Abstract: Recently, more and more studies have verified that the defects in the production, transportation, processing and cooking of food have seriously limited its nutrition and function, and the quality, taste and function of which could be improved by physical modification. Compared with the physical, chemical and enzymatic modification strategies, addition of hydrocolloid polysaccharide is also a safe, efficient, convenient and fast food physical modification method. Therefore, this paper reviews the application of hydrocolloid polysaccharide in food physical modification for enhancing its quality, taste and function. Furthermore, the effects of hydrocolloid polysaccharide on the gelation, water retention, emulsification, suspension, stability, rheology, viscoelasticity, and digestion of food in recent years are introduced in detail. Moreover, the potentially existed problems of hydrocolloid polysaccharide used in food physical modification are discussed, and the developing directions of which are also prospected. It is expected that this work could provide theoretical reference for the improvement of food quality and function.