Producing method of dried noodle blocks

Abstract

To provide a novel method for further improving reconstituting properties with hot water, in production of dried noodle blocks due to hot blast drying.SOLUTION: In the production of dried noodle blocks using hot air drying, the reconstituting properties with hot water of the noodle blocks after hot air drying can be improved by executing humid drying during a drying process. In particular, for the dried noodle blocks, it exhibits excellent effects in improving the reconstituting properties with hot water for multilayer noodles with inner and outer layers. Furthermore, a high-temperature rapid hot air drying or superheated steam drying process may be added as pre-drying for the humid drying.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing a dried noodle block by placing a group of gelatinized noodle strings in a frame and drying them with hot air, where the multi-layered noodles have an inner layer and an outer layer. [Background technology]

[0002] In the production of hot air dried type (non-fried type) dried noodle blocks used for instant noodles, first, wheat flour or other powder is mixed with kneading water to form dough, and this dough is then rolled and cut out to prepare raw noodle strands. Next, the noodle strands are steamed, and the steamed noodle strands are then stored in a porous frame (also called a retainer) and dried for approximately 10 to 180 minutes using hot air (hot air, superheated steam, etc.) at about 40°C to 160°C to reduce the moisture content of the noodle strands to approximately 5 to 13%, completing the noodle block.

[0003] However, the production of this hot air dried noodle block often requires a certain amount of drying time, and when used in cup noodles or the like, when hot water is poured into the hot air dried noodle block, the reconstitution properties are inferior to those of fried noodles that have been heat-treated in oil, and therefore there is a demand for further improvements in the reconstitution properties. For example, the following prior art Patent Document 1 discloses a method for improving rehydration properties while utilizing superheated steam. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4438969

[0005] On the other hand, there may be room for consideration of methods other than those mentioned above. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Therefore, the inventors investigated new methods for improving hot water reconstitution properties when producing dried noodle blocks by hot air drying. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] As a result of extensive research by the present inventors, they have discovered that when producing a dried noodle block by hot air drying, humidification drying improves the rehydration properties of the noodle block after hot air drying, and that when this dried noodle block is produced using multi-layered noodles having an inner layer and an outer layer, it exhibits excellent effects in terms of rehydration properties, which has led to the completion of the present invention. That is, the first invention of the present application is "A method for producing a dried noodle block, characterized in that a group of gelatinized noodle strands in a multi-layered noodle having an inner layer and an outer layer are humidified and dried."

[0008] Next, it is preferable to further carry out a drying treatment as pre-drying before the above-mentioned moist drying. That is, the second invention of the present application is "The method for producing a dried noodle block according to claim 1, in which an additional drying treatment is carried out before the moist drying."

[0009] Next, the drying treatment is preferably hot air drying at high temperature and high speed or drying with superheated steam. That is, the third invention of the present application is "The method for producing a dried noodle block according to claim 2, wherein the drying treatment is high-temperature, high-velocity hot air drying or drying with superheated steam."

[0010] Next, the applicant also intends to provide a method for drying groups of noodle strings in multi-layer noodles by humidifying and drying the groups of noodle strings after gelatinization. That is, the fourth invention of this application is as follows. "A method for drying a mass of noodle strings, characterized in that a mass of gelatinized noodle strings in a multi-layered noodle having an inner layer and an outer layer is humidified and dried."

[0011] Next, the applicant of the present application also intends to provide a method for improving the reconstitution of the noodle strings by moistening and drying the multi-layered noodles. That is, the fifth invention of the present application is "A method for improving the rehydration of a dried noodle block, which is characterized by humidifying and drying a group of gelatinized noodle strands in a multi-layered noodle having an inner layer and an outer layer." Effect of the Invention

[0012] By utilizing the present invention, it is possible to improve the reconstitution properties of a dried noodle block that uses multi-layered noodles. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a specific example of the process from kneading the ingredients to completing the formation of noodle blocks in the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described, however, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0015] ─Dried noodle mass─ In the production of hot air dried type (non-fried type) dried noodle blocks used for instant noodles, first, wheat flour or other powder is mixed with kneading water to form dough, and this dough is then rolled and cut out to prepare raw noodle strands. Next, the noodle strands are steamed, and the gelatinized noodle strands are then stored in a porous frame (also called a retainer) and dried for 10 to 180 minutes using hot air (hot air, superheated steam, etc.) at about 40°C to 160°C until the moisture content of the noodle strands is reduced to about 5 to 13%, completing the noodle block. The present application is an invention that can be used in the production of dried noodle blocks by this type of hot air drying.

