Abstract: This research aimed to explore the effects of different cooking methods on the eating quality of indica hybrid rice produced in two ecological regions of southwest China. Nine medium hybrid rice varieties, each grown in Yongsheng of Yunnan province and Dayi of Sichuan province were used to investigate the effect of different cooking methods (water-to-rice mass ratios of 1.3:1, 1.5:1, 1.6:1, 1.9:1, 2.1:1, 2.4:1 and 2.7:1), soaking times (0, 15, 30 and 60 min), cooking times (20, 30 and 40 min) and holding times (0, 15 and 30 min)) on the taste quality of cooked rice as analyzed by using a rice taste analyzer. The results showed that the taste quality of cooked rice was affected by cooking methods, cultivars and ecological regions individually and interactively, and all factors significantly affected the appearance and taste value (P < 0.01). The interactions of cooking methods with ecological regions and cultivars as well as the interaction among these three factors significantly affected the taste quality of cooked rice (P < 0.01). The results obtained on the rice taste analyzer demonstrated that rice from the area with sufficient light and temperature of Yongsheng had a high taste value under the conditions of water-to-rice ratio of 2.1:1, soaking for 30 min, cooking for 30 min and holding for 15 min; rice from the area with high humidity and weak light of Dayi had a high taste value under the conditions of water-to-rice ratio of 2.1:1, soaking for 15 min, cooking for 30 min and holding for 15 min. Among the nine varieties, ‘Nei 5 You 39’ had the best eating quality, varying little with water-to-rice ratio, closely followed by ‘Yixiangyou 2115’, while the eating quality of ‘Zhongyou 295’ and ‘F You 498’ was poor. Moreover, the taste quality of ‘F You 498’ and ‘Tianyouhuazhan’ varied greatly with cooking methods. In general, cooked rice grown in Yunnan had a better appearance than that in Sichuan, while the latter exhibited the a higher taste value under specific cooking conditions.

Key words: indica hybrid rice; cooking method; taste quality; rice taste analyzer; ecological location