Food Science and Technology Program, Department of Agricultural Technology, Valaya Alongkorn Rajabhat University under the Royal Patronage
This research aimed to determine an optimum glycerine content providing a good quality “Pla Ra Mon Sub” instant cube which is Mon traditional fermented fish that was finely chopped, mixed with various herbal ingredients and formed into cubical shape. Pla Ra Mon was used as a principal ingredient to produce the cubes with local food wisdom recipe of Mon who locally live in North Sala Daeng village, Samkhok district, Pathumthani province. Glycerine was varied at 4 different levels of 0%, 10%, 15% and 20% by dried fermented fish weight. Results of non-rehydrated Pla Ra Mon Sub cube sensory testing showed that consumers preferred 10%, 15%, 20% glycerine to 0% glycerine Pla Ra Mon Sub cube (P<0.05); however, 20% glycerine acceptance scores were the highest among all treatments (P<0.05) when the cubes were rehydrated. Added that, overall acceptance scores of 10% and 15% glycerine were not different from non-glycerine rehydrated Pla Ra Mon Sub cube (P>0.05). Textural parameters i.e., hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, chewiness and gumminess increased corresponding to increasing levels of glycerine with an optimum of 15% and 20%. Pla Ra Mon Sub cubes became darker in color with an incorporation of glycerine as reflected by decreased L* values and increased a* and b* values in CIE L*a*b* measurements. Water activities was reduced from 0.492 to 0.456 when 20% glycerine was added to the mixture (P≤0.05).