January 2014

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WINE&DINE
213 January14
Here are some fast facts for
you to consider as you wait
a few minutes for your instant
noodles to be ready:
• Almost 100 billion packets of instant
noodles are consumed each year
around the world.
• China eats almost half of them.
• The countr y with the biggest
consumption per capita is SouthKorea.
• Instant noodles were first marketed in
Japan in 1958.
Singapore has its own big player
on the global noodle stage: Koka,
produced by Tat Hui Foods. Koka instant
noodles are available in a dozen or so
varieties, from non-fried to rice noodles
to vegetarian options.
Arguably, the company’s most
distinctive offering is its Purple Wheat
Noodle range. These will appeal to
health-conscious noodle enthusiasts
because they’re steam-cooked and
dry-baked, rather than fried. They’re also
MSG-, fat- and preservative-free.
Koka products are available at leading supermarkets.
More obviously, they look very
different to your run-of-the-mill instant
noodles on account of their striking
purple colour. There’s nothing artificial
about this; rather, the shade derives
from two key ingredients in the noodles,
purple wheat flour and purple corn flour.
Purple Wheat: Originating in East
Africa and subsequently cultivated in
Austria, purple wheat gets its name from
the dark hue of the wheat grain. This
pigmentation is due to the presence of
anthocyanins. The antioxidant activity
of purple wheat has been shown to
be greater than that of non-pigmented
wheat varieties.
Purple Corn: Cultivated in coastal
areas in Peru, this is considered by
many to be a “superfood”. As with purple
wheat, the reason for purple corn’s dark
hue is the presence of anthocyanins
– and it’s found at levels significantly
higher than in blueberries.
The Verdict
Purple Wheat Noodles proved a hit
in our in-office test of the three new
varieties. Here’s what one editor had to
say about the Soy & Vinegar variety:
“The noodles stayed firm, even in the
face of the over-boiling I gave them. They
taste great cold, so make sure you run
the cold tap for a while before rinsing
the cooked noodles and covering them
in the tangy soy and vinegar sauce. The
packet menu suggests serving themwith
spring onion (I had none, so substituted
with slightly cooked white onion) and
cucumber, which complemented the
flavours of the sauce and noodles
well. The great thing is they’re only
240 calories a packet, making them
significantly less fattening than many of
the standard dried packet noodles.”
The two other new varieties are Chilli
& Lime and Aglio Olio. You can also
purchase plain Purple Wheat Noodles,
without seasoning or garnishes, so you
can prepare them however you want. We
suggest stirring through some chopped
veggies and dressing for an easy noodle
salad, or getting inventive and adding
tasty ingredients to make a hot dish.
Very useful for when you need a meal
on the run.