The tortilla making properties of two improved maicillo cultivars from Honduras

Grains of two improved maicillo hybrids (Sorghum bicolor (L) Moench) and their criollo (Landrace) counterparts grown at two farmsites in Honduras were lime-cooked and processed into table tortillas. Kernels from the criollos were less dense and softer than kernels from the improved cultivars. The improved maicillos had straw or red plant and glume colors while the criollos were less dense and softer than kernels from the improved cultivars. The improved maicillos had straw or red plant and glume colors while the criollos had purple colored plants with black or purple glumes. The soft textured criollo kernels required less cooking than their harder improved counterparts. Nixtamals cooked to contain 53-55% moisture were the most suitable for processing into tortillas. Both improved maicillos compared favorably with Sureño (used as positive control during processing). The criollos produced darker, less acceptable tortillas. Masa and tortillas from criollos darkened during lime-cooking especially during baking. All sorghums and their respective tortillas had similar chemical composition. The improved maicillos bred in Honduras have a significantly improved plant and glume color with white pericarp. The sorghum improvement was also observed in the overall tortilla quality.