Is instant noodles cooked or soaked for consumption? Netizens discuss dough, heating time, and taste
Should instant noodles be boiled directly in hot water or in a pot? Recently, a netizen named "xth" asked on Xiaohongshu, "So is boiled noodles delicious or soaked noodles delicious?" This question may seem simple, but it has attracted nearly 5000 comments. Everyone is divided into "boiled noodles" and "instant noodles". Some people say that cooking makes it smooth and flavorful, while others only love the hard core and wheat aroma soaked in hot water, each with their own reasons.
People who support cooking noodles believe that when boiled in boiling water, the noodles will become slightly transparent, taste more chewy, and the soup can be mixed more evenly with seasonings. Especially for Korean style instant noodles or thicker noodles, the difference between soaking and boiling is more pronounced. You can also add eggs, vegetables, shiitake mushrooms, meatballs, ham, and meat slices when cooking noodles. There are more ingredients, and the soup made from vegetables and eggs is more flavorful.
The "instant noodle pie" likes a taste with a bit of hard core. They think that as long as the noodles can be stirred, they will eat immediately. After soaking for a long time, they will become soft and chewy. Some people only soak in hot water for 30 seconds without covering the bowl, and they love to have a soft outside, crispy inside, and a strong wheat aroma. Some people say that the first half of a bowl of instant noodles is the best to eat, and the remaining noodles become soft after soaking in the soup, so they don't want to eat anymore.
Some netizens have also proposed a compromise solution: first cook the soup base, meatballs, and vegetables, and finally add the dough cake. Turn off the heat when the water boils again and let it simmer with the remaining heat. In this way, between soaking and boiling, the soup has flavor and the noodles still have elasticity. Another approach is to soak the noodles separately until soft, then make a soup and mix them together before eating. This creates both a hard noodle texture and a thick soup.
By reading the comments, you will find that the answer is related to the type of face and personal preference. Bottled fine noodles are more suitable for brewing, while bagged or Korean style coarse noodles are more resistant to boiling. What really affects the taste is not "soaking or boiling", but the heating time. If you like a hard core, soak it less and cook it less. If you like it softer and more flavorful, cook it a little longer. In terms of health, no matter how you eat, you can reduce the amount of seasoning packets, drink less soup, and add more protein and vegetables to make a bowl of instant noodles more balanced.
