Cereal Chem. 70:272-275   |  VIEW ARTICLE

Effects of Cooking Water Composition on Stickiness and Cooking Loss of Spaghetti.

L. J. Malcolmson and R. R. Matsuo. Copyright 1993 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

The effects of cooking water composition on stickiness and cooking loss of spaghetti made from durum and common wheat were examined using seven cooking waters varying in mineral content. Water hardness was calculated as 1.7-512 ppm of CaCO[3]. With the exception of deionized water, all cooking waters had values around pH 7.7. Regardless of the cooking water used, spaghetti made from common wheat was stickier than spaghetti made from durum wheat, and both were stickier when cooked in tap, well, or formulated waters (F3 and F4). The two spaghetti types showed similar cooking losses, except when cooked in well water. Spaghetti made from durum wheat did not appear to be as affected by the hardness of the well water as the spaghetti made from common wheat. These findings confirm the need to use a standardized cooking water when comparing results from one test session to another or from one laboratory to another.