Sen Yai (เส้นใหญ่) — Wide Flat Rice Noodle
What it is
The "big strand" — a wide, flat, fresh rice noodle, 1–3 cm across, soft and slippery. Thailand's equivalent of Cantonese he fen / ho fun, and the noodle of pad see ew and drunken noodles.
How it's made
A rice-flour (often with tapioca starch) batter is steamed into broad sheets, oiled, and cut wide. Best fresh and same-day — refrigeration stiffens it, so it's gently re-steamed or stir-fried hot to restore suppleness. Cooks fold the sheets and slice to width to order.
Flavor profile
Mild rice flavor; soft, silky, and tender with a delicate chew, and a tendency to char appealingly when hit with high wok heat. The broad surface carries sauce and "wok hei" smoke beautifully.
Culinary uses
The defining trio: pad see ew (wide noodles dry-fried with dark soy, egg, and Chinese broccoli), pad kee mao ("drunken noodles," with chili, holy basil, and bold seasoning), and rad na (wide noodles under a savory gravy). Also served in soups. The noodle that most directly mirrors Cantonese chow fun.
Regional variations
Central-Thai street-stall styles dominate; the Thai-Chinese (Teochew/Hokkien) lineage is strongest in Bangkok's Chinatown. Sen yai is largely uniform nationwide, the dish supplying the variation.
Cultural & historical context
Sen yai dishes are the clearest fingerprint of southern Chinese migration in Thai cooking — pad see ew is essentially Thai-ified beef chow fun, seasoned with the fish sauce and chili that mark the Thai palate. It sits at the heart of Thailand's everyday Chinese-Thai street food.
Reference notes
- Tags: thai, rice, rice-noodle, wide-noodle, fresh-noodle, gluten-free, wok-hei, stir-fry-noodle
- Base: rice flour (± tapioca), steamed sheet
- Related ingredients: dark soy, Chinese broccoli (gai lan), holy basil, egg, oyster sauce
- Related cuisines: Thai, Chinese (Cantonese)
- Suggested Cuisinopedia links: → He Fen / Sha He Fen (Cantonese cousin), → Sen Lek (medium sibling), → Pad See Ew / Pad Kee Mao (dish entries)
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