A friendship formed on a faraway hiking trip proved to be the spark for a rice noodle company. It proved to be just our luck, too. In a quest to find a whole grain rice noodle, Thistle’s procurement team discovered Star Anise Foods, a woman-created and woman-owned noodle crafter who specializes in brown rice noodles. Star Anise’s noodles are a regular fixture on our weekly menus, in dishes like our fan favorite Pad Thai, Korean Veggie & Rice Noodles, Sweet Potato Satay Noodle Bowl, and our Sesame Ginger Noodle Salad, made with vermicelli noodles. 

Why We Love Rice Noodles

When you have a delicious globally-inspired gluten-free menu like ours, rice noodles are a must. With a pleasing toothsome bite and a glassy appearance, they are the perfect foundation for many Asian-inspired dishes from stir-fry bowls to brothy soup. Rice noodles come in all shapes and sizes. You can buy them fresh, dried, or frozen. If you’ve ever walked the noodle aisle at an international market, you know the options are limitless.

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Rice is the staple food for more than half of the world’s population, with 90% of it being consumed in Asia. In the hot and humid regions of Asia that are found closer to the equator, rice paddy fields thrive. These are the same regions where rice noodles are in heavy rotation on menus. Places like south China, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines have many prized rice noodle dishes.

The origin story of rice noodles is a lesson in both history and climate. Rice noodles were invented during the Qin dynasty, around 200 BCE, when north China invaded the south. Wheat and millet didn’t grow as well in the hotter climate, so northern cooks tried making noodles with rice flour instead. Next time you dig into some Pad Thai, give thanks to a resourceful Chinese cook from the past.

Between people’s increasingly cosmopolitan dining habits and the need for many to eat a gluten-free diet, rice noodles are king. Those made with white rice flour are most common, with brown rice noodles being a bit trickier to source. People with celiac disease and wheat sensitivities can rest easy knowing either variety is gluten-free and doesn’t contain any unpronounceable ingredients. In fact, most brands contain just two: rice flour and water. 

Rice noodles are so much more than a starch that happens to be naturally gluten-free. Consider all the nourishing plant-based foods that are often included in a rice noodle dish, such as tofu, greens and other nutrient-dense veggies, coconut milk, citrus, spices and nuts. Rice noodles are the delicious base for a tasty and balanced superfood meal, so don’t worry about occasionally eating varieties made with white rice. In fact, some of the vermicelli noodles on our menu — featured in Thistle dishes like Sesame Ginger Noodle Salad — are made with white rice flour, and we’re not mad about it.

Star Anise Foods’ Rice Noodles

Founders Thao Nguyen and Karen Cheng met many years ago while hiking in Hong Kong. Even though they lived on different continents and kept busy adding friends, partners, dogs and children to their lives, Thao and Karen’s shared love of food kept them close, and their dream of starting a food business together never dwindled. 

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You could say it’s in their genes. Thao and Karen are third generation food crafters. Over 80 years ago, Thao’s grandparents perfected their own Pho in their restaurant kitchen in Nam Dinh, Vietnam. Karen’s parents  and grandparents owned a Chinese restaurant for 40+ years in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. “Both of us grew up immersed in the chaos, hard work, and long hours of ‘restaurant life.’ To see our parents and grandparents work tirelessly on their feet, 7 days a week was ‘normal’ and satisfying. Despite early careers in academics and finance, we were destined to be lured back down the path of producing food.”

This destiny quickly became evident. Karen shares, “Food was at the center of all conversations and in the end, starting a food business seemed perfect for us! We love making and sharing food with others. We love Asian noodles, especially Pho noodles. We hadn’t found that ‘special’, tasty healthy noodle that we craved. So why not create one ourselves and share it with the World? Ambitious, yes. But making noodles seemed fun. Looking back, we are glad we had no idea that creating something so simple would result in 10+ years of ongoing ‘noodling’.”

Things got serious in 2010, when they were together in Saigon, Vietnam. There they got to work defining the company’s vision — to make healthy, tasty Vietnameses products easily available to everyone — and developing their first product line. Thao and Karen wanted to source and make food that not only tasted good but also proved to be nourishing and nutritious. Their goal was to develop the “fastest cooking” brown rice noodle, which we love to include in several dishes on Thistle’s menu. Starting Star Anise Foods in Vietnam provided access to authentic flavors and ingredients, and they had food critics and recipe testers at the ready thanks to Thao’s Vietnamese family. 

Those early start-up days required tenacity and laser focus. Karen again: “We lived, breathed and talked Vietnamese Pho noodles and spices from the moment we woke up until the wee hours. Thao and I developed our recipe, and with conviction, we set out to find supplier partners. We got a lot of opposition: ‘No you can’t do it!’ ‘Absolutely not; are you nuts?’ ‘No, it’s not possible.’ I called it the ‘No, no, no’ song. But we persisted; we kept asking questions; we kept finding new ways to fulfill our vision. And finally we got what we wanted – a natural, flavorful Pho noodle soup that we absolutely love and that anyone can make.”

Thao and Karen soon learned that it’d take a village to perfect their products. Many of their friends took part in unofficial focus groups. Karen even got honest and invaluable feedback from children. She’d bring sauces and noodles to her kids’ weekly ukulele and guitar lessons for elementary-aged folks to taste test. “Sometimes we’d nail it and, well, sometimes we needed to go back to our R&D kitchen. Kids don’t lie.”

Even customer interactions during thousands of in-store demos across the US helped improve their products. The relationship was symbiotic: Thao and Karen cooked their favorite dishes, got great feedback on how to simplify packaging and cooking instructions. Customers learned how to correctly pronounce “Pho” (say it with us: fuh). 

