Methylene blue (MB) is a water-soluble organic compound with a complex chemical structure and stable properties, which is difficult to remove. In this work, a high specific surface area MB dye adsorbent of 3D hierarchical porous derived carbon was obtained from moldy rice noodles (RN) through high-temperature carbonization and strong alkali etching. The morphology and structural properties, pore structure, specific surface area, and crystallinity of RN carbon (RNC) are analyzed. The adsorption properties of RNC for MB dye molecules are studied, including the influence of different activator (KOH) ratios, the influence of initial concentration of dye, and the influence of adsorption kinetics and thermodynamics on the adsorption of dye. The results show that the optimal ratio of RN to activator is 1:2 (RNC-2), and its specific surface area is the highest, reaching 1693.31 m 2 /g. At 298 K, the maximum theoretical adsorption capacity of RNC-2 is 626.25 mg/g, and at 333 K, the maximum theoretical adsorption capacity is 827.34 mg/g. This work shows that the derived carbon material obtained from moldy RN is a kind of adsorbent material with excellent properties and has a great application prospect in purifying industrial wastewater. This work also means that moldy RN can be recycled rather than discarded. In addition, this material can also be used in fields such as energy storage and catalysis in the future.