2021 Volume 27 Issue 3 Pages 369-379
We examined the effect of taro drying processes on the properties of taro flour and taro flour products. Taro flour produced by blast-drying with hot air was characterized by the formation of aggregated starch granules during storage. Consequently, pastes made from blast-dried flour exhibited higher hardness and adhesiveness than pastes made from fresh taro. Pastes made from freeze-dried flour exhibited similar increases in hardness and adhesiveness due to the formation of aggregated starch granules during heating. Starch granules did not aggregate in flour that was blast-dried after heating, and the hardness and adhesiveness of pastes were lower than those of fresh taro. Bread substituted with 10 % blast-dried flour after heating exhibited softening and increased cohesiveness. The results demonstrated that the drying processes of taro flour have a marked effect on the texture of products by affecting the aggregation and swelling of starch granules.