Diverse Utilization of Myanmar Rice with Varied Amylose Contents YE

Jpn. J. Trop. Agr. 50 (1): 42-50, 2006 Diverse Utilization of Myanmar Rice with Varied Amylose Contents YE TINT TUN1,2*,Kenji IRIE1,THAN SEIN2, Kazuto SHIRATA3,Hidekazu TOYOHARA1, Fumio KIKUCHIIand Hiroshi FUJINIAKI1 1 Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences , Tokyo University of Agriculture 2 Department of Agriculture Research , Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, Myanmar 3 Gene Bank , National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences Abstract Rice landraces in Myanmar show a wide range of variation in amylose content from 0 to 40%. A great diversity was observed in amylose content of rice landraces especially from such mountainous states as Chin, Kachin and Shan. The frequent appearance of very low (less than 4%) amylose landraces indicates some cultural influence of the waxy rice zone extending from Thailand, Laos to Vietnam. In Myanmar, rice is usually classified into four groups based on stickiness and texture of cooked rice as Kauk Hnyin, Kauk Sei, Kauk Chaw, and Kauk Kyan. The four Myanmar names signify waxy (glutinous), sticky, soft, and hard rice and their amylose contents are non, low, medium and high respectively according to our preliminary examination. In the two mountainous states of Chin and Shan presently surveyed, the second (sticky) group Kauk Sei is the most popular and taken as daily meals by local people. The waxy group Kauk Hnyin is ubiquitously distributed throughout the country, but the Kauk Sei predominantly appeared at the mountainous regions in Myanmar. The present authors attempted to classify cooked or processed rice products into seven categories namely cooked rice, cake, dough product, fritter, noodle, pudding and drink. Each category includes several or more different cooked or processed products. The amylose contents of Myanmar rice landraces are thought to be varied by diverse cooking methods or processing ways of rice. Key Words: rice landrace, cooked rice, processed product, waxy rice zone eating quality (Ise et al., 2000). The authors reported Introduction that rice landraces in Myanmar showed a great diversity Myanmar is located in the tropical monsoon Asia in amylose content of endosperm starch ranging from and rich in genetic resources of various cultivated 0% to 40% (Ye Tint Tun et al., 2004, 2005, Irie et al., plants including rice which is the most important 2004). Waxy landraces ubiquitously appeared in every staple food crop. Various agroecotypes such as upland, region with similar frequency. However non-waxy rainfed (lowland), irrigated, deepwater and floating types landraces showed varied content of amylose and their are grown in Myanmar. Each agroecotype includes a frequency distributions differed from region to region. number of landraces and a great diversity is observed Rice landraces of the northeast mountainous regions in various agronomical traits (Irie et al., 2003, 2004). were more varied than the other regions. More In the southeast Asia, waxy (or glutinous) rice specifically very low (3-10%) amylose landraces cultivars have long been grown centering around Laos frequently appeared in the mountainous states like and the northern regions of Thailand extending to the Chin, Kachin and Shan while none or rare in the Yunnan province of China, Vietnam, Cambodia and middle to the southwest plain and delta regions. northeast mountainous regions of Myanmar (Watabe, The present suvey investigated causes or factors 1967). Such mountainous states as Kachin and Shan in bringing a great variation of amylose content of rice Myanmar are included in the so-called waxy rice zone. landraces from the mountanous regions bordering to the Waxy rice is highly valued in the zone (Golomb,1976), waxy rice zone. The survey was carried out attaching where people prefer waxy rice to non-waxy one. special importance to dietary habits and cooking Amylose content of endosperm is one of important techniques of local inhabitants. characteristics related to cooking and eating quality of Methods rice. Amylose content of non-waxy rice is negatively correlated with tenderness of cooked rice and its The present investigation was conducted mainly Received Sep. 28, 2005 in the mountainous regions of Myanmar, especifically Accepted Dec. 10, 2005 * Corresponding author in the Chin and the Shan states where the conspicuous variations of amylose content of rice landraces was 1-1-1 Sakuragaoka, Setagaya, Tokyo 156-8502, Japan [email protected] reported (Ye Tint Tun et al., 2004). Ye Tint Tun et al.: Utilization of Myanmar rice 43 Survey sites were chosen three townships in the Results Chin state, four in the Shan, three in the Magway division and four in the Mandalay for the present In Myanmar, consumers and sellers are accus- investigation (Fig. 1). tomed to classify rice cultivars in four groups based on Surveys and observations were