- capsaicinCapsaicincapsaicin/kæpˈseɪɪsɪn/
- The active chemical compound in chili peppers that produces heat sensation. Measured in Scoville Heat Units. Acutely irritating but not chemically toxic at the doses found in any mass-market noodle — even the spiciest commercial Korean instant tops out around 25,000 SHU.
- celiac-diseaseCeliac Diseaseceliac disease
- Autoimmune disorder where gluten damages the small intestine. Requires strict gluten avoidance; affects ~1% of US adults.
- cross-contaminationCross-Contaminationcross-contamination
- Accidental introduction of gluten into otherwise gluten-free food during manufacturing, storage, or cooking. Critical concern for celiac eaters — even trace gluten (above the FDA's 20-parts-per-million threshold) can trigger autoimmune damage.
- glucomannanGlucomannanglucomannan
- Soluble fiber extracted from konjac yam — the structural ingredient in shirataki. Promotes satiety and slows glucose absorption.
- gluten-freeGluten-Freegluten-free
- Food containing no gluten — the protein in wheat, barley, rye. Required for celiac disease; some choose voluntarily.
- glycemic-indexGlycemic Indexglycemic index
- Measure of how quickly a food raises blood sugar. Shirataki: ~0. Wheat pasta: ~50. White rice pasta: ~75+. Lower is better for diabetics.
- ketogenic-dietKetogenic Dietketogenic diet
- Very-low-carbohydrate eating (typically under 50g carbs/day) that shifts metabolism to burn ketones. Drives the keto noodle market.
- konjac蒟蒻konjac/ˈkoʊndʒæk/
- Asian yam (Amorphophallus konjac) whose tuber yields glucomannan. Made into shirataki noodles and konnyaku gel cake.
- net-carbsNet Carbsnet carbs
- Total carbs minus fiber minus sugar alcohols. Used for keto/low-carb counting; shirataki has near-zero net carbs.
- palminiPalminipalmini/pɑlˈmiːni/
- Brand of hearts-of-palm noodles. Real food, low-carb, more familiar pasta texture than shirataki.
- pennsylvania-dutchPennsylvania DutchPennsylvania Dutch/pɛnsɪlˈveɪniə dʌtʃ/
- Misnomer for the German-speaking Amish/Mennonite communities of southeastern Pennsylvania. *Dutch* here is a corruption of *Deutsch* (German), not Holland. The community's wide flat egg noodles became the dominant US dry egg-noodle format.
- scovilleScovilleScoville Heat Units/ˈskoʊvɪl/
- Standardized measure of capsaicin concentration in chili-based foods. Tabasco ~2,500-5,000 SHU; jalapeño 2,500-8,000; Buldak Original 4,404; serrano 10,000-23,000; habanero 100,000+; Carolina Reaper 1,640,000+. The metric used to rank spicy instant noodles.
- spatzleSpätzleSpätzle/ˈʃpɛtslə/
- German/Swabian fresh egg noodle made by scraping or pressing a wet dough directly into boiling water. Forms irregular small dumpling-shape noodles. Pennsylvania Dutch communities brought the technique to the American Midwest in the 19th century, where it influenced the development of dry US egg-noodle products.
- spiralizerSpiralizerspiralizer
- Kitchen tool that cuts vegetables into long noodle shapes — for zoodles, sweet potato noodles, and beet noodles.
- zoodlesZoodleszoodles
- Slang for zucchini noodles — spiralized fresh zucchini eaten as a pasta substitute.