[73] Assignee: Nestec S.A.. Vevey.
Switzerland
[21] Appl. No.:
63f,019
[22] Filed: Apr. 19, 1996
[30] Foreign Application Priority Data
Apr. 22, 1995 [SG] Singapore 9500311-7
[51] Int. (jI.6 A23L 1/16
[52] U.S. CI.
426/557; 426/451; 426/508;
426/516
[58] Field of Search 426/451. 557.
426/575. 577, 508. 510, 511. 516
References Cited
U.S. PAIENT DOCUMENTS 3,537,862 11/1970 Peters et at.
3,836,680 9/1974 Salza
4d43,690 1/1981 Murakami et al. 4,325,976 4/1982 Harrow et al. . 4,435,435 3/1984 Hsu
Primary Emitter—Lien Tran
Attame), Agent, or firm-Vogt & O’Donnell, LLP
Instant rice noodles are prepared by preparing first a rice flour in which its starch is gelatinized partially. and then. the flour is mixed with water at a temperature and for a time to form a dough and to gelatinize the starch further, but not completely. the dough is extruded
to obtain the dough in a form of noodles, the noodles are steamed to firm them. the firmed noodles are blanched with water at a temperature and for a time to
gelafinize the starch further, and then. the blanched noodles are dried to a moisture content to below 15a by weight. When rice flour is employed as a starting material. it first is steamed for preparing the rice hour in which the starch is gelatinized partially. and when whole rice is employed as a starting material. the whole rice is steamed to gelatinize its starch partially and then. the rice is milled for obtaining the rice flour in which the starch is gelatinized partially.
18 Claims, No Drawings