[0016] ─Multi-layered noodles─ This application is particularly concerned with hot air dried noodle blocks produced from multi-layered noodles. Multi-layered noodles as referred to in this invention refer to noodle strands in a multi-layered state, consisting of an inner layer and an outer layer.

[0017] ─Multi-layer noodles with inner and outer layers─ There are no particular limitations on the method for producing multi-layered noodles according to the present invention, but typically, noodle dough for the inner layer and noodle dough for the outer layer are layered together and rolled to prepare multi-layered noodle dough. For example, the noodle dough for the inner layer and the noodle dough for the outer layer can be inserted between rolls and pressure applied to bring the inner layer and outer layer into close contact with each other to form an integrated noodle sheet. The noodle sheet can then be passed through multiple rolling machines as necessary to form a noodle sheet of the required thickness.

[0018] It is also possible to manufacture the inner and outer noodle sheets by adjusting them to the required thickness, stacking them together, and then further rolling them. Next, in the present invention, it is common to have three layers, with an inner layer sandwiched between upper and lower outer layers, but this is not limited to this and it may also be a type that includes multiple inner layers. In other words, it goes without saying that there is no problem with noodles that have four or five layers, which is more than three layers.

[0019] ─Inner layer composition─ In the present invention, the ingredients of the inner layer can be made using normal noodle ingredients such as wheat flour, starch, gluten, resistant starch, thickeners, etc. More specifically, the ingredients of the inner layer can include normal noodle ingredients such as wheat flour, starch, gluten, egg white, egg powder, coloring, calcium, fats and oils, and various flavors.

[0020] Of course, the noodle may contain various ingredients other than wheat flour, gluten, thickeners and resistant starch, which are raw materials for noodles. Next, various ingredients such as kansui (water containing alkaline water) and salt can be added to the kneading water used to prepare noodles. A wide variety of ingredients can be used for the kansui (water containing alkaline water), such as potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, various pyrophosphates, various polyphosphates, various metaphosphates, and various phosphates. Naturally, colorings, extracts, and various food additives can also be added to the kneading water. For the inner layer in the present invention, raw material flour and kneading water are mixed and kneaded to form dough.

[0021] ─Preparation of inner layer dough and extrusion molding─ In preparing the dough for the inner layer, the noodle ingredients and mixing water are mixed in a batch mixer, flow jet mixer, vacuum mixer, etc. to form one or several dough lumps. When machine-made noodles are used, the resulting dough often has a crumbly texture. Next, these pieces of dough need to be put together, and this process is called extrusion. In other words, normally, these pieces of dough are put together and molded into a strip of noodle dough, but

[0022] In the present invention, the noodle dough can be pressed between rolls under normal pressure to form a strip of noodle dough. Alternatively, an extruder or other extrusion machine may be used. Furthermore, in the present invention, the extrusion molding process can also be performed by a vacuum extrusion method to form a noodle sheet. Here, the vacuum extrusion method refers to a method of extruding into a noodle sheet under vacuum (reduced pressure), and various methods can be used as long as they are capable of forming into a noodle sheet under vacuum (reduced pressure).

[0023] ─Outer layer composition─ In the present invention, the outer layer may be made using typical noodle raw materials such as wheat flour, starch, gluten, etc. More specifically, noodle raw materials for the inner layer may include wheat flour, starch, gluten, egg white, egg powder, coloring, calcium, fats and oils, various flavors, etc.

[0024] As mentioned above, in the present invention, it goes without saying that various components that are used as noodle raw materials other than wheat flour, gluten, thickeners and resistant starch may be contained. Next, the kneading water used to prepare the noodles can be water to which various ingredients such as brine, salt, etc. Furthermore, for the outer layer, the raw material flour and the kneading water are mixed and kneaded to form dough.

[0025] ─Preparation and extrusion of outer layer dough─ In preparing the dough for the inner layer, the noodle ingredients and kneading water are mixed in a batch mixer, flow jet mixer, vacuum mixer, or the like to form one or several dough lumps. It is preferable to use a vacuum mixer when kneading the outer layer. When machine-made noodles are used, they often take on a crumbly texture. In the present invention, it is preferable to carry out the kneading under reduced pressure.