carried out by stickiness and texture of cooked rice as Kauk Hnyin, collecting information concerned with cooking and Kauk Sei, Kauk Chaw, and Kauk Kyan. Kauk Hnyin processing methods of rice and landrace samples were means waxy (glutinous) rice and is the most sticky. collected from comsumers and sellers or in local Kauk Kyan signifies hard rice being the least sticky. markets or bazzars. When necessary, farmers in villages The two others are in between them signifying sticky were visited to interview in order to document the rice and soft rice, respectively. Kauk Sei is stickier detailed methods of cooking and processing. than Kauk Chaw which is soft and moderately sticky. Collected data and information were arranged and The authors measured their amylose contents and rice products were categorized in terms of amylose disclosed that Kauk Hnyin contained 0-5.1% amylose, contents of rice materials, cooking or processing methods, Kauk Sei 2.6-16.5%, Kauk Chaw 17.2-24.4% and Kauk mixed food stuffs, occasions to use rice products etc. Kyan contained 24.5-30.2% of amylose (Table 1). Amylose content of rice landrace samples were Ordinary people in Myanmar consume a lot of measured by an auto-analyzer (Bran & Luebbe, Germany) cooked rice for dietary meal or rice snacks for dessert. and converted into the dry weight basis of 20mg (Okuno Rice is usually cooked by boiling and occasionally by et al.,1983). steaming. Most rice snacks are made by boiling, steaming, or frying. People make various kinds of rice foods or snacks with diverse taste and various names using different kinds of rice with varied contents of amylose and mixing various kinds of foodstuffs such as legumes and fruits etc. Local people in mountainous regions enjoy to drink liqour made of rice and other kinds of cereals at their traditional festivals. The authors attempted to classify cooked or processed rice products into seven categories, namely cooked rice, cake, dough, fritter, noodle, pudding and drink. Name of products and their ways of cooking or processing are described briefly in Table 2. Each category is characterized as follows. 1. Cooked rice Rice is usually cooked by boiling and occasionally by steaming for mass prodution of a special ceremony. Hta Min (cooked rice) is daily meals and usually eaten three times a day while other products in this category are consumed on special occasions of traditional festivals. Every group of rice except waxiness is used for cooked rice but the lower amylose types Kauk Fig. l Survey sites in Myanmar. Hnyin and Kauk Sei are used to make traditional foods. Table 1 Conventional grouping of rice in Myanmar based on stickiness and tenderness of cooked rice with reference to their amylose content 44 Jpn. J. Trop. Agr. 50 (1) 2006 Ye Tint Tun et al.: Utilization of Myanmar rice 45 46 Jpn. J. Trop. Agr. 50 (1) 2006 A traditional food, Kauk Hnyin Kyi Htauk looks year days. Chann, Sang Rang and Sam Pi in the the like the ordinary cooked rice. But purple or white Chin state look like Mont Phat Htoke. Chin tribes sticky rice belonging to Kauk Hnyin and Kauk Sei enjoy eating them at their taditional festivals. Dough groups are cooked in green bamboo tubes (Table 2 products are made from not only cooked rice, but also and Fig. 2a). It is usually eaten for breakfast or the fermented and steamed rice. War Thar Chin popular in evening dessert. Then Hta Ma Ne (delicacy made from the Shan state is made by fermenting cooked rice waxy rice) is one of popular traditional rice foods. The mixed with pork (Fig. 4b). Sticky cooked rice is added festivals to make Hta Ma Ne are held at the rice by saltpetre (potassium nitrate) and mixed with pieces harvesting season in winter when people enjoy of pork to ferment for a week. Pyan Poung Htoke is competing for cooking it. In this occasion, Kauk Hnyin made by steaming cooked rice wrapped with banana can be exclusively used being mixed with coconut, leaves adding coconut jam and sugar. People are used groundnut and some plant oil (Fig. 2b). to make dough products as a snack. 2. Rice cake 4. Fritter Rice cakes are made by baking or steaming. The There are three types of rice fritters. They are cooking or processing methods of rice cakes differ fried rice batter, fried rice dumpling and fried dried between the lower amylose rice groups (Kauk Hnyin cooked rice. The fried rice batter is made by soaking and Kauk Sei) and the higher ones (Kauk Chaw and rice batter and fried with such kinds of foodstuffs as Kauk Kyan). Namely the lower amylose rice is usually fruits, vegetable, legumes and beans. People usually steamed and the higher amylose one baked for making eat fritters as snacks and as breakfast with noodles in rice cake. Khaw Poat is one of popular traditional foods their everyday lives. Many rice fritters are observed in made of waxy rice in the Shan state looking like Mochi Myanmar with particular names depending on mixed in Japan.

Load more