AEGIC is investigating whether there is potential to expand the use of Australian Noodle Wheat (ANW) and APWN outside Japan, such as South East Asian noodles, breads, and steamed products.
For almost 35 years, Japan has exclusively imported noodle wheat from Western Australia that has been bred especially for udon. WA supplies about 750,000t of a special noodle wheat blend to Japan at a value of around $300 million annually. A similar market exists for Korean style noodles.
AEGIC is seeking to build interest in ANW and APWN among South East Asian customers to potentially increase demand outside Japan and Korea. We have been visiting flour mills to explain the benefits of these types of wheats and the opportunities they might deliver for them as part of their grists.
Local udon noodles made in South East Asia for local consumers are a clear potential opportunity, but ANW and APWN have potential applications for other noodle types, as well as confectionary products and steamed buns.
There are challenges involved, with some South East Asian millers cautious because of the reputation of ANW and APWN as niche “premium” wheat as well as the limited supply. There are also technical challenges to overcome, including different consumer preferences between Japan/Korea and South East Asia when it comes to texture preferences of wheat based noodles, steamed buns and confectionary style products.
AEGIC will continue to work with South East Asian customers to determine whether there are viable opportunities for ANW and APWN in South East Asia. This project is a co-investment with InterGrain.
AEGIC’s wheat experts will be back in South East Asia in the second half of the year working with key customers in Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines to demonstrate why Australian wheat should remain their number one choice when it comes to noodles. Visit our Events page for more information.
AEGIC is an initiative of the Western Australian State Government and Grains Australia