[0026] Next, these pieces need to be brought together, which is accomplished by the extrusion process described above. That is, typically, crumbly dough is gathered together to form a strip-shaped dough. The outer layer may be formed under normal pressure. It is possible to press the noodle dough between rolls under normal pressure to form a strip-shaped noodle dough. Alternatively, an extruder or other extruding machine may be used. It is also possible to extrude the noodle dough under reduced pressure. A variety of extrusion methods can be used for the outer layer. By passing through the extrusion step in this manner, the noodle dough for the outer layer can be formed into a noodle band. By sandwiching the noodle dough for the inner layer between the noodle dough for the outer layer and further rolling it, it is possible to prepare a noodle band with a multi-layer structure.

[0027] ─Preparation of noodles─ In the method for producing multi-layered noodles according to the present invention, the noodle dough for the inner layer and the noodle dough for the outer layer are overlapped and rolled to prepare the dough for the multi-layered noodles. More specifically, the extruded inner layer is sandwiched between the extruded outer layers, and the overlapped noodle dough is inserted between rolls or the like while applying pressure to bring the inner layer and outer layer into close contact with each other, thereby preparing an integrated noodle band.

[0028] Of course, the inner layer and / or the outer layer after extrusion may be inserted between rolls or the like as necessary to roll them, and then the inner layer and the outer layer may be laminated together. Next, the thickness ratio of each layer of the inner layer and the outer layer is not particularly limited, and can be changed appropriately depending on the texture and noodle production properties. Specifically, for example, in the case of three layers, the thickness ratio of each layer can be in a wide range of about outer layer:inner layer:outer layer ratio of 2:1:2 (1:0.5:1) to 1:5:1. However, the outer layer:inner layer:outer layer ratio is preferably about 1:1:1 to 1:3:1.

[0029] Typically, in the rolling process, the resulting noodle sheet is passed between multiple rolling rolls to gradually reduce the thickness, and the resulting thinned noodle sheet is then cut into noodle strings by cutting rolls. The obtained group of noodle strings can then be cut, gelatinized by steaming or boiling, and then dried with hot air to reduce the water content, resulting in a dried noodle block. This dried noodle block can be used as the noodle block for instant cup noodles.

[0030] ─Alpha-gelatinization of noodle strings─ The multi-layered noodles obtained as above are then steamed or boiled to undergo gelatinization. Here, gelatinization is also referred to as starch gelatinization, and refers to the process in which starch such as wheat flour, which is difficult to digest when in the raw material flour stage, swells when water is added and heated, becoming a paste-like gelatinized starch that becomes susceptible to the action of digestive enzymes. This gelatinization process can be carried out by steaming or boiling the noodle strands.

[0031] ─Preliminary drying─ In the present invention, it is also preferable to carry out a step of normal hot air drying, drying with high-temperature and high-velocity hot air (high-temperature and high-velocity hot air drying), or drying with superheated steam (superheated steam drying) before the moist drying described below. Specifically, for example, in the case of normal hot air drying, drying can be performed at a temperature range of about 70° C. to 130° C. for a predetermined period of time.

[0032] It is also possible to use drying using high-temperature, high-velocity hot air (high-temperature, high-velocity hot air drying) or drying using superheated steam (superheated steam drying). These drying methods can shorten the drying time and also make it possible to control the number and size of the air bubbles in the noodle strings, thereby providing a wide variety of noodle string textures.

[0033] On the other hand, there are cases where the surface side of the noodles is prone to over-drying, resulting in poor rehydration properties of the noodles. For this reason, the inventors discovered that by using high-temperature, high-velocity hot air drying or superheated steam drying as a preliminary drying step, and then carrying out humidification drying, it is possible to produce a hot air dried noodle block with good rehydration properties in a relatively short drying time. They then discovered that this effect is particularly pronounced with multi-layer noodles, which led to the completion of the present invention.

[0034] Here, the conditions for high-temperature, high-velocity hot air drying are 105° C. to 150° C., preferably with an air velocity of 60 m / s or more, more preferably about 70 m / s, and the time is generally about 4 to 15 minutes. Next, in the case of drying with superheated steam, it is preferable to spray the superheated steam so that the temperature of the superheated steam that comes into contact with the noodle strings is about 125 to 330°C, and preferably about 150 to 240°C. Furthermore, a separate pre-drying step may be carried out prior to the above-mentioned preliminary drying step.

