Liver has a specific animal odor due to the volatile aldehydes derived from lipid peroxidation. To reduce the odor of cooked liver, the effect of frying temperature on the odor of chicken, beef and pork liver was assessed. Pieces of liver (10g) were pan-fried in cooking oil at 100°C for 4 min or at 180°Cfor 2 min until the temperature at the center of the liver had reached 80°C. The results of sensory tests show that all three kinds of liver fried at 180°C were preferred over those fried at 100°C in respect of both the smell and flavor.
The peroxide and carbonyl values of the lipids extracted from the pan-fried liver samples were higher in those cooked at 100°C than in those cooked at 180°C.
These results suggest that cooking at a higher temperature for a shorter time improves the smell and flavor of pan-fried liver by retarding the formation of aldehydes derived from lipid peroxidation.

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Wash-free rice is intended for use in an emergency. To evaluate the characteristics with storage, commercial wash-free rice, which had been prepared by a dry method, was stored at 20°C and,60%RH for up to 9 months, and the quality changes in the raw rice and cooked rice were investigated in comparison with those of common milled rice. The value of fat acidity was increased by storage, especially after 3 months. This was most marked in the outer parts, which were collected by grinding common milled rice to 4% and wash-free rice to 3.5%. This fat oxidation was delayed in the wash-free rice. The soaking solution of the wash-free rice contained higher levels of solid matter, free amino acids, and sugar than that of the common milled rice. The results of a sensory analysis show that the cooked wash-free rice was inferior in transparency, glossiness, whiteness and so on. After 5months of storage, the flavor and taste were significantly unfavorable too. During storage, the stickiness and adhesiveness of cooked rice from both the wash-free and common milled origins, as determined by a Texturometer, had decreased. The cooked rice also developed a yellowish tinge, by which the b-value determined by a color-difference meter tended to increase.

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Our previous survey showed that people living in Nagasaki use more sugar in cooking than people living in Osaka. We then tested if a pinch of salt would help to reduce the amount of sugar needed.
We first compared the frequency of using salt for seasoning between the people living in Nagasaki and those in Osaka. The results of a questionnaire survey, showed that the people living in Osaka use salt more frequently than those in Nagasaki. Junior college students in Nagasaki were then tested for the effect of a pinch of salt on the seasoning of six dishes.
The results show that a pinch of salt had the effect of reducing the amount of sugar used.
It is therefore suggested that the habit of using a pinch of salt in cooking makes it possible to reduce the amount of sugar needed.

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We studied the processing of bread in which 20,40 or 60% of the wheat flour had been replaced by five kinds barley flour rich in fiber. Automatic bread bakers were used for baking. The addition of barley flour decreased the loaf volume of the bread and made the crumb color more orange when compared with the control bread. The crumb firmness increased with increasing amount of barley flour. It was concluded that the formula of 60% wheat flour,38% barley flour and 2% wheat gluten was the best for bread making when using barley flour as a fiber source. The result of a sensory evaluation by 18 to 21-year-old women show that the bread samples containing barley flour were acceptable in all the sensory attributes tested.

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A collaborative study was conducted to examine the applicability of a sensory test to determine the life span of frying oil. Three types of food were deep-fried with or without a batter coating. Sensory tests on the frying oil and fried foods were carried out.
The usable life of the frying oil with a batter coating, which is defined as the frying time until the flavor score reached 3, was slightly longer than that for frying without a batter coating; the oil was less discolored and the scores for “viscosity” and “rancid flavor” were lower with the batter coating. These results suggest that the batter coating prevented the extraction of those components responsible for the color, viscosity and rancid flavor of the frying oil. Fried foods with a flavor score of 3or more were not considered acceptable for eating. It is suggested that frying food with a batter coating as well as without a batter coating is useful to to determine the life span of frying oil.

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The extent to which iron is eluted by different cooking methods from an iron pot during cooking was investigated.
The addition of seasonings and the use of oil, as well as the effect of heating time, were evaluated. The amount of iron eluted tended to be less with the use of oil, and was also affected by the seasoning added during cooking. In particular, the amount of iron eluted was markedly increased when vinegar was added. The amount of iron eluted also increased with increasing heating time.78-98% of the iron that was eluted from the iron pot was in the form of easily absorbed ferrous compounds. Added vinegar resulted in 98% of the eluted iron consisting of ferrous compounds which exhibited outstanding stability.
The results of this study demonstrate that the amount of iron supplied depended on the cooking method employed.

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Salted jellyfish, which had been desalted in water and immersed in water at 80°for 2 seconds, was then soaked in soy sauce, rice vinegar, or sesame oil for up to 24 hours. After 30 minutes of soaking in soy sauce, the cutting resistance of jellyfish measured by a Worner-Blaztler meat shear meter was significantly lower than that of the unsoaked jellyfish. Soaking in rice vinegar progressively decreased the cutting resistance, while there was no change in cutting resistance of the sample soaked in sesame oil. The results of a sensory examination show that the texture of the sample soaked in soy sauce or rice vinegar for 30 minutes became soft and unpalatable.
The sample soaked in rice vinegar began to soften faster than that in soy sauce. This result suggests that the softening of jellyfish while soaking in soy sauce or rice vinegar was due to the denaturation of the collagen, which is a major component of the proteins in salted jellyfish, under acidic conditions.

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An investigation was conducted on the consumption of myoga-bochi, a regional specialty food eaten mainly in the Sunami-cho, Motosu-gun area of Gifu Prefecture.
Either wheat or rice flour is kneaded by hand and steamed to make the rice cake-like food locally called “bochi” which is common in Gifu Prefecture.
Those that eat myoga-bochi (bochi wrapped in a Japanese ginger, or myoga, leaf) account for 8.7% of the families in the Gifu district (Sunami-cho, Motosu-gun and Gifu City) and 13.3% of those in the Seino district (Ogaki City). Myoga-bochi is eaten as a snack during rice planting. The myoga-bochi eaten in the Gifu district is all homemade, whereas most is purchased ready made in the Seino district purchase their myoga-bochi.
Much of the rice cake and bochi eaten in Gifu Prefecture is wrapped in a leaf to prevent spoilage and to impart tasty flavor such as that of myoga-bochi.
Myoga-bochi is a unique regional food that has been passed down in areas where Japanese ginger grows well and where there is a large production of broad beans during the rice planting season.

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