Abstract: To provide a theoretical basis for developing corn dumplings, this study focused on the effect of corn grits at different maturity stages on the quality of Zongzi. It was found that the total starch and straight-chain starch contents of corn grits from two cultivars (Suyunuo 5 and Sukenuo 1801) increased at the full maturity stage compared with the milky maturity stage. The setback and degree of retrogradation also increased, and the swelling power and water-holding capacity decreased. As the maturity period of corn grits progressed, the absolute values of the adhesiveness of Zongzi from the two cultivars decreased by 33.67% and 34.99%, respectively. The aging degree of Zongzi increased over a 9-day storage period at 4 ℃. The hardness of Zongzi made from Suyunuo 5 and Sukenuo 1801 at the milky maturity stage increased by 188.94% and 143.94%, respectively, while that of Zongzi made from the cultivars at the waxy and full maturity stages increased by nearly three times. Correlation analysis showed that the setback of corn grits was highly correlated with the contents of total starch and straight-chain starch (with a correlation coefficient of 0.91). Therefore, Zongzi made from corn grits at the milky maturity stage had the best quality.

Key words: different maturity stages; corn grits; Zongzi; physicochemical properties; quality characteristics