JP3531127B2 - Dried food material using tea leaves as raw material, method for producing the same, and drying apparatus for the production - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[Object of the invention]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a dried food material using tea leaves as a raw material and a method for producing the same, and more particularly to an improvement in quality, such as color, luster and flavor, of the dried food material and an improvement in thermal efficiency during drying. The present invention relates to a novel dry food material using tea leaves as a raw material, a method for producing the same, and a drying apparatus for producing the same.

[0002]

BACKGROUND ART Tea leaves are mostly used for drinking, and many of them are processed into sencha. In recent years, however, health components such as vitamin E and dietary fiber of tea leaves have been reviewed, and attempts have been made to actively ingest these health components by processing tea leaves as food. Specifically, sencha has been used, which has been finely crushed into powder or granules, and further added to other ingredients such as cookies and bread. Attempts have also been made to directly eat the dried ingredients processed in this way. However, there was still room for improvement in texture (crispy or crispy), color or shape.

On the other hand, consumer needs are diversifying,
There has been a demand for a new type of dry food different from the above dry food. Therefore, it is conceivable that new dried ingredients could be obtained by using steamed leaves before the rubbing and drying process instead of sencha. However, steamed leaves are much higher in moisture content than green tea that has undergone the rub-drying process, and are expected to be nodular with ordinary drying equipment, and due to the difficulty of drying due to the form of steamed leaves, A good dry state is not always obtained.

In drying steamed leaves, there is no dedicated drying apparatus. For example, when a drying apparatus that extends to five to seven steps used in the production of sencha, which is an existing apparatus, is used. , A very long drying time of about 3 hours, and the problem remains.

[0005]

[Technical Matters Attempted to Be Developed] The present invention has been devised based on a thorough knowledge of such background and recognition of the background.
In order to improve the quality of the dried food material made from the above tea leaves, the conventional processing process was reviewed, and by examining the configuration of a dedicated drying device that fully considered the properties of steamed leaves, the above problems were solved. An attempt was made to develop a very useful and novel dried food material using tea leaves as a raw material, a method for producing the same, and a drying apparatus for the production.

[0006]

Configuration of the Invention

Means for Achieving the Object: The dried food material based on tea leaves according to claim 1 is a dried food material using tea leaves, wherein the dried food material is a steamed leaf having a relatively high moisture content after steaming.
Tea leaves and leave the steamed leaves as they are or as spares
After drying, the steamed leaves are cut into strips, and then the steamed leaves after cutting are dried while being loosened without being rubbed , so as to be cut into strips.

[0007] In addition to the above-mentioned requirements, the dried food material made from tea leaves according to claim 2 has a moisture content of 5% .
% Or less.

[0008] Further, the dry food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to claim 3 is characterized in that, in addition to the above requirements, the size of the dry food material is several mm or less.

Further, the method for producing a dried food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to claim 4 comprises a steaming step of steaming raw tea leaves by steam latent heat, a cutting step of cutting steamed leaves into a predetermined shape after steaming, and a cutting step. By sequentially passing through the drying step without drying the steamed leaves without rubbing , steamed leaves with relatively high moisture content
A method of manufacturing a dried food material, wherein the cutting step smell
Te is first cut into at least a strip of 蒸葉 after steaming
In the subsequent drying step, the strip-shaped steam
The method is characterized in that the leaves are divided by drying while loosening, and finally a strip-shaped dry food is produced.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the requirement of the fourth aspect, the method for producing a dried food material using tea leaves as a raw material includes a steamed steaming step between the steaming step and the cutting step.
The method is characterized in that a preliminary drying step for performing preliminary drying of the leaves is provided .

Further, the method for producing a dried food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to the sixth aspect of the present invention is the same as the fourth or fifth aspect, wherein the drying step has a relatively low moisture content.
It is characterized by the use of a fluidized bed dryer which is expensive but suitable for drying.

[0012] Furthermore, the drying apparatus for producing a dried food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to the present invention is steamed by steam.
It has an extremely high water content and is cut into strips.
Leaves to be dried, without rubbing the steamed leaves
It is divided by drying and finally strip-shaped.
A drying apparatus for a dry foodstuff, as the drying apparatus
Is applied relatively moisture content of high suitable fluidized bed drying apparatus for drying, in its flow chamber, to be dried short
Stirring Saku shaped蒸葉, together with the stirring blade to loosen this is provided, wherein the side near the fluidization vessel, be comprised as characterized by hot air supply device for supplying hot air is provided in the flow tank is there.

[0013] Further, a drying apparatus for producing a dried food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to claim 8 is characterized in that , in addition to the requirements described in claim 7, the fluidized tank has a cylindrical shape. is there.

[0014] Furthermore drying device for drying food manufacturing tea leaves according to claim 9, wherein as a raw material, in addition to the requirements of the claims 7 or 8, wherein the fluidization vessel includes a stirring cylinder having a stirring blade, the And a diffusion cylinder provided above,
The diameters of the agitating cylinder and the diffusion cylinder are set such that the diameter of the diffusion cylinder is larger than that of the diffusion cylinder.

