eli5: how do noodles retain their shape in liquid for so long?

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I just opened an oldish can of soup and the noodles have been submerged in liquid for months yet the flour and stuff in the noodles doesnt disintegrate into mush, yet when you try to chew it there’s zero resistance and it feels like you’re chewing nothing, why?

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10 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Because they are made from dough that contains gluten. Gluten is a protein that forms a network of strands when flour is mixed with water, and this network helps to give the dough its elasticity and strength. When the dough is rolled out and cut into noodles, the gluten strands remain intact, providing the noodles with their shape and structure.
When noodles are cooked in liquid, the heat causes the gluten strands to firm up and become more rigid, which helps the noodles to retain their shape. This is why noodles that are cooked for a shorter amount of time, such as al dente pasta, tend to be more firm and retain their shape better than noodles that are cooked for a longer time.
Overall, the gluten in noodles is what allows them to retain their shape in liquid for a long time, even as they are being cooked.

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