Asian Noodle Dishes: Ramen, Udon, Pho, Pad Thai and Laksa

Noodles are eaten across Asia, and every country has its own: Japanese ramen, thick udon and buckwheat soba, and yakisoba, fried noodles; Chinese chow mein; Vietnamese pho; Thai pad thai; Malaysian and Singaporean laksa, in a spicy coconut broth; and thin rice vermicelli used all over Southeast Asia.

Chow and pad are the first halves of chow mein and pad thai, and soba also hides inside yakisoba.

Asian Noodles & Dishes Vocabulary: 10 Words to Find

Words run across, up and down, and diagonally; 5 of the 10 read backwards. The longest word is Vermicelli, with 10 letters.

Chow: As in chow mein, Chinese stir-fried noodles.
Laksa: A spicy noodle soup with coconut milk, from Malaysia and Singapore.
Pad: As in pad thai, Thai stir-fried rice noodles with tamarind, peanuts and lime.
Pho: A Vietnamese noodle soup with rice noodles, herbs and beef or chicken broth.
Ramen: A Japanese noodle soup in a rich broth with toppings like pork, egg and green onion.
Rice: Rice noodles, made from rice flour and water, used in pho and pad thai.
Soba: Japanese noodles made from buckwheat flour, served hot or cold.
Udon: Thick, chewy Japanese wheat noodles served in broth.
Vermicelli: Very thin noodles; in Asia, usually made from rice flour.
Yakisoba: Japanese stir-fried noodles with vegetables, meat and a sweet, tangy sauce.

How to Solve the Asian Noodles & Dishes Word Search

"Vermicelli" is the longest word, with the only V and a double L, and runs upward. "Soba" appears on its own, reading across, and inside "yakisoba", which runs up. "Pad" is the only diagonal word.

Asian Food Lesson Ideas

Match each noodle dish to its country.
Compare noodles made from wheat, rice and buckwheat.
Cook a simple noodle soup together.