Use of Gellan Gum and Xanthan Gum as Texture Modifiers for Yackwa, a Korean Traditional Fried Cake

Texture hardening of Yackwa during storage is the major quality deterioration of Yackwa. In this study the effects of gellan gum and xanthan gum on texture hardening of Yackwa during storage were studied. Instrumental hardness and sensory evaluation results showed that addition of 0.05 % and 0.1 % of gellan gum or 0.1 % and 0.5 % of xanthan gum significantly decreased the hardness of Yackwa by 32 ∼ 63 % after 4 weeks of storage. Retardation of texture hardening was obtained even at the 0.05 % level of gellan gum, indicating that gellan gum was a more potent texture modifier for Yackwa than xanthan gum. Correlation analysis between moisture content and hardness of Yackwa showed that there was high correlation between moisture content and hardness of Yackwa after 4 weeks storage ($r^2$=-0.998), regardless of the initial moisture content. These results suggest that retardation of texture hardening during storage is primarily related to moisture retention of Yackwa during storage.