Starch from Rice, 1kg

Starch or amylum is a carbohydrate consisting of a large number of glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds. Starch becomes soluble in water when heated. The granules swell and burst, the semi-crystalline structure is lost and the smaller amylose molecules start leaching out of the granule, forming a network that holds water and increasing the mixture's viscosity. This process is called starch gelatinization. During cooking the starch becomes a paste and increases further in viscosity. During cooling or prolonged storage of the paste, the semi-crystalline structure partially recovers and the starch paste thickens, expelling water. This is mainly caused by retrogradation of the amylose. Starch can be hydrolyzed into simpler carbohydrates by acids, various enzymes, or a combination of the two and can be used as a bland-tasting filler, thickener, sweetner and in hydrogen production.