overmealy

Overmealy is a culinary descriptor used informally to indicate a texture that is excessively mealy—a dry, granular, powdery mouthfeel with limited cohesion. While "mealy" already implies a powdery or flour-like texture, "overmealy" signals that the texture has become overly pronounced or undesirable for the product or dish. The term is not part of formal culinary lexicons but appears in sensory notes, product reviews, and casual critiques.

The term arises mainly in discussions of root vegetables and grain-based products. Causes include aging or improper storage that leads to moisture loss and starch crystallization, variety susceptibility to dryness, and processing factors such as milling, dehydration, or grinding that overshoot texture. Environmental factors like temperature fluctuations can also contribute.

Examples include potatoes described as mealy and crumbly after extended storage or overcooking; apples that have a dry, powdery flesh; cornmeal products that crumble rather than hold together; and crackers or breads that are dry and grainy beyond desired firmness.

Assessment and remedies: choose firm, recently harvested produce; store potatoes and apples in controlled humidity to slow desiccation; for processing, adjust moisture content or fat to improve cohesion; in cooking, avoid excessive heat and overmixing; manufacturers can tweak milling, hydration, and mixing steps to reduce overmealy tendencies.