ABSTRACT
There are regional preferences for noodle color, texture, flavor, size and shape, shelflife, and ease of cooking, which in turn depend on the flour charac teristics, method of preparation, and the inclusion of other raw materials or chemical additives. The terminology of classifying noodles can be confusing since noodles of almost identical composition have different names in various countries. Moreover, within the same country, noodles of the same formulation are sometimes named to differentiate the manufacturing process and the noodle strand thickness (Dick and Matsuo, 1988). Noodles are commonly classified according to (1) size of the noodle strands, (2) the nature of the raw materials used in their manufacture, (3) the method of preparation, and (4) the form of the product on the market (Crosbie et al., 1990) (Table 3.1). Though a wide diversity exists in the type of noodles, they can be broadly classified into three main groups: white-salted noodles, popular in China, Japan, and Korea; yellow-alkaline noodles, popular in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and southern China; and instant noodles, popular in East and Southeast Asia.
