Edible alkali has a special function, which can improve the affinity of most protein with water. For example, when all kinds of seafood are soaked, if you add a little alkali, it will absorb more water and be full after soaking. For all kinds of grains, adding a little alkali will make it easier for protein to absorb water and dissolve into the soup, so that the starch particles will disperse more easily, and the taste will be sticky after cooking porridge.
However, alkali is a terrible enemy for most vitamins. Vitamins such as vitamin C, vitamin B1, vitamin B2 and folic acid are very afraid of alkali. Heating under alkaline conditions, the loss is even more serious. Adding alkali and cooking porridge for a long time is tantamount to killing vitamins B1 and B2. If too much alkali is added, there will be an uncomfortable alkaline taste and slippery feeling, and it will destroy the original aroma of fresh grain.
In this way, cooking porridge with alkali is not worth the loss.
However, some people think that it is not appropriate to add alkali when cooking rice porridge, but should add some alkali when cooking corn porridge. Because nicotinic acid (also known as nicotinic acid), a B vitamin in corn, is bound and is not easily absorbed by the human body. If alkali is added, it can be released. In response to this statement, I also talk about my views.
In the past, when people only ate corn and had nothing else to eat, people were more prone to nicotinic acid deficiency, so in some areas, it was advocated to cook corn porridge with some alkali. In this way, nicotinic acid is enough, and vitamins B1 and B2 are sacrificed. Because there are a lot of B1 and B2 in corn, people can supplement it by eating corn tortillas without alkali.
however, times have changed, so should the saying. How many people don't eat anything except corn porridge and tortillas every day nowadays? Nicotinic acid in fish is quite rich, and there are many nicotinic acids in pasta. According to the nutrition survey, the supply of nicotinic acid in Chinese people is still relatively sufficient, but vitamin B2 is generally insufficient, and vitamin B1 is also lacking in some people. In this case, adding alkali to corn porridge will not have any good effect on dietary nutrition balance.
As for many people adding alkali to mung bean porridge, it is even more extravagant. The original B vitamin content in bean porridge is much higher than that in rice porridge. Adding alkali will destroy this benefit. Soybean skin is also rich in polyphenols, which will also change their structure because of alkali.
Then, many people will ask: How can porridge be sticky and delicious without adding alkali? There are actually many methods. You can add a handful of glutinous rice, a spoonful of oats, or a little honey locust rice to increase the consistency. In this way, not only do you not lose nutrition, but you can also better enjoy the fragrance and beauty of natural grains.
Finally,
Whether food becomes acid or alkali after human metabolism has nothing to do with adding vinegar or alkali. Cooking porridge and putting alkali on it is not helpful to prevent chronic diseases. Adding alkali will only make porridge raise blood sugar faster, which is not good for diabetics. Adding alkali will also greatly increase the sodium content of porridge, which is also unfavorable for preventing hypertension.