Abstract
The chemical components and cooking properties of 12 cultivars of Myanmar rice were studied for a comparison with eight cultivars of Japanese rice. This represents the first report to our knowledge on various cultivars of Myanmar rice. The range of physicochemical properties was much wider in Indica rice from Myanmar than in Japonica rice from Japan. The texture of cooked Indica rice was harder and less sticky than that of cooked Japonica rice. Adding more water to Indica rice did not increase itsstickiness when cooked, although the hardness was decreased. A sensory evaluation was conducted on the preference of cooked plain rice and rice for pilaf and curry. Japonica was preferred as plain cooked rice, while Indica rice was preferred for pilaf and curry. The sensory score could be expressed with the multiple regression equation by using instrumental measurement values for the cooked rice.
