Northeastern Chinese Cold Glass Noodles

Northeastern Chinese Cold Glass Noodles

　　Northeastern Chinese Cold Glass Noodles are a well-known snack from the northeast region of China, beloved by consumers for their chewy yet tender texture and delicious flavor. There are currently two main methods for making them: handmade and machine-made.

　　Method for Handmade Northeastern Chinese Cold Glass Noodles:

　　First, fill a large iron pot with water, and when it boils, you can appropriately add some cold water as needed. Use sheet metal to fashion a round metal plate with a raised bottom, called a “spinner.” Wash it, then brush a little oil on the bottom. Pour a small amount of potato starch slurry into the spinner, then place it on the surface of the boiling water in the pot. Rotate it clockwise and counterclockwise several times to evenly spread the starch slurry. When the starch paste solidifies into white upon heating, tilt the spinner so that water from the pot flows into it. At this point, you will see the noodle sheet gradually turn from white to transparent. Pour out the water, wait for one minute, then remove the cooked noodle sheet. Place it in a cold basin, let it cool, then take it out, lay it flat, stack it neatly, and drain off the moisture. Though thin, it is incredibly chewy—so much so that it could be used as a rubber band, which gives you an idea of just how firm it is. Serve it with bean sprouts, shredded cucumber, wood ear mushrooms, cilantro, along with seasonings such as soy sauce, aged vinegar, and mashed garlic. It melts in your mouth, offering a refreshing, sweet, and clean flavor.　

　　The process for machine-made Northeastern Chinese Cold Glass Noodles is as follows:

　　Required equipment: Northeastern Glass Noodle Machine (including a mixing machine, main unit, and cutting machine)

　　Process flow: Ingredient selection – Mixing – Loading – Rapid steaming – Slow steaming – Cooling – Noodle release – Cutting – Shaping – Packaging.

　　Production method:

　　1. Ingredient selection: For making the noodles, you can use high-quality cassava starch, potato starch, sweet potato starch, or other types of starch.

　　2. Mixing: Weigh the selected high-quality starch, mix it with water in proportion, and stir it into a slurry in the mixing machine. When processing dry starch, make sure the starch is fully hydrated, and do not set the mixing speed too high. Generally, control it at around ×× revolutions per minute, as this yields the best results.

　　3. Loading: Open the valve of the finished slurry chamber of the mixing machine, allowing the slurry to slowly flow into the feed hopper of the noodle machine. The flow rate should be such that the slurry in the hopper remains continuous.

　　4. Rapid steaming and slow steaming: Under the movement of the conveyor belt, the slurry enters the high-temperature rapid steaming section of the steaming box, quickly sets, and then moves into the slow steaming section to finish forming. It is essential that the machine is designed rationally, with accurately configured high-temperature and medium-temperature zones, which is one of the key factors in making quality noodles.

　　5. Low-temperature cooling: After high-temperature cooking, the noodles are very soft and sticky, making them difficult to separate and package. They need to undergo low-temperature cooling to enhance their toughness.

　　6. Release: The cooled noodles are transported on the belt to the cutting machine, where they are automatically cut into sections and sent to the next process.