Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a staple food for about half of the population in the world. Aroma is one of the most
important rice sensory quality characteristics. The chemical compound that contributes mostly to the aroma profile of
aromatic rice (e.g. basmati rice) is 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP). This highly volatile compound has been found to
occur naturally in Pandan leaves. Adding fresh Pandan leaves to enhance the flavour profile of non-aromatic rice is as
an old practice in South-East Asia. However, there has been little work done on how 2-AP is extracted from Pandan
leaves and the phenomena taking place during cooking. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of
absorption of 2-AP from non-aromatic rice mixed with Pandan leaves during cooking. Non-aromatic rice was cooked
with fresh Pandan leaves using optimal and excess water conditions. The amount of 2-AP in rice grain was found to
decrease at 10 min (optimal water) and 5 min (excess water) of cooking. A possible explanation of this phenomena
could be linked to starch gelatinization and the effect it has on interaction with 2-AP from the rice grains.