Kaoru Sakamoto

University students aspiring to become elementary school teachers practiced cooking rice in glass pots, following two home economics textbooks. Changes in the pots, students' actions, insights, questions, and decision-making criteria were extracted from video recordings and student worksheets. The "lid sound" indicating boiling, mentioned in both textbooks, was not observed, and all groups experienced boil-overs. Steam proved to be a more useful indicator. Students were confused by the interpretation of "water absorption" during the transition from boiling to simmering, which led to delays in switching phases; however, these delays were generally acceptable. One textbook suggested using the "burning smell" as an indicator to turn off the heat during the simmering phase; however, some groups noticed it too early, making it an unreliable cue. Although the students prioritized assessing the condition of the cooking rice, they sometimes adjusted the heat based on the cooking times indicated by the textbooks. Burning was observed at the bottom of the pots in all groups. Home economics textbooks should detail the reproducible state of rice-cooking.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of sugars with distinct heating and melting characteristics on the quality of cooked products, with a specific emphasis on the role of moisture. Candies and cookies were prepared using granulated sugar W and its crushed form WP, which start melting at approximately 150°C. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) curves revealed differences between the W-sugar and WP-sugar. In the absence of moisture, WP candies exhibited a more intense coloration than W candies. Conversely, in cookies containing moisture, W cookies were more colored and bitter than WP cookies. Prior to baking, dissolution of residual sugar was observed in the cookie dough, with solubility increasing as heating progressed. Post-baking, the sugar solidified, apparently encapsulating the wheat starch grain structure. The production of reducing sugars also differed. It was considered that the cooked product heated without moisture and the cooked product containing moisture had different sugar decomposition conditions upon heating, resulting in differences in the formation of colored and bitter substances caused by sugar caramelization and aminocarbonyl reactions, which influence both color and flavor. Thus, differences in sugar melting points result in variations in the quality of cooked products; however, these differences are not consistent because they are significantly influenced by the presence and quantity of moisture.

To examine changes in the living conditions and complaints of elementary and junior high school students during the COVID-19 pandemic, two surveys were conducted: one in November 2015, yielding 1,908 valid responses, and another in September-October 2021, with 11,034 valid responses. Both surveys targeted third and fifth grade elementary school students and second grade junior high school students in a city in the Kinki region. The findings revealed an increase in elementary students eating midnight snacks and a decrease in junior high school students having breakfast daily. Elementary and junior high school students have more opportunities to eat breakfast together at home, and the number of elementary school students eating dinner together has also increased. The number of elementary school students who can cook by themselves has decreased, while those who have bowel movements every morning have increased. All students have shown later wake-up and bedtime habits, along with reduced physical activity, and an increase in complaints such as feeling sluggish, lack of appetite, and decreased motivation. From these observations, it is suggested that COVID-19 has impacted the living conditions of elementary and junior high school students.

This study obtains data to develop methods for advertising the rock oyster (Crassostrea nippona) as a regional branded food by investigating the degree of recognition of the characteristics of the rock oyster, the Pacific oyster (C. gigas), and the common oyster by young people living in oyster-producing regions. The survey was conducted in the production regions of Japan, namely, Nagasaki, Hyogo, Miyagi, and Hiroshima prefectures. The participants were university students who would become future consumers of the rock oyster. Approximately 40% of the participants recognized the rock oyster; furthermore, less than 20% of them had consumed it. Thus, most participants did not recognize and/or had never consumed the rock oyster. Furthermore, the season of the rock oyster was identified to a lesser degree than that of the Pacific oyster. Most participants could not identify the production region of the rock oyster. The most common perceptions of nutrients and dishes associated with oysters were minerals and fried and grilled dishes, respectively. These findings are useful as a basis for developing methods to advertise the rock oyster as a regional branded food.

This study aimed to investigate the thermal stability of characteristic chemicals in manuka honey during high-temperature heating and propose a cooking method that suppresses the reduction of one antibacterial ingredient, methylglyoxal (MGO). MGO was significantly decreased to approximately 12% by heating at 150°C for 10 min, similar to candy preparation. 2'-methoxyacetophenone, a marker for manuka honey authenticity developed by the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries, was also significantly reduced when heated for 10 min. We also compared the stability of these chemicals at various temperatures for 10 min. MGO was identified as stable up to 90°C, but significantly reduced over 100°C. The presence of sugar and volatilization of MGO had little effect on MGO reduction. Our data suggest that heating processed foods containing manuka honey at a high temperature of 120°C or more were expected to significantly decrease MGO in the final product compared to the original quantity. Additionally, lowering the processing temperature and shortening the heating time may effectively suppress the reduction of MGO.

