Noodle Nannies in L.A. (Not D.C., Yet)
The L.A. Times reports on a posse of health inspector bend on turning handmade Chinese noodles fridge brittle:
For 25 years, the Lucky K.T. Noodle Factory in El Monte has been making fresh rice noodles for hundreds of Asian restaurants and supermarkets in Los Angeles and around the country.
But a state law requiring manufacturers to refrigerate the pasta instead of allowing it to be stored at room temperature threatens to alter a long-held Asian tradition, said factory owner Tom Thong….
[Restauranteur] Yee said there have been no reports of illness from eating Asian noodles and that independent tests have verified that the traditional preparation is not harmful.
And, because everything is better with an analogy:
“If we refrigerate the rice noodle, it becomes hard and brittle,” [a city food importer] said. “It’s like bread. You sell bread on the shelf. It’s not refrigerated. If it is refrigerated, you know it’s not fresh.”
We have out own handmade noodle guy here in D.C., visible through the shop window of Chinatown Express in Chinablock:
Look at the stretchy goodness. You better believe that guy isn’t refrigerating those babies.
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