Scanning Electron Microscopy of Hand-Streched Noodles (Tenobe-men) and Machine-Made Noodles (Kikai-men)

Abstract

The textural structure of hand-streched and machine-made noodles was precisely observed by scanning electron microscope(SEM) after α-amylase treatment to eliminate interfering starch granules. The gluten structure in the dry noodle was clearly exposed by the α-amylase treatment. In the dry hand-streched noodle, SEM revealed the characteristic fibrous gluten structure along by the streching direction, and starch granules retained in fibrous gluten. On the other hand, random structure was observed in the dry machine-made noodles. The cooked noodles were similarly observed by SEM. The characteristic structure observed in the dry hand-streched noodles was well retained even after cooking, although gluten slightly swelled.