KINETIC STUDIES ON COOKING OF RICE

Abstract

ABSTRACT The mechanism of cooking rice was investigated in this study. The rheological method using the parallel plate plastometer was adopted for measurement of the degree of cooking. The range of temperatures measured ran from 75–150°C. Experimental results showed that cooking rate followed the equation of a first order chemical reaction. We designated the proportional constant as the cooking rate constant, but the slope of Arrhenius plots of the cooking rate constants changed around 110°C. The activation energy of cooking at temperatures below 110°C and above 110°C was about 19,000 and 8,800 cal/mol respectively. The influences of water soaking time before cooking were also studied. We concluded that the cooking process comprises two mechanisms; at temperatures below 110°C the cooking rate is limited by the reaction rate of rice components with water; and at temperatures above 110°C it is limited by the rate of diffusion of water through the cooked layer toward the interface of uncooked core where the reaction occurs. The reaction rate constant and the diffusion coefficient of water were calculated by assuming the core model or shell‐type model.