Vermicelli, meaning “little worms” in Italian, is simply a type of round noodle best known for its thinness. In the U.S. vermicelli falls somewhere between spaghetti and angel hair pasta, with variations throughout the Mediterranean, Africa, Central America, Asia, and beyond.

In the Mediterranean, wheat vermicelli brings the perfect crunch toLebanese Rice, while shorter vermicelli, also calledfideo, acts as the base forCatalan Fideuà. It even makes its way to the sweet table, with rice vermicelli soaking up a sweet syrup for the refreshingPersian frozen treat Faloodeh. Always the bridesmaid never the bride!

• Wheat flour, water, and sometimes salt are mixed and kneaded.
• The dough is extruded or pushed through a machine (or a manual press) to create thin strands.
• The strands are dried, either by the sun or in large heated drying rooms or tunnels.
• The dried strands are cut and packaged.