2025 Volume 58 Issue 1 Pages 23-31
The rice material prepared by grinding before cooking was examined for its potential as a staple food for people with reduced chewing and swallowing functions. Texture properties were compared with those of porridge and porridge pastes. The rice material prepared by grinding was also evaluated for ease of consumption by sensory evaluation and by quantitating masseter muscle activity.
White and brown rice were each tested as a base ingredient. Rice was prepared by soaking white or brown rice to achieve sufficient water absorption, followed by grinding and cooking. Porridges and porridge pastes were prepared using the same proportion of water as contained in the rice.
The rice was gelatinous and exhibited a smooth texture with hardness, adhesiveness, and cohesiveness values intermediate between those of porridge and paste. Sensory evaluation of the rice gelatinous material showed enhanced cohesiveness relative to porridge and porridge paste. Muscle activity measurements of gelatinous brown rice showed that the time required to swallow, amount of muscle activity, and average maximum amplitude were low, indicating that it is easy to consume.