Abstract
To characterize the koshi, or physical texture of cooked noodles, the distribution of viscoelasticity between the surface and center of cooked noodles was investigated using a modified compression creep test. Typical creep curves were described at 4 different points between the surface and center of the cooked noodles, and individual points of sample A (shortly after cooking) and sample B (24 hours after cooking) were analyzed for 6 or 8 viscoelastic elements. The measured η1, η2 and η3 were 1/10∼1/100 smaller than ηN; therefore, we ignored the effects of these 3 viscous elements and simplified the noodle viscoelasticity into 2 elements. The calculated relaxation time at the measured points of the cooked noodles ranged from 10 seconds to about 1 minute, which was much longer than the less than 1 second noted for chewy cooked noodles. As a result, it was proposed that the elastic elements significantly affected the chewiness of the cooked noodles. The elasticity of sample A increased gradually from the surface to the center of the noodle, which showed elevated chewiness, i.e., strong koshi. The elasticity of sample B increased shortly after chewing and then leveled out or decreased, indicating that the noodle had lost springiness. These results agreed with those from sensory evaluation.
