1.0 Introduction
Flour is a term used to describe a fine powder that is obtained through grinding. A variety of convenient foods, including bread and snacks, are made with flour. Sadly, a common misconception is that only wheat is utilized to make flour.
According to Webster's dictionary, rice (oryzasativa) is an annual cereal grass that is widely grown for human consumption. It is one of the most significant food crops in the world. It comes in second place in terms of importance to wheat as a food crop in areas where it is consumed daily, sometimes even twice a day.
The botanical structure of rice grains is similar to that of wheat grains. Introducing rice, a local cereal, as a partial study project. Composite Flour refers to a blend of rice and wheat flour. Although the final product may not have the same nutritional value as wheat flour, it will still be just as good.
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Limitation of the study and Definition of technical terms.
1.1 Background of the Study
Chinese agriculture was the first to export rice to nations like India and Sri Lanka. According to popular belief, Alexander the Great's armies introduced rice to Greece and West Asia in 300 B.C. By the year 800 A.D., rice had been introduced to East Africa through trade with India and Indonesia.
Exact methods of rice's introduction to North America are unclear. According to a story, a ship that was damaged had to dock in the Carolinas. The colonists were given a bag of rice by the ship's captain as payment for repairs. Moreover, it's thought that rice was brought from Africa by slave traders. 300 tons of rice were shipped from the United States to England in 1700. Rice production expanded throughout the southern states following the end of the Civil War. Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Arkansas, and California are the states where rice is most commonly grown in the US.
In order to produce rice, the US has embraced new machinery and technology. Rice cultivation requires roughly seven labor hours per acre on average. In Asia, caring for a rice field can require 300 man hours. An American consumes approximately 25 pounds of rice annually on average. One can consume 200 - 400 pounds of rice annually in some parts of Asia.
Rice can be grown under a wide range of circumstances, including desert regions and techniques. The rice plant has a maximum height of two to six feet. There are different varieties of rice grown in the world. They differ in shape, size and colour of grains, the west Africa types of rice and brown, yellow and red. Before the introduction of Oryza saeiva some 67 years age, red rice derived form the indigenous West Africa Cultivated species Oryza. Glaberrima was grown and it is still grown on unprepared plan in Mali, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. Commercially, the two types of rice recognize and the white and red but generally the white types are preferred and bring much higher price in most markets.
The ideal environments for rice cultivation are those with natural humidity found in coastal plains, river basins, and river delta regions. Sometimes it is grown on land that has been intentionally flooded to make cultivation easier. Man, cattle, and poultry all consume rice, which is also used to make beer and starch. Rice is a versatile food that travels well and has good storage properties.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The problem facing the integration of rice flour in the production of snacks is due to the following:
- Based on available data, ignorance appears to be the result of some individuals' inadequate upbringing. Because people are so accustomed to wheat flour, it will come as a huge surprise to introduce flour derived from cereal and tuber crops. After all, people usually assume that wheat is the only crop that can be used to make flour for snacks.
As a result, less rice flour will be purchased since consumers won't know how to use it correctly or how much to use in order to get a quality product. To put it another way, their ignorance will lead them to believe that only wheat flour can compare in quality to other flours.
- Furthermore, there is a perception among some that if we use our local product, there will be processing involved. For example, when using our locally produced rice, the stone must be removed first, and then the rice must be thoroughly washed to remove any remaining stones.
After being sun-dried, it will be transferred to a grinding machine and ground into fine flour, a process that will require a significant amount of time. Someone who lacks patience might not have the time to complete this processing. They will favor the readily available wheat flour that is already made and ready to use.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of the Study
The aim of the study is to find out the various ways by which quality of diets based on which rice can be improved. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To produce variety of snacks and bread using composite flour (Rice and Flour);
- To examine the various cookery method in rice product; and
- To create awareness on the uses of rice for production of snacks and bread in home and hotels.
1.5 Significance of the Study
The goal of the research is to increase our ability to rely on locally produced goods and, to the greatest extent possible, reduce the use of imported flour (wheat, barley, oat, etc.). Proper ingredient incorporation will result in high-quality, palatable snacks that will boost sales while lowering production costs.
The study will enlighten caterers and food handlers on how to use our local cereal crops i.e. rice in the production of flour and also to teach them on how to integrate this flour with other locally produced crop flour.
Finally, the findings from the study will help discourage caterers and food handlers from overspending on wheat flour.
1.6 Limitation of the Study
During the course of this study, there were some problems encountered which stood as limitations to the research work. Some of the limitations include:
- Time Constraint:
The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Financial Constraint:
Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet).
1.7 Definition of Terms
Cereal:
It is a kind of grain.
Composite Flour:
It refers to the mixture of two or more flour.
Graminea: Scientific name for the class to which cereal and grain belong to.
Perennial:
It means lasting through the whole year.
Irrigation:
It means to supply water to dry land especially by providing with man-made streams.
Species:
It refers to a group of plant that are of the same kind which are like in all important ways.
