Geographical Variations in Rice Noodle Quality and Associated Grain Physicochemical Properties

ABSTRACT Background and Objectives Rice noodle quality is influenced by both variety and environment; however, limited information is available on how environmental variation affects rice noodle quality. This study aimed to evaluate the geographical variations in rice noodle quality and their relationships with grain physicochemical properties. Cooking and texture traits of noodles, along with grain chemical components and pasting properties, were assessed for Zhongan 2—a newly developed early‐season rice variety suited for noodle production—grown at 32 sites across Hunan Province, China. Findings Both cooking and texture traits varied significantly among sites. The cooked break rate (0%–4.4%) and texture parameters, such as hardness (1243–2248 g) and chewiness (914–1631 g), exhibited high variability. Stepwise regression analysis showed that all quality traits were significantly associated with one or more chemical traits (amylose content, amylose‐to‐amylopectin ratio, protein content) and pasting traits (consistency viscosity, time to peak viscosity, pasting temperature), with pasting traits exhibiting higher coefficients of determination ( R 2 ) than chemical traits. Conclusions Significant geographical variations were observed in the quality of rice noodles produced from Zhongan 2. These variations were closely associated with key physicochemical properties, particularly pasting characteristics. Significance and Novelty This study highlights the need to consider environmental effects when developing and producing rice varieties for high‐quality noodle processing.