noun
rice vermicelli; rice noodles
Thin rice noodles used in various Asian dishes. The word is a loan from Chinese (米粉, mǐfěn).
from Chinese
今夜はビーフンを使ったスープを作ろう。
Let's make soup with rice vermicelli tonight.
この店の焼きビーフンはとても美味しい。
The fried rice noodles at this restaurant are very delicious.
春雨 is made from mung bean or potato starch, while ビーフン is made from rice flour. 春雨 is typically translucent and used in salads or hot pots, whereas ビーフン is opaque and often stir-fried or used in soups.
ライスヌードル is a broader term for rice noodles in general, including flat wide noodles like 河粉 (ホーフン). ビーフン specifically refers to thin rice vermicelli.
Borrowed from Chinese 米粉 (mǐfěn), literally 'rice flour', referring to the noodles made from rice flour. The reading ビーフン reflects the Chinese pronunciation.