Abstract
Undesirable cooked rice called ‘mekko-meshi’ results when rice cooking is accidentally interrupted or raw rice is kept under warm conditions in a rice cooker. This study clarifies the effect of soaking conditions on the physicochemical and sensory properties of cooked rice. A Nipponbare rice sample was soaked in water for a soaking time of 0-12 hr at a water temperature of 20-90°C. The rice soaked at 65°C for 4 hr produced cracking on the ventral side of the rice grains, and the inner parts of the rice grains held more water than the outer parts. The surface stickiness and adhesiveness of the cooked rice after soaking in the 65-90°C range were less than the results for normal cooked rice. A sensory test revealed the texture of the cooked rice to be non-uniform and inferior after soaking in the 65-90°C range. The same effects were also apparent in old rice and Indica rice samples.
