Egg noodles are wheat noodles enriched with egg — a broad, distinct noodle class spanning Chinese mian and lo mein, the ribbon noodles of the tagliatelle family, German and Central European Eierteigwaren, and the base dough of spaetzle-style dumplings. The egg turns a plain flour-and-water dough golden, rich and tender: dried, the noodles are pale gold, firm and brittle in their nests; cooked, they swell into soft, glossy, springy yellow strands with a gentle chew. Plain they are mild and lightly savoury, faintly eggy and wheaty; like other noodles their real job is texture and a rich, absorbent canvas that grips broth, sauce and stir-fry seasoning, which is why the width of the noodle and its exact done-ness matter as much as anything in the bowl.