What are ramen noodles made of?
The basic ingredients of the classic ramen noodle recipe are wheat flour, salt, and water. But there is one special ingredient: kansui. This kind of alkaline water solution includes baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate and potassium carbonate.
The alkalinity of kansui promotes the formation of gluten, which is what gives the noodles their chewy, springy texture. Additionally, the distinctive yellow color that ramen noodles frequently have is created when kansui is combined with flour.
How are ramen noodles made?
Making ramen noodles is just like making any other kind of pasta. The ingredients are combined to form a dough. The dough is allowed to rest so that more gluten can form. After that, it is thinly rolled, sliced into long, thin strips, and cooked until soft. Voila, you got ramen noodles!.
Instant ramen noodles require a few added steps. Large-scale machinery will slice and shape the dough after it has been rolled out, giving the noodles their recognizable wavy spring shape. Subsequently, the noodles undergo dehydration, resulting in the crispy, single-serve noodles that certain individuals enjoy.
They are then packaged, ready for your dorm microwave. And if you want to get fancy, you can add your own preferred toppings to them.
Instead of frying them, ramen noodles can now be dehydrated by “blow-drying” them at a high temperature. This was actually attempted in the early days of instant ramen, but it was not well received because the noodles became rubbery and did not easily loosen in the soup. Owing to advancements in blow-drying technology and ingredient combinations, a dehydration method was developed in the late 1990s that involves subjecting noodles to hot air at 80 degrees Celsius (176 degrees Fahrenheit) for a duration of 30 to 60 minutes. These ramen products, also referred to as “nonfried noodles,” have gained popularity due to their low calorie content.
The ability to store instant meals for extended periods of time is one of their main advantages. To ensure preservability, the water content cannot exceed 12%. Instant noodles that have been fried have a water content ranging from 3% to 6%, whereas non-fried noodles are measured approximately 10% of the total. Nonfried noodles require roughly two more minutes to rehydrate than fried noodles, which have tiny holes in them. Eventually, though, this issue ought to be resolved with the creation of even more advanced technology.
After extensive trial and error, Momofuku Ando, the creator of Nissin, managed to create the first instant ramen. He got the idea to fry the noodles in oil at a high temperature to remove moisture from them from tempura, a traditional Japanese deep-fried dish. The noodles can be almost entirely dehydrated using this method. Additionally, it leaves a plethora of tiny holes on the surface, which facilitates the noodles’ ability to rehydrate when steeped in hot water.
The ingredients for instant ramen noodles are wheat flour, water, salt, and kansui, an alkaline water that gives the noodles more elasticity. First, the ingredients are kneaded together to make a dough. This dough is then rolled out and thinned out to make noodles. After being dehydrated, the noodles are finally packaged and steam-cooked. Modern technologies are employed throughout the whole manufacturing process. Since dehydration is crucial to the shelf life of instant ramen, manufacturers have tried a variety of techniques.
How Instant ramen is made 
The dough is stretched using metal rollers. 
The dough is sliced into noodles by a machine equipped with cutting blades. 
After being steamed at 100°C for five minutes, the noodles are cut and placed in cup-sized portions. 
Noodles that are fried are cooked for one or two minutes in order to remove the water. 
After cooling, the noodles are placed in styrofoam cups, and flavoring is added. (Nissin Food Products Co.)
