All in a Name

• In the United States, rice sticks are commonly referred to as rice noodles or rice vermicelli. Rice sticks are very popular across all Asian cuisines. You may see them labeled as "maifun" when ordering at a Chinese restaurant or as "bun" on a Vietnamese menu, but in both cases the concept is the same. These long strands are aptly named since they're made from a basic preparation of white rice flour and water. Brown rice sticks are made with brown rice flour and look the same as their white counterparts, but have a nuttier flavor.

Picking the Right Stick

• Rice sticks are packaged in thin, medium and wide forms. When shopping for them, consider how you plan on using them in your lettuce wraps. Often, the noodles are served atop the wraps or as an accompaniment to other fillings. In this case, opt for a thin version so as not to overwhelm everything else. If you want the noodle to be the main attraction, a wider version would work nicely and add more texture. Be sure not to confuse rice sticks with cellophane noodles, which look similar, but are made with starch instead.

Cooking Rice Sticks

• Before cooking rice sticks, soak them in hot water. Place the sticks in a large bowl without breaking them, add water and gently stir to separate the noodles. This process will soften the rice sticks and fully cook them if you are using a thin variety. Once tender, drain the noodles and serve or continue to cook by boiling, deep-frying or stir-frying. Each preparation should take no more than 1 to 2 minutes as rice sticks will quickly turn to mush.

Building Your Wrap

• Boiled rice sticks pair well with sesame oil and spicy condiments like chili paste. To make a filling for your lettuce wrap, combine the cooked noodles with red pepper, cabbage and snow peas to add crunch. Fried noodles are excellent sprinkled over stir-fried chicken, steak or tofu. Consider adding a dash of rice wine vinegar or soy sauce on top of the mixture for extra flavor. You can use leftover fried rice sticks and lettuce from the wraps to make a salad later on.