Wheat noodles
Also known as: wheat flour noodles, wheat noodles
Wheat noodles are made from wheat flour, water and salt: with the alkaline water kansui they turn yellow and springy, like ramen, and without it they stay white and soft, like udon and somen.
Wheat noodles are noodles made from wheat flour, water and salt. They come in two branches: alkaline noodles, kneaded with the alkaline water kansui, and plain noodles without it. Ramen, chūka soba and tanmen belong to the first branch; udon, hiyamugi, somen and flat kishimen to the second.
Japanese rules describe this very simply. Fresh udon is wheat flour kneaded with water and cut into noodles. Chinese noodles, chūka men, are wheat flour kneaded with kansui. For dried noodles without alkali the name depends on thickness: 1.7 mm or more is udon, 1.3 to 1.7 mm hiyamugi, under 1.3 mm somen.
It is the alkali that makes ramen noodles yellow and springy, while udon, made without it, stays white and soft.
Why it matters to you. All wheat noodles contain gluten. A yellow colour does not mean the noodles contain egg: look for kansui or the carbonates E500 and E501 in the ingredients.
Facts
| Raw material | Wheat flour, water, salt; kansui for alkaline noodles |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Japanese labelling rules for dried and fresh noodles |
How it connects to Noodles
Wheat noodles → kind of → 🍜 Noodles
Links
- Made from
- Wheat flour
- What is made from it
- Chicken Ramen, Top Ramen, Demae Iccho, Maruchan Ramen, Maruchan Instant Lunch, Maruchan Yakisoba, Maggi 2-Minute Noodles, Maggi Atta Noodles, Knorr Noodles, Indomie Mi Goreng, Indomie Chicken Flavour
- Part of
- 🍜 Noodles
- In other topics
- 🌾 Common wheat
Frequently asked questions
How do ramen noodles differ from udon?
Ramen noodles are kneaded with kansui, so they are yellow and springy; udon is made without alkali and stays white and soft.
Why are ramen noodles yellow, and is that egg?
The alkali turns natural flavones in the flour yellow; it is not egg.
Is it true that yellow noodles are always egg noodles?
No. Alkaline noodles get their yellow colour from flour flavones, not necessarily egg.
What decides whether dried noodles are called udon or somen?
Thickness: 1.7 mm or more is udon, 1.3–1.7 hiyamugi, under 1.3 somen.
What to look for on the label to spot alkaline noodles?
Kansui or the carbonates E500 and E501 in the ingredients.
What to read next
- Maruchan Ramen — Maruchan Ramen is Maruchan's US line of bagged instant noodles with 14 flavours, from chicken to shrimp; the maker says it takes 3 minutes to prepare.
- 🌾 Common wheat — The most widely grown wheat species, milled into flour for bread, fresh and egg pasta, spätzle and noodles.
- Maruchan Instant Lunch — Maruchan Instant Lunch is Maruchan's US line of instant noodles in single-serve cups: you just add hot water, and the line has 13 flavours.
- Top Ramen — Top Ramen is Nissin Foods' instant noodle line and the company's first product in the United States, launched in autumn 1970; it is sold in packs and bowls.
- Maggi 2-Minute Noodles — Maggi 2-Minute Noodles is the classic Maggi instant noodle line in India, sold with a masala seasoning; the name promises noodles ready in two minutes.
Similar
How noodles are made · Noodle dishes · Instant noodles · Buckwheat noodles · Starch noodles · Rice noodles
What it includes
Sources
- Consumer Affairs Agency of Japan: labelling rules for dried noodles (乾めん類), 2025 review material
- Japan Fair Trade Council: Fair Competition Code on Labelling of Fresh Noodles
- Yeoh S. Y. et al. (2023) Alkaline noodles review. npj Science of Food 7: 8