The origin of rice noodles dates back to China during the Qin Dynasty, when people from northern China invaded the south. Due to the climatic conditions, the northern Chinese traditionally preferred wheat and millet, which grew in cold weather, while the southern Chinese preferred rice, which grew in hot weather. Noodles are traditionally made from wheat and eaten throughout northern China, so to adapt, northern chefs tried to make "noodles" from rice, thus inventing rice noodles. Over time, rice noodles and their processing methods have been introduced all over the world and have become especially popular in Southeast Asia.