Kab yaub (also transliterated as kab yob) are Hmong egg rolls, which consist of bean thread and pork in addition to other ingredients.

That was because each was stuffed with a mélange of minced shrimp, chicken, water chestnuts, celery, carrots and bean thread.

Slivers of pork, mushrooms, baby shrimp, bean thread, minced chicken and Chinese cabbage are then tossed into the broth.

The clear, bean thread, or cellophane noodle, is made from ground mung beans and is eaten throughout Asia.

And glass noodles (mung bean thread) with crab meat is subtle despite its flavoring of black pepper, garlic, nam pla (Southeast Asian fish sauce) and cilantro.

The spring roll flanked a food sculpture of all its pure-tasting contents: carrots and bean threads, lettuce, shrimp and omelet.

Those hot towels come in handy when a dish called crabs with bean threads comes around.

Since the seventh century, Tibetans have traveled to China, where they learned to make bean thread from soy beans and cook with soy sauce, chilis and scallions.

Ms. Kaufman, in second place, won $50, in addition to the bean thread, kamut pretzels and vegan hair gel.

Some diners might like a snowball of thick custard covered in fried, white bean threads, or rice custard pressed with black sesame seeds and topped with a swirl of chocolate.