Impact of Cooking Method on the Physicochemical Properties, Digestibility, and Sensory and Flavor Profiles of Chinese Chestnuts

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

The impact of cooking method (stir frying, sugar stir-frying, baking, steaming, and boiling) on the physicochemical and sensory properties of Chinese chestnuts was evaluated. Dry heat treatment (stir frying, sugar stir-frying, and baking) increased hardness and chewiness because of water loss. Moist heat treatment (steaming and boiling) resulted in a softer texture and brighter color as a result of water absorption and starch gelatinization. Samples cooked with stir frying and boiling had a 50.82-54.17% reduction in resistant starch content. In contrast, the stir-frying, sugar stir-frying, and baking samples experienced a decrease of 37.16-47.18%. Concurrent changes in the glycemic index were observed. The polyphenol content and antioxidant activity were highest in the samples cooked using sugar stir-frying. A total of 34 volatile compounds were identified, but only 8 were key in the olfactory analysis (hexanal, (E)-2-hexenal, 3-methylbutanal, ethyl 3-methylbutyrate, ethyl acetate, 2-pentanone, 3-hydroxy-2-butanone, and 2-pentylfuran). At the same time, combined with sensory evaluation, sugar stir-frying can highlight the caramel and sweetness of chestnut; then baking can bring a strong aroma of nuts, and sugar stir-frying is a more popular method.