ETHANOL FERMENTATION OF VARIOUS RED RICES WITHOUT COOKING

With various red rices as raw material, fermentation without cooking was allowed to proceed at pH 4.0 and 30°C for 4 d for production of novel alcoholic beverages. Ethanol fermentation was achieved with various rice grains. In particular, uncooked wild-rice (Zizania aquatica) is reported now for the first time as being used for ethanol fermentation. The final concentration of ethanol achieved during fermentation was 8.8–9.3% (v/v). Rice wine made from aromatic red rice (Oryza sativa var. Indica, Tapol) had a wine-like red color. It was rich in a fruity aroma and had a characteristic sour taste, as revealed by organoleptic testing. Volatile substances formed have been analysed by gas chromatography. Rice wine made from black rice (Oryza sativa var. Indica) also had a wine-like red color and a sour taste. By contrast, rice wines made from red rice (Oryza sativa var. Japonica) and wild-rice were faintly yellow in color and had a sake-like and a somewhat green tea-like flavor, respectively. Although the red pigments of the aromatic red rice and black rice were solubilized during uncooked ethanol fermentation, the pigments of red rice and wild-rice were insoluble and not available as material for brewing of red-colored alcoholic beverages. Aromatic red rice appears to be a suitable material for the production of a wine-like alcoholic beverage.