The Story Behind the Name

Star Anise, which resembles a flower with petals, is the main spice found in Pho, Vietnam’s most popular dish. It’s a brothy soup packed with fresh herbs, spices and rice noodles. When brainstorming names for their company, Thao & Karen considered the distinct smell of fragrant pho broth, thanks to star anise, and how it instantly conjures fond memories of comfort and family. The feelings evoked by the comforting aroma is exactly at the heart of how the founders want others to feel about Star Anise Foods.

The Future of Star Anise Foods

In the next 5 to 10 years, the company has 3 main goals: 

1. Deepen relationships with loyal, regular customers. “We want to get to know them personally and make sure that we are serving their needs.” 
2. Expand their reach to introduce authentic Vietnamese flavors to more consumers. 
3. Give back more through the HAPPY STAR Scholarship. Through Rong Xanh Children's Foundation, Star Anise Foods provides university scholarships to young women from poor rural areas in Vietnam, enabling them to attend university. The HAPPY STAR Scholarship pays for course fees and textbooks, and provides living allowances. “We believe in the power of education as a path out of poverty and toward brighter futures for families and communities. The HAPPY STAR Scholarship is a way for us to give back to the community of Vietnamese farmers who grow our foods; also it is in line with our commitment to women’s empowerment.”

Why We Love Star Anise Foods

Initially, Thistle’s interest in Star Anise Foods was simple and straightforward: we needed rice noodles in large quantities with minimal packaging. Not only could Star Anise meet this need, but when we learned that they are woman-owned and share many of Thistle’s values, we quickly realized: what’s not to love?

Star Anise Foods Empowers Women

As a woman and minority-owned company, Star Anise Foods is committed to creating economic opportunities for women in their supply chain. They source ingredients from women farmers and work with women-owned or women-managed suppliers whenever possible.

Star Anise Foods Makes Positive Impacts on Human Health

Founders Thao & Karen want to source only those foods that they feel good about feeding to their family and friends. They seek partnerships with farmers, suppliers, and retailers who share this commitment. 

You won’t find any synthetic flavor enhancers in Star Anise Foods’ products. Good food does not need chemicals to taste better. All of their products are gluten-free, low sodium, non-GMO, and plant-based, with simple ingredients you can pronounce.

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One thing that really sets Star Anise Foods apart from other rice noodle companies is that most of their products are made with brown rice. Noodles made with white rice flour are easy to find. Brown rice noodles are not. The latter provide more fiber and more protein than white rice noodles. Brown rice noodles also provide a bit of iron, which your body will more readily absorb when you pair the noodles with foods that are rich in Vitamin C. So be generous with that squeeze of lime and be sure to include some thinly sliced red bell peppers.

When it comes time to cook them, don’t let the whole grain nature of brown rice noodles fool you. Like noodles made with white rice flour, they cook incredibly fast! This often catches people off-guard. Optimally, Star Anise Foods’ noodles should cook for literally just 30 seconds. In Thao’s words, “We call it the ‘Noodle Meditation,’ because once you add the noodles to the hot boiling water, during that 30 seconds you cannot do anything else except watch closely and turn the heat off in time. You will be surprised with how tempting it is to have a quick look at Instagram or Facebook when you have 30 seconds. But you have to just wait and do nothing else or you’ll overcook the noodles because 30 seconds goes by quite fast.”

Accessibility also matters to Star Anise Foods. Ranging from options like plain rice noodles to noodle meal kits, home cooks of all levels and all time constraints can regularly prepare healthy Vietnamese food easily at home.

Star Anise Foods Makes Positive Impacts on the Environment 

The company’s rice comes from smallholding farmers in Vietnam, where the average farm size is .79 acres. These farms’ environmental footprint is small because the product is plant-based and most labor is done manually, not by machines. 

And yet, climate change remains a threat. These rice farmers are vulnerable to floods and drought. Rising temperatures and rising sea levels are likely to affect them more severely than other larger farms. This translates into less yield, more difficulty in food production, and increased food prices. Remember, the best way to do your part to combat climate change and protect the livelihoods of these farmers is to eat a plant-based diet.

Star Anise Foods’ Noodles Make for Easy & Delicious Plant-Based Recipes

Here’s a favorite recipe of Thao and Karen’s:

Vegan Hanoian Pho Tai Lan (HAPPY PHO Shiitake Mushroom)

This is a specialty of Hanoi. In the traditional version, beef is quickly stir-fried with garlic to add flavor. This vegan version uses mushrooms, which provide just as much umami flavors! Super tasty! 

“Tai lan” is Vietnamese for “roll-over,” and basically refers to the technique where the mushroom is sautéed (“rolled”) in garlic before adding to the soup, to max out the flavors.

SERVES 2

Ingredients:

1 box of Star Anise Foods HAPPY PHO (Garlic Goodness, Zesty Ginger, or Shiitake Mushroom)
5 cups water
1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil½ tbsp minced garlic
1/2 pound sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped green onion
Ground black pepper

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Instructions

Sauté the spice packet from HAPPY PHO box in extra virgin olive oil on medium heat for 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and garlic. Stir well until mushrooms turn golden.
Add water & bring to boil.
Once broth boils, turn heat down to medium. Add noodles & green onion. Stir. Heat 30 seconds until noodles are al dente. Do not overcook. Noodles cook extremely fast.
Transfer noodles & broth into bowls. Add chili sauce if you like. Pepper and salt to taste. Enjoy!

Brown rice noodles (and the occasional white rice noodle!) are an essential part of a healthy and adventurous plant-based diet. We’re so happy to source them from a great company like Star Anise Foods. Whether you enjoy their noodles when they appear on Thistle’s weekly menus or buy them at the supermarket, this is one amazing company with great products that’s worthy of your business.