Today I begin what is intended to be a long march in the pursuit of progress, centered around what is inarguably one of man’s greatest and most beloved achievements. I am nowhere near the first to embark upon such a noble quest (in fact, I take great inspiration from such pioneers before me) and I will certainly not be the last to partake of an epic journey the likes of which ordinary enthusiasts balk at (in fact, my enthusiasm borders on obsession, nay, addiction at this point), but the task before me holds all the markings of a true march: swollen with great personal meaning and weighed down by much intrinsic value with which only a few many understand but many will benefit from. My resolve is stout and my stomach for “eating bitter” strong, so with a head full of dreams and a heart full of broth I set out today to explore the wonder of noodles in their entirety.

That’s right, I said noodles. I am of course waxing poetic about those wheaty, squiggly things embraced by the young and old, the Italian and Chinese and American alike. Just as I’ll certainly ne’er tire of bread, so too my feelings on noodles are equally, if not overwhelmingly, warm. And how can they not be? With so many varieties and concoctions just waiting to be slurped up in one way or another, it’s damn near impossible not to dedicate at least some time, effort, and space on this website to the task of enjoying the bounty the noodle kingdom has to offer.

I’m not just talking about the beautiful bowls of momofuku or daikokuya, nor am I limiting myself to sumptuous mac’n'cheese or pasta napolitana, I’m head over heels for instant cup’o'noodles, for street-stall yakisoba, for grandma’s tsukumen, for that quickie lunch-counter bowl of pho, for tiny packets of frozen udon and soup that comes in a can, too. I have never met a noodle I didn’t enjoy, and I’m out prove that truer and truer with every bowl of ramen or plate of spaghetti I conjure up. It is from this undying adoration for noodles thick and thin, rice and wheat, in all manner of flavours, shapes, and sizes, that the idea of the noodle march first came to me.

Essentially the aim of my forthright noodle march is to leave no pot unturned and try every noodle variety I can get my hands on. I’ll be reviewing packaged noodles available in any grocery store, I’ll be sharing new noodle recipes from my own kitchen, I’ll be researching the history of uncommon noodle varieties, I’ll be sharing the noodle fascinations of others, and I’ll be trying out new noodle hot spots in the DC area and around the world, documenting my progress here, all in hopes that I’ll find that one, magical noodle, the bowl of ramen to rule them all or the pot of pasta to incite the second coming, because a life in search of noodle is a life well spent.