GB2129273A - Instant noodles - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of cooking instant noodles characterized in that instant noodles are boiled and reconstituted with an amount of water in excess of the predetermined amount required for reconstitution of the noodles and in that the boiled juice in excess of a predetermined amount remaining after the restoration is separated to be utilized as a soup.

Description

SPECIFICATION Instant noodles This invention relates to a method of cooking noodles and more particularly to a cooking method wherein cooked noodles, together with a soup are obtained from boiled and baked instantly cookable noodles (hereinafter referred to as "instant noodles") Conventionaliy, such instant noodles obtained by boiling and baking as to example "instant" chow mein and instant spaghetti have been cooked in a manner wherein a predetermined amount of water is boiled in a cooking utensil such as a frying pan, and the instant noodles are put into the boiling water so as to be disentangled. The water and noodles are heated to evaporate the most of free water. Then a sauce may be added to them, and they are again heated to evaporate the most of the excess water and the noodles and resulting sauce is then placed on a dish.

Such methods have their problems, for instance, it takes at least 5 to 6 minutes to cook the noodles, the starch dissolved out of the noodles during the cooking becomes sticky and with a result that the noodle becomes soft and sticky and the excess of water is reduced. Therefore, the noodles stick to the cooking utensil and scorch when in contact with a surface not treated with "Teflon" (R.T.M.). It is known that instant chow meins can be reconstituted and cooked in an insulated vessel by adding hot water; the resultant juice is separated from then and separately attached powder soup is added to a part of separated juice to prepare a soup.However, these are "snack" noodles which are reconstituted by merely adding hot water but are not reconstituted by boiling in hot water; they are not heated to evaporate the most of free water and, therefore, differ in the cooking method from the instant noodles described above and they are, in particular different also in taste.

The present invention provides a method of cooking instant noodles by boiling and baking wherein the conventional problems can be dissolved and tasty cooked noodles with a soup can be obtained.

According to the present invention, there is provided a method of cooking instant noodles characterized in that instant noodles are boiled and reconstituted with an amount of water in excess of the predetermined amount required for reconstitution of the noodles and in that the boiled juice in excess of a predetermined amount remaining after the restoration is separated to be utilized as a soup.

The instant noodle to be cooked by the method of the present invention may include such instant noodles by boiling and baking as instant chow mein and instant spaghetti.

In the boiling and reconstitution according to the method of the present invention, it is preferable to use such deep bottomed cooking utensil as a single-handle pot instead of such cooking utensil as a frying pan and a larger amount of water or hot water than has been conventionally used for the reconstitution of instant chow mein must be used to that an amount of the boiled juice larger than a predetermined amount may remain after the boiling and reconstitution. Instant noodles are put into boiling water in the above mentioned cooking utensil so as to be constituted under heating. The instant noodles can be boiled and reconstituted, as desired, by being put into hot water simultaneously with dried additives.The dried additives to be used include dried vegetables as cabbages, onions, carrots and green peas, dried meats such as beef, pork and chicken, dried fish and shells such as shrimps, cuttlefishes, fish meat cakes, fish meat rolls and shell meats, dried fish and shell products and their mixtures. These dried additives may be properly added to the instant noodles. When dried additives are boiled together with the instant noodles, the dried additives will also be reconstituted so as to be eaten simultaneously and extracts contained in the dried additives will dissolve out into the boiled juice to make the resultant prepared soup derived therefrom very tasty.

After the instant noodles and the added dried additives have been boiled and reconstituted, the boiled juice in the cooking utensil is transferred into a separate vessel so as to be separated from the instant noodles. The instant noodles (and the added ingredients) having had the boiled juice separated therefrom may then have such separately associated seasonings as a sauce added to them and may then be reheated to have the existing free water removed, or may be lightly baked. These noodle lines will not be very sticky, they will not stick or scorch to the cooking utensil when reheated and will be very tasty when well baked. Needless to say, the instant noodles and additives having had the above mentioned boiled juice separated are placed in a pot or on a dish, have then the seasonings added to them and can be eaten without being reheated.

The separated boiled juice is utilized as a soup. When the instant noodles are seasoned with salt or any other seasonings or are fried with oils, a part of the seasonings or oils and/or fats will be dissolved out into the boiled juice. Furthermore, when the dried additives present with the noodles are reconstituted the extracts contained in the additives will dissolve out at the same time. Therefore, the separated boiled juice may be taken as as soup as it is, or may have the seasoning added to it to adjust the taste. For the purpose, it is preferred to utilize salt, seasonings, spices and extracts or their proper mixtures added for the soup or for the soup base. A packet of instant soup may be packed with the noodles for use in the formation of the soup.

