Substitution of Canna edulis starch for a mixture of potato/cassava starch in the production of almojábanas

Almojábana is a kind of food that varies in its composition depending on the geographical place where it is baked. In Ecuador, almojábana is based on cheese, wheat flour and Canna edulis starch. C. edulis planting has diminished, leading to a high cost of the starch and less availability on the market. The present work studied C. edulis starch substitution by a mixture of potato and cassava starches on the elaboration of almojábanas. Specific volume, crumb structure, textural properties and sensory analyses were used to find the best starch substitution. Mixtures of cassava and potato starch (25/75, 35/65, and 45/55) and starch dough resting time (10, 15, and 20 h) were investigated. Hardness, elasticity, chewiness, specific volume, average size cell, the number of cells per area and the total area of cells of almojábanas were determined. Results showed that a mixture of 25% potato, 75% cassava and 20 h resting time could substitute C. edulis starch in almojábana baking. The obtained almojábanas had different flavor compared to a control sample (based on C. edulis starch). Starch substitution reduced the cost of raw materials (starch) by 60%.