Effects of Sprouting on Texture of Cooked Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) Noodles

The firmness of buckwheat noodles plays an important role in its palatability. We investigated the effects of artificial sprouting after harvest and preharvest sprouting in the field of buckwheat grains on the firmness of cooked buckwheat noodles by measuring the force required to compress the cooked noodles. Sprouting significantly decreased the peak force and peak strain to compress cooked noodles, suggesting that sprouting lowers the palatability of cooked buckwheat noodles. Sprouting significantly decreased the force needed to compress cooked noodles largely, suggesting that the cooked noodles made from sprouting grains lead to the perception of less resistance to completely cut off by mastication.