Effect of fish to starch ratio on viscoelastic properties and microstructure of fish cracker ('keropok') dough

Starch granules found at the centre of fish crackers ('keropok') which cont ained from 0 to 10% fish did not gelatinize after 2 h steaming. This was be cause of water movement from the centre to the periphery during steaming. A fish protein network started to develop in dough with a 15% fish content a nd this entrapped water molecules. These water molecules helped to complete gelatinization. The viscoelastic properties of 'keropok' dough increased w ith an increasing fish to starch ratio and also because of the formation of a fish-protein network in the dough.