JP5286403B2 - Artificial rice and method for producing the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to artificial rice using curdlan, which is a polysaccharide (dietary fiber), as a main raw material, and a method for producing the same.

  Rice is a staple food for Japanese people and is essential for eating habits. However, an increasing number of people are worried about the calories in rice when they have to limit their calorie intake due to diabetes, obesity, or the like, or because of a diet centered on young women. Accordingly, there is a demand for artificial rice that has a lower calorie compared to natural rice, has an appearance and texture that is inferior to natural rice, and has a good taste.

  From such demand, various artificial rice has been made so far. Among them, the one that uses glucomannan which is a component of konjac or konjac is most known. When konjac is used as the main ingredient, it does not have a sticky texture like rice and has a unique alkaline odor, so there are many problems in eating as a staple food instead of rice. Therefore, foods mainly made of konjac have been proposed for the purpose of reducing the calorie content of rice by mixing with natural rice and cooking (for example, Patent Document 1).

  In the case of producing artificial rice mixed with rice flour and certain ingredients, a product close to natural rice can naturally be obtained by increasing the amount of rice flour to be mixed, but this is contrary to the purpose of keeping calories low. In order to overcome such problems, the texture and appearance of artificial rice are getting closer to those of natural rice by repeated improvements such as the raw materials and ingenuity of their blending. However, the sticky texture due to the proper viscosity unique to natural rice has not been reproduced, and a product that Japanese people prefer to eat has not been developed. For example, Patent Document 2 describes a dry-calorie low-calorie food material comprising a gelling agent such as starch, dextrin, and konjac mannan, and a clouding agent such as cellulose. Artificial rice blended with curdlan, which is dietary fiber, has also been proposed, but in this case as well, the actual situation is the same as described above (Patent Documents 2 to 5).

  In addition, these artificial rice production methods are mainly made by mixing a raw material and a small amount of water into a semi-solid state, extruding it with an extruder or the like, and cutting it into rice grains. For example, the low-calorie food described in Patent Document 2 is also manufactured by a method of extruding and cutting a semi-solid material into a granular shape. Since such a manufacturing method uses a small amount of water, it is necessary to further gel the obtained pellets to form a water-containing form. The present inventors considered that such a production method is also one of the causes that do not give a texture equivalent to that of natural rice.

JP-A-9-154507 JP-A-6-225719 JP 2003-310187 A JP 2002-233317 A JP-A-6-197713

  An object of the present invention is to provide artificial rice having a texture close to that of natural rice compared to conventional products and having a low calorie compared to natural rice, and a method for producing the same.

For example, the present invention is as follows.
[1] A first step of dispersing a main raw material comprising curdlan and flour in water to form a raw material sol, and a second step of forming the raw material sol into a rice granule by heating and gelling And a process for producing artificial rice.
[2] The method for producing artificial rice according to [1], wherein the viscosity of the raw material sol is 600 mPa · s or more when measured using a visco-basic rotary viscometer .
[3] The method according to [1] or [2], wherein the amount of water ranges from 2.7 parts by weight to less than 130.5 parts by weight with respect to 1 part by weight of a dry raw material component made of curdlan and flour. A method for producing artificial rice,
[4] The method according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the first step swells the flour by dispersing part or all of the flour in water and heating. And forming a sol solution that has been pregelatinized, cooling the solution in a sol state, and adding the curdlan and the remaining flour to the sol solution and stirring to form the raw material sol A method for producing artificial rice, comprising a second step.
[5] The method for producing artificial rice according to [4], further comprising adding saccharide and / or starch as additives.
[6] The method according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the first step is performed by dispersing and heating a main raw material containing both flour and curdlan in water. A method for producing artificial rice, comprising a step of increasing a sol viscosity.
[7] The method for producing artificial rice according to [6], further comprising adding sugar and / or starch as additives.
[8] The method according to any one of [1] to [7], wherein the second step includes filling the raw material sol in a rice grain-shaped mold and then heating. A characteristic method for producing artificial rice.
[9] The method according to [8], wherein the heating is performed by steaming.
[10] The method according to any one of [1] to [7], wherein the second step is performed in the raw material sol in water heated to a temperature equal to or higher than a gelation temperature of the raw material sol. A method for producing artificial rice, characterized in that the method comprises dripping the gel into a gel.
[11] The method for producing artificial rice according to any one of [1] to [10], further comprising a step of converting the formed rice grains into dry rice.
[12] The method for producing artificial rice according to any one of [1] to [11], wherein the flour is rice flour.
[13] The method according to any one of [1] to [11], wherein starch is used as a main ingredient instead of flour.
[14] Artificial rice produced by the method according to any one of [1] to [13].
[15] The artificial rice according to [14], wherein 30 to 95% of the total weight of curdlan and flour or starch as a main raw material in the raw material is curdlan. .

