Specific foods processed with sodium hydroxide include:
The Scandinavian delicacy known as lutefisk (from lutfisk, "lye fish").
Hominy is dried maize (corn) kernels reconstituted by soaking in lye-water. These expand considerably in size and may be further processed by frying to make corn nuts or by drying and grinding to make grits. Nixtamal is similar, but uses calcium hydroxide instead of sodium hydroxide.
Sodium hydroxide is also the chemical that causes gelling of egg whites in the production of Century eggs.
German pretzels are poached in a boiling sodium carbonate solution or cold sodium hydroxide solution before baking, which contributes to their unique crust.
Most yellow coloured Chinese noodles are made with lye-water but are commonly mistaken for containing egg."
I was just thinking of asking "What about the pretzels, century eggs and yellow noodle process?". All of them uses NaOH as part of their ingredient. But at what limit? Or purely based on pH value?
Look! I've gone pale with the shame and embarrassment of failure!
LOL. Take it easy man. It just means you have learnt something new today.
Hope this new information has spark some interest in your current not-so-enjoyable job? Maybe you can start auditing some chinese food industry producing century eggs and yellow noodles.
Edited by Hongyun, 31 March 2009 - 12:52 AM.
