Grooved Noodle Core Hardness via Localized Heat Penetration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing grooved noodles fail to achieve a balanced hardness between the surface and center when cooked, leading to an unsatisfactory texture, as the penetration of heat and water affects the noodle's core, making it difficult to achieve the 'al dente' state.

Innovation Solution

A cooked grooved noodle with a plurality of grooves along its longitudinal direction, where the grooves are closed after cooking, comprising a core that accounts for 10% to 15% of the cross-sectional area, with a solid region at the center and gradually narrowing grooves, ensuring a balanced hardness by controlling the boiling time to maintain a specific ratio of core area to whole cross-sectional area.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If a wedge-shaped groove reaches the center part of the noodle string, then boiling time is shortened, but the noodle is entirely softened and good texture cannot be achieved

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveboiling timeVSAvoidhardness balance

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The groove is designed with non-uniform width along its length, being wider at the opening and narrower toward the center. This local variation in groove geometry creates different heat and water penetration rates at different positions, allowing the surface to soften while the center retains hardness, thus achieving balanced texture without excessive boiling time

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The groove width is controlled to be partial (not reaching the center) rather than excessive (reaching the center). This partial penetration allows heat and water to reach the center region slowly enough to maintain al dente texture, avoiding the excessive softening that would occur with full-depth grooves

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

2Loss of time

If grooves have larger width at innermost part than at opening part, then boiling time is reduced, but grooves remain open after cooking and texture becomes completely different from noodle without grooves

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveboiling timeVSAvoidgroove closure

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of making the groove wider at the center (innermost part), the design inverts this by making the groove narrower at the center and wider at the opening. This inversion causes the groove to close properly during cooking as the noodle swells, maintaining the desired texture while still reducing boiling time compared to solid noodles

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Temperature

If grooves are formed to reduce boiling time, then heat penetration is enhanced, but it becomes difficult to achieve half-boiled core portion with good hardness balance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat penetrationVSAvoidal dente state control

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The groove geometry parameters (width, depth, shape) are carefully controlled to optimize heat penetration. The groove is designed to be wider at the opening and narrower toward the center, creating a gradient that controls heat flow. This parameter optimization allows enhanced heat penetration for shorter boiling time while maintaining precise control over the al dente state in the core portion

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution allows for a cooked grooved noodle with a balanced hardness between the surface and center, achieving a good texture by adjusting the boiling time to maintain a core area ratio within 10% to 15%, reducing boiling time while ensuring the noodle is neither too soft nor too hard.

Implementation Method 1

hot water penetrates very slowly into the noodle string when the spaghetti noodle is boiled for cooking

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

heat would easily penetrate not only the vicinity of the surface but also the center part of the noodle string during cooking

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal penetration: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 3

the grooves being closed after cooking

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSwelling:

Implementation Method 4

a core which accounts for 10% to 15% of a cross-sectional area of the noodle string with the plurality of grooves being closed after cooking

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectStructural transformation:

Data Source

PatentEP3494800B1Cooked grooved noodle

Publication Date: 2024.04.17 NISSHIN SEIFUN WELNA INC

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AI summary

This cooked grooved noodle is obtained by cooking with heat a grooved noodle that has a plurality of grooves formed along the length of the noodle while the transverse cross section of the noodle length has a substantially circular main outer shape, and has a solid region in a center portion in the transverse cross section of the noodle length. The cooked grooved noodle has a core region that constitutes 10-15% of the area of the transverse cross section of the noodle length in which the plurality of grooves are closed after cooking with heat, and is not gelatinized.