[0015] Further, in the drying apparatus for producing a dried food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to the tenth aspect, in addition to the requirements according to the seventh, eighth or ninth aspect, the stirring blades may be radially arranged about a rotation axis. Provided for a plurality of provided stirring arms, the mounting pitch of the stirring blade provided for each of these stirring arms is slightly shifted so as not to draw the same stirring trajectory as the stirring blade provided for the other stirring arms. It is characterized by having been set.

Further, the drying apparatus for producing a dry food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to the eleventh aspect is the same as the seventh, eighth, or ninth aspect.
Or in addition to the requirement described in 10, the teaser is provided with a tea leaf loosening structure for rotating or swinging the stirring blade around the stirring arm in the fluidized tank.

Furthermore, a drying apparatus for producing a dry food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to the twelfth aspect of the present invention,
In addition to the 9, 10 or 11 requirements, wherein the fluidization vessel is one made as a feature in that the elevating mechanism for vertically moving the stirring blade is provided.

[0018] Further, the drying apparatus for producing a dried food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to the above-mentioned claim 13 is the same as the above-mentioned drying apparatus.
In addition to the requirements described in 9, 10, 11 or 12, the fluidized vessel and the hot air supply device are connected by a hot air supply duct, and hot air is supplied to the hot air supply duct when removing the processed tea leaves after drying. It is characterized in that a hot-air cut-off mechanism including a hot-air escape port and a blocking plate for preventing the hot-air from flowing into the diffusion drum is provided. It is an object of the present invention to achieve the object by using the configuration of the invention described in each of the claims.

[0019]

In other words, the method for producing a dry food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to claim 1 or a dry food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to claim 4 uses a raw tea leaf that has been steamed, Is cut into strips first, and the tea leaves weakened in the subsequent drying process are finally processed into strip strips. As a result, a tea with a good texture can be obtained, and the possibility of using it as a food material is expanded, and it is also possible to use it as a sprinkle, a condiment or the like.
In addition, the shape of the final dried food material is more uniform than that processed into small pieces at once from the beginning of the steaming leaf stage, and the finish is beautiful.

Further, the dried food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to the second aspect of the present invention has a structure in which the moisture content of the dried food material is 5% or less. This makes it possible to use it as a food material, and also improves the storage stability.

Further, the dried food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to the third aspect has a configuration in which the size of the dried food material is several mm or less. This makes it possible to use sprinkles, spices and the like as food ingredients, and also to use it by adding it to other food ingredients.

Further, the method for producing a dried food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to a fifth aspect of the present invention has a configuration in which the raw tea leaves are pre-dried prior to cutting the raw tea leaves into a predetermined shape. This shortens the drying time in the subsequent drying step and facilitates the cutting of the steamed leaves.

Further, the method for producing a dried food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to the sixth aspect of the present invention has a configuration in which a steamed leaf is dried using a fluidized bed drying apparatus . This makes it possible to obtain an extremely good dry state even for a material to be dried which has a high moisture content, such as steamed leaves, and is likely to be present as a nodule, and also improves the quality of the dried food material.

A drying apparatus for producing a dry food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to claim 7 is a fluidized bed drying apparatus, wherein a stirring blade is provided in a fluidized tank, and a hot air supply device is provided beside the fluidized tank. Take the configuration. Thus, the steamed leaves are dried by the hot air supplied from the hot air supply device, and the steamed leaves in the form of lumps are loosened by the stirring action of the stirring blades, so that efficient drying and the strips can be efficiently performed.

Furthermore, the drying apparatus for producing dry food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to claim 8 has a configuration in which the fluidized tank is formed in a cylindrical shape. Accordingly, when a rectangular cylindrical fluidized tank is used, the accumulation of tea leaves at the corners of the fluidized tank, which is a problem, is prevented, and the improvement of drying efficiency and the quality of dried foodstuffs are further promoted.

Further, according to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a drying apparatus for producing dry food material using tea leaves as a raw material, wherein the fluidized tank is constituted by a stirring cylinder and a diffusion cylinder, and the diameter of the diffusion cylinder is larger than the diameter of the stirring cylinder. Take the configuration to do. Thereby, the wind speed of the hot air sent from the hot air supply device is reduced when the hot air is transferred from the stirring cylinder to the diffusion cylinder, and the upward scattering of the tea leaves is suppressed.

Further, in the drying apparatus for producing a dry food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to the tenth aspect, the stirring blades are provided for a plurality of stirring arms provided radially around a rotation axis. However, the mounting pitch of the stirring blades is shifted little by little so as not to draw the same stirring trajectory. As a result, the stirring unevenness is prevented, and the steamed leaves in a nodular state are more actively dispersed, thereby further improving the drying efficiency.

Further, a drying apparatus for producing a dried food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to claim 11 has a structure in which a tea leaf loosening structure for rotating or swinging a stirring blade is provided in a fluidized tank. As a result, the loosening action of the steamed leaves is promoted, and the drying efficiency is further improved.

Further, the drying apparatus for producing a dry food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to the twelfth aspect has a structure in which an elevating mechanism for elevating and moving a stirring blade is provided in a fluidized tank. Accordingly, when the processed tea leaves after drying are taken out of the fluidized tank, if the stirring blade is moved upward, it does not become a hindrance, and the work of removing the processed tea leaves becomes easy.

