The word
noodle derives from
noddle, a word that emerged in the
fifteenth century, three hundred years before the appearance of the
culinary noodle.
This noddle, incidentally, is probably related to nod, meaning to tilt the head forward. The culinary noodle, on the other hand, which appeared in the late eighteenth century, derives from the German nudel, a word that has nothing to do with running around naked.
The other words to which noodle and nudel are probably related include the German knodel, a small dumpling whose name was borrowed in the early nineteenth century, and the Yiddish knaidel, another kind of small dumpling whose name was borrowed in the 1950s. The ultimate souce of this cluster of words may be the German knode, meaning knot.
From: Cupboard Love: A Dictionary of Culinary Curiosities.
Fried Cantonese Noodles:
Cut ginger into thin strips, mince garlic. Prepare scallions for a garnish by cutting both the green and white sections into inch-long pieces, then cut each piece in half, lay the flat edge on the cutting board and cut the scallions into feathery strips.
Heat a skillet with canola oil and a few drops of sesame oil or chili sesame oil. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté for about a minute. Next place fresh Cantonese chow mein noodles in boiling water for about one minute, drain and transfer to the skillet. Toss the noodles well in the fragrant oil and then allow them to set and caramelize before turning them in the skillet.
This requires that you keep your hands to yourself and not fiddle with the noodles. Don’t wander off though. Just stand there. All right. Now you can turn them a bit. Add some peanuts if you would like. Now just stand there. Toss the noodles,ensuring that there is a good crisp to them before transferring them to aserving bowl. Garnish with scallions, a good dusting of salt and fresh white pepper.