However, as compared with the seasoning to be merely dissolved, the above mentioned seasoning to be added to the boiled juice is cheaper and the taste of the resultant soup is better.

In the cooking method of the present invention, the cooking time is reduced compared with the conventional cooking method with a frying pan and, as the starch dissolved out is separated as a boiled juice, the noodle lines will not be very sticky and the tendency to stick or scorch to the cooking utensil will be reduced. Furthermore, the soup thus obtained is better in the taste than the conventional instant soup dissolved in hot water and the cost of the separately attached soup may be lower.

Following is a description by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings of methods of carrying the invention into effect.

In the drawings:- Figure 1 shows a boiling step of the cooking.

Figure 2 shows a separating step of the boiled juice.

Figure 3 shows an adding step of the soup with powder soup.

Figure 4 shows a seasoning and reheating step of the reconstituted spaghetti, and Figure 5 shows cooked spaghetti and soup.

EXAMPLE 1 Instant chow mein was cooked by the below mentioned methods: (a) Conventional method: 200 ml of water were contained and boiled in a frying pan made of iron. Instant chow mein (fried with oils) and dried cabbage and onions were put into the boiling water, were baked until there was no free water while noodles were disentangled, had a separately attached liquid sauce added to them, were further lightly baked and were placed on a dish.

(b) Method of the present invention: 400 ml of water were contained and boiled in a single handle pot. The same instant chow mein noodles as in (a) above and dried cabbages and onions were put into the boiling water. When reconstitution of the noodles was complete, the heating was stopped, the boiled juice was decanted into another vessel and a small amount of salt and peppers were added to the juice. The noodles having had the boiled juice separated from them had a separately attached liquid sauce added to them, and were heated again while being lightly agititated to have the free water removed; after heating, the noodles and sauce were placed on a dish.

The results of the above mentioned cooking are shown in Table 1 from which it can be known that the cooking method of the present invention is superior to the conventional method.

TABLE 1

(A) (B) Conventional Method Method of the Present Invention Cooking time 6 minutes and 30 seconds 4 minutes Scorching to the The noodles, cabbages and Nothing scorched at all to cooking utensil onions scorched to the the single-handle pot bottom of the frying pan Stickiness of the The noodle lines stuck The noodle lines stuck noodles together so much as not so little as to ize well to be disentangled disentangled Soup None A very tasty soup could be taken simultaneously ~ with the baked noodles w . r EXAMPLE 2 By the method of the present invention, instant spaghetti (oil-fried noodles) were cooked as mentioned below in the manner shown in Figures: 1. 400 cc. of hot water were contained and boiled in a single-handled pot and instant spaghetti 1 and dried vegetables 2 (carrots, Spanish paprika and onions) were put into the boiling water and were boiled for 4 minutes (Fig. 1).

2. When they were reconstituted, boiled juice 3 were transferred into a separate vessel (Fig. 2).

3. The boiled juice had a separately attached powder soup 4 put into it and was agitated, a soup was obtained (Fig. 3).

4. The spaghetti and additives remaining in the single-handled pot had a separately attached liquid Neapolitan sauce 5 put into them and were lightly fried while being agitated to have the free water removed (Fig. 4).

5. When they were placed on a dish, the cooking of instant spaghetti and soup ended (Fig. 5).

When reheated, the spaghetti and additives did not scorch to the bottom of the pot. The resultant spaghetti was not sticky and was very easy to eat. The soup thus obtained was a very tasty vegetable soup.

Claims (7)

1. A method of cooking instant noodles characterized in that instant noodles are boiled and reconstituted with an amount of water in excess of the predetermined amount required for reconstitution of the noodles and in that the boiled juice in excess of a predetermined amount remaining after the restoration is separated to be utilized as a soup.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said instant noodles are selected from instant chow mein and instant spaghetti.

3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said instant noodles are boiled and reconstituted together with such dried additives as dried vegetables and dried meats.

4. A method according to any preceding claim wherein said reconstituted instant noodles have seasonings added to them after the boiled juice is separated are further heated as desired.

5. A method according to any preceding claim wherein seasonings are added to said separated juice to make a soup.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as described in any one of the specific examples hereinbefore set forth.

7. Instant noodles together with instructions for carrying out the method claimed in any preceding claim.