[0035] ─humidifying and drying─ The present invention is characterized in that the noodle strands are moistened and dried. By carrying out this moistened drying, it becomes possible to improve the reconstitution properties of the multi-layered noodles when they are dried with hot air. Note that, in the present invention, moistened drying refers to carrying out hot air drying in a state in which the humidity inside the dryer chamber is increased. Here, as conditions for humidification and drying, first, the temperature is preferably within a range of 50° C. to 100° C. This is because if the temperature is too high, it becomes impossible to maintain appropriate humidity conditions.

[0036] Next, the humidity in the humidification drying in the present application is 20 to 80%. If the humidity is less than 20%, it becomes difficult to obtain the effect of improving rehydration of the present application. Also, if the humidity exceeds 80%, there are problems such as difficulty in maintaining a high temperature. Next, the drying time is preferably 20 to 60 minutes, and the drying air speed is preferably 0.5 to 15.0 m / s. Furthermore, it is preferable to adjust the moisture content of the noodle block after humidification and drying to around 3.0 to 15.0% by weight.

[0037] ─Combination of humidification and drying─ In the present application, moisturizing drying and various drying methods (normal hot air drying, high-speed high-temperature hot air drying, superheated steam drying) may be performed alternately or repeatedly. For example, a method may be used in which moisturizing drying is performed after various drying methods (normal hot air drying, high-speed high-temperature hot air drying, superheated steam drying), and then various drying methods (normal hot air drying, high-speed high-temperature hot air drying, superheated steam drying) are performed.

[0038] Specific examples of the process flow from kneading the ingredients to the completion of the noodle block in the present invention include the processing steps shown in Figure 1 (1) to (6). However, it is not limited to these processing steps, and it is of course possible to combine these steps in various ways with humidification and drying. EXAMPLES

[0039] The present invention will be described below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0040] [Test Example 1] (Comparison of single-layer noodles and multi-layer noodles) ─Test group 1 (single layer noodles, normal drying)─ 391.8g of kneading water (dissolved by adding 1.8g of kansui, 30g of salt, and 360g of water) was added to 820g of wheat flour and 180g of starch, and after kneading for 20 minutes, dough was formed, which was then composite-processed (by stacking two noodle sheets to form one noodle sheet), and then rolled to form a 1.40mm noodle sheet. The noodle sheet was then cut into noodle strands using cutting blade no. 11. The cut raw noodle strings were steamed for 2 minutes at 99° C. The gelatinized noodle strings were cut to lengths of approximately 30 cm to obtain a group of gelatinized (gelatinized) noodle strings.

[0041] The noodle mass (110 g) was placed in a metal cup-shaped frame having a large number of holes at the bottom and an open top, and then covered with a mesh lid. With the noodle strings contained in the frame, pre-drying was carried out for 8 minutes at 124°C to 128°C, and then a normal drying treatment was carried out for 40 minutes at 95°C and a humidity of 10%, completing a dried noodle block. Next, a sensory evaluation of the obtained dried noodle blocks was carried out as follows by seven experienced noodle technicians.

[0042] First, the cooking method was as follows: 70g of noodles and 20g of powdered soup were placed in a cup, 380ml of boiling water was poured in, and after 5 minutes, 3.5g of liquid oil was added to loosen the noodles, and then a taste evaluation was performed. Next, the evaluation method was as follows: seven panelists who are skilled in evaluating noodles rated Test Plot 1 with a score of 3 and the other test plots on a 5-point scale, and the average score of the seven panelists was calculated. Generally, a score of 4.00 or above was considered good. 5 points: The surface of the noodles soaks in hot water better than in Test Group 1, and the surface does not feel hard at all. 4 points: The surface of the noodles soaks in hot water better than in Test Group 1, and the surface does not feel hard. 3 points: The sample was soaked in water to the same extent as Test Group 1, and the surface may feel hard. 2 points: The surface of the noodles soaked in hot water less well than in test group 1, and the surface felt hard. 1 point: The surface of the noodles does not soak in hot water as well as test group 1, and the surface feels very hard. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0043] ─Test area 2 (multi-layer noodles, normal drying)─ For the inner layer, 760 g of wheat flour, 240 g of starch, and 391.8 g of kneading water (dissolved by adding 1.8 g of kansui, 30 g of salt, and 360 g of water) were added and kneaded for 20 minutes. After that, dough was formed and pressed between rolls and extruded to form a belt-shaped inner layer noodle band. Next, to prepare the outer layer, 391.8 g of kneading water (dissolved by adding 1.8 g of kansui, 30 g of salt, and 360 g of water) was added to 880 g of wheat flour and 120 g of starch, and after kneading for 20 minutes, a dough was formed, which was then pressed between rolls and extruded to form a strip-shaped outer layer noodle band.

