are normally colorless but become yellow in alkaline conditions The flavones are especially concentrated in the bran and germ, so less refined flours develop a deeper color Because they’re based on harder wheats, southern yellow noodles have a firmer texture than white salted noodles, and alkalinity (pH 9–11, the equivalent of old egg whites) increases this firmness The alkaline salts (sodium and potassium carbonates at 0.5–1% of noodle weight) also cause the noodles to take longer to cook and absorb more water, and they contribute a characteristic aroma and taste Dumplings The Chinese version of filled pasta is thin sheets of wheat-flour dough enclosing seasoned morsels of meat, shellfish, or vegetables Some doughs are simply made from flour and water, but robust pot-sticker dough is made by boiling part of the water before adding the flour, so that some of the starch is gelated and contributes to the dough’s cohesiveness The formed dumplings may be steamed, boiled, fried, or deep-fried Japanese Wheat Noodles The standard thick Japanese noodles (2–4 mm in diameter), called udon, are descendents of the Chinese white salted noodle They’re white and soft and made from soft wheat flour, water, and sal t Ra-men noodles are light yellow and somewhat stiff, and are made from hard wheat flour, water, and alkaline salts ( kansui) Very thin noodles (around 1 mm) are called so-men Japanese noodles are usually cooked in water of pH 5.5–6, which is often adjusted by adding some acid After cooking, the noodles are drained and washed and cooled in running water, which causes the surface starch to set into a moist, slippery, nonsticky layer Tapioca Tapioca pearls, which are widely used to ... called udon, are descendents of the Chinese white salted noodle They’re white and soft and made from soft wheat flour, water, and sal t Ra-men noodles are light yellow and somewhat stiff, and are made from hard wheat... is gelated and contributes to the dough’s cohesiveness The formed dumplings may be steamed, boiled, fried, or deep-fried Japanese Wheat Noodles The standard thick Japanese noodles (2 –4 mm in... somewhat stiff, and are made from hard wheat flour, water, and alkaline salts ( kansui) Very thin noodles (around 1 mm) are called so-men Japanese noodles are usually cooked in water of pH 5.5–6, which is often adjusted by adding