The texture and taste of Vichyssoise soup cooked by a professional chef (VP) and that produced by a food manufacturer (VM) were compared by examming their physical properties in order to investigate the optimum cooking conditions for making desirable Vichyssoise soup.
In comparison with VM, VP was lower in apparent viscosity, larger in potato-cell size, and higher in the ratio of particle volume. Micro-structural observations showed that the starch particles in VP were retained in the potato cells, whereas those in VM had leaked from the cells due to severe cell damage.
It was found that soup like the VP sample could be obtained by a straining the potatoes at 90°C through a sieve of 250μmin mesh size-which minimized damage to the potato cells by and made a product lower in viscosity and higher in particle volume than the VM sample.
A sensory test was carried out on two products made by different processing techniques. The mixing method was found to damage the cells more and spoil the texture of the potatoes. The straining method with a sieve, however, gave favorable results, producing a soup that was less viscous, and that retained the potato particles, while still being smooth in the mouth.
