Manufacture of Rice based Asian Noodles

Manufacture of Rice based Asian Noodles
For decades there have been products on the market that are made from materials other than wheat or rice, but are included in the Asian (oriental) noodle category.

One of the most fascinating Asian (oriental) noodles made from materials other than wheat or rice are mung bean threads, sometimes called cellophane or transparent noodles by Westerners.

This product has the unique property of being transparent like clear cellophane after it is cooked.

The best mung bean threads can stay in their original shape and remain intact for about 2 days after being cooked and kept in the soup.

This is because of their unique starch gelling properties, which also provide very good al dente properties.

True (pure) mung bean threads are made from mung bean only. However, the products today on the market may contain mung bean and other starch materials like broad beans and other starches.

The bottlenecks of making true mung beans threads include the intensive labor required and liquid waste disposal.

The liquid waste is fairly rich in nutrients as it contains all the vitamins, minerals and proteins in the mung bean.

In the past, this waste was used as animal feed.

Attempts have also been made to recover the protein from this liquid waste.

Because of these problems, it is understandable that material other than mung beans, improvements in technology are being considered.

Korean sweet potato vermicelli (“dang myun”) is a product similar to mung bean threads with transparency after it is cooked.

However, the vermicelli is colorless, but kind of light brownish green.

It also has very good al dente properties. Japanese “harusame” is also a similar starch noodle product as it is made also made from starches from potato, sweet potato, rice or mung bean.
Manufacture of Rice based Asian Noodles