Abstract: This study investigated the effect of adding different proportions of calcium hydroxide (0%–1.0%) to buckwheat flour on its pasting properties as well as the quality of buckwheat noodles. The results showed that with increasing addition of calcium hydroxide, the lightness (L*) of buckwheat noodles was decreased, the redness (a*) was increased, and the yellowness (b*) value was increased firstly and then decreased. Buckwheat noodles with 0.6% calcium hydroxide showed a bright yellow, and had the lowest breaking rate (17.57%), lowest cooking loss (4.67%) and highest sensory score (80 points), with moderate hardness and good viscosity and flexibility. Addition of calcium hydroxide decreased the transmittance of buckwheat flour, increased the solubility and the, and resulted in an initial increase followed by a decrease in the final viscosity and setback. Moderate final viscosity and setback were obtained for noodles with 0.6% calcium hydroxide added. In conclusion, calcium hydroxide can improve the quality of buckwheat noodles by influencing the pasting properties of buckwheat flour.

Key words: buckwheat noodle, calcium hydroxide, pasting properties