Ramen noodles are wheat-based alkaline noodles made with flour, wheat and most importantly kansui (かん水).  This key ingredient is a salty, alkaline liquid that gives the noodles their signature chewy, springy texture once cooked.  There are many types of noodles that fit this criterion with varying shapes, colors, lengths, thicknesses, etc. – they don’t all look like the wavy dried packets we’re most familiar with.  They can vary from thin and straight to thick and wavy, but the one thing they all have in common is kansui – which means they’ve earned the coveted classification as chewy ramen noodles.