Publication no. C-2004-0519-01R |  VIEW ARTICLE

Production of Bihon-type Noodles from Maize Starch Differing in Amylose Content.

Lai Ming Tam (1), Harold Corke (1), Wilson T. Tan (2), Jiansheng Li (3), and Lilia S. Collado (2,4). (1) Cereal Science Laboratory, Department of Botany, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, Peoples Republic of China. (2) Institute of Food Science and Technology, College of Agriculture, University of the Philippines Los Baños, College, Laguna 4031 Philippines. (3) China Maize Improvement Center, Crop Science Building, China Agricultural University, Haidian, Beijing, Peoples Republic of China 100094. (4) Corresponding author. E-mail: <lilia_collado@yahoo.com> Cereal Chem. 81(4):475-480. Accepted December 26, 2003. This article is in the public domain and not copyrightable. It may be freely reprinted with customary crediting of the source. American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc., 2004.

Maize starches extracted from selected maize cultivars with 0.2–60.8% amylose contents were used to produce bihon-type noodles. Starch dough using a pregelatinized starch binder was prepared and extruded through a laboratory-scale extruder simulating the traditional process of making bihon in the Philippines. The normal maize starches with amylose content of approximately 28% were successfully used for bihon-type noodle production, but waxy maize starches with 0.2–3.8% amylose content and high-amylose maize starches with 40.0–60.8% amylose content failed to produce bihon-type noodles. Viscoamylograph profile parameters and swelling volume are significantly correlated to amylose content of maize starch samples evaluated. These physicochemical properties may be used to indicate that the starch samples at normal amylose levels may be used for bihon-type noodles. Starch noodles produced in the laboratory were not significantly different in terms of either cooking quality or textural properties from two commercially produced maize noodle samples, except for adhesiveness. The laboratory process and fabricated extruder can be used to produce bihon-type noodles.