Further, in the drying apparatus for producing dried food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to the thirteenth aspect, the fluidizing tank and the hot air supply device are connected by a hot air supply duct, and the hot air supply duct is shut off from the hot air outlet. A configuration is provided in which a hot air cutoff mechanism including a plate is provided. This prevents hot air from flowing into the fluidized tank when removing the processed tea leaves after drying, and the work of removing the processed tea leaves is further facilitated.

[0031]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a dry food material using tea leaves as a raw material, a method for producing the same, and a drying apparatus for producing the same according to the present invention. In the following description, first, the dry ingredients of tea leaves of the present invention as a raw material will be described, and then for the production of dry ingredients of tea leaves of the present invention used to produce such dry ingredients. The drying apparatus will be described, and the method for producing the dry food material using the tea leaves of the present invention as a raw material for producing the dry food material using such a drying apparatus will be described. Finally, the drying apparatus and the production method of the present invention will be described. Reference is made to test results to confirm the effect of

The dried food material 1 of the tea leaves of the present invention is used as a raw material as well as use蒸葉A ₀ after steaming as raw tea leaves, eventually are those composed by being processed into a strip piece shape. As a usage mode, as shown in FIG. 1A, it is used by sprinkling on another foodstuff S (eg, rice) or as a condiment as shown in FIG. 1B. Further, as shown in FIG. 1 (c), it can be used by being added to another foodstuff S (for example, a yokan or a kneaded product), or as shown in FIG. 1 (d).
It is also possible to use it in combination with (for example, nori or shaved knots). In addition, although not shown, the dried food 1 of the present invention is used as a raw material, and the processed food is subjected to a secondary processing (for example, a burn-in finish) to change the shape, flavor, and other properties. Of course, it is also possible to process into processed foods.

[0033] And when the processing the dried food material 1 of the present invention having such a mode of use in a strip form of small pieces, firstly together蒸葉A ₀ is cut into a predetermined shape, and then the tea leaves after each cut ( In the following, when it is necessary to distinguish between the steamed leaves A ₀ before cutting and the dried food material 1 as the final product, the tea leaves in the middle thereof are indicated as processed tea leaves A), and the dried tea leaves are finally dried. It is divided into strips. Therefore, the size of the processed tea leaf A at the time of cutting is at least larger than the dried food material 1 after drying. Note the relationship of cutting the蒸葉A ₀ also an irregular say strip, of course also a shape that it can not be said strip, but occurs in the course of cutting, is intended to cut into strips For this reason, in the present specification, these are also treated and described as strip-shaped processed tea leaves A.

The moisture content of the dried food 1 of the present invention comprising such processed tea leaves A is determined by the processing capacity of the drying apparatus of the present invention described below, the steamed leaves A ₀ , the input amount of the processed tea leaves A, and the properties of these tea leaves. Although it varies variously depending on the like, it is desirably 5% or less. By the way, the moisture content of the dried food 1 is 5
% Or less, a good texture (mouthfeel) is obtained and the storage stability is improved. Further, in the present invention, such a shape of the dried food 1 is defined as a strip-shaped piece, but this is based on a size such as "sprinkling" sprinkling on other food S such as rice. Is about several mm or less. FIG. 10 shows the relationship between the size (mm) of the dried food 1 and its distribution for reference.

Next, a drying apparatus for producing a dried food material using tea leaves of the present invention as a raw material for producing such a dried food material 1 will be described. In FIGS. 2 to 4, what is indicated by reference numeral 2 is a so-called fluidized bed drying apparatus which is the drying apparatus of the present invention. Fluidized bed drying equipment is relatively high in water content, for example, is often used for drying wet powders such as sludge. Drying, granulation and the like are intended. In the present invention, the steamed leaf A ₀ is used as a drying target, the properties of the steamed leaf A ₀ are sufficiently grasped, and in order to respond to various demands caused by finally being used as a foodstuff, the following configuration is used. Using a fluidized bed dryer.

The drying device 2 of the present invention comprises at least a fluidized tank 3 which is a part for directly drying the steamed leaves A ₀ , and a hot air supply device 4 which is a hot air supply source to the fluidized tank 3.
In the embodiment shown in FIGS.
And a hot air supply duct 4 that connects the hot air supply device 4 to the hot air supply device 4 and serves as a hot air supply path.
And a dust collecting device 6 that collects tea powder and the like that flew upward during the drying process.

Hereinafter, these members will be described in more detail.
First, the fluidizing tank 3 has a stirrer cylinder 30 below the machine frame 33 formed by combining appropriate frame materials in a rectangular casing shape, and a diffusion cylinder 31 above, so that the body cores are aligned so that their internal spaces are continuous. It is provided by being provided. And FIGS.
In the embodiment shown in (1), the fluidizing tank 3 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the diameters of the stirring cylinder 30 and the diffusion cylinder 31 are made different from each other so that the diffusion cylinder 31 has a somewhat larger diameter. , And an inversely tapered expanding portion 32 is provided between the stirring cylinder 30 and the diffusion cylinder 31.

