A spicy noodle soup from Southeast Asia

Noodle Dishes Trivia: 10 Questions With Answers

Noodles have been eaten in China for around 4,000 years, judging by a bowl found buried at Lajia, and noodle dishes trivia slurps its way across Asia and beyond. Compare Hanoi's pho, Bangkok's pad thai, Japanese ramen and udon, Chinese lamian and Italian-style pasta to see how noodles spread.

Start Noodle Dishes Trivia

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Lajia
Where were 4,000-year-old noodles discovered?
Lamian
What are Chinese lamian noodles?
Pho
Which city is pho most associated with?
Pad thai
What noodles are used in pad thai?
Ramen
Where did ramen originate before becoming Japanese?
Instant
Who invented instant noodles in 1958?
Laksa
What is laksa?
Japchae
What are Korean japchae noodles made from?
Long life
Why are long noodles eaten on birthdays in China?
Soba
What are soba noodles made from?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Where were 4,000-year-old noodles discovered?
Answer: Lajia, China
They were made from millet.
Q2: What are Chinese lamian noodles?
Answer: Hand-pulled noodles
Lanzhou is famous for them.
Q3: Which city is pho most associated with?
Answer: Hanoi
Southern pho is sweeter.
Q4: What noodles are used in pad thai?
Answer: Rice noodles
They are stir-fried with tamarind.
Q5: Where did ramen originate before becoming Japanese?
Answer: China
Chinese immigrants brought it to Japan.
Q6: Who invented instant noodles in 1958?
Answer: Momofuku Ando
Chicken Ramen was the first.
Q7: What is laksa?
Answer: A spicy noodle soup from Southeast Asia
Malaysia and Singapore love it.
Q8: What are Korean japchae noodles made from?
Answer: Sweet potato starch
They are glassy and chewy.
Q9: Why are long noodles eaten on birthdays in China?
Answer: They symbolize long life
Cutting them is unlucky.
Q10: What are soba noodles made from?
Answer: Buckwheat
They are eaten on New Year's Eve in Japan.

Noodle Dishes Trivia – Slurping Across the World

Noodles are one of the world's oldest and most loved foods. A bowl of millet noodles about 4,000 years old was found at Lajia in China, showing their long history. From China, noodles spread across Asia in countless forms.

Noodles can be made from wheat, rice, buckwheat, mung beans or sweet potato starch. China's hand-pulled lamian, Vietnam's pho, Thailand's pad thai, Malaysia's laksa, Korea's japchae and Japan's ramen, udon and soba all have devoted fans.

Instant noodles, invented by Momofuku Ando in 1958, became a global staple. Noodles also carry meaning: long noodles symbolize long life at Chinese birthdays, and Japanese families eat soba on New Year's Eve to let go of the old year.

What This Quiz Teaches

Food lovers and travelers will enjoy these questions.

How old noodles are
Where famous noodle dishes come from
What noodles are made from
Who invented instant noodles
What noodles symbolize

Did You Know?

Dan dan noodles come from Sichuan.
Udon are thick wheat noodles.
Spätzle are German egg noodles.
Chow mein means fried noodles.
Some ramen shops have Michelin stars.