<p>Recent reports indicate difficulties in passing on ceremonial, traditional, or local speciality foods to young people. In order to share these foods with younger generations, it may be necessary to examine the differences in preferences among generations and living areas, and to identify the challenges involved in the transfer of regional cuisines from one generation to the next. This study examined the attitudes and behaviour of Japanese people towards the consumption of sushi (hayazushi), which has been passed down through generations as a ceremonial dish, traditional cuisine, and local speciality food. It also compared sushi rice preferences among different generations and living areas. Research showed that the most frequent type of sushi consumed is 'hand-shaped sushi', regardless of the generation. The most common method of consuming sushi among the younger generations is 'going to conveyor belt sushi restaurants'. The study also revealed that the younger as well as the older generation consume sushi as part of their daily meals, and preferences for sushi rice vary among generations and living areas. This study emphasises the necessity of conveying the cultural history of local cuisines to the younger generations and of making regional cuisines more appealing by adopting certain changes—in light of shifts in preferences for sushi—that preserve the original characteristics of traditional cuisine, such as a change in the seasoning process.</p>

<p>  A survey was conducted regarding the food services of elderly care facilities, hospitals, and nursery schools in the southwestern region of Hyogo Prefecture, to examine a variety of care service recipients, including the elderly, infants, and patients, as well as to discuss associated problems. The survey also included questions regarding the use of steam convection ovens. The food services provided the care service recipients with several types of cooked rice including soft cooked rice and gruel, and also used heating devices other than rice cookers. A problem discovered in elderly care facilities was that when rice was cooked using pots and stoves, the hardness of the cooked rice varied markedly. More than 50％ of the food services used steam convection ovens to cook a variety of dishes. Although few facilities used steam convection ovens for cooking rice, approximately 30 to 40％ of survey respondents answered that they would like to do so. Through this survey, the current situation of various ways of rice cooking in food services facilities was made clear, and it was learned that many facility staff are interested in cooking various types of rice simultaneously using steam convection ovens.</p>

<p>We investigated the current state of rice-cooking practical lessons taught by home economics teachers in 306 public elementary schools in the Kinki district in 2013 and 234 schools in the Kanto district in 2014 by administering a questionnaire. The results revealed that in most schools, fifth-year students participated in these lessons. More than 90% of the classes used cooking pots of which 85% were made of glass. The practical lessons were based on the instructions given in textbooks. Many teachers experienced difficulties in the instructions related to the control of heat intensity, countermeasures against burning, and instructions to control heating time. The teachers understood that their students were satisfied when they cooked the rice by themselves and that the students were interested in the changes the rice underwent during cooking. The teachers were of the view that rice-cooking practical lessons were important. It is recommended that the three problems noted should be addressed in the future.</p>

<p> This study was to clarify how the program in which elderly people donated food at local events to high school students was affected by mental and physical health, images of the elderly, frequency of meeting the elderly and their interest in the local event foods of the high school students.</p><p> The participants were 80 high school students who attended a senior high school in Hyogo Prefecture. They were divided into the experimental group of 24 people who took part in the cooking program and the control group of 56 people who did not take part in the cooking program. The experimental group of high school students took part in the cooking program twice and they worked with the elderly in each program. Questionnaire surveys were conducted with the experimental group and the control group before and after the cooking programs.</p><p> The questionnaire included the following items: unidentified complaints, self-rated health, images of the elderly (Semantic Differential Scale: SD), considered age of the elderly, frequency of meeting the elderly people and their interest in local event foods.</p><p> Variations in each item of the questionnaire surveys before and after the cooking programs were compared between the experimental group and the control group using a two-way repeated measures analysis of variance.</p><p> The results showed that the scores of the images of the elderly such as "warm-hearted", "right", "easy to talk to", "fast", "big", "kind", "gentle" and "reliable" significantly increased in the experimental group.</p><p> After the cooking programs in which the elderly people donated food at local events to the high school students, the high school students' mental and physical health was not significantly improved, but the program improved their images of the elderly people. It is suggested that the intergenerational cooking program in which local event foods are donated to the younger generation improves the high school students' images of elderly people even if it takes place over a short period of time.</p>

<p>We conducted a questionnaire survey among university students aspiring to become school teachers to assess their degree of comprehension and the perceived difficulties of the description of the rice-cooking process found in elementary home economics textbooks. We focused on the description of the rice heating process, when cooked on a stovetop with a pot, either common metal or clear glass. According to the results of our survey, most students believed that the state of cooking rice would be the best indicator of the control of the heat level during the cooking process, but that it would be difficult to determine. Moreover, the students reported difficulties in evaluating unfamiliar expressions appearing in the text and on understanding these events without prior relevant experience. It is important to distinguish the purpose, characteristics, and methods of judging the state of rice being cooked in a clear glass pot and a common pot. Furthermore, the survey results showed that most students found it might be difficult to instruct children in the practical rice-cooking lessons because of the following three most common negative factors: the students' own lack of experience, difficulties in judging by children, and difficulties in class management.</p>

