Physicochemical properties of rice varieties for manufacturing frozen fried rice
Physicochemical properties of five commercial rice products were investigated in order to select the appropriate rice varieties for the preparation of frozen fried rice. Among the evaluated rice varieties, Onnuri (16.06%) had the highest amylose content, while Beakjinju (11.83%) had the lowest. The water absorption index ranged from 1.45 to 1.65 g/g. Regarding the Hunter’s color values, the L and a values of all rice varieties decreased while the b value increased with freezing-storage following the cooking process. The initial pasting temperature showed no significant differences among the five rice varieties. The highest viscosity (peak, trough, and final) and setback were found in the Sindongjin, while the lowest breakdown was found in the Baekjinju variety. Hardness, chewiness, and cohesiveness of all five cooked rice varieties decreased while their adhesiveness increased after freezing-storage. Under electron microscopy scanning, pores were observed inside the tissue of frozen cooked rices manufactured from Baekjinju and Hopum varieties, while substantially smooth tissue structure was observed in Sindognjin, Onnuri, and Ilmi rice varieties.