Guangdong Wide Rice Noodles (Ho Fun, He Fen for Chow Fun)

Mala Market exclusive

We source these wide rice noodles from Guangdong specifically so we—and you— can make chow fun anytime and anywhere we want. 

Cantonese chow fun—fresh wide rice noodles stir-fried over high heat with little more than soy sauce, bean sprouts and, usually, beef—is one of the world's great noodle dishes. But it is hard for most of us to replicate at home because it requires just-made noodles. Freshly steamed rice noodles must be eaten the day they're made, as refrigeration turns them into stale bricks that are nearly impossible to use. But just because most of us don't live near a source of freshly made rice noodles does not mean we should have to go without chow fun. 

We asked our Sichuan team to try out various brands of dried wide rice noodles sourced directly from Guangdong to find one that could stand in for fresh noodles. Of course fresh is better, but these dried noodles are miles better and easier to work with than fresh noodles that have been refrigerated and will scratch that chow fun itch anytime you have it. 

These semi-wide, flat noodles, called ho fun (or he fen in Mandarin), are made in Shaoguan, a city in northern Guangdong, bordering Hunan. Shiny and semi-transparent, they are made only of rice flour and water according to local traditions and methods then formed by hand into 16 bundles.

This is a large bag of noodles (almost 2.5 pounds), and it will make at least five plates of chow fun or other stir-fried noodles or many bowls of soup noodles (another good use!).

To prep these noodles for chow fun or other stir-fries, you can soak them in warm water until they are rehydrated and partially softened. But we have found the best method is to soak them in boiling water from a kettle for 3 to 5 minutes, then rinse in cold running water. 

Note that rather than add preservatives to these minimally processed noodles, the artisan makers place a small hole on the front of the bag to prevent mold (see photo). If this worries you, please do not order. 

Source: Shaoguan Meizhiquan Rice Flour Products, Guangdong Province
Size: 38.8 ounces (1.1 kilogram)
Ingredients: rice flour, water
Non-GMO, Vegan, Gluten-Free