Food Chemistry
Amylose
The essentially linear fraction of starch, made of α-1,4-linked glucose units. Typically 20–30% of common starches.
Real-life application
The straight-chain starch behind the firm, separate grains in basmati rice and the hard set of cooled boiled potatoes.
Related terms
Amylopectin
Food ChemistryThe highly branched fraction of starch, with α-1,4 chains joined by α-1,6 branch points roughly every 20–25 units.
Retrogradation
Food ChemistryThe re-association of gelatinised starch chains, mainly amylose, into an ordered crystalline structure during cooling and storage, expelling water (syneresis).
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