<p>We investigated the influence of soaking temperature on the water absorption in three cultivars of Japonica rice, Kinuhikari, Sasanishiki, and Hatsushimo, based on the modified water absorption rate calculation method for rice. The grains of each cultivar were processed under different conditions, i.e., 70% polished and polished rice. We compared the water absorption curves of grains soaked in water at 5°C, 20°C, and 40°C for 10 min to 24 h to ensure that the absorption had reached equilibrium. The absorption curves of grains soaked at 5°C and 20°C intersected those of grains soaked at 40°C in all cultivars of both 70% polished rice and polished rice. This "reverse phenomenon" was specific to the granular shape of the rice grain. The findings for these three cultivars descended from the different rice lines contradict the established theories in the field of cookery science. It is suggested that this occurs for many cultivars of Japonica rice.</p>

<p>A questionnaire survey on food (rice, milk, grilled chicken, miso soup, and stewed radish) waste during lunchtime, lifestyle habits, food education at home, and early childhood experience with school lunches/daycare meals was conducted on 418 third- and sixth-grade students (218 boys and 200 girls) of an elementary school and 567 students (281 boys and 286 girls) of a junior high school in Osaka City in December, 2017. The association of food waste during lunchtime with lifestyle habits, food education at home, and early childhood experience with school lunches/daycare meals was then examined.</p><p>Differences in food waste across all lunch menus were observed between elementary and junior high school students. Exercise habits showed a significant positive correlation with food waste for all lunch menus. There was a significant correlation of bedtimes with not finishing milk, grilled chicken, and stewed radish. Food education at home was high in those who finished their milk, and early childhood experience with daily school lunches/daycare meals was high in those who finished their rice. These results suggest that factors affecting waste differ depending on the ingredients used for school lunches, in addition to the factors affecting overall food waste at lunch.</p>

<p> This study was made to clarify how the program, in which elderly women donated the local event foods to high school students, affected the psychosocial functions of elderly women.</p><p> The participants were 58 elderly women who lived in Hyogo Prefecture. They were divided into the experimental group of 19 people who took part in the cooking program and the control group of 39 people who did not take part in the cooking program. The experimental group of the elderly women took part in the cooking program twice and they worked with the high school students in each program. Questionnaire surveys were conducted with the experimental group and the control group before and after the cooking programs.</p><p> The questionnaire included the following items: Instrumental ADL; IADL, self-assessment for their health, short version of Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Type A behavior, participation in social activities, the frequency of meeting their friends, grandchildren or great-grandchildren, awareness of coexistence with local communities, frequency of going out, short version of Generativity scale, and their interest in local event foods and their spread.</p><p> Variations in each item of the questionnaire surveys before and after the cooking programs were compared between the experimental group and the control group using a two-way repeated measures analysis of variance.</p><p> The results showed that the score of the experimental group of their desire to take care of elderly persons who live alone on the item of awareness of coexistence with, local communities and the score of their desire to serve as a role model for a young person on the short version of the generativity scale significantly increased.</p><p> After the elderly women participated in the cooking programs, their awareness of coexistence with the local communities and consciousness of generativity increased. It suggests that the cooking programs to donate the local event foods is expected to raise the consciousness of the elderly women on generativity and awareness of the coexistence with local communities even if the program is over a short period of time.</p>

<p> This study was to clarify awareness and interest in the local event foods between young people and older people in order to get basic ideas for creating programs in which the elderly can pass down the local event foods to the younger generations.</p><p> The participants were 399 elderly people living in Hyogo Prefecture and 270 first-year high school students in the same city.</p><p> Both of them were asked about their awareness of 51 local event foods, experiences of eating them, and their interest in the local event foods. Answers to the questions were compared between the elderly people and the high school students. The elderly people were divided into three groups in order to clarify the effect of their age. Group Ⅰ consisted of people aged 60 to 64. Group Ⅱ consisted of people aged 65 to 69. Group Ⅲ consisted of people aged over 70.</p><p> The high school students had significantly lower awareness and fewer experiences of many local event foods than the elderly people. The people aged 70 or over had significantly higher awareness of event foods such as Urabon, Tanabata and Otsukimi and more experiences of event foods such as higandango, somen, botamochi and konoshirosushi than the people who were in their sixties. While the elderly people named New Year's foods as local event foods which they wanted to pass down to the younger generations, the high school students did not name them. The results of a cluster analysis identified foods such as kinton, nanakusagayu and ohagi were the ones both the elderly people and the high school students were interested in as the local event foods which they wanted to pass down to younger generations.</p><p> This study found that the local event foods had not been passed down to the high school students while the elderly people knew a lot of about them. On the other hand, more than half of the high school students were interested in learning about local event foods. It suggests that we can create effective programs in which the elderly people can pass down the local event foods to younger generations based on the local events foods both the elderly people and the high school students were interested in. </p>

