Abstract
The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of grain size on the physicochemical properties of rice porridge. Here, the grain size of the rice was classified as whole grain, half grain, and flour by traditional Korean cooking methods. The viscosity of the rice flour porridge was highest for the among the three different grain size porridges. In the amylographs, the increase in viscosity for the whole grain porridge was higher than that of the rice flour porridge during cooling. The soluble solid and reducing sugar contents of the rice porridges increased according to the rice grain size, while the blue value decreased. The SDI (starch digestion index) increased according to the rice grain size. The RDS (rapidly digestible starch) was highest while the SDS (slowly digestible starch) the lowest in the rice flour porridge. The morphologies of the rice porridges were examined by SEM and showed a smoother surface and more exudated gelatinized granules in the rice flour than in the whole grain rice porridge. In conclusion, rice porridges made from the smallest possible grain size such as flour may be helpful for people with weaker digestive systems such as infants, the elderly, and hospital patients.
