What the heck are bean threads anyway?

December is rapidly coming to a close and i have yet to do something new. I had a few different ideas, but am running out of time, so i decided to at least cook something new to fulfill the resolution.
I inherited this random package of bean threads. It has been in my cupboard for a while and every time i look at it i think What the heck are bean threads anyway?
Obviously they are a noodle of some sort, made from mung beans and are supposed to be used in Asian cooking , somehow.
Okay, i'm up to the challenge.
The directions on the package say Soak in water for 10-15 minutes. Drain. Cook with meat, in soup or as a side dish.
What?
That tells me nothing at all.
Hot water?
Cold water?
Does it matter?
Are they fully cooked?
There is no indication how much is a serving, either.
So i just dumped the whole package into a bowl of warmish water.
It looks like there are three portions.
I cut up, coated and cooked some wasabi-crusted chicken, then checked the bean threads. They were pliable and floating in the water so i tried one to see if it was cooked.
Hmmmm... it was sort of the texture of a cellophane noodle, but had no taste whatsoever, so i drained them and added Hoisin sauce.
I chopped and stir-fried the veggies, added the noodles with sauce, cooked the whole thing down a bit and tossed the chicken back in right at the end.  
Look at those yummy, green snowpeas.
It was delicious and easily enough for three meals.
The only down side is that the noodles clumped at the end. I think my pan was too small for the amount and will use a bigger skillet if i ever attempt this type of dish again.