We investigated the physicochemical and sensory properties of cooked rice prepared with a newly developed superheated steam rice cooking machine shown in Fig.1. Rice prepared with an ordinary electric rice cooker was used as a reference. We stored the two types of rice at 5�C and compared them, obtaining the following results. 1) The steamed rice did not harden or decrease in stickiness after storage. 2) The steamed rice maintained a higher degree of gelatinization during storage than ordinary cooked rice did. 3) After slicing and staining grains of rice with aqueous iodine solution, the steamed rice grains were purplish red, while the ordinary cooked rice grains appeared bluish purple. Steamed rice grains kept their shape for the most part, while ordinary cooked rice grains were more deformed. 4) The run-off from the steaming process was analyzed with gel permeation chromatography and it consisted almost entirely of amylose. 5) Steamed rice that had been stored at 5�C for one day was preferred in overall sensory evaluation.This study confirms that some amount of amylose escapes during the process of steaming rice, and as a result steamed rice shows slower retrogradation.The shelf-life of this cooked rice is longer and may result in less wasted spoiled rice. In addition, we evaluate the energy efficiency of the machine, which can be improved by attaching an exhausted heat recovery system.

Superheated steam rice cooking machine: The taste and freshness of cooked rice with lower energy consumption

248th National Meeting (2014)

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