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide artificial rice having a texture close to that of natural rice compared to conventional products and having a low calorie compared to natural rice, and a method for producing the same.

FIG. 1A shows a photomicrograph of an artificial rice cross section (Example 1) of the present invention formed by dropping into a hot water bath. FIG. 1B shows a photomicrograph of an artificial rice cross-section (Example 1) of the present invention formed by steaming. FIG. 1C shows a micrograph of a rice section of milky quinn. FIG. 2A shows micrographs of cross-sections (Examples 2 to 5) of the artificial rice of the present invention formed by steaming. FIG. 2B shows micrographs of the cross-section (Examples 8 to 10) of the artificial rice of the present invention formed by steaming. FIG. 3A shows micrographs of cross sections of the artificial rice according to the present invention (Examples 2 to 5) which were returned to water after drying. FIG. 3B shows photomicrographs of cross sections of the artificial rice of the present invention (Examples 8 to 10) that were returned to water after drying. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the measurement results of elasticity and viscosity of artificial rice before drying. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the measurement results of elasticity and viscosity of artificial rice that has been returned to water after drying. FIG. 6 is a graph showing the results of measuring the water absorption of dried artificial rice.

  The artificial rice according to the present invention is characterized by comprising curdlan and flour as main raw materials.

  Here, curdlan used as a main raw material in the present invention is a polysaccharide (dietary fiber) produced by a microorganism (gram-negative bacterium Agrobacterium biovar 1), and has a characteristic of extremely high water absorption. Currently, it is used as a quality improver in many foods. Specifically, it is added for the purpose of improving the stiffness of noodles, enhancing the elasticity of marine products, improving the texture of processed meat products, and the like. Thus, when used as a quality improver, the amount of curdlan added is usually 1% by weight or less based on food.

  In the present invention, by using curdlan, which is a dietary fiber, as a main component, artificial rice having a lower calorie than natural rice can be produced. In the present invention, the amount of curdlan used is 30 to 95% of the total weight of curdlan and flour in the raw material. Preferably it is 40 to 80%, and artificial rice having a good texture and taste can be obtained.

  Examples of the flour that can be used in the present invention include rice flour, wheat flour, buckwheat flour, barley flour, corn flour, crow's wheat flour, rye flour, and soybean flour.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the artificial rice ingredients may include various additives, such as starch and / or sugars.

  As starch, any starch used for food can be used, for example, potato starch, corn starch, or wheat starch. By adding flour and starch, the taste and texture can be brought closer to natural rice. The amount of starch used as an additive is preferably 0.1 to 10%.

  Saccharides have the effect of enhancing the taste of foods and improving the quality, and are used in various foods. When mixed with rice and cooked, it has the effect of producing a plump finish and the effect of suppressing aging of starch, and in the present invention, it is used to impart the same quality as natural rice to the resulting artificial rice. As the saccharide, any edible saccharide can be used, and examples thereof include glucose, fructose, galactose, mannose, maltose, lactose, sucrose, trehalose and the like. Here, commercially available saccharides or saccharides obtained by known methods can be used. The amount of sugar used is preferably 0.1 to 10%. When the amount is small, the effect of quality improvement does not appear, and when it is large, the sweetness of the saccharide itself is too much, so it is necessary to use it in an appropriate amount.

  Artificial rice according to the present invention is formed into rice grains by first forming a raw material sol by dispersing a main raw material comprising curdlan and flour in water and heating the raw material sol to gel. And a second step.

  In the present specification, “sol” refers to a state having fluidity, and “gel” refers to a state in which fluidity has been lost.

  The viscosity of the raw material sol is preferably about 600 mPa · s or more when measured using a visco-basic rotary viscometer as described in the examples described later. In the case of a viscosity lower than this, it does not harden well even when heated, and it is often impossible to make rice grains. On the other hand, the greater the amount of curdlan used as a raw material, the higher the viscosity.

  Here, the amount of water used as the dispersion medium is preferably in the range of about 2.7 parts by weight or more and less than about 130.5 parts by weight, preferably about 5.4 parts by weight, with respect to 1 part by weight of the dry raw material component consisting of curdlan and flour. To about 60.0 parts by weight, most preferably from about 7 parts to about 10 parts by weight.

  Since the artificial rice obtained by the present invention contains a large amount of water, as a result, the calorie can be reduced, and the texture that is unique to cooked rice can be brought close to.

  The manufacturing method can be classified into the following two types.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, in the first step, part or all of the flour is dispersed in water and heated to form a sol solution in which the flour is swollen and pregelatinized, and the solution And a second step of forming the raw material sol by adding curdlan and the remaining flour to the sol solution and stirring the sol solution. (Hereinafter referred to as the two-step method).

