Puffed grain includes ancient puffed grains like
popcorn as well as
puffed rice. Modern puffed grains are often created using high temperature, pressure, and/or
extrusion.
Ingredients for puffed rice can be as simple as rice and perhaps
salt for taste. Other products like
Rice Krispies,
Corn Flakes, or
Corn Pops mix many ingredients into a homogeneous
batter. The batter is then formed into shapes then toasted and/or extruded. This causes them to rise, but not puff or pop.
Puffed grains are popular as
breakfast cereals and in the form of "
rice cakes". While it is easy to recognize that the cereals came from whole grains, the expansion factor for rice cakes is even greater, and the final product is somewhat more
homogeneous.
Manufacture
High pressure puffed grain is created by placing whole grains under
high pressure with
steam. When the containment vessel's seal is suddenly broken, the entrained steam then
flash and bloats the
endosperm of the
kernel, increasing its volume to many times its original size.
Puffed rice or other grains are occasionally found as street food in
China,
Korea (called
"ppeong twigi" 뻥튀기), and
Japan (called
"pong gashi" ポン菓子), where peddlers implement the puffing process using an integrated pushcart/puffer featuring a rotating steel
pressure chamber heated over an open flame. The great booming sound produced by the release of pressure serves as advertising to attract customers.
Puffable foods
Grains
Read More