Starch in noodles

Noodles are rich in nutrition, easy to cook, and delicious traditional foods in Asian countries besides their increasing demand in many Western countries.

Starch is the major ingredient of noodles, which can be classified as rapidly digestive starch (RDS), slowly digested starch (SDS) and resistant starch (RS) based on the digestion rate and extent in the human digestive tract. RS is the starch that cannot be absorbed in the small intestine of healthy individuals, but it can be utilized by microorganisms in the colon.

The starch is present in the form of granules that are insoluble in water at room temperature. The granules contain ordered regions, which are semi-crystalline and show birefringence. Most starches consist of a mixture of two polysaccharides, amylose and amylopectin.

Amylose networks swell during boiling in water due to hydration of amorphous regions. Studies showed starch increased the adhesiveness and hardness of the noodles, and increased the springiness of the noodles; decreased the semi-bound water content, and increased the water absorption of the noodles.
Starch in noodles

The best flour for making noodles

Classification of wheat flour is based on grain properties such as softness/hardness, winter, spring growth habit, red/white bran and protein content.

Starch and protein, two major components of wheat flour, largely determine the processing and product quality of many wheat-based foods, not only because of their proportions in wheat four, but also due to their wide variations in functional properties.

Middle-wheat flour is best suited for noodles, hard and semi hard wheat flours are best for bread and soft-wheat flour is used when making a cake.

In Asian noodles, physicochemical and characteristics of starch and protein may play a much bigger role in processing and product quality than in any baked products including bread, cookies, cakes and pastries.

Wheat flour with ~ 10% protein content is considered suitable for white salted noodle-making. A positive relationship has been reported between protein content and textural properties of noodles.

Water absorption for making noodles, dough mixing, and sheeting, frying and cooking, as well as texture of cooked noodles are all largely governed by the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of starch and protein.

Flour from medium-hard wheat genotypes with low ash content, high flour whiteness, medium protein content, medium to strong gluten type and good starch viscosity is considered suitable for making Chinese noodles.
The best flour for making noodles

Texture characteristics of alkaline noodles

Inclusion of alkaline salts in noodle formulas imparts a characteristics aroma and flavor, a yellow color and a firm, elastic texture.

Alkaline agents improve the texture of the cooked product, making it more chewy with less of a tendency to soften and paste after cooking.

The desired textural characteristics are a bright, even light yellow appearance; free of any darkening or discoloration; a firm clean bite; a chewy and elastic texture with some degree of springiness; and a satisfactory al dente reaction on biting.

Alkaline noodles prepared with NaOH are sticker and less firm than alkaline noodles made with blends of sodium and potassium carbonate, possibly NaOH adversely affects gluten development.

In addition, the starch characteristics (amylose/amylopectin ratio) seemed to play an important role in altering the texture of noodles.
Texture characteristics of alkaline noodles