North Korea Invents Noodle that Delays Hunger

[Doctor Cynic]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08/23/2344649.htm

North Korea, facing its worst food shortage in nearly a decade, has come up with a culinary innovation aimed at delaying the feeling of hunger - noodles made from soybean, a report has said.

A research institute at the country's education ministry has succeeded in making the food by mixing soybean with corn, Chosun Sinbo, a pro-North Korean newspaper based in Japan, said.

Soybean has never been consumed as a staple food in North Korea and it has been used only for side dishes such as fermented bean curd and bean sprouts, it said.

"When you consume ordinary noodles , you may soon feel your stomach empty. But this soybean noodle delays such a feeling of hunger," the paper said on its website.

The new noodle has almost twice the protein and five times more fat than the normal noodles consumed by North Koreans, it said.

It represents a technological breakthrough as soybean has previously proved difficult to turn into noodles it lacks starch, Chosun Sinbo said.

Workers from food processing plants, companies and government agencies as well as housewives have been visiting the research institute to learn about the noodle, it added.

A recent survey found up to half the people in North Korea were having to forage for foods and some were resorting to eating edible grasses and roots.

Coming soon to a country near you...

[bahrbearian]

1. Wasting perfectly good Soybeans and Corn to make food?

Haven't they heard of Bio-Diesel

[bananas]

2. They've reinvented the Atkins noodle?

[Warpy]

3. It's easy to make soy noodles, you can do it in any kitchen

Make soymilk. Heat soymilk in a large, shallow pan until it forms a skin on top. Lift skin out with a chopstick and partially dry. Cut into noodle sized strips.

You can then mix these noodles with any other cooked grain noodle to produce a protein rich dish with just a few stir fried vegetables. It's a great way to sneak soy protein into kids.

Dried soy noodles are also sold at Asian groceries.

Kudos to the Koreans for mixing soy with grains, though. That they've ignored such an important protein source for so long is odd, to say the least.

[On the Road]

4. The Chinese Eat a Lot of Tofu Noodles

They're chewy and flavorful. This doesn't sound all that different.

I don't understand why North Korea isn't growing more soybeans. The people need more protein their diet. When soybeans were introduced into Central China 3-4,000 years ago, it resulted in noticeable changes in size and strength of bones.