Alkaline noodles or alkali noodles are a variation of

noodles Noodles are a type of food made from unleavened dough which is either rolled flat and cut, stretched, or extruded, into long strips or strings. Noodles are a staple food in many cultures and made into a variety of shapes. The most common noo ...

with a much higher quantity of

alkali In chemistry, an alkali (; from the Arabic word , ) is a basic salt of an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal. An alkali can also be defined as a base that dissolves in water. A solution of a soluble base has a pH greater than 7.0. The a ...

than usual. The addition of alkali changes both the flavor and texture of the noodles, and makes them feel slippery in the mouth and on the fingers; they also develop a yellow color and are more elastic than ordinary noodles. They are traditional to

Chinese cuisine Chinese cuisine comprises cuisines originating from Greater China, China, as well as from Overseas Chinese, Chinese people from other parts of the world. Because of the Chinese diaspora and the historical power of the country, Chinese cuisine ...

. Various flours such as ordinary all-purpose white flour, bread flour, and semolina flour can be used, with somewhat varying results. The yellow color is due to flavones that occur naturally in flour, which are normally colorless but turn yellow at alkaline pH.

Sources of alkali

High alkalinity is typically achieved by the introduction of

sodium carbonate Sodium carbonate (also known as washing soda, soda ash, sal soda, and soda crystals) is the inorganic compound with the formula and its various hydrates. All forms are white, odourless, water-soluble salts that yield alkaline solutions in water ...

(Na₂CO₃ or sodium salt of carbonic acid) into the primary ingredients. In parts of China in which alkaline wheat noodles are common, they are traditionally made with alkaline water from wells. More commonly a mixture of 20%

, which is also an anti-caking agent, and 80%

potassium carbonate Potassium carbonate is the inorganic compound with the formula . It is a white salt, which is soluble in water and forms a strongly alkaline solution. It is deliquescent, often appearing as a damp or wet solid. Potassium carbonate is mainly used ...

in water is added directly. This mixture is what the Chinese call ''jian'' () or ''jian shui'' () and what the Japanese call ''kansui'' ().''The Curious Cook: Achieving a Distinct Flavor, Without Going to Extremes'', by Harold McGee, in the ''New York Times'' "Dining" section of Wednesday, September 15, 2010, a

/ref> Sometimes kansui can also be a solution of

sodium hydroxide Sodium hydroxide, also known as lye and caustic soda, is an inorganic compound with the formula . It is a white solid ionic compound consisting of sodium cations and hydroxide anions . Sodium hydroxide is a highly corrosive base (chemistry), ...

or a powdered mix of sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, and sometimes sodium phosphates in various proportions (solid kansui).

Chinese noodles Chinese noodles vary widely according to the region of production, ingredients, shape or width, and manner of preparation. Noodles were invented in China, and are an essential ingredient and Staple food, staple in Chinese cuisine. They are an im ...

from

Gansu Province Gansu is a provinces of China, province in Northwestern China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeastern part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibetan Plateau, Ti ...

in China include the chewy "hand-pulled" type, ''lamian'', which are formed with no rolling or extrusion. Proper texture requires the addition of the alkaline ''peng hui'' (), which is traditionally derived from the ash of the Halogeton arachnoideus plant. Traditional ''peng hui''

potash Potash ( ) includes various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water- soluble form.

contains potassium carbonate, which makes the noodle dough softer and more tender by inhibiting the development of gluten. In 1989 the first artificial replacement was developed by the Lanzhou University (now the Gansu Lisi Food Science & Technology Co.) which is a mixture of

salt In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as r ...

, sodium carbonate,

sodium tripolyphosphate Sodium triphosphate (STP), also sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), or tripolyphosphate (TPP),

, and sodium metabisulfite. "Lanzhou pulled noodles", even though the noodle makers may not be from

Lanzhou Lanzhou is the capital and largest city of Gansu province in northwestern China. Located on the banks of the Yellow River, it is a key regional transportation hub, connecting areas further west by rail to the eastern half of the country. His ...

, the capital of Gansu, are becoming, according to the ''New York Times'', "a catchphrase that signifies deliciousness everywhere, ike'Chicago pizza' or 'New York bagels'." In addition to ''peng hui'', ''jian'', and ''kansui'',

Harold McGee Harold James McGee (born October 3, 1951) is an American author who writes about the chemistry and history of food science and cooking. He is best known for his seminal book '' On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen'', first ...

, a well-known American food scientist and author, has drawn on the experience of such noted chefs as David Chang, owner of the Momofuku line of restaurants,See a list, and explanation, of many exotic ingredients used by Chang a

and

Fuchsia Dunlop Fuchsia Charlotte DunlopCambridge University List of Members, Cambridge University Press, 1998, p. 225 is an English writer and cook who specialises in Chinese cuisine, especially Sichuan cuisine. She is the author of seven books, including the ...

of London, to outline a simple method by which home chefs can make alkaline noodles by baking ordinary

baking soda Sodium bicarbonate (IUPAC name: sodium hydrogencarbonate), commonly known as baking soda or bicarbonate of soda (or simply “bicarb” especially in the UK) is a chemical compound with the formula NaHCO3. It is a salt (chemistry), salt compose ...

at 300 °F (150 °C) for an hour. By baking the sodium bicarbonate, water vapor and

carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalent bond, covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in a gas state at room temperature and at norma ...

gas are released, and what is left is the alkaline sodium carbonate. Only a very small amount of the resultant sodium carbonate is used in the preparation of McGee's pasta dish, just 1 teaspoon of it to of semolina flour. When preparing the pasta, the sodium carbonate is first dissolved in a small quantity of water, which is then slowly added to the semolina. Afterwards, the kneaded dough is allowed to rest for an hour and is then rolled out very thin through a pasta machine and processed into the desired form of noodles.

References

{{Citizendium, title=Alkaline pasta Noodles Chinese inventions Chinese noodles Japanese noodles Japanese Chinese cuisine