The small-size (3-gram) sample of rice flour from a total of thirty Indica or Japonica varieties planted in the second crop were prepared for Rapid Visco Analyzer (RVA) to evaluate the amylographic characteristics of rice flour and determine the relationship between above characteristics and palatability of cooked rice. The information can provide useful criteria for breeders in selecting the lines with better palatability in the second crop. The results showed that the variations in amylographic characteristics among the different varieties planted in the second crop could be determined using small-size sample of rice flour. It was also observed that the relationships between palatability and 11 amylographic characteristics were different among variety groups. The correlation coefficients were higher when calculated from the total of 30 varieties or from indica rice. In principal component analysis from 30 varieties, the first three principal components accounted for 95.71% of the total sample variance. According to the scatter plot for the 30 varieties, it was observed that the high-amylose Indica varieties were scattered at the first and fourth quadrants, while low-amylose Indica varieties, and the Japonica varieties were at the second and third quadrants. Using the values of amylographic characteristics calculated from small-size samples of rice flour, the regressing equations for the palatability based on the above characteristics were established for all 30 varieties and Indica varieties. For all 30 varieties, the regression equation is y=-0.0839(PT)+0.1880(HP)-0.1001(CP)-36.6976 (HP/P)+18.8229(CP/P)+6.3367 , r²= 0.737; and for the Indica varieties, y=0.0221(BD)+1.2572 (CP/HP)-5.4112, r²=0.941; where y is palatability, PT is pasting temperature, CON is consistency viscosity, P is peak viscosity, HP is hot paste viscosity, CP is cool paste viscosity, HP/P is breakdown ratio, CP/P is setback ratio, BD is breakdown viscosity and CP/HP is consistency ratio.

Key words: rice, small-sample size, eating quality.