Chinese rice vermicelli tastes of chemicals
We bought a large package of dry rice vermicelli recently at our local Thai market. We've cooked it a couple of times, and both times once it starts to boil it gives off a chemical odor, sort of like lye or chlorine (not really either, but that kind of thing). It doesn't rinse off, though rinsing helps a bit. Once rinsed, the chemical smell is not strong enough that it's a problem if you have any kind of sauce on the noodles, but eaten plain they definitely have a chemical funk.
I haven't cooked with this style of rice noodle a lot (we usually do cellophane noodles, which seem different), so maybe this is normal. Can anybody tell me if this is something we should expect with this kind of noodle?
The package was new, clean, and in perfect condition, so if there was some kind of contamination it happened in the factory.
Best Answer
I've made rice vermicelli many times, and I've never smelled anything like what you describe. I suggest throwing out the ones you have, and buying a different brand (or maybe shopping at a different store).
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What is Chinese vermicelli made of?
Cellophane noodles are made from a variety of starches. In China, cellophane noodles are usually made of mung bean starch or sweet potato starch. Chinese varieties made from mung bean starch are called Chinese vermicelli, bean threads, or bean thread noodles.What does Rice Vermicelli taste like?
Basically, vermicelli by (almost) any other name will taste as sweet. So get cooking and enjoy the many ways the world makes noodles.What is rice vermicelli made of?
Rice vermicelli is a very fine noodle made of ground rice and used primarily in Asian cooking. It's sold in Asian markets and the Asian foods section of some supermarkets, usually wrapped in plastic.Is vermicelli rice unhealthy?
Rice noodles are perfectly healthy and make a great addition to your diet. Still, they're lower in fiber than other noodles, such as whole wheat noodles or spaghetti squash noodles.How to fry the best Singapore noodles (rice vermicelli)
More answers regarding chinese rice vermicelli tastes of chemicals
Answer 2
I would not eat those noodles. It sounds to me as if something like a cleaning compound was spilled on them in transit. If contact was prolonged, chemicals could pass through the packaging without it being unsealed, and a wipe with a cloth would make the package "look right".
Answer 3
I had the same experience, with the smell as described. I found this article about oxalic acid and tinopal being found in rice noodles, but it doesn't say whether it results in a smell. I don't have an ultraviolet lamp at home to check if that was the issue (as mentioned in the article).
Answer 4
We just bought vermicelli noodles and after boiling them there was an intense chemical odour. At first thought it might just be the mung beans because we'd never had those before haha. Then after seeing people comments about potential chemicals seaping into them or being used to bleach them, as described in this article http://vnnewscenter.blogspot.com/2013/06/how-to-tell-noodles-contain-toxic.html , we thought it better not to risk it, and threw them all in the bin.
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