Ingredient of the month: October

Cellophane Noodles

Tastier than they sound, these thin noodles are named for their transparent, glassy appearance when boiled. Made of bean starch, they’re healthier than wheat noodles and used throughout East Asian cuisine in stir-fries, hotpots, and dumplings – as well as in the delightfully-named Szechuan dish Ants Climbing a Tree.

Gluten-free and an excellent source of iron, calcium and fibre, cellophane noodles come packed in dried bundles and appear white until soaked in water. They come in a variety of thicknesses, with thin noodles used as filling for dumplings or flatbreads and thicker varieties used in salads, stir-fries – and vegetarian versions of shark’s fin soup. Ants Climbing a Tree, stewed cellophane noodles form the ‘tree’ on which the ‘ants’ (small pieces of pork cooked in a spicy sauce) are placed - with spring onions forming the foliage at the top.