Abstract
In order to clarify the effects of early harvesting of rice grains on the taste characteristics of cooked rice, especially on the taste items of “sweetness” and “deliciousness,” we compared “early-harvest” rice which was harvested 10 days before the ordinary harvest time and “ordinary-harvest” rice which was harvested at the usual time. From the results of sensory tests, the cooked early-harvest rice was evaluated as being sweeter and more delicious than the cooked ordinary-harvest rice. The greater sweetness in the former rice was primarily due to the formation of glucose, maltose and maltoligosaccharides from starch, probably by starch degradation enzymes during soaking and/or cooking. The cooked early-harvest rice also contained more L-glutamic acid than the cooked ordinary-harvest rice. From these results, it was concluded that when rice is harvested 10 days before the ordinary time of harvesting, the cooked rice will be sweeter and more delicious.
