Abstract
Textural measurements, microscopic observations and a sensory evaluation were carried out in order to clarify the properties of cooked peanuts in comparison with those of cooked soybean and kidney bean. Cooked peanuts showed the highest stickiness and lowest brittleness of all the three legumes. Transmission electron micrographs showed that the lipid bodies in the cotyledon cells of the cooked peanuts were fused with each other to form large lipid droplets. The walls of the cotyledon cells of these three kinds of legumes were fairly different in structure. The results of the sensory evaluation showed that the cooked peanuts were significantly stronger in aroma and more easily dispersed in the mouth than the other legumes. Cooked peanuts seasoned in two different ways were both favored by a majority of the evaluation panel.