Then, the steamed leaves A ₀ are stirred in the fluidizing tank 3,
Stirring blade 10 which serves to loosen the蒸葉A ₀ which has a nodular is provided. Specifically, it is provided for a plurality of stirring arms 12 that are formed to extend radially around a rotation shaft 11 provided on the core of the stirring cylinder 30. The shape of the stirring blade 10 is not only a straight rod shape as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, but also a flat plate shape as shown in FIG.
This is twisted somewhat in the helical direction, and the blade-shaped one as shown in FIG. 5 (b), or the straight rod-shaped stirring blade 10 shown in FIGS. FIG.
Various shapes such as the shape shown in FIG.

Preferably, the pitch of the stirring blades 10 provided for each of the stirring arms 12 is slightly shifted so as not to draw the same stirring trajectory as the stirring blades 10 provided for the other stirring arms 12. Is set to
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the mounting pitch of the stirring blades 10 is made different for each stirring arm 12. Further, it is also possible to provide a tea leaves loosening structure 13 as shown in FIG. In this apparatus, the stirring efficiency of the steamed leaves A ₀ is further improved by rotating or swinging the stirring blade 10 about the stirring arm 12.

As a specific structure, there are a shift rod 15 having a rack 14 formed on the peripheral surface as shown in FIG. 6A and a pinion gear 16, and a ring gear 17 as shown in FIG. 6 (c) and a cam 21 formed in the fluidized vessel 3 as shown in FIG. 6 (d). Etc.
Various structures can be adopted. Although not shown, the tea leaf loosening structure 13 can be provided as a member separate from the stirring blade 10 or the stirring arm 12 under the condition that the stirring operation of the stirring blade 10 is not hindered.

Further, the fluidizing tank 3 may be provided with an elevating mechanism 23 for moving the stirring blade 10 up and down. As a specific configuration, as shown in an enlarged manner in FIG.
A sliding sleeve 24 which holds the second base end portion, constituted by the fixing bolts 25 screwed against the internal thread portion which is engraved on the sliding sleeve 24, prior to introduction of蒸葉A _0, or dried At the time of removing the processed tea leaves A or the dried food material 1 later, the fixing blade 25 is appropriately loosened and the mounting position of the sliding sleeve 24 is changed to move the stirring blade 10 up and down. Although not shown, the stirring blade 10 is automatically moved up and down by using a rack and pinion mechanism using an electric motor as a drive source, a ball screw mechanism, or various sliding shifters driven by hydraulic pressure or pneumatic pressure. It is of course possible. In addition to the above, various driving modes such as a rotating shaft 11 that constantly rotates in a fixed direction, a rotating shaft that can switch the rotating direction at regular time intervals, and a rotating shaft that rotates in a fixed angle range are used. It is also possible to adopt.

In addition, the stirring cylinder 30 is provided with an inlet 34 for the steamed leaves A _{0 and} an outlet 35 for the processed tea leaves A or the dried food 1 after drying as shown in FIGS. The outlet 35 is formed by opening a part of the upper part of the agitating cylinder 30 over a quarter of its circumference as an example.
An opening / closing door 36 is provided at the outlet 35. When the fluidized tank 3 is in operation, the door is closed, and when the dried processed tea leaves A or the dried food 1 is taken out from the fluidized tank 3 Is in the open state. Preferably, part or all of the opening / closing door 36 is made of a transparent or translucent material so that the inside of the fluidized tank 3 during operation can be visually observed.

Further, the internal space in which such an opening / closing door 36 is provided serves as an agitating section 37 for performing an actual agitating action, and a portion corresponding to the bottom surface of the agitating section 37 is shown in FIGS. A perforated plate 38 as shown is provided. The perforated plate 38 serves to allow the hot air sent from the hot air supply device 4 to be described later to reach the agitating section 37 and to support the steamed leaves A ₀ injected into the agitating section 37. Therefore, the ventilation holes 3 formed in the perforated plate 38
8a is the size of the processed tea leaves A after drying or the dried ingredients 1
It is smaller and large enough to supply the amount of hot air required for drying.

The diffusion cylinder 31 provided above the agitating cylinder 30 thus formed needs to have a height that allows the processed tea leaves A to be sufficiently soared by hot air during the processing. Diffusion lid 3 for preventing processed tea leaves A and tea powder generated during processing from scattering outside
1a is provided. In addition, although not shown, the fluidized tank 3 is provided with a drive mechanism for driving the rotating shaft 11 and the like.

Next, the hot air supply device 4 which is a hot air supply source to the fluidized tank 3 will be described. As the hot air supply device 4, for example, a hot air supply device used for a tea processing machine such as a leaf driving machine or a rough kneading machine can be used, and is a portion that generates hot air to an appropriate mount 43. A furnace 40 is provided, and the furnace 40 further includes a furnace 4
A burner 41 for heating the air supplied into the furnace 40 is provided.
An air blower 42 is provided to feed air into the inside of the inside and further to feed hot air generated by the furnace 40 into the fluidized tank 3.

The hot air supply device 4 and the fluidized tank 3
2, a hot air supply duct 5 is provided as an example, as shown in FIG. In the middle of the hot air supply duct 5, there is provided a hot air cutoff mechanism 50 used when taking out the processed tea leaves A or the dried food 1 after drying. As shown in FIG. 2, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, the hot-air cutoff mechanism 50 branches upward in the middle of the hot-air supply duct 5, provides a hot-air outlet 51 here, and has a downstream side (flow tank 3).
This is configured by disposing a blocking plate 52 on the side).

