Abstract
The condition of rice maintained at a fixed temperature immediately after cooking was examined in order to assess the effects of different pre-cooking soaking conditions. Measurements of palatability, color b-value (degree of yellowing), and odor discrimination value (SC3) showed a deterioration in quality in rice that had been soaked in hot water over a long period. In particular, it was confirmed that long soaking times tend to cause deterioration in terms of yellowing and odor. Measurement of viable cell counts showed that generally, soaking in hot water over a long period resulted in contamination of the soaking water ; in any case, this was eliminated by cooking.
