Mechanical and Subjective Property of Rice Materials by Grinding Before Cooking with Varying Water Addition Rates

Abstract

We investigated the effects of water addition on rice materials prepared by pre-cooking grinding, by assessing their mechanical (dynamic viscoelasticity and texture) and subjective properties. Medium amylose rice (Koshihikari) was used as the raw material. Rice was soaked and ground using a mixer. The amount of water added was then adjusted to 2-7 times the weight of the rice before the rice was cooked. Rice materials prepared by pre-cooking grinding displayed a tendency toward decreased hardness and stickiness with increasing water content, exhibiting lower storage and loss modulus values. The loss tangent was below 1 for all samples, indicating gel-like properties, with the viscous component becoming more dominant at higher water contents. Sensory evaluation revealed that higher water contents resulted in decreased chewiness, making the material easier to swallow. These findings can contribute to improving the quality of meals for individuals with impaired eating functions as well as the development of foods with new textures.