The hot air outlet 51 has a closing lid 53.
The hot-air outlet 51 is normally closed by the closing lid 53, and is opened when the dried tea leaves A or the dried food 1 after the drying is removed from the fluidized tank 3, and the hot-air outlet is opened. The hot air is released from the outside to the outside. The blocking plate 52 is positioned so as not to block the hot air flow path in the hot air supply duct 5 at all times, for example, along the flow of hot air.
When the dry food 1 is taken out, it moves in a direction orthogonal to the flow of the hot air to cut off the supply of the hot air to the fluidized tank 3.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS.
Further, a dust collecting device 6 is provided. In this device, a blower 60 is disposed above the fluidized tank 3 by using a machine frame 33 of the fluidized tank 3, and a funnel-shaped device is provided on the discharge side of the blower 60. It is formed by connecting cyclones 61. By the way, when the dust collecting device 6 is provided, it is possible to collect the tea powder and the like generated during the processing, and to prevent the mixing of the tea powder into the processed tea leaves A or the dried food 1 after the drying.

Next, a method of manufacturing a dry food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to the present invention for manufacturing the dry food material 1 as described above using the drying apparatus 2 will be described. In the following description, first, the basic configuration of the manufacturing method of the present invention will be described, and then, with respect to other embodiments on the premise of having such a basic configuration, only different configurations will be referred to. And Also, refer to the explanatory diagram shown in FIG.

The production method of the present invention comprises a steaming step in which raw tea leaves a are steamed by means of latent heat of steam, and steamed leaves A ₀ as raw tea leaves after steaming.
Is basically constituted by comprising a cutting step of cutting the processed tea leaves A, which are raw tea leaves after cutting, into a predetermined shape, and drying while loosening the processed tea leaves A, and finally processing them into strips. You. Hereinafter, these steps will be described in more detail.

(I) Steaming Step In this step, a fluidized or batch type steamer 7 used for processing of green tea is used as an example. Therefore, as in the case of processing of sencha, the raw tea leaves a supplied from the raw tea leaf management container are steamed while being agitated in the net body and steamed to finish in a predetermined steamed state. Then, the steamed leaves A ₀ steamed by the steamer 7 are cooled, for example, by a cooler, or are stored in a frozen state, and then supplied to the next cutting step.

(Ii) Cutting Step In this step, for example, a cutting device 8 shown schematically in FIG.
Is used as an example. The cutting device 8 is provided with a cutting blade 8a that acts at right angles to the workpiece.
And to such a cutting device 8, and supplies the蒸葉A _0, sequentially from the one end face of, for example, it is going to Koguchikiri into strips. The cutting width at this time is approximately 2
about mm is is suitable, even by performance of the state and the cutting device 8蒸葉A ₀ finer, or may be cut into large (However, in this case 1~5m
m is an appropriate range).

(Iii) Drying Step In this step, the above-described drying apparatus 2 of the present invention is used as an example. Of course, if there is another drying device that can obtain the same drying efficiency, it can be used. Steamed leaves A ₀ (processed tea leaves A) cut into, for example, strips by the above cutting step are put into the stirring cylinder 30 from the inlet 34 of the drying device 2. When the stirring blade 10 is in a state of retreating upward, the lower end of the stirring blade 10 is lowered by using the elevating mechanism 23 until the lower end of the stirring blade 10 is positioned with a slight gap left from the perforated plate 38. When such preparation work is completed, the hot air supply device 4 and the fluidized tank 3 are operated.

Then, the hot air supplied from the hot air supply device 4 passes through the hot air supply duct 5 to reach the lower part of the stirring cylinder 30 in the fluidized tank 3, and rises inside the stirring cylinder 30 to increase the perforated plate 38.
From the vent hole 38a formed in the agitating section 37. At this time, the rotating shaft 11 is also rotating, and the stirring arm 12 attached near the upper end thereof also rotates with the rotating shaft 11, and the stirring blade 1 provided for the stirring arm 12 is provided.
According to 0, the processed tea leaf A is dried while being stirred.
At this time, when the tea leaf loosening structure 13 is provided, the tea leaf loosening structure 13 is also operated.

The hot air temperature at this time is preferably a relatively high temperature (about 100 ° C. to 150 ° C.). Drying at a high temperature in a short time will change the color of the dried food 1 as a product. Less. The hot air temperature can be changed variously depending on the properties of the processed tea leaves A to be supplied and the amount of the supplied tea leaves. In that case, the temperature may be appropriately adjusted within the above range. Further, it is not necessary to perform processing at a constant hot air temperature throughout the entire drying time. For example, processing is initially performed at 150 ° C., and when the processed tea leaf A approaches the target moisture content, the burner 41 is stopped. It is also possible to take a processing procedure in which only the blower 42 is operated and the processing is performed.

As the processed tea leaf A dries, the processed tea leaf A becomes brittle and becomes finely divided only by abutting on the stirring blade 10, and is processed into a strip shape. Further, the processed tea leaves A become lighter as the drying progresses, and soar upwards by the hot air. At this time, the tea flour generated by the processing is also scattered and floats above the diffusion cylinder 31. When the dust collecting device 6 is provided, the dust is collected by the dust collecting device 6. .

