From Pasta to Ramen!? The Delicious Chemistry Behind Baking Soda’s Magic

I’m Ken Kuwako, your Science Trainer. Every day is an experiment!

“Ugh, I’m dying for a bowl of ramen!” But the only thing in the pantry is pasta… Have you ever heard of the “magical hack” that saves you from such a desperate situation? By simply adding a bit of baking soda—a staple in any kitchen—to your boiling water, your Italian pasta instantly transforms into the texture of authentic Chinese ramen noodles. Today, I’ll explain the secret behind this “delicious chemical reaction” in the kitchen, along with some behind-the-scenes stories from a TV show where I served as the science supervisor!

Science Supervision for Fuji TV’s “Chan House”

I recently had the pleasure of providing science supervision and commentary for Fuji TV’s “Chan House.” It’s a popular variety show where the three “Chans”—Kiyotaka Nanbara, Tetsuro Degawa, and Teruyoshi Uchimura—introduce fascinating trivia that you’ll want to share with everyone the next day.

The amazing “science magic” I explained on the show was: “Just add one secret ingredient to your pasta water to turn it into ramen.”

By the way, I am not a professor! The TV captions introduced me as one, but I’m actually a Science Trainer. I’d like to set the record straight here (haha).

The Secret of the Transformation: The Power of “Alkali”

So, why does pasta turn into ramen? The secret lies in an additive called “Kansui” (alkaline salts), which gives ramen its unique chewiness and aroma. The main components of Kansui are alkaline substances like sodium carbonate. When gluten, the protein in wheat flour, reacts with alkali, the bonds become stronger, resulting in that signature springy texture and a yellowish tint. In other words, you just need to make your pasta water alkaline, just like Kansui!

That’s where our friend “Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate)” comes in. Since baking soda becomes weakly alkaline when dissolved in water, adding it to the pot allows the pasta to “morph” into ramen.

The Science of Noodles: Rich Texture, Aroma, and Umami Born from Flour (Blue Backs 2105)

According to this book, several surprising changes occur when you boil noodles in baking soda water:

1. High Alkalization through Heating When baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is heated in water, it starts to decompose at around 65°C, releasing carbon dioxide and transforming into “sodium carbonate.”

This sodium carbonate becomes strongly alkaline (pH 11 or higher!) when dissolved.

2. Protein Transformation (Deamidation) In a strongly alkaline environment, the wheat proteins undergo a reaction that releases ammonia. The trace amounts of ammonia produced here are what create that distinctive ramen smell.

Reference site: Kogakuin University – Boosting Somen Texture!

3. Enhanced Chewiness through Ionic Bonding The alkaline power strengthens the bonds between protein molecules, creating a tightly-knit mesh structure. This gives the noodles the “ramen bounce” that regular pasta lacks.

Let’s Try It! The Baking Soda Pasta Experiment

Let’s take a look at the actual experiment in action.

Add 1.5 tablespoons of baking soda to 1.5 liters of water.

As it heats up, you’ll see fizzy carbon dioxide bubbles. That’s the evidence of a chemical reaction!

For comparison, I boiled noodles in “plain water” and “baking soda water.”

The baking soda batch starts to smell just like a real ramen shop kitchen.

Comparing the results (Left: Plain water, Right: Baking soda water), the noodles on the right are darker and noticeably more yellow.

The taste? Pure ramen! The springy texture is worlds apart from regular pasta. Note: If you add too much baking soda, it might taste a bit bitter, so watch your measurements!

Bonus Experiment: Color Changing with Turmeric!

Finally, here’s a “color change” experiment that’s perfect for a science project. We’ll use turmeric, the spice commonly found in curry.

📖 From “Out of this World! Science Classroom” (Kagaku-Dojin) The compounds in turmeric have the property of turning red when they react with alkali.

• Boiling Pasta (Neutral) results in… Orange
• Boiling Ramen (Alkaline) results in… Red!

With just a pinch of turmeric in the water, the noodles act like pH test paper. This is science you can learn and eat! Your kitchen is the most accessible “chemistry lab” in the world. Next time you boil pasta, grab the baking soda. It’s sure to make your dinner much more exciting!

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