Noodles

Ramen noodles are traditionally crafted from wheat flour, water, salt, and kansui (an alkaline ingredient that is necessary to make ramen). The interaction between water and flour, formed by the bonds between starch and gluten, results in the noodles’ structure, while the kansui reacts with the protein in flour, endowing the noodles with their distinctive elasticity and chewy texture, a characteristic unique to ramen noodles. Salt primarily strengthens the structure of the noodles, and adds flavor.