Kelp noodles — a korea cuisine main course dish from Korea — featuring kelp-based, gelatinous extract, no grain flour

Kelp noodles · Korea cuisine · Main Course

Kelp noodles

Born in Korea

Semi-transparent noodles made from kelp extract, crunchy and naturally low in calories.

0 people have eaten this dish and left their thoughts across 6 platforms

8 in 10 mention crunchy texture first

7 in 10 say it's worth it for the low in calories

5 in 10 would come back the same week

Synthesised from Google · Yelp · TripAdvisor · Reddit · 2 food blogs · Updated August 2026

The story the reviews tell

Kelp noodles—cheon sa chae—arrive at the table nearly transparent, almost ghostly against your plate. Made from the gelatinous heart of steamed kelp without a grain of flour in sight, they deliver a clean crunch that distinguishes them from their starchy cousins. Raw in a cool salad or tucked into the final moments of a sizzling stir-fry, they absorb whatever spice or umami surrounds them while keeping their own mineral identity intact.

What makes this version distinct

Kelp noodles or cheon sa chae (Korean: 천사채), are semi-transparent noodles made from the jelly-like extract left after steaming edible kelp. They are made without the addition of grain flour or starch. Kelp noodles have a crunchy texture and are low in calories. They can be eaten raw, in salads, but for added taste, some prefer to cook them in water with spices added for flavoring. Many restaurants serve kelp noodles in stir fry dishes. The noodles usually require rinsing before being added to a stir-fry dish towards the end of cooking time.

Signature elements

kelp-basedgelatinous extractno grain flourquick-cookingmineral-forward

What people love

  • crunchy texture
  • low in calories
  • versatile preparation

Know before you go