Kalimpong is a small town nestled in between Darjeeling and Gangtok which is famous for many things and for me one of the things I will always remember it for is a small home based factory making local glass noodles Phing I had visited. I had been to a friend’s uncle’s home recently, only to discover that his backyard and been converted into a small factory where noodles were being washed and left to dry on bamboo poles.

It looked like angel hair drying with the gentle breeze swaying it from time to time. It really intrigued me to know the origins of this ingredient.

Phing is made from a mix of mung beans and starch that is mixed and steamed before it is pressed through a mechanical sieve to produce thread like noodles (the thickness of which can vary).

                                                           These are quickly washed again to remove any excess dough.

                                                                         They are then left on bamboo poles to sun dry.

Once dried they are packed in small bundles covered with a piece of wax paper and tied with a white cotton thread. These are now ready to be sent to local shops where they get picked up by locals like hot cakes.

There are many great things you can make out of them, but one of the famous ones is a salad made with phing and black fungus to which a local vinaigrette is added. You can also add it to soups. Another variation made out of the same mix of starch and mung bean is a flat, lasagna type noodle called laphing which is another local treasure.