gulf Coast, TX
811 posts, read 1,146,098 times
Reputation: 2322
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gerania
Mmmm, strings of stretchy, squeaky plastic. And they're crunchy, too! Is the texture anything like that brilliant green, semi-transparent, overly sweet seaweed salad that I've been served at some Asian restaurants? That stuff has a weird texture.
No, I actually usually really enjoy those seaweed salads (though mine aren't sweet? Must be the dressing...), which are made from REAL seaweed (wakame, which I do highly recommend adding to anyone's pantry. I use it a lot.) and taste like a crunchy vegetable, not crunchy, squeaky plastic. The best thing I can compare the kelp noodles to is biting into a pile of those soft, plastic bracelets that I used to wear as a kid (in neon colors, LOL). You know, the thin, mold-injected plastic ones. That's what they feel like in your hands and in your mouth.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gerania
Thanks for the warning. I'm going to eat them once; I have to. Now it's a challenge. Then, I get to sashay around and tell people I've eaten kelp noodles. LOL
Ha ha, you bet! The only thing is I don't think you can really even claim them to be "kelp" noodles. They're more like sodium alginate noodles that are kelp-flavored. You seriously could make "noodles" by this method in any flavor... tomato? spinach? strawberry? All equally gross in texture. It's about the same as saying you've eaten limes if you've eaten lime-flavored jello. Actually, it's exactly the same as that. I use sodium alginate from time to time (mostly for spherification or as an emulsifier) and it can be a great tool, but this is an instance of molecular gastronomy gone awry.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gerania
For some reason this reminds me of the Durian Discussian my husband and I had at an Asian market. He was going to say or do anything he could to stop me from buying it. I countered his comments with, "I'll hold it in my lap so it doesn't break in the car; I'll wear a nose plug; I'll cut it outside." He finally said, "I refuse to transport that in my vehicle." I put it back, and went outside and laughed until my sides ached and tears were running down my face.
Durian's not so bad! Once you get past the initial smell, it's tasty. Your hubs should have let you give it a try! Try "stinky tofu"... It's literally moldy (fermented) tofu that stinks to high heaven. You can smell the gym-socky delightfulness from half a mile away at an Asian street market. I enjoyed it when I ate it, the problem came when, still, hours later and after eating other things, my mouth tasted freshly of stinky feet. Good times...
Kelp noodle - I got curious and ordered them for lunch, in a Korean salad. The ones I had were not green but glass-like, little crunchy, with a hint of salt, but not salty. They do taste a bit like a jelly, but are neutral. They look like an angel/glass noodles. Kelp is an edible seaweed that is high in nutrients, and low in calories. (20 cal/cup)
Sea vegetables contain virtually all of the minerals found in the ocean, and the broadest spectrum in any living plant. The actual kelp plant contains more than 70 minerals, including potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium and iodine. It contains more than 21 amino acids, plus enzymes, vitamins and trace elements. It’s a staple food for many sea creatures, like fish, crabs and sea snails!
The kelp noodles are made from kelp, water and sodium alginate. The noodle are processed food, not raw.
I had salad with raw veggies (Julienne carrots, cucumber, onions, nuts) and some sort of mayo based sesame dressing. The salad was DELICIOUS!!! Refreshing and satisfying!
Since the noodle by itself is pretty tasteless, BUT absorb the taste of the food served with it, they taste best the next day.
So, since I know how they look like and taste, I will now make a kelp salad at home. Seems to be pretty easy. Use like any other cold noodle, and feel free to add whatever you have at hand. Avocado adds creaminess, and carrots crunch, but sweet peas, radishes, zucchini, cashews, peanuts, and sprouts would be magnificent additions.
Mix with a creamy sesame dressing (https://goo.gl/AXxPwC) and you are good to go. Store in the fridge and eat the next day
BTW: I am thinking that coleslaw type dressing would taste good too...
Location: St Thomas, USVI - Seattle, WA - Gulf Coast, TX
811 posts, read 1,146,098 times
Reputation: 2322
Quote:
Originally Posted by elnina
Kelp noodle - I got curious and ordered them for lunch, in a Korean salad. The ones I had were not green but glass-like, little crunchy, with a hint of salt, but not salty. They do taste a bit like a jelly, but are neutral. They look like an angel/glass noodles. Kelp is an edible seaweed that is high in nutrients, and low in calories. (20 cal/cup)
Sea vegetables contain virtually all of the minerals found in the ocean, and the broadest spectrum in any living plant. The actual kelp plant contains more than 70 minerals, including potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium and iodine. It contains more than 21 amino acids, plus enzymes, vitamins and trace elements. It’s a staple food for many sea creatures, like fish, crabs and sea snails!
The kelp noodles are made from kelp, water and sodium alginate. The noodle are processed food, not raw.
I had salad with raw veggies (Julienne carrots, cucumber, onions, nuts) and some sort of mayo based sesame dressing. The salad was DELICIOUS!!! Refreshing and satisfying!
Since the noodle by itself is pretty tasteless, BUT absorb the taste of the food served with it, they taste best the next day.
So, since I know how they look like and taste, I will now make a kelp salad at home. Seems to be pretty easy. Use like any other cold noodle, and feel free to add whatever you have at hand. Avocado adds creaminess, and carrots crunch, but sweet peas, radishes, zucchini, cashews, peanuts, and sprouts would be magnificent additions.
Mix with a creamy sesame dressing (https://goo.gl/AXxPwC) and you are good to go. Store in the fridge and eat the next day
BTW: I am thinking that coleslaw type dressing would taste good too...
Awesome, thanks elnina! Maybe that's the trick: dress them and leave them to absorb the flavors for a day. As long as that squeaky, plastic texture disappears as they absorb the dressing as well, then I may give them another shot. I have a huge bag of them to use, somehow...
Good nutrition info re: sea veggies too. For that purpose, I really do recommend wakame, as opposed to these "noodles." You're getting a legitimate, whole food product, all of its original nutrients intact, as opposed to a processed food.
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