Yellow Alkaline Noodles: An Introduction

Abstract

Yellow alkaline noodles are of considerable importance owing to their brightness and yellow color tone. Generally, yellow alkaline noodles are commonly consumed in South East Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, etc.) and Japan. They are made from wheat flour, water, salt and alkaline salt, and are usually parboiled. The presence of alkaline salt contributes to the yellow color, firm texture, alkaline flavor, and high pH to the noodles. There are again many forms of alkaline noodles and the most popular forms are fresh, dried, wet/boiled, and noodles with egg added as ingredient. There are many forms of alkaline noodles. They vary mainly in the method of manufacturing especially at the final stages/steps. Wet yellow alkaline (Hokkien) noodles are popular in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and can be found in Asian market. Hokkien noodles generally have a moisture content of 50–60 %. The presence of higher moisture contents is significant feature of these types of noodles that also limit their shelf life to 1–1.5 days. However, the proper processing and packaging can enhance the shelf life of the noodles up to 3–4 days.