Now we’re getting somewhere
According to the pedia, if you’re going to make ramen noodles you’ll need flour, water, salt (I assume NaCl), and either Sodium Carbonate or Potassium Carbonate, or both to make an alkaline solution (kansui). Supposedly this solution is similar to well water in the regions where these noodles were invented, and gives them their characteristic yellow color and springiness. I love that the Cereal Chemistry abstract reads like a recipe, and that they suggest a 9:1 ratio for Na to K.
Oh plus you can totally buy both of these chemicals online. They’re used in such low concentrations I have to admit not being all that worried about any potential contaminants, especially for the reagent grade versions. I just hope they’re not used to make meth or something, boy would that be embarrassing.