Effect of Wheat Cultivar and Wheat Flour Ratio on Physicochemical Properties of Samanoo

Samanoo is a traditional Iranian dessert that has a high nutritional value. Its consumption is on the rise. Samanoo is made using a mixture of wheat sprout extract (wheat malt) and whole wheat flour. It is mainly prepared at home or at in small businesses and there is no standard method of preparation. This study investigates the effects of wheat cultivar (Hirmand and Tabasi) and the ratio of wheat flour to the weight of the wheat sprouts (2:1 and 3:1) on physicochemical (total sugar, reduced sugar, pH, acidity, protein, ash content, color, brix, moisture content, water activity), sensory, and rheological properties (flow behavior, apparent viscosity, time dependency) of samanoo. In addition, the impact of storage (50 days at 3°C) on the pH, acidity, and growth of molds was determined. Results showed that wheat cultivar and wheat flour ratio and their interaction had significant effects on most properties (p < 0.05). Based on these findings, samanoo made using the Hirmand cultivar with a mixing ratio of 1:2 achieved the best scores in terms of quality.