Tuna Fish Cake with
Buckwheat Groats
Clarissa Koga, Brandy Love, Leigh Ziegler
77845 FSHN 381
Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Science
College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources
University of Hawai’i at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawai’i
Purpose
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Our purpose is to develop an
acceptable tuna fish cake, using
buckwheat groats as a stuffer
One serving = at least ¼ lb. (after
cooking)
No wheat, dairy, or egg products
Buckwheat Groats
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Kasha
Whole buckwheat
kernels with outer hulls
removed
Seed of a plant
Contains more protein
than barley and rice
Groats vs Oats
Buckwheat Groats Composition
Fiber
10%
Carb
75%
Protein
13% Fat
2%
Buckwheat Groats
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Staple in Russia
Soviet Union largest
producer
Ranks 12th in U.S. cereal
crops
Porridge, pilaf, stuffing
Soba Noodles, pancakes
Similar to wheat
How is it cooked?
Soy Flour
 Made from soybeans
 50% protein content
 Contains no gluten or
starch
 Promotes moisture
retention
 Improves crust color
Lab 1 Experiments
Tuna fish cakes lost weight after cooking
Tuna fish cake from experiment 2 had best sensory characteristics
Soy Flour worked best as a binder
Starch from groats helped to retain moisture and binding capacity
Lab 2 Experiments
Patty 4
Patty 5
Patty 6
Precooked patty weight – 145g
Adjust Groat and Soy Flour ratio
Experiment with seasonings
Determine if defrosted groats still offer acceptable sensory
characteristics
Final Recipe
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½ cup tuna
1/3 cup buckwheat groats
¼ cup soy flour
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp garlic powder
Tuna Fish Cake
Tuna Fish Cake Sensory Evaluation
Instructions:
1. Please take a sip of water
2. Please evaluate the Tuna Patty’s overall appearance, texture, flavor, tenderness and moistness
3. Please mark (X) your choice based on the following scale:
Dislike
Extremely
Dislike
Neither Like nor
Dislike
Like
Like Extremely
APPEARANCE
Comments
TEXTURE
Comments
FLAVOR
Comments
TENDERNESS
Comments
MOISTNESS
Comments
Please circle your answer
1. Overall, did you enjoy eating this tuna fish cake?
Yes
No
Why or Why Not? _____________________________________________
2. Would you purchase this tuna fish cake in the grocery store?
Comments:
Yes
No