Physicochemical and cooking characteristics of pigmented traditional rice varieties

Abstract

Traditionally, every variety of rice has had agricultural and food significance. The particularities of the varieties do not end with the paddy plants, duration, seasonality, etc. The grains also have their unique features. They have specific nutritive, cooking and eating qualities. To study the physicochemical and cooking characteristics of traditional rice popular brown rice varieties were collected from Pudukkottai, Sivagangai (Karaikudi) and Perambalur districts of Tamil Nadu. From the collected samples, five rice varieties namely Kaatuyaanam, Karuppukavuni, Karunguruvai, Mapillaisamba and Kuruvaikalanchiyam were selected for the study. Certain unique features of the rice were characterized out by the physical, thermal and cooking characteristics of brown rice varieties. Physical characteristics such as test weight, kernel length, and breadth and L/B ratio, seed grade were assessed. Thermal characteristics such as water uptake, volume expansion ratio and alkali spreading value were also assessed. The traditional rice varieties were found to exhibit good Phyico-chemical and thermal characteristics revealing their high grain quality.