Gluten-free noodles are available in three categories: store-bought wheat substitutes, homemade wheat substitutes, and Asian noodles made with gluten-free ingredients. While store-bought noodles may lack taste, homemade noodles can be time-consuming to make. Asian noodles have distinct tastes and textures.
Those with celiac disease and individuals with dietary sensitivities may find it necessary to adopt a gluten-free diet or a diet free of wheat products. While these people may find that their health has improved after embracing a gluten-free lifestyle, some may miss out on common foods that are typically made with wheat, such as noodles. With the many varieties of gluten-free noodles available, however, those who avoid wheat needn’t miss out on their favorite dishes. The most common types of gluten-free noodles can be divided into three categories: store-bought wheat noodle substitutes, homemade wheat noodle substitutes, and Asian noodles.
As public awareness of celiac disease and the adoption of wheat-free diets became more common in the late 20th century, food manufacturers took notice and many began producing gluten-free noodles which are essentially substitutes for wheat noodles. . In other words, these products are made into common pasta shapes such as spaghetti, conchiglie, and penne, and can be topped with sauces or used in recipes just like wheat spaghetti. These wheat-free noodles differ from traditional noodles in one significant way, however: They’re made with flours that don’t contain gluten, such as buckwheat flour, rice flour, or quinoa flour.
While these store-bought gluten-free noodles may look nearly identical to traditional noodles, many complain that they lack taste and have an unpleasant texture. Some gluten-free cooks suggest that the best wheat pasta substitutes are ones that are homemade. Making gluten-free noodles at home allows the cook to experiment with blending different types of flours until he or she has devised a blend that produces noodles that resemble “the real thing” in appearance, taste, and texture. On the flip side, home noodle making can be time consuming and messy, and generally requires specialized and potentially expensive equipment, like a pasta machine.
Products that fall into the third category of gluten-free noodles, Asian noodles, aren’t made specifically to cater to those on gluten-free diets, and therefore aren’t intended to mimic wheat noodles. Rather, most of these noodles, a common part of many Asian dishes, are made with gluten-free ingredients, such as rice flour and sweet potato starch. This category of gluten-free noodles has distinct tastes and textures, which are not meant to mimic those of wheat noodles. These noodles can be easily incorporated into many soups and stir-fries, although their flavors may not work well in Italian-style cooking.
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