Effect of cavities on hardness of boiled Inaniwa-udon (hand-stretched wheat noodles)

Abstract

The relation between the protein content of Inaniwa-udon and the respective hardnesses of the outer layer (H1) and all layers (H2) of boiled Inaniwa-udon was investigated, revealing a negative correlation between H2/H1 and protein content (r = -0.61). SEM cross-section images revealed larger cavities in the low-protein product (9.6%) than in the high-protein product (10.3%) for noodles from the same manufacturer. The relationship between H2/H1 and the cavity content of Inaniwa-udon and two other products followed a quadratic curve. When the cavity content of Inaniwa-udon exceeded 10%, the H2/H1 value fell.