Manufacture of Fresh Asian Wheat and Rice Based Noodles

Manufacture of Fresh Asian Wheat and Rice Based Noodles
Considerable amounts of fresh Asian (oriental) noodles are produced for retail market, restaurant trade, and a household.

Wong Ton Mien is one of the alkaline wheat based noodles produced for a fresh retail markets common in Taiwan.

Similar products are also produced elsewhere.

The production steps are similar to production of dry white-slated noodles, with basic mixing, sheeting, rolling, and cutting steps.

It should be noted that a differently shaped product called “pian er mien” (sheeted mien) is produced by similar procedures with or without alkaline salts; instead of cutting the dough sheets into thin stripes, the sheets are cut into about 1 inch squares.

Also, the fresh Won Ton Mien can be dried into dry Won Ton Mien, like other wheat-based “mien.”

Fresh oily wheat based “mien” are unique, in that oil is added to the cooked “mien” or “fen” to provided a special mouth feel and al dente.

They are common in southern China and southeastern Asian countries.

The oily, alkaline wheat based “mien” are sometimes called Hokkien-type noodles. The procedures of preparing the raw “mien” are essentially the same as other alkaline wheat based “mien.”

They are then boiled once or twice, or steamed until they are completely cooked before coating with oil and food coloring.

Another oily product is the Cantonese oily rice based “ho-fen” (rice stripes).

It is produced first by preparing a rice slurry from rice flour, followed by steamed a thin layer of the slurry on an oil coated stainless tray or bamboo sheet.

The gelatinized “fen” is then folded into layered slabs followed by cutting of the slabs into stripes.

These noodles are much thicker and broader than the Chinese “hand-cut mien” or Japanese “udon.”

Oily rice based “ho-fen” is very soft and smooth in texture.

The granular size of rice flour used has a definite effect on the quality of the final product, as the difference in granular size can be detected easily.

The original “ho fen” as made with wet-milled rice flour with a very fine texture. However, it is much more costly to make, and has the liquid waste disposal problem similar to dry rice noodles.
Manufacture of Fresh Asian Wheat and Rice Based Noodles