relatively loose, weak clusters. This
difference explains why long-grain rices high
in amylose have a firm, springy texture when
served right after cooking and get inedibly
hard when refrigerated overnight, while short-
grain rices low in amylose have a softer,
sticky texture and harden much less during
overnight refrigeration. The hardness of all
leftover grains can be largely remedied
simply by reheating and so regelating their
starch.
Starch gelation and retrogradation. Starch
granules are compact, organized masses of
long starch chains (left) . When a starchy
cereal is cooked, water penetrates the granule
and separates the chains from each other, thus
swelling and softening the granule in the
process called gelation (center) . When the