Baking Soda Ramen Noodles Using Spaghetti

Baked baking soda turns dried spaghetti into a passable alkaline noodle: firmer, yellower and closer to ramen than ordinary pasta. This recipe is adapted for a Hong Kong flat, locally available ingredients and a normal hob.

Cooking hub: How to Make Ramen at Home in a Hong Kong Kitchen. Component guide: Anatomy of a Ramen Bowl.

Serves 2. Time 25 minutes. It is a shortcut, not a replacement for fresh kansui noodles.

🛒 1. Ingredients

• 2 tbsp bicarbonate of soda
• 200 g spaghetti or thin spaghetti
• Water for boiling
• Ramen broth and tare

🔥 2. Method

1. Bake bicarbonate of soda at 120°C for 60 minutes; cool and label it.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add 1 tsp baked soda per litre.
3. Add spaghetti; cook 2–3 minutes longer than packet timing.
4. Drain very well; do not rinse for soup ramen. Add to hot broth and tare.

🧂 3. Adjustments and substitutions

Use thin spaghetti for shoyu and shio, standard spaghetti for miso. See ramen noodles.

Baked baking soda is caustic. Do not taste it, avoid eye contact, avoid aluminium cookware and label the jar clearly.

❓ FAQ

Why bake it? Heat converts bicarbonate to sodium carbonate, which mimics kansui.

Is it gluten-free? No; spaghetti is wheat.