A PRODUCT which can be cooked and eaten like regular rice but has the health benefits of oats took centre stage during the lunch break at the Grain Research Update, Perth, on Monday.
The innovative oat 'rice' product was developed by oat research scientists at the Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC) and was served at the annual event.
The kitchens at Crown Towers paired the oat rice with shiitake mushroom, tofu, cucumber, fermented daikon radish and yuzu miso dressing, with the dish forming part of the official event menu.
AEGIC barley and oat quality program manager Mark Tucek said AEGIC could reveal that they've developed a processing method to make high-quality noodles from 100 per cent whole grain oat flour.
"This is a significant achievement because making high quality oat noodles with the texture and mouth feel of wheat noodles is a real challenge," he said.
"Our noodles have exceptional eating quality, they look great, they have good shelf life and they have all the health benefits of whole grain oats.
"Recent international delegations have told us that our oat noodles have all the eating quality of wheat noodles."
Mr Tucek said AEGIC was striving to elevate oats from the breakfast table to becoming a go-to option for lunch and dinner.
"Australian oats are highly-regarded in Asia and Australia for their excellent grain quality and health benefits," he said.
"Giving people more options to incorporate oats into their diet is great for health-conscious consumers.
"It's fantastic for Australian growers because of the potential for increased demand in what is a premium market sector."
The project originally focused on China, which has been increasing its oat consumption dramatically in recent years.
Between 2007 and 2017, Chinese imports of oats rose by 900pc, with the number of exports expected to increase to 400,000 mega tonnes over the next few years.
"Up to $25 million in extra value could be captured if Australia secures a large share of the expected growth in Chinese oat demand over the next few years," Mr Tucek said.
"On top of that, these types of products have huge potential not just in China, but across Asia, and in the domestic market too."
