Cooking-quality of broad-bean varieties as influenced by some physicochemical measurements

Cooking and processing-characteristics of eight Egyptian dry broad-bean varieties were studied along with some of their chemical and physical tests. Good correlation was found between their cooking-quality and their contents of seed coat and phytic acid as well as their amylograms. Seeds of Giza 2 variety contained the lowest contents of seed coat and phytic acid phosphorus and showed the lowest peak viscosity, which were associated with excellent cooking and processing-characteristics. The cooked seeds of this variety were soft and absorbed more water as well as the liquid after cooking contained more color intensity. Other tested varieties contained more of these chemical and physical tests, which were associated with variable cooking and processing-characteristics. Conversely, Rebaya 40 variety contained the highest contents of these chemical and physical tests, which were associated with less cooking and processing-characteristics. Moreover, the water absorption of the raw seeds was correlated to the water absorption of cooked seeds as well as their cookability in the tested varieties. The cooking-quality was not significantly correlated with gelatinization temperatures, protein content and amino acid composition. The amino acids were determined quantitatively by the amino acid analyser, and the predominant amino acids were found to be aspartic acid and glutamic acid, whereas the other acids were found in variable amounts. The nutritional value of broad-bean protein, generally, showed that they are deficient in methionine and isoleucine, compared with the provisional reference of amino acid pattern of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations.