GB2330921A

GB2330921A - Brewing shikhae using a microwave oven

Info

Publication number: GB2330921A
Application number: GB9803509A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jung-Hee Lee
Original assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Current assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Priority date: 1997-11-03
Filing date: 1998-02-19
Publication date: 1999-05-05
Also published as: GB9803509D0; CN1216359A; KR19990038095A; JPH11141887A

Abstract

A microwave oven is adapted for making shikhae - a drink made by boiling and fermenting rice to form a rice punch. The oven comprises a magnetron and power supply, a control unit, a memory, a command inputting section with several selection keys and a display means (figure 3). The shikhae brewing mode is selected using one of the keys, and then the information for each stage in the brewing process, which is stored in the memory, can be selected using the rice boiling key, the oven key and the heater mode key respectively. On selecting each key, the information is retrieved from the memory and displayed for the user. The information may be an instruction to push another key in order to proceed to another stage, or may refer to the microwave being set at a particular power level for a particular time appropriate to the selected brewing stage. The control unit then controls the power supply to the magnetron appropriately for each stage in the brewing process. Thus the user is guided through the stages of brewing the drink.

Description

Brewing Shikhae using a Microwave Oven Description The present invention relates to a microwave oven.

A traditional drink enjoyed by many people in Korea is shikhae ( +lsll") Shikhae is made by fermenting rice. The traditional process suffers from problems in that it is difficult to set the temperature and time for fermenting the boiled rice and the brewing steps are complex and require many hours.

Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a known domestic method of making shikhae.

First, powdered malt is soaked in water for several hours. Then, the mixture of powdered malt and water is filtered using a fine mesh to produce malt water (step Slow). After cleaning, sticky rice is boiled (step S102). The malt water is mixed with the boiled sticky rice and the resultant mixture is held at temperature of 50 to 600 Celsius for four to five hours on a gas range (step S104). When rice grains float to the surface of the malt water, the now fermented rice is removed and washed (step S106).

Then, a quantity of sugar is added to the malt water. The malt water is heated for thirty minutes and then cooled (step S108). Finally, the fermented rice and pine nuts are added to the malt water (step S110).

In making the shikhae, the most important step is the fermention of the boiled rice.

If the boiled rice is fermented for too long, the shikhae becomes unpalatable and bland. Accordingly, it is necessary that the temperature and time be carefully controlled, if the boiled rice is to ferment properly.

According to the present invention, there is provided a microwave oven including a source of microwaves for cooking, user input means, control means for controlling the source of microwaves in response to commands input via the user input means, wherein the control means is programmed to be responsive to input commands to control the source of microwaves in a manner adapted to the production of shikhae.

Preferably, the control means comprises a memory programmed with control information for the shikhae brewing steps of rice boiling, fermentation and final heating. More preferably, the control information for the fermentation step is such that the malt and rice mixture is held in the range 40 to 50 C for approximately two hours. Still more preferably, a microwave oven according to the present invention includes a display, instructional information is stored in the memory and the control means is operable to display the instructional information for guiding a user through the process of brewing shikhae using the oven.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to Figures 2 to 7 of the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a prior art, domestic method of making shikhae; Figure 2 is a front view of a microwave oven according to the present invention; Figure 3 is a block diagram of the microwave oven of Figure 2; Figure 4 shows the arrangement of information related to cooking of shikhae in the memory in Figure 3; Figures 5 and 6 are flow charts showing methods of making shikhae according to the present invention; and Figure 7 is a block diagram showing a method of making shikhae by using the microwave oven of Figure 2.

Referring to Figure 2, a microwave oven comprises a display section having a display window 14, such as a liquid crystal display or a fluorescent display, a key pad section 16, and a door open button 18. The key pad section 16 includes shikhae brewing key 16a, a rice boiling key 16b, an oven key 16c, and a range mode key 16d.

Referring to Figure 3, the microwave oven includes a magnetron driving circuit 20 for driving a magnetron to generate microwaves and a power supply 22 for receiving alternating current and supplying electric power to the magnetron driving circuit 20.

Also, the microwave oven has a command inputting section 24 for generating control signals in response to operation of the shikhae brewing key 16a, the rice boiling key 16b, the oven key 16c and the range mode key 16d, a display section 26 for displaying shikhae brewing steps in response to key signals from the command inputting section 24, a memory 28 in which information on brewing shikhae is stored, and a control section 30.

The control section 30 displays the shikhae brewing steps on the displaying section 26 with reference to the information on brewing the shikhae which is stored in the memory 28 and controls the electric power supply 22 to the magnetron driving circuit 20.

Referring to Figure 4, the information on brewing shikhae is divided into four process steps. The information for a respective step is selected by the key signals of the shikhae brewing key 16a, the rice boiling key 16b, the oven key 16c, and the range mode key 16d. When the shikhae brewing key 16a is pushed, the control section 30 transfers first step display data, for example "push the rice boiling key", from a first position 40 in the memory 28 to the display section 26. Then, the display section 26 displays the first step display data. When the rice boiling key 16b is pushed, the display section 26 displays control information 42a on boiling rice, for example "an output level 100% for five minutes" or "an output level 50% for fifteen minutes" from a second position 42. After the step for boiling rice is completed, the display section 26 shows second step display data 42b, for example "push the oven key 16c after mixing the boiled rice with a malt". When the oven key is pushed, the display section 26 displays ferment mode control information 44a, for example "temperatures of 400 to 500 Celsius and a ferment time of two hours", from a third position 44. After the ferment mode is finished, the display section 26 shows third step display data 44b, for example "push the range mode key 16d after removing the boiled rice and adding sugar to the malt". When the range mode key is pushed, the display section 26 displays information on the heating time 46a required, for example "fifteen minutes". After the heating step is complete, the display section shows fourth step display data 46b, for example "the shikhae brewing is finished".

Referring to Figures 5 and 6, the control section 30 determines whether the shikhae brewing key 16a is being pushed (step S500). When the shikhae brewing key 16a is pushed, the control section 30 sets the shikhae brewing mode and transfers the first step display data from the first position 40 in the memory 28 to the display section 26 so that the display section 26 shows the first step display data (step S502).

Then, the control section 30 determines whether the rice boiling key 16b is being pushed (step S504). If the rice boiling key 16b is not pushed, the control section 30 determines whether an escape key is being pushed (step S506). If the escape key is being pushed, the control section 30 stops the operation of the microwave oven. At step S504, if the rice boiling key 16b is being pushed, the control section 30 reads the rice boiling control information 42a from the second position 42 in the memory 28 and carries out the rice boiling mode according to the rice boiling control information 42a (step S508). When the rice boiling is finished, the control section 30 generates sounds which inform the user that the rice boiling mode is complete and also displays the second step display data, stored at the second position 42 in the memory 28, on the displaying section 26 (step S510).

The control section 30 checks whether the oven key 16c is being pushed (step S512).

If the oven key 16c is not pushed, the control section 30 performs step S506. At step S512, if the oven key 16c is pushed, the control section 30 reads the ferment mode control information 44a stored at the third position 44 in the memory 28 and performs a ferment mode according to the ferment mode control information 44a (step S514). When the fermentation of the rice is finished, the control section 30 generates sounds which inform that the rice fermenting mode is complete and also displays the third step display data 44b, stored at the third position 44 in the memory 28, in the display section 26 (step S516).

At step S518, the control section 30 determines whether the range mode key 16d is pushed. If the range mode key 16d is not pushed, the control section 30 performs step 5506. If the range mode key 16d is pushed, the control seaion 30 reads the information on the heating time stored at the fourth position 46 In the memory 28 and performs the heating mode according to the information on heating time (step S520). When the heating mode is finished, the control section 30 generates sounds which inform the user that the heating mode is complete and shows the fourth step display data 46b, stored at the fourth position 46 in the memory 28 (step S522).

Referring to Figure 7, powdered malt is mixed with warm water and the powdered malt is soaked in the water for a while. Then, the mixture of powdered malt and water is filter by a fine mesh to prepare malt water (step S200). After cleaning, sticky rice is boiled by the microwave oven to produce boiled sticky rice (step S202).

After the malt water is mixed with the boiled sticky rice and placed in the heating chamber of the microwave oven, the mixture of the malt water and the boiled rice is held at a temperature of 400 to 500 Celsius for two hours in the heating chamber (step S204). The microwave oven generally is programmed so that the fermentation temperature is held at 40 to 500 Celsius.

When some of the fermented rice floated to the surface of the malt water, the fermented rice is removed and washed S206. Then, sugar is added to the malt water.

The malt water is heated for fifteen minutes and cooled (step S208). The fermented rice and pine nuts are floated in the malt water (step S210).

As described above, it is easy to set the temperature in order to ferment the boiled rice by using the microwave oven according to the present invention rather than a gas range. Also, since the boiling time is shorter in the microwave oven than the gas range and the like, it is possible to reduce the time which is spent in making the shikhae.

Anyone who has no experience making shikhae can make shikhae using a microwave oven according to the present invention. During the making of shikhae, the microwave oven generates an alarm signal whenever a cooking step is finished.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a particular embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be effected therein.

Claims

Claims 1. A microwave oven including a source of microwaves for cooking, user input means, control means for controlling the source of microwaves in response to commands input via the user input means, wherein the control means is programmed to be responsive to input commands to control the source of microwaves in a manner adapted to the production of shikhae.
2. An oven according to claim 1, wherein the control means comprises a memory programmed with control information for the shikhae brewing steps of rice boiling, fermentation and final heating.
3. An oven according to claim 2, wherein the control information for the fermentation step is such that the malt and rice mixture is held in the range 400 to 500 C for approximately two hours.
4. An oven according to claim 2 or 3, including a display, wherein instructional information is stored in the memory and the control means is operable to display the instructional information for guiding a user through the process of brewing shikhae using the oven.
5. A microwave oven having a function for cooking a fermented rice punch comprising: a magnetron driving circuit for driving a magnetron emitting microwaves; a power supply for supplying alternative current to the magnetron driving circuit; a key inputting section for including a fermented rice punch cooking key, a rice boiling key, an oven key, and a heating mode key; a displaying section for displaying each step for cooking the fermented rice punch corresponding to a key input of the key inputting section; a memory in which information on cooking the fermented rice punch is stored; and a control section for controlling the power supply and the displaying section according to the information on cooking the fermented rice punch which is stored in the memory.
6. A method of controlling a microwave oven having a function for cooking a fermented rice punch comprising: a step for selecting a fermented rice punch cooking mode and displaying a first fermented rice punch cooking step responding to information which is inputted by a mode selecting key; a step for boiling rices according to predetermined information on boiling the rices which is inputted by the mode selecting key; a step for displaying a second fermented rice punch cooking step when the step for boiling the rices is finished; a step for fermenting the boiled rices according to predetermined information on fermenting the boiled rices which is inputted by the mode selecting key; a step for displaying a third fermented rice punch cooking step when the step for fermenting the boiled rices is finished; and a step for heating the fermented rices according to predetermined information on heating the fermented rices which is inputted by the mode selecting key.
7. A method of making a fermented rice punch by using a microwave oven comprising; a step for preparing malt; a step for boiling sticky rices at a rice boiling mode of the microwave oven; a step for mixing the boiled sticky rices with the malt; a step for fermenting the mixture of the boiled sticky rices and the malt at a predetermined temperature and for a predetermined time at a heating mode of the microwave oven; a step for picking up and washing the fermented rices by cool water; a step for adding a proper quantity of sugar to the malt and boiling a mixture of the sugar and the malt for a predetermined time by using the microwave oven; and a step for cooling the mixture of the sugar and the malt and adding the fermented rices to the mixture of the sugar and the malt.
8. A method of making a fermented rice punch by using a microwave oven as claimed in claim 7, wherein the ferment temperature is set by using a ferment key at an oven mode of the microwave oven.
9. A method of making a fermented rice punch by using a microwave oven as claimed in claim 7, wherein the fermenting step is carried out by the microwave oven at about 50 to 60 Celsius degree of the fermented temperature and for about two hours.
10. A method of making a fermented rice punch by using a microwave oven as claimed in claim 3, wherein the mixture of the sugar and the malt is boiled for fifteen minutes.
11. A microwave oven substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 2 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.
12. A method of brewing shikhae substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 2 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.