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Pasta, noodles & bread · Noodles

Fresh wide rice noodles (ho fun)

Soft, fresh sheets or wide ribbons of steamed rice batter; the noodles in beef chow fun and pad see ew.

Also called: ho fun, hor fun, he fen, shahe fen, chow fun noodles, fresh rice noodle sheets, kway teow

Around the world: 河粉, 沙河粉 (zh)

A kind of rice noodles

1 recipe with it

What it is

Ho fun (shahe fen) are made by steaming a thin layer of rice batter into a sheet, oiling it and cutting it into wide ribbons. They are sold fresh, often folded or rolled, and are soft, silky and slightly chewy. Refrigerated packs turn stiff and must be warmed to separate without tearing. They behave quite differently from dried flat rice noodles.

How it’s used

  • Beef chow fun
  • Pad see ew and rad na
  • Char kway teow
  • Rolled cheung fun (as whole sheets)

Characteristics

Texture
Silky, soft and slippery.
When cooked
Microwave or pour hot water over briefly to loosen strands, then stir-fry over very high heat without too much stirring.
Sold as
fresh
Cooking uses
Commonly cooked, Suitable for frying

Storage

At room temperature. Best used the day bought, kept cool. Refrigeration makes them brittle; if chilled, warm before using.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Naturally gluten-free but a perishable cooked product; keep cool and use promptly.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
108 kcal
Protein
1.79 g
Carbohydrate
24.01 g
Fat
0.2 g
Fibre
1 g
Sugars
0.03 g

USDA FoodData Central: Rice noodles, cooked (a close stand-in).

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Rice noodles — Wide dried rice sticks, soaked; firmer and less silky.

Related ingredients

Recipes with fresh wide rice noodles (ho fun)

More noodles