Using a salt template strategy to prepare rapidly rehydrated dried rice noodles with enhanced qualities

The dense gel structure formed during the drying of rice noodles often causes poor rehydration and increased cooking losses. In this study, NaCl was used as a sacrificial template to improve these properties. Systematic experiments with 0-40% (w/w) NaCl showed that NaCl decreased rice flour viscosity, raised melting temperature, and inhibited starch retrogradation. Notably, 30% NaCl yielded the best results and was selected for noodle preparation. Incorporating 30% NaCl followed by pre-drying, dialysis, and freeze-drying produced a dry rice noodle gel with rapid rehydration capability. This salt templating method halved the tensile strength, increased strain by 250%, and reduced rehydration time by 49.27%. The rehydrated noodles also exhibited improved texture and flexibility, significantly enhancing overall quality. These findings demonstrate that the sacrificial salt template method effectively shortens rehydration time and improves the quality of dried rice noodles.