Cooking and Sensory Quality Characteristics of Flood-affected Rice Compared with Normal Rice

Over 100 countries cultivate thousands of Oryza sativa cultivars. They can be divided into three widely grown ecological varieties: the medium-grained javonica rice, which is grown in the Philippines and the mountainous regions of Madagascar and Indonesia; the long-grained indica variety, which is grown in tropical and subtropical Asia; and the short/medium-grained japonica rice, which is grown in temperate regions like northern China and Japan. Saline, alkaline, and acid-sulfur soils are only a few of the soil types and water regimes in which rice is grown. Rice is a major component of the agricultural sector in particular and the overall economy in general. Over 20 % of rice fields in India are prone to floods every year. The produce obtained from such fields are often sold at low price causing economical loss to the farmers. Smallholder farmers are unable to predict sustainable adaptations and comprehend the possible effects of climate change on their farming methods. The output of tropical crops is therefore anticipated to be impacted by future climatic events, which raises worries about food insecurity, especially in rural communities. This study is quite important for the scientific community as it sheds light on how flood-affected rice compares to normal rice in terms of cooking and sensory qualities. Flooding is an increasingly common issue, especially in rice-growing regions, and it leads to significant crop losses. By comparing the two types of rice, the manuscript helps us understand how we can still use flood-affected rice in the food industry, especially for creating value-added products. This can help mitigate the economic loss that farmers face, making it a practical and valuable piece of research. Therefore, the present study was conducted to know the cooking and sensory quality characteristics of flood-affected rice in comparison with normal rice. Statistically significant difference in cooking time, cooking weight, cooking loss and elongation ratio was observed between the flood-affected rice and normal rice. The average sensory scores of rice showed a statistically significant difference between normal rice and rice affected by flooding. No notable difference was detected in the average scores for appearance, flavor, taste, texture, and overall quality among the samples. Consequently, paddy affected by floods can be used to create value-added products. Additional comprehensive studies are required for the use of paddy in creating more practical and accessible products to reduce losses in paddy affected by flooding.