Ramen are traditional Japanese noodles used in dishes such as tonkotsu ramen, curry ramen, shio ramen, and miso ramen, among others. The noodles are based on wheat flour, water, salt, and alkaline water known as kansui, which gives ramen its distinctive slippery and glossy quality.

Prior to rolling, the dough for ramen noodles should slightly rise. The texture of ramen noodles is firm, and they're pale yellow in color. Once prepared, they are traditionally served in a broth, whether clear or milky, thick or light. These noodles were imported from China during the Meiji period, and it is believed that in 1910 a Chinese restaurant in Yokohama first started serving the noodles in a dish called lamian. 

Hand-pulled lamian noodles are one of the cornerstones of traditional Chinese cuisine, and they probably originated in Northern China where wheat has known to be a staple crop for thousands of years. However, the earliest written record describing the unique method of making these noodles was found in a 1504 book Songshi Yangsheng Bu, written by Song Xu.

Interestingly, lamian noodles can be stretched into strings that are more than a meter long, and they are traditionally served for the Lunar New Year celebrations as their length symbolizes prosperity and long life. Lamian noodles are widely used in numerous stir-fry dishes and soups, especially those made with beef or mutton. 

Bánh phở are flat and wide Vietnamese rice noodles. They are characterized by their white color and slightly sweet flavor reminiscent of rice. When cooked, the noodles become almost translucent with a soft but firm and slippery texture.

These rice noodles are best known for their use in phở, but they can also be stir-fried and used in other noodle-based dishes. Although they are best used fresh (tươi), bánh phở also come in the form of dried, pre-packed noodles. Outside of Vietnam, they are also known as chantaboon or rice sticks.

Sanuki udon are one of the most popular types of thick and chewy udon noodles. They are made with wheat flour during the time-consuming process in which the noodles are kneaded by hand, left to rise, and are then pressed with hand and feet in order to create the firm dough which is rolled and sliced into udon strips.

Quickly boiled, they should always be cooked al dente, to retain their legendary dense structure. Udon noodles can be served in a myriad of ways and complemented with many ingredients. They are commonly doused in hot broths or served alongside flavorful cold dipping sauces during warmer seasons. 

Often compared to vermicelli, bánh hỏi are the incredibly thin Vietnamese rice noodles that are traditionally woven into flat, rectangular bundles. It is believed that the noodles originate from Southern Vietnam, but they are enjoyed throughout the country and are often considered a festive or ceremonial dish.

They are typically served cold or at room temperature, topped with sautéed scallions or garlic chives, while other accompaniments mainly include roast pork, grilled meat, or chạo tôm—shrimps on sugarcanes. The noodles, along with the toppings and the sides are usually wrapped into lettuce or herbs, and the assembled wrap is traditionally dipped into nước chấm sauce.

These thick and chewy Japanese noodles are made with wheat flour, and along with soba, they are one of the most popular and most common Japanese noodle varieties. The traditional and most common form of udon is characterized by its round shape, firm texture, and substantial size.

However, there are also many regional varieties that differ in size and thickness. A staple of Japanese cuisine, they are used in numerous traditional dishes and local specialties. In their simplest form, udon noodles are served in kake udon, a refreshing noodle soup with a flavorful broth made with soy sauce, dashi, and mirin. 

Dao xiao mian are traditional Chinese noodles originating from the province of Shanxi. In order to prepare the noodles, a large block of hearty wheat dough is held downwards and shaved with a sharp knife directly into a pot of boiling water. As a result, the noodles are thick near the center, but soft around the edges.

These noodles are usually coated with rich meat sauces or enjoyed in stir-fries and broths in order to accentuate their starchy and elastic texture. It is believed that the first knife-cut noodles were made at the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368). 

Longkou cellophane noodles are translucent, odourless and colourless noodles made from green beans and peas in the cities of Longkou, Zhaoyuan, Penglai, Laiyang and Laizhou in Northern Shandong Province in East China. The production of Longkou cellophane noodles involves a process of extracting starch from mung beans, shaping the starch into noodles, and then drying them.

The noodles do not stick to each other when cooked and are characterised by their high starch content and high flexibility. Every noodle piece made from the bean threads is of the same thickness. Commonly used in stir-fries, they are slippery and almost weightless on the tongue, with just about two minutes needed to absorb the hearty flavours of soups and sauces. 

Although soba is the Japanese term for buckwheat, the word typically refers to thin buckwheat noodles. The noodles are usually prepared for numerous hot and cold dishes, and can be consumed at both fast food stands on railway stations and in expensive restaurants.

Soba is commonly eaten with chopsticks, and it is recommended to slurp the noodles while making loud noises, as it's a part of common culture in Japan. Eating soba dates back to the Edo period, when every part of town had a few soba establishments, which were used as today's bars.