Extracted data from three generations of students, parents, and grandparents in Hyogo Prefecture concerning 17 Japanese annual events (e.g., New Year's Eve, the New Year, seasonal events or festivals, and Buddhist events), were analyzed for intergenerational transmission. The results obtained were as follows: Shogatsu (New Year's celebration), Omisoka (New Year's Eve), Christmas, and Setsubun (seasonal events), all of which include traditional meals and dishes (e.g., Zoni, soba, cake, Makizushi), were recognized and experienced by almost everyone, including people from all generations. The annual events, which were well recognized but infrequently experienced, were Otsukimi, Jinjitsu, Tango, Shunbun (Spring Equinox), Touji, and Shuubun (Autumnal Equinox). Among them, Shunbun and Shuubun, in particular, were not passed down through the generations as family traditions. The autumn festival and spring festival were already less recognized and less experienced, and so these celebrations will probably fade away with time. Among 17 events, Chouyou was the least experienced event, with only a few percent of the students having attended. In other words, this event has almost become irrelevant to contemporary Japan.

We measured the water absorption of rice grains when it is soaked in warm and cold water, as well as the amount of rice contents suspended in the soaking water. Rice grains were soaked in water with temperatures ranging from 5&deg;C to 50&deg;C, for 5 to 240 minutes. The water absorption curves obtained, crossed each other. At the equilibrium state, rice soaked in cold water showed higher water absorption than rice soaked in warm water. Measurement of suspended rice contents in soaking water showed that warm water adjusted to 40&deg;C and 50&deg;C had the highest rice contents. Subsequently we measured the adjusted water absorption by including the values for rice contents that was suspended in soaking water. The adjusted water absorption curves obtained also crossed each other. Once again, it was observed that at the equilibrium state, rice grains soaked in cold water showed higher water absorption than that soaked in warm water.

The aim of this study was to elucidate the changes in rice microstructure based on the soaking conditions. We also investigated the relationship between rice microstructure and texture, such as the hardness and elasticity of cooked rice. This could eventually lead to a deeper understanding of the better flavour and taste of rice. Rice soaked for varying time periods (0, 20, 60, and 120 minutes) in water (temperature 10&deg;C) was subsequently subjected to cooking-based experiments and analysed.<br>Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of cross-sections of cooked rice were obtained. From these, we observed uniform honeycomb structures and dense layers near the surface of the cooked rice.<br>The pore size of the structure increased with the increase in soaking time. An analysis of the texture on the cooked rice indicated that elasticity reduced with the increase in soaking time, and that stickiness and hardness reduced until the soaking time reached 60 minutes and increased at a soaking time of 120 minutes.<br>The honeycomb structure was quantified by the analysis of the SEM images. Based on this analysis, the average area of the honeycomb structure was found to be strongly dependent on the quantity of water in which the rice was soaked. In addition, the structure was believed to determine the elasticity of the cooked rice.<br>Finally, we suggest that the human sensory response, which is correlated to the texture of the cooked rice, can be analysed and predicted by observing the microstructure of the cooked rice.

As one method of preventing unbalanced diet and vitamin deficiency caused by not eating enough fruits and vegetables in temporary shelters at the time of disaster, the effectiveness of vacuum cooking method was studied. Since preparing food on site under sanitary environment is difficult with limited water and food resources, food preparation procedure in emergency was also re-examined and effectiveness of adding food cooked by vacuum cooking method was discussed.It was observed that, in food cooked under vacuum cooking method, no bacteria propagated for 15 days and the loss of vitamin C was controlled. This suggested that food cooked under vacuum cooking method could be preserved for a longer period of time and thus transported to the disaster site where lifeline is destroyed. In addition, almost all panels who participated in the sensory test preferred the vacuum-packed cabbages and apples due to maintaining their original texture.The result suggested that, in the disaster-stricken area where lifeline is destroyed, the use of vacuum cooking method was effective in preventing unbalanced diet and lack of intaking vegetables, fruits and vitamin C.