Physicochemical analyses were performed to examine palatability factors from 15 cultivars of high-quality Japanese rice. The cultivars were divided into two groups. One group was produced in metropolitan suburbs of Chiba prefecture. The other group was a household brand-name rice that is widely sold in greater Tokyo. Some of the latter group has been recently bred. The purpose of this study is to characterize the palatability of rice in Chiba Prefecture by comparing the palatability factors of the two groups.

The principal characteristic of rice in Chiba Prefecture was the low amylose content, especially in the "Fusakogane" cultivar, which was supported by the breakdown value and gelatinization temperature measured by rapid visco analyzer. The second prominent characteristic was the low amino acids content, especially in the "Fusaotome" cultivar. Other properties that were relatively moderate included brilliance of the surface layer, surface and whole-grain adhesion, and sugar content. Based on the results, the rice grown in Chiba Prefecture is considered highly suitable for use as cooked rice stored under low temperature because of its low amylose content, and for high heat cooking because of the low content of amino acid contents, which reduces burning.

The amylose content of the "Tsubusuke", "Fusaotome", and "Fusakogane" were low, but cooked rice of these cultivars showed less stickiness contrary to expectation, suggesting too much water for cooking.

Flavonoids have a variety of functions, such as antioxidant activity, and are expected to have a disease prevention effect. It is necessary to understand the amount of flavonoids in the meal that people consume actually, for investigation the relationship between the disease preventive effects of flavonoids and the amount of flavonoid intake. However, there are few reports on the flavonoid content in the meal that Japanese people usually eat. In this study, we investigated the amount of flavonoids contained in 19 meals that prepared during school lunch practice at a registered dietitian training facility, as model menus for the daily meals of Japanese people. In addition, we also compared the contents before and after cooking in order to investigate the changes in flavonoid content due to cooking. The values of flavonoid contents before and after cooking were obtained from samples that had been washed and peeled, and those that were cooked according to the recipes, respectively. The flavonoid (quercetin, kaempferol, daidzein, genistein, apigenin, and luteolin) contents of each dish were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The average flavonoid contents before and after cooking were 7.03±0.49 mg/meal (0.21±0.04 mg/meal-25.96±1.90 mg/meal) and 7.31±0.56 mg/meal (0.08±0.02 mg/meal-31.57±2.11 mg/meal), respectively, with a large variation depending on the meal. Cooking noticeably diminished the flavonoid content in 16 out of 95 dishes and caused a significant increase in 10 dishes

Amazake and matcha, which are known for their antioxidant properties, were used for cookie baking, and the characteristics of these cookies were then examined. In the results of a cookie preference survey conducted with female junior college students, the amazake cookies were rated significantly higher than the amazake-free cookies in appearance but lower in aroma, hardness, and sweetness. Nevertheless, there was no significant difference in the overall judgement.

The sugar composition of the amazake cookies was found to be markedly affected by that of the amazake. The amazake cookies showed a significantly higher 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity than amazake-free cookies. The addition of matcha was also found to be effective in improving the DPPH radical scavenging activity. Analysis of the response to rice allergen-specific antibodies revealed that amazake cookies had almost no allergenic activity. The rice allergens in the amazake cookies were reduced or eliminated by heat treatment of the rice and fermentation with koji (Aspergillus oryzae). These results suggest that the addition of amazake in cookies may be useful in promoting amazake.

In the present study, using commercial baker's yeast, we prepared fermented liquids that possessed the characteristic flavour of bread.

The fermented liquids were prepared using nine types of commercial baker's yeast. Then, a component analysis of the bread was performed. The sensory evaluation of the aromas was performed by 15 types of analysis panels. These panels presented a specific colour corresponding to the bread's aroma from among 35 colours.

The observed variation in the aromas was because of the differences in the levels of amino acids in the yeast and the volatile compounds derived from its fermentation. The fermented, sweet, and baked aromas were represented by blue, red and orange, and dark orange, respectively. Hence, this study provided a convenient strategy of conveying the aroma of a bread type to the consumers.

Hoon-Ko is the largest annual Jodo Shinshu Buddhism event. We conducted a survey of Hoon-Ko cuisine prepared by households in Ogi-machi, Shirakawa-mura, Gifu Prefecture, from 2014 to 2016. In this area, Hoon-Ko is affectionately called "Honkosama" and is traditionally held in individual homes annually. The ingredient list contains local vegetables from each season, including edible wild plants such as kogomi and warabi that are harvested in the spring (based on a desirable shape and an unblemished appearance) and stored in a freezer until the day of Hoon-Ko. Hard tofu (Ohanbe), which is an important source of protein in this area, is an essential ingredient. Generational changes in cooking staff and the purchase of a new freezer have increased the variety of dishes. In the 2016 survey, more than 20 different dishes were prepared for approximately 30 people. Traditional four-legged tray tables and lacquer-ware used for the event have been passed down for generations. Considering the immense amount of time and labour required for the preparation, it may be difficult to continue this tradition.