[0044] The inner layer noodle band and outer layer noodle band obtained above were stacked three times and repeatedly rolled so that the noodle band thickness was outer layer:inner layer:outer layer = 1:2:1, until the noodle thickness reached 1.40 mm. The noodle band after rolling was cut with a No. 11 cutting blade to obtain a group of noodle strands of multi-layered noodles. The cut raw noodle strings were steamed for 2 minutes at 99° C. The gelatinized noodle strings were cut to approximately 30 cm lengths to obtain a group of gelatinized (gelatinized) noodle strings.

[0045] The noodle mass (110 g) was placed in a metal cup-shaped frame having a large number of holes at the bottom and an open top, and then covered with a mesh lid. With the noodle strings contained in the frame, pre-drying was carried out for 8 minutes at 124°C to 128°C, and then normal drying was carried out for 40 minutes at 95°C and a humidity of 10%. Sensory evaluation was also carried out in the same manner as in Test Group 1. The results of the sensory evaluation are shown in Table 1.

[0046] ─Test group 3 (single layer noodles, humidified and dried)─ A group of noodle strings processed in the same manner as in Test Example 1 were subjected to a drying treatment of 95°C and a humidity of 30% for 40 minutes as humid drying after pre-drying, and were otherwise treated in the same manner as in Test Example 1. The results of the sensory evaluation are shown in Table 1.

[0047] ─Test area 4 (multi-layer noodles, humidified and dried)─ A group of noodle strings treated in the same manner as in Test Example 2 were treated in the same manner as in Test Example 2, except that a drying treatment was carried out for 40 minutes at 95°C and a humidity of 30% as humid drying after pre-drying. The results of the sensory evaluation are shown in Table 1.

[0048] [Table 1] ─Results─ Regarding the effect of humidification and drying, it was found that humidification and drying at 30% had a greater effect on improving reconstitution than normal drying at 10%. It was also found that the effect of humidification and drying was more pronounced for multi-layer noodles than for single-layer noodles.

[0049] [Test Example 2] (Comparison when changing humidification conditions) ─Test area 5 (50℃, humidity 10%)─ A group of multi-layered noodles was prepared in the same manner as in Test Group 2, and the raw noodle strands after cutting were steamed for 2 minutes at 99° C. The gelatinized noodle strands were cut to approximately 30 cm to obtain a group of gelatinized (gelatinized) noodle strands. The noodle mass (110 g) was placed in a metal cup-shaped frame having a large number of holes at the bottom and an open top, and then covered with a mesh lid. With the noodle strings contained in the frame, pre-drying was carried out at 133°C for 8 minutes, and then normal drying was carried out at 50°C and a humidity of 10% for 40 minutes. In addition, the sensory evaluation was carried out as follows, with test plot 5 being rated 4 points.

[0050] The evaluation method was as follows: 11 panelists who are skilled in evaluating noodles rated test plot 5 on a 4-point scale and the other test plots on a 5-point scale, and the average score of the 11 panelists was calculated. Generally, a score of 4.00 or above was considered good. 5 points: The surface of the noodles soaks in hot water better than in test group 5, and the surface does not feel hard at all. 4 points: The amount of water soaked was the same as in test area 5, and the surface did not feel hard. 3 points: The surface of the noodles is slightly less saturated with water than in test group 5, and the surface may feel hard. 2 points: The surface of the noodles does not soak in water as well as test group 5, and the surface feels hard. 1 point: The surface of the noodles is less saturated with water than test group 5, and the surface feels very hard. The results are shown in Table 2. Other conditions were the same as in Test Group 1.

