Abstract
Physical and chemical properties of the “Yumehitachi” rice grains developed and produced in Ibaraki Prefecture were characterized and compared against control rice varieties, and the effectiveness of making “Koshihikari” and low amylose rice blends to improve palatability were evaluated. The results are summarized as follows : (1) Quality of “Yumehitachi” was characterized as a high-palatable rice based on the quality assays such as amylose and protein contents, whiteness, pasting properties, physical properties of cooked rice grains, scores of rice palatability “mido-value” by the Taste Analyzer, and “suihan-shokumi-value” by the Taste Analyzer for cooked rice, and “property” by the “Taste Sensing System”. (2) The results of tests on blends with “Yumehitachi” and “Koshihikari” against a high-quality blend “Rice A” was that the balance degree (-H1/H1) was lower, “mido-value” of cooked rice was at a similar level, and pasting properties such as breakdown were higher, and consistency was lower. This suggests that the “Yumehitachi” and “Koshihikari” blend is as suitable as “Rice A”. (3) The blending of “Yumehitachi” with low-amylose rice improved the physical properties of cooked rice such as softness, balance degree (-H1/H1), “suihan-shokumi-value” by the Taste Analyzer for cooked rice, and made it more resistant to retrogradation after cooking.
