Rice noodles are not with the pasta. Dried rice noodles sit in the world food aisle, with the Chinese and Thai ingredients, and most shoppers look in the wrong place first.
Where to find dried noodles
Look near the soy sauce and the curry pastes in the world food aisle. Larger supermarkets usually carry a few widths. Smaller stores may carry only one, usually the thin vermicelli.
Where to find fresh noodles
Fresh rice noodles, where a store sells them, are in the chiller near the fresh egg noodles. Buy them on the day you plan to cook. They stiffen quickly in the fridge.
Which width to buy
Very thin vermicelli suits salads, Singapore noodles and fresh spring rolls. Thin flat noodles, around 3mm wide, suit pho and noodle soups. Wide flat noodles, around 10mm, suit pad thai and drunken noodles. Very wide sheets, often fresh, suit wok fried dishes such as beef ho fun.
Match the width to the dish. Thin vermicelli turns to mush in a stir fry, and wide noodles are awkward to eat cold in a salad.
Asian grocers and online
A Chinese, Vietnamese or Thai grocer stocks every width, in bigger packs that cost less per portion. They also sell fresh vermicelli and fresh sheets, which supermarkets rarely carry.
Dried rice noodles are light and keep for a long time, so they are one of the easiest Asian ingredients to order online. Fresh noodles do not travel well, so buy those in person.
Cooking tip
Soak or boil dried noodles only until just tender, then rinse them. Overcooking is the most common reason they go sticky.
For cooking steps, see our guide to cooking rice noodles without them going sticky. For a dish that uses wide noodles, try our pad see ew recipe. For fresh rolls, read our rice paper wrappers guide.