Effect of structure evolution of starch in rice on the textural formation of cooked rice

The content and composition of rice kernels are closely related to the textural properties of cooked rice. In this study, the mechanistic explanations of textural changes were linked to proton mobility, leaching behavior, and the molecular features of rice components during cooking. The decreasing trend of hardness and the formation of stickiness was mainly determined by the molecular mobility of components. The molecular weight (Mw) of starch and protein in leached solids increased with the leaching at 70–100 °C. The Mw of rice kernels at different cooking temperatures and times was similar, but the molecular size and volume varied at different stages of cooking. The dismission of the crystalline structure, C1 resonance, and lamellar structures after cooking at 100 °C for 10 min indicated that the structural evolution of starch in rice kernels was time- and temperature-dependent. These results provide a promising foundation for developing strategies to control rice cooking.