Thin, dried noodles made from rice flour, used as the base for several pancit dishes, most notably Pancit Bihon.
Bihon noodles are naturally gluten-free at the noodle level, made purely from rice flour and water, and are sold dried in bundles. Before cooking, they're soaked in warm water until pliable, then stir-fried or simmered briefly — they cook fast and can turn mushy if left in liquid too long.
Bihon is thinner and lighter than the wheat-based noodles used in pancit canton, so dishes made with it tend to be drier and more delicate, absorbing broth rather than carrying a heavier sauce. It's also one half of the two-noodle combination used in pancit bisaya (bam-i), paired with sotanghon.
Recipes on Pancit.com that call for bihon.
Savory rice noodles with chicken, shrimp, and vegetables — the everyday pancit every household knows.
The Cebuano two-noodle pancit — canton and sotanghon noodles tossed with pork, chicken, and shrimp.
Wheat egg noodles stir-fried with chicken and vegetables in a savory, glossy soy-oyster sauce.
Batangas-style thick fresh egg noodle soup in a cornstarch-thickened pork broth with liver and kikiam.
Rice noodles topped with a rich shrimp-and-annatto sauce, boiled egg, and crushed chicharrón.