Then, a predetermined moisture content (5% considering the texture)
When the following is desirable), the fluidized tank 3 is stopped,
The hot air cutoff mechanism 50 is operated to prevent the hot air from flowing into the fluidized tank 3. Next, the stirring blade 10 is moved by the lifting mechanism 23.
Is moved upward, the opening / closing door 36 is opened, and the dried food 1 in the stirring action section 37 is taken out.
The manufacturing method of the present invention including the drying steps is completed.

The manufacturing method of the present invention is not constituted only by the above-mentioned basic constitution, but enables the modification of the constitution described below. (Iv) Preliminary drying step In this step, the raw tea leaves (steamed leaves A) steamed in the steaming step are used.
₀ ) can be performed prior to a cutting step of cutting into a predetermined shape. In this step, as an example, a leaf-driing machine using only a hand that is used in the processing of green tea is used. Thus somewhat water content decreased from蒸葉A ₀ taken from蒸機7, it can be expected to shorten the drying time in the subsequent drying step. However, if the drying efficiency of the drying device 2 is high and the desired dried food 1 can be obtained without performing preliminary drying, this step is not necessarily required. Further, the drying device for performing pre-drying is not limited to the above-mentioned leaf driving machine, and it is of course possible to use other drying devices such as a draw-out type air-permeable drying device used for sencha.

Finally, the results of tests performed to confirm the effects of the drying apparatus 2 of the present invention and the manufacturing method of the present invention thus configured will be described. (1) Drying Device In this test, a so-called fluidized bed drying device having a cylindrical fluidized tank having a height of 3294 mm, a body diameter of 700 mm (stirring cylinder), and a diameter of 1000 mm (diffusion cylinder) was used.

(2) Ingredients 1) For the operating condition test, the first tea "Yabukita" from 1994 (mechanical plucking on May 10) was used. 2) In the thermal efficiency test, the same tea was stored frozen at -25 ° C.

(3) Operating Condition Test Configuration Hot air temperature was 100 ° C., air flow was 29.4 m ³ / min, and the treated leaves were cut into strips having a width of 2 mm and the leaves were steamed as they were. 5 kg, 1.0 kg, 2.
0 kg and 3.0 kg.

(4) Thermal Efficiency Test Configuration The hot air temperature was 100 ° C., the air flow was 29.4 m ³ / min, the treated leaves were cut into strips having a width of 2 mm, and the leaves were steamed as they were. 1.0 kg;
0 kg and steamed leaves were 0.5 kg, 1.0 kg and 1.5 kg.

(5) Investigation items 1) The water content was measured by a normal pressure drying method (db%), 2) The colorimetric value was a color difference meter (Minolta CR210), and 3) The particle size was a low tap type sieve shaker. Was measured using each. 4) The quality is based on a five-level sensory test category scale (5 = very good,
4 = somewhat good, 3 = normal, 2 = somewhat bad, 1 = bad).

(6) Summary and Summary of Test Results 1) The moisture content at the time of removal affected the shape and input amount of the treated leaves, and steam leaves having a large shape were difficult to dry when the input amount was large. What dried well was the small-sized cutter leaf, which had a low moisture content of 3% to 7% after 20 minutes, and did not have a significant effect due to the amount of input (see FIG. 8).

2) As a result of a sensory test, the overall quality was better when the input amount of each treated leaf was as small as 0.5 kg to 1.0 kg. In the quality evaluation at an input amount of 1.0 kg, the cutter leaves were excellent in color, fragrance, and taste, uniform in shape, and high in evaluation points. From this, it can be seen from the results of the particle size distribution that the cutter leaves are uniform and the steamed leaves are irregular (see FIGS. 9 and 10).

3) The moisture content of the tea leaves during the process is greatly reduced when 3 to 5 minutes have elapsed after the introduction. Significant decrease is caused by 1.0 kg of cutter leaves and 0.5 kg of steamed leaves ,
After about minutes, the water content was about 100%, and it was clear that drying proceeded quickly. However, after the elapse of 10 minutes, the water content decreases little and the drying becomes gentle. In the case of 3.0 kg of cutter leaves with a large amount of input, the drying speed is slow, though it decreases linearly. This is presumably because, when the amount of tea is increased, the tea is not sufficiently stirred, so that it is difficult to receive hot air and the tea temperature does not rise (see FIGS. 11 and 12). From the above, considering the operating conditions, in terms of quality, one cutter leaf is required.
kg to 2 kg is desirable, the air volume during the process,
If the adjustment of the hot air temperature or the like is performed more finely, further improvement in thermal efficiency can be expected. Moreover, the dried foodstuff 1 obtained by this test 1
Had a good texture and texture, such as "crispy, crispy" and was easy to eat. Further, since the shape has a characteristic, it can be used in a wide range such as "sprinkling" and "condiment".

[0067]

According to the present invention, a dried food material using tea leaves as a raw material, a method for producing the same, and a drying apparatus for producing the same are constituted as described above. The following various effects are exhibited.

