抄録
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.
