We eat rice daily and so do most Japanese families. Despite the contamination issues which are global, there is something about rice, its taste and aroma. Rice happily feeds more people on this planet than any other grain. So what is it that makes white rice and refined flowers so intensely attractive.This is the “million $” question.

Well it is pretty simple, but not that simple when you think that rice aroma combined has more than 200 volatile compounds. But the one compound that is responsible for the smell and taste is named 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, referred to as 2AP.

The aromatic 2AP has also been found in other cereals, bread flower, fungi and bacteria. It is interesting to understand the role of 2AP in plant metabolism and is a powerful food stimulant.