That is, in the method for producing a dried food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to claim 1 or a dry food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to claim 4, steamed leaves A ₀ are used as the raw tea leaves. Is cut into strips first, and the tea leaves weakened in the subsequent drying process are finally processed into strip strips. As a result, a tea with a good texture can be obtained, and the possibility of using it as a food ingredient is expanded, and it is also possible to use it as a sprinkle, a condiment, etc. Also compared to those processed into small pieces at a time from蒸葉A ₀ out initially, is aligned shape of the final dried food material 1, also finished clean.

Further, the dry food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to the second aspect has a structure in which the moisture content of the dry food material 1 is 5% or less. This makes it possible to use it as a food material, and also improves the storage stability.

Further, the dried food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to the third aspect has a configuration in which the size of the dried food material 1 is several mm or less. This makes it possible to use sprinkles, spices and the like as food ingredients, and also to use it by adding it to other food ingredients S.

Further, the method for producing a dried food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to a fifth aspect of the present invention has a configuration in which the raw tea leaves are pre-dried prior to cutting the raw tea leaves into a predetermined shape. In addition to thereby shorten the drying time in the subsequent drying process, it is easy to cut the蒸葉A _0.

Further, in the method for producing a dried food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to claim 6, the method for drying steamed leaves A ₀ comprises:
A configuration in which a fluidized bed dryer is used is adopted . Thus the water content is high as蒸葉A _0, In the present easy material to be dried becomes nodular now be obtained very good dry, thereby improving the quality of the dried food material 1.

Further, the drying apparatus for producing a dried food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to claim 7 is a fluidized bed drying apparatus, in which a stirring blade 10 is supplied into the fluidized vessel 3 and hot air is supplied to the fluidized vessel 3 side. A configuration is provided in which the device 4 is provided. As a result, the steamed leaves A ₀ are dried by the hot air supplied from the hot air supply device 4, and the steamed leaves A ₀ formed into a nodular shape by the stirring action of the stirring blades 10 are loosened. Is possible.

Further, the drying apparatus for producing a dried food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to claim 8 has a configuration in which the fluidized tank 3 is formed in a cylindrical shape. Accordingly, when the rectangular cylindrical fluidized tank 3 is used, the accumulation of tea leaves at the corners of the fluidized tank 3 which is a problem is prevented, and the improvement of the drying efficiency and the quality of the dried food 1 are further promoted.

Furthermore, in the drying apparatus for producing dried food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to the ninth aspect, the fluidizing tank 3 is constituted by a stirring cylinder 30 and a diffusion cylinder 31, and the diameter of the diffusion cylinder 31 is adjusted by the stirring cylinder 30. It is configured to be larger than the body diameter of. Thereby, the wind speed of the hot air sent from the hot air supply device 4 is reduced when the hot air is transferred from the stirring cylinder 30 to the diffusion cylinder 31, and the upward scattering of the tea leaves is suppressed.

Furthermore, in the drying apparatus for producing a dried food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to the tenth aspect, the stirring blades 10 are provided with a plurality of stirring arms 12 provided radially around a rotating shaft 11.
, And the mounting pitch of the stirring blades 10 is shifted little by little so that the stirring blades 10 do not draw the same stirring trajectory. This prevents agitation unevenness,
Dispersion of蒸葉A ₀ became nodular is to be carried out more active, more further improve the drying efficiency is achieved.

Further, the drying apparatus for producing a dried food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to the present invention has a structure in which a tea leaf loosening structure 13 for rotating or swinging the stirring blade 10 is provided in the fluidized tank 3. As a result, the loosening action of the steamed leaves is promoted, and the drying efficiency is further improved.

Further, the drying apparatus for producing a dried food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to the twelfth aspect has a structure in which an elevating mechanism for elevating and moving the stirring blade 10 is provided in the fluidized tank 3.
Thus, when removing the processed tea leaves A after drying from the fluidizing tank 3, if the stirring blade 10 is moved upward, it does not become a hindrance, and the work of removing the processed tea leaves A becomes easy.

Further, in the drying apparatus for producing dried food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to the thirteenth aspect, the fluidizing tank 3 and the hot air supply device 4 are connected by a hot air supply duct 5. The configuration is such that a hot air cutoff mechanism 50 including an escape port 51 and a cutoff plate 52 is provided. This prevents hot air from flowing into the fluidizing tank 3 when removing the processed tea leaves A after drying, and the work of removing the processed tea leaves A is further facilitated. And the effect brought about by the configuration described in each of these claims acts synergistically, so that a new and high-quality dried food 1 can be provided, and the use of the dried food 1 can be expanded and developed. As a result, the drying efficiency, which is indispensable for improving the productivity of the dry food 1, can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing various usage modes of a dried food material using tea leaves as a raw material of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing a drying apparatus for producing a dry food material using tea leaves as a raw material of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partially longitudinal side view showing a fluidized tank in the drying apparatus in an enlarged manner.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional side view showing, on an enlarged scale, a stirring action section in the fluidized tank.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing other various embodiments having different shapes of stirring blades.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing various embodiments of a tea leaf loosening structure.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a flow of a method for producing a dried food material using tea leaves as a raw material of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a graph showing the results of tests performed to confirm the effects of the drying apparatus and the manufacturing method of the present invention, and is a graph showing the relationship between the input amount and the water content.

FIG. 9 is a graph showing a comparison between quality evaluations of cutter leaves and steamed leaves.

