Characteristics and evaluation parameters associated with cooking quality of Chinese fresh noodles

Noodle cooking quality is an important aspect in assessing processing quality of Chinese fresh noodles. Forty-six Chinese wheat cultivars and advanced lines from the Northern Plain and the Yellow and Huai River Valleys Winter Wheat Regions were used to determine the relationship between wheat quality characters and evaluation parameters of Chinese fresh noodle cooking quality, including total organic matt er (TOM), cooking losses, water absorption, and noodle stickiness. Large variations were observed in milling quality, dough rheology characteristics, starch properties, and noodle cooking quality parameters, including TOM value, cooking losses, and noodle stickiness. Extensogram energy and maximum resistance contributed negatively to TOM value, with correlation coeffi cients of -0.66 (P <0.01) and -0.56 (P <0.01), respectively. Correlation coeffi cients between farinogram stability, extensogram energy and maximum resistance and cooked noodle weights with optimal cooking (6 min) and overcooking (10 min) ranged from -0.55 to -0.63 (P <0.01). Farinogram mixing tolerance index was signifi cantly and positively correlated with the weights of noodles cooked for 6 min and 10 min, with correlation coeffi cients of 0.67 (P <0.01) and 0.69 (P <0.01), respectively. Starch pasting temperature was signifi cantly and positively correlated with noodle weights when cooked for 10 min (r = 0.60, P <0.01). This indicated that increased fl our protein content and dough gluten strength contributed positively to noodle cooking quality. Flour protein properties were the major factor in determining noodle cooking quality. Noodle cooking quality was only slightly aff ected by starch pasting parameters. TOM value was signifi cantly and positively correlated with noodle weights after cooking for 6 min and 10 min, with correlation coeffi cients of 0.66 (P <0.01) and 0.69 (P <0.01), respectively. The correlation coeffi cient between noodle weights after cooking for 6 min and 10 min was 0.86 (P <0.01). It is recommended that the weight of noodles cooked for 10 min should be an important parameter for evaluation of noodle cooking quality. Noodle weight (from 10 g fresh noodles) after 10 min of cooking should be no more than 21.0 g for good noodle cooking quality Chinese wheat samples.