Yam Wun Sen — Glass Noodle Salad / ยำวุ้นเส้น

Central Thai — glass noodle salad is a Chinese-Thai culinary fusion that has been fully integrated into Thai cuisine

Glass noodle salad (yam wun sen) combines soaked-then-briefly-cooked mung bean vermicelli with minced pork, prawns, dried shrimp, celery, shallots, dried wood ear mushrooms, and a lime-fish sauce-chilli dressing. The technique for the noodles is critical: soak dry until just pliable, then briefly blanch in boiling water for 30–45 seconds — they must be cooked through but still have bite. Over-cooked glass noodles become gelatinous and cling together in a mass. The dressing is applied while the noodles and protein are still warm, which allows the noodle strands to absorb the dressing rather than repelling it.

Yam wun sen demonstrates the Thai principle that texture is a flavour component — the varied textures of glass noodle, crunchy celery, chewy mushroom, and crispy dried shrimp mean each bite delivers different sensory information despite sharing the same dressing.