[0051] ─Test area 6 (50℃, humidity 40%)─ Test plot 5 was carried out in the same manner as test plot 5, except that humidification and drying was performed at a humidity of 40%. The results of the sensory evaluation are shown in Table 2.

[0052] ─Test area 7 (50℃, humidity 80%)─ Test plot 5 was carried out in the same manner as Test plot 5, except that humidification and drying was performed at a humidity of 80%. The results of the sensory evaluation are shown in Table 2.

[0053] [Table 2] ─Results─ It was found that when humid-drying multi-layer noodles, even at a relatively low temperature, adjusting the humidity conditions can result in better rehydration than at the 10% humidity used in normal drying.

[0054] [Test Example 3] (Comparison of noodle breakage rate during storage) When the moist drying method of the present invention was used, the noodle blocks obtained after drying were stored for a prescribed period of time and then a comparative test was conducted on the rate of noodle breakage of the noodle strings after pouring hot water over them.

[0055] ─Test area 8 (multi-layer noodles, humidity 30%)─ For the inner layer, 680 g of wheat flour and 320 g of starch were mixed with 409.2 g of kneading water (4.8 g of kansui (water containing alkaline mineral water), 29.4 g of salt, and 375 g of water dissolved in the mixture). After kneading for 20 minutes, dough was formed and the dough was pressed between rolls and extruded to form a strip-shaped inner layer noodle band. Next, to prepare the outer layer, 720 g of wheat flour, 280 g of starch, and 382.6 g of kneading water (dissolved by adding 3.2 g of kansui, 29.4 g of salt, and 350 g of water) were added and kneaded for 20 minutes. After that, dough was formed, and the dough was pressed between rolls and extruded to form a strip-shaped outer noodle band.

[0056] The inner layer noodle band and outer layer noodle band obtained above were stacked three times and repeatedly rolled so that the noodle band thickness was outer layer:inner layer:outer layer = 1:2:1, until the noodle thickness reached 1.40 mm. The noodle band after rolling was cut with a No. 11 cutting blade to obtain a group of noodle strands of multi-layered noodles. The cut raw noodle strings were steamed for 2 minutes at 99° C. The gelatinized noodle strings were cut to approximately 30 cm lengths to obtain a group of gelatinized (gelatinized) noodle strings. The noodle mass (110 g) was placed in a metal cup-shaped frame having a large number of holes at the bottom and an open top, and then covered with a mesh lid.

[0057] With the noodle strings contained in the frame, pre-drying was carried out at 110°C to 113°C for 8 minutes, and then a humidified drying treatment was carried out at 95°C and a humidity of 30% for 40 minutes. Next, the noodle breakage rate was evaluated as follows: 70 g of the obtained noodle block and 20 g of powdered soup were placed in a vertical cup, an aluminum lid was heat-sealed to the top, and the cup was stored at room temperature for one month. After one month of storage, the lid of the vertical cup was opened and 380 ml of hot water was poured in. After five minutes, the noodles were loosened with chopsticks and separated into a group of noodles less than 5 cm in length and a group of noodles more than 5 cm in length, and the total weight of these groups was measured. From the measurement results of the total weight, the total weight of the noodle strings of 5 cm or less was divided by the total weight of the entire noodle string group to calculate the noodle breakage rate (after one month of storage at room temperature). The evaluation results are shown in Table 3.

[0058] ─Test area 9 (multi-layer noodles, humidity 10%)─ Test area 8 was subjected to the same procedure as test area 8, except that the humidity during drying was set to 10% as normal drying. The results are shown in Table 3.

[0059] [Table 3] ─Results─ It was found that the rate of noodle breakage significantly decreased when the humidity level during humidification and drying was high.

Claims

1. A method for producing a dried noodle block, comprising humidifying and drying a group of gelatinized noodle strands in a multi-layered noodle having an inner layer and an outer layer.

2. The method for producing a dried noodle block according to claim 1, further comprising a drying treatment before the moist drying.

3. 3. The method for producing a dried noodle block according to claim 2, wherein the drying treatment is high-temperature, high-velocity hot air drying or drying with superheated steam.

4. A method for drying a mass of noodle strings, comprising humidifying and drying a mass of gelatinized noodle strings in a multi-layered noodle having an inner layer and an outer layer.

5. A method for improving the rehydration of a dried noodle block by humidifying and drying a group of gelatinized noodle strands in a multi-layered noodle having an inner layer and an outer layer.

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