Final answer:
After gelatinization, additional cooking is necessary to develop flavor and prevent a bland starch flavor in cereals and starch mixtures.
Step-by-step explanation:
When cooking cereals or starch mixtures, it is important to continue cooking for a short time after gelatinization is complete to prevent a bland starch flavor. This additional cooking time allows for the full flavor to develop, ensuring that the starch does not taste flat or uninteresting. The process of starch gelatinization involves the absorption of water when heated, leading to the swelling of the starch granules. This is a critical step in cooking grains like rice, corn, wheat, and oats. As the granules take up water, they lose their organized structure, and the viscosity of the mixture increases. If not cooked sufficiently after this point, the resulting dish could retain a bland taste associated with raw or undercooked starch.