Physicochemical Properties and Eating Qualities of ‘Yumepirika’ Variety in Hokkaido Rice under Different Climatic Conditions

Abstract

 We investigated the annual variations in physicochemical properties and eating qualities of the ‘Yumepirika’ variety of Hokkaido rice grown under different climatic conditions, cold summer years, hot summer years, and average summer years. We found that climatic variations have an impact on the quality properties of brown, milled, and cooked rice. The setback value of gelatinization characteristics was the highest in cold summer years, suggesting that the cooked rice quality becomes more susceptible to starch retrogradation under such conditions. Among the sensory evaluation items, the greatest variation with climatic conditions was observed in the stickiness of cooked rice, with significant differences (p<0.01) between the cold and hot summer years. Understanding the range of variation in eating quality due to climatic conditions is deemed crucial for the stable production of high-quality ‘Yumepirika’ rice.