Kudzumushiyokan made from kudzu starch is one of the traditional Japanese confections. Sago starch has high-gel-forming capacity and elasticity as a gel, as well as a low price, so the substitution by sago starch of kudzu starch could be practical. In this study, sago starch was cooked into kudzumushiyokan, and the cooking and processing properties were studied. Besides the starch substitution, trehalose and lactosucrose were substituted for sucrose to evaluate their effect on the storage properties and sensory attributes of kudzumushiyokan.
The sample made from sago starch and sucrose was softer, lower in adhesiveness, and higher in cohesiveness than the sample made from kudzu starch and sucrose. The sample with added trehalose showed a slower increase in firmness and adhesiveness, as well as a slower decrease in cohesiveness than the samples with other kirlds of added sugar during aging at 5°C. The sample made from sago starch was more particularly resistant to retrogradation with added trehalose than that made from kudzu starch. No significant difference in preference by a sensory evaluation was apparent between the samples made from sago starch and kudzu starch with added sucrose. The sample made from sago starch and with 50% of sucrose substituted by trehalose or lactosucrose was evaluated as highly as that containing 100% sucrose. After storing for 3 days at 5°C, the sample made from sago starch and sucrose where 50% was substituted to trehalose was the most preferred among the samples.
