Use of Sago Flour and Grass Jelly as Substitutes in Chinese Steamed Cake Products

Abstract

This research was to develop the Chinese steamed bun product with the objectives to study 1) three basic recipes of Chinese steamed bun, 2) the appropriate amount of three levels of sago flour to replace sticky rice flour in Chinese steamed bun, 3) the appropriate amount of three levels of grass jelly water to replace plain water in Chinese steamed bun using sago flour to replace sticky rice flour, and
4) the physical characteristics and nutritional value of the basic Chinese steamed bun recipe, Chinese steamed bun using sago flour to replace sticky rice flour, and Chinese steamed bun with sago flour using grass jelly water to replace plain water. This research was an experimental study using sago flour to replace glutinous rice flour at levels of 10, 15, and 20 percent of the flour weight and grass jelly water to replace plain water in the Chinese steamed cake recipe using sago flour to replace glutinous rice flour at levels of 50, 75, and 100 percent. The sensory quality was evaluated by 60 panelists. Physical characteristics and nutritional value of the basic Chinese steamed cake recipe, Chinese steamed cake using sago flour to replace glutinous rice flour, and Chinese steamed cake using sago flour to replace plain water were also studied.

            The results of the study found that 1) Formula 1 was accepted as the basic formula; 2) 15% of sago flour substituted for glutinous rice flour received similar liking scores to the basic formula (p>0.05); 3) 100% grass jelly water substituted for plain water received the highest liking scores (p≤0.05); and 4) physical characteristics and nutritional value were studied. Physical property testing revealed a decrease in lightness (L*). At the same time redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) significantly increased (p ≤ 0.05) for the control samples, the sago flour substitution samples, and the sago flour mixed with stevia extract, respectively. Textural analysis indicated an increase in hardness, while stickiness decreased significantly (p ≤ 0.05) for the samples with sago flour substitution samples, and the sago flour mixed with stevia extract, respectively. Regarding nutritional composition, fat, total dietary fiber, and ash contents increased steadily from the control group to the sago flour substitution group, and subsequently to the group using both sago flour and grass jelly extract. These results indicate that incorporating sago flour and grass jelly extract into other food and dessert products provide the option for health-conscious consumers.