Physics of Cooking

Amylose content (AC) in rice grains is a relevant parameter for predicting pasting properties of cooked rice as it is often used for  a tenderness prediction. We will perform experiments to measure the AC in different types of rice grains commonly used in risottos, such as carnalori, arborio or vialone nano. For that purpose  we will:

1. Isolate starch

A wide range of methods are available for isolation of starch from rice. They are grouped into three categories: alkali isolation, acid isolation and water isolation. The main objective of the alkali and acid methods is to separate proteins and lipids from starch.

Read Amylose content measures in full

The process of cooking risotto is sometimes confusing and several procedures have been proposed to be the key to cook the real risotto, which requires ‘al dente’ rice grains and the adequate creamy texture.

If we want to prepare the ultimate risotto recipe we will have to answer some questions: what type of rice should we use?, should we stir while cooking the rice? , what is the cooking time?

Starch plays a vital role in achieving the desired consistency. Starch is a polysaccharide mainly composed by amylose, fundamentally linear, and amylopectin, highly branched. It presents a semi-crystalline structure. 

Read Understanding rice gelatinisation to cook the perfect risotto (Introduction) in full