Barley in udon noodles

Abraded (up to 20%) ground naked non-waxy and waxy barleys were blended with wheat flours. Amylograph peak temperatures of wheat/barley blends (85:15) decreased by 1.5 degrees C with non-waxy barley and by 3.5 degrees C with waxy barley. Peak viscosities of wheat flours was increased by the addition of non-waxy barley and decreased by the addition of waxy barley. Adding either non-waxy or waxy barley increased breakdown viscosities. Texture profile analysis (TPA) parameters of udon noodles prepared from wheat-barley blends were largely unaffected by non-waxy barley, but were lowered by waxy barley and by potato, corn or barley starches. Whereas incorporation of increasingly abraded non-waxy barley had little effect on the TPA parameters of udon noodles, addition of increasingly abraded waxy barley decreased hardness and chewiness of udon noodles. A shorter cooking time is required to cook noodles from wheat-barley blends (as indicated by lower peak viscosity temperatures and more open internal structures of noodles, as seen by scanning electron microscopy) than from wheat flour. Extent of colour darkening of udon noodles was reduced as the added barley flours were obtained from increasingly abraded grain.