•  “米苔目” is a local noodle originating from the Minnan region in Fujian province, China.

• The name comes from how the noodles are formed by extrusion through the holes of a sieve. In Hokkien, the holes of a rice sieve are referred to as “米筛目”; this term came to refer to the noodle later. As “筛” in Hokkien is pronounced the same way as “苔” in Mandarin, bee tai mak came to be written as “米苔目” in Singapore and Malaysia.

• The traditional way of making bee tai mak is to first grind rice and water into a paste, then push this paste through a sieve with large holes, extruding short strands that fall straight into a pot of boiling water. The strands cook in the hot water, forming round noodles with pointed ends.

• In Singapore and Malaysia, bee tai mak is usually eaten as a savoury dish, for example in soup or stir-fried. However, in the Minnan region, it is mostly eaten in sweet, chilled preparations in summer.

Noodles are a staple in vegetarian recipes. Tossing bee tai mak with various vegetables makes for a very healthy dish – no frying involved. (Lianhe Zaobao, 22/12/2012)

米筛目 (Taiwan)

In Singapore, bee tai mak is also known as “老鼠粉” (literally, “rat noodles”). As the shape of bee tai mak resembles rat droppings, it was actually originally known as “老鼠屎粉”, but over time, the off-putting word “屎” (faeces) was dropped.