Make Unicorn Noodles (yes, they're 100% natural!)
These magical colour-changing noodles are the perfect mix of science, food, and a little bit of what on earth is happening to my dinner. Your kids will love it and you’re using the part of the red cabbage that usually ends up in the compost bin. Win, win, win. All you need are some rice noodles, red cabbage & lemon!
So... what are unicorn noodles?
Unicorn noodles are just plain old noodles that go on a wild colour journey. First, they turn a beautiful purple. Then – BAM – a splash of lemon juice, and suddenly they’re pink!
Add something alkaline like bicarb, and you’ll get blue. It’s edible sorcery, and the secret ingredient? Red cabbage. But not just any red cabbage...
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How to make unicorn noodles
Ingredients:
- Outer leaves from ½ a red cabbage (the darker the better)
- Water
- Plain rice noodles or glass noodles
- Lemon juice (fresh is best)
- Optional: bicarb soda for extra science-y fun
Method:
- Roughly tear the cabbage leaves and chuck them into a pot with enough water to cover.
- Bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the water is a deep, rich purple. (Smells a bit cabbagey. Just roll with it.)
- Strain out the cabbage, and keep that magical purple liquid.
- Cook your noodles in the purple water according to the packet instructions. Watch them transform into vibrant violet strands of wonder.
- Drain and serve... but don’t stop there.
Now for the showstopper: drizzle lemon juice over the noodles, and watch the colour change right before your eyes. It’ll go from purple to hot pink. Add a bit of bicarb to a separate batch and watch them go blue. You’ve just made edible science.
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The science bit (for curious kids – and grownups too!)
The purple liquid from red cabbage is actually a natural pH indicator (basically, it changes colour depending on how acidic or alkaline something is.)
- Lemon juice is acidic, so it turns the purple to pink.
- Bicarb soda is alkaline, so it can turn it blue or even greenish.
- Plain old neutral pH? You get that beautiful deep purple.
So not only are you cooking something cool, but you’re also low-key teaching chemistry. Without even trying.