Physicochemical, nutritional, and cooking properties of local Karacadağ rice (Oryza sativa L.) – Turkey

The present work examined the quality characteristics of Karacadağ rice, which is being slowly forgotten but now cultivated in small restricted areas in the south-eastern Anatolia region in Turkey, and widely consumed by the local people there. Physical, chemical, cooking, and nutritional analyses were performed on 15 rice samples, which were obtained from paddy samples. The unbroken kernel yield ratio in the rice samples ranged from 61.30 to 70.00%, where the rice samples from location 14 had the lowest value. The highest length/width ratio was measured in the rice sample from location 15, and the lowest was in location 14. The ash content was between 0.56 and 1.05%, and the protein content was between 7.94 and 9.93%. The highest ash content was determined in location 1, while the highest protein content was determined in location 10. Among the samples that were investigated, the gel lengths ranged in 62.50 - 77.50 mm, the alkali spreading value was in the range of 3.00 - 7.00, the amylose content was 29.06 - 30.83%, the total dietary fibre was 2.92 - 4.82%, the phytic acid content was 4.22 - 6.35 mg/g, and the cooking time was in the range of 16.00 - 19.00 min. The water uptake ratio ranged between 2.50 and 3.60 and was the highest in location 1, while the cooking loss (ranged from 3.00 to 4.96%) was the lowest in location 4. The volume increase ratio among the samples ranged from 1.08 to 1.24. The total amount of organic matter values ranged from 0.70 to 1.23 g/kg. These values were found to be negatively correlated with amylose content and cooking time.