FIG. 10 is a graph showing the relationship between the size and distribution of tea leaves.

FIG. 11 is a graph showing the relationship between the drying time and the water content.

FIG. 12 is a graph showing a relationship between drying time and tea temperature.

[Description of Signs] 1 Dry food 2 Drying device 3 Fluid tank 4 Hot air supply device 5 Hot air supply duct 6 Dust collector 7 Steamer 8 Cutting device 8a Cutting blade 10 Stirring blade 11 Rotary shaft 12 Stirring arm 13 Tea leaf loosening structure 14 Rack 15 Shift rod 16 Pinion gear 17 Ring gear 18 Fan gear 19 Shift wire 20 Set spring 21 Cam 23 Elevating mechanism 24 Sliding sleeve 25 Fixing bolt 30 Stirrer cylinder 31 Diffusion cylinder 31a Diffusion lid 32 Expanding section 33 Machine frame 34 Inlet 35 Outlet 36 Opening / closing door 37 Stirring action part 38 Perforated plate 38a Vent hole 40 Furnace 41 Burner 42 Blower 43 Mount 50 Hot air cutoff mechanism 51 Hot air escape opening 52 Blocking plate 53 Closure lid 60 Blower 61 Cyclone A Processed tea leaf A ₀ Steamed leaf a Raw tea leaf

Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Takehiko Akahori 2303, Kawakami, Ogasa-machi, Ogasa-gun, Shizuoka Prefecture (56) References JP-A-7-111 (JP, A) JP-A-57-192317 (JP, A) JP-A Sho-59 −109132 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A23F 3/00-3/06 A23L 1/212 A23L 1/1337 A23L 1/48

Claims (13)

(57) [Claims] 1. A dried food material using tea leaves, wherein the dried food material is a steamed leaf having a relatively high moisture content after steaming.
And leave the steamed leaves as they are or dry them
After being subjected to , cut into strips collectively, and then the steamed leaves after cutting, without rubbing, tea leaves characterized by being cut into strip pieces by drying while loosening Dry ingredients. 2. The dry foodstuff made from tea leaves according to claim 1 , wherein the moisture content of the dry foodstuff is 5% or less. 3. The dry food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to claim 1, wherein the size of the dry food material is several mm or less. 4. A steaming step of steaming raw tea leaves by steam latent heat, and a cutting step of cutting steamed leaves into a predetermined shape after steaming;
A drying step sequentially for drying without massaging the蒸葉 after cutting
Through steamed leaves with relatively high moisture content to dry food
A method of manufacturing a timber, in the cutting step, the first disconnect at least a strip of 蒸葉 after steaming, the subsequent drying step
Is a method for producing a dried food material using tea leaves as a raw material , wherein the strip-shaped steamed leaves are cut by drying while loosening, and finally a strip-shaped dry food material is produced. . 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a steaming step and a cutting step are performed.
A pre-drying step for pre-drying the heated steamed leaves is provided.
The method of manufacturing a dry food material tea leaves according to claim 4, wherein as the raw material, characterized in that that. 6. In the drying step, relatively dry water is contained.
The method for producing a dried food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to claim 4 or 5, wherein a fluidized bed drying apparatus which is high in drying rate but suitable for drying is used. 7. A relatively high water content which is steamed by steam.
The steamed leaves cut into strips are to be dried.
Then, without rubbing the steamed leaves , let them dry while loosening
This is a drying device that further divides and finally obtains a strip-shaped dry food , wherein the drying device has a relatively high moisture content.
A suitable fluidized-bed drying device is applied, and in the fluidized tank, stirring blades for stirring strip-shaped steamed leaves to be dried are provided, and stirring blades for loosening the steamed leaf are provided, and beside the fluidized tank , A hot air supply device for supplying hot air into the fluidized tank is provided, and a drying device for producing dry foods using tea leaves as a raw material. 8. The drying apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the fluidized tank has a cylindrical shape. Wherein said fluidization vessel includes a stirring cylinder having a stirring blade, constituted by a dispersion drum provided thereabove, body diameter between these agitating cylinder diffusion cylinders, so that the direction of dispersion drum increases The drying apparatus for producing a dry food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that: 10. The stirring blade is provided for a plurality of stirring arms provided radially about a rotation axis,
The installation pitch of the stirring blades provided for each of the stirring arms is set to be slightly shifted so as not to draw the same stirring trajectory as the stirring blades provided for the other stirring arms. 10. A drying apparatus for producing a dried food material using the tea leaves according to claim 8, as a raw material. 11. A tea leaf loosening structure for rotating or swinging the stirring blade around a stirring arm in the fluidized tank.
A drying apparatus for producing a dried food material using the tea leaves according to 8, 9 or 10 as a raw material. 12. The dry food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to claim 7 , wherein the fluidized tank is provided with an elevating mechanism for elevating and moving the stirring blade. Drying equipment for production. 13. The fluidized vessel and the hot air supply device,
The hot air supply duct is connected by a hot air supply duct, and a hot air cutoff mechanism comprising a hot air escape port and a blocking plate for preventing hot air from flowing into the diffusion drum when removing the processed tea leaves after drying is provided. 13. The drying apparatus for producing a dry food material using tea leaves as a raw material according to claim 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12.