  In the first step, a raw material comprising flour is dispersed in water and heated. This is an operation for converting the flour into α. Thereafter, it is preferably cooled to 30 ° C. or lower. This is an operation for facilitating mixing with curdlan having the property of increasing viscosity at high temperature.

  In the subsequent second step, curdlan is added to the cooling liquid and stirred. In this way, adding the ingredients in two stages, the first step and the second step, is to add rice grains with high curdlan content by blending method using the difference in water absorption and gel characteristics of flour and curdlan. This is to make it possible to produce. That is, by adding a curdlan with very high water absorption after allowing the flour to absorb a certain amount of water, its properties can be suppressed even if it contains a large amount of curdlan, which is a dietary fiber. A feeling can be obtained.

  As described above, additives such as sugar and starch can be added to the artificial rice produced by the method of the present invention. In the two-stage method, it is preferable that in the first step, saccharides are dispersed in water together with flour, and in the second step, starch as an additive is added after adding curdlan.

  In another embodiment of the present invention, the first step includes a step of appropriately increasing the sol viscosity by dispersing and heating a main raw material containing both flour and curdlan in water. (Hereinafter referred to as a one-step method).

  In the one-step method, the first step and the second step in the two-step method are simultaneously performed, that is, all the main raw materials are simultaneously dispersed in water and then heated. Also in this method, saccharides and / or starch can be added as additives, and it is preferable to add them in advance to the raw material powder before being dispersed in water.

  When the one-stage method was used, it was found that the curdlan in the raw material had a more preferable hardness and viscosity as compared with the two-stage method in the range where the ratio of curdlan was low.

  As described above, since the mixture before heating according to the present invention is a sol containing a large amount of water, in order to make rice grains, it is necessary to gel the sol by a heat treatment in which curdlan becomes an irreversible gel. is there.

  In one embodiment, the second step of forming a rice grain by heating and gelling the raw material sol is performed by filling the raw material sol in a rice grain-shaped mold and then heating. The heating may be performed by steaming.

  In another embodiment, the second step may be performed by dropping the raw sol into water heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the gelation temperature of the raw sol. In this case, the rice grain which gelatinized by the dripping is obtained.

  As a further step, dried rice that can be cooked can be obtained by drying the rice grains produced by the above method with hot air or the like. Specifically, the heated rice grains are preferably heated for 30 minutes with a 90 ° C. dryer. The obtained dry rice can be made to contain a large amount of water in the same manner as before drying by returning it to rice grains with water. Moreover, it is also possible to cook rice like normal rice. The cooked rice, the aseptic packaged cooked rice, the retort cooked cooked rice and the like produced using the dried rice had a taste and texture similar to those of ordinary cooked rice.

  Moreover, as one embodiment of the present invention, starch can be used as the main raw material instead of flour. As with the starch as an additive described above, any starch used for food can be used.

  The artificial rice obtained by the present invention can be used in various ways. For example, rice can be cooked in the same manner as ordinary rice, and it can be made into a retort food by filling a suitable container such as a heat-resistant plastic container and then heat sterilizing using a normal method. . Of course, it is also possible to use it mixed with normal rice instead of artificial rice alone.

Example 1 (curdlan: rice flour = 67:33 (curdlan 67%)) <two-stage method>
The artificial rice of this invention was manufactured using the following fixed amount raw material. In the following formulation, 67% of the total weight of curdlan and rice flour is curdlan.

1. Card run 6.6g
2. Rice flour (Koshihikari) 3.2g
3. Starch (potato mochi starch) 0.64g
4. Trehalose 0.2g
5. 80ml of water
0.2 g of trehalose was dissolved in 80 ml of water. After 3.2 g of rice flour was dispersed in the solution and heated to 85 ° C., it was cooled to 25 ° C. A sol was prepared by dispersing 6.6 g of curdlan in the cooling liquid and further dispersing 0.64 g of starch as an additive. The sol was placed in a bowl-shaped mold (a mold having a large number of rice grain-shaped grooves), placed in a steamer and steamed for 5 minutes to prepare a rice-shaped gel. The prepared gel was dried with a dryer at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain dry rice. As a result, artificial rice which is the most preferable form of the present invention was obtained. For the panel test, 15 g of this dried rice and 37.5 g of natural rice were immersed in 150 ml of water for 30 minutes, and then cooked in a household rice cooker.

Example 2 (curdlan: rice flour = 1: 1 (curdlan 50%)) <two-step method>
0.5 g of trehalose was dissolved in 200 ml of water. 12.25 g of rice flour was dispersed in the solution, heated to 85 ° C., and then cooled to 25 ° C. Thereafter, 12.25 g of curdlan was dispersed, and 1.6 g of starch as an additive was further dispersed to prepare a sol. The sol was placed in a bowl-shaped mold and steamed for 5 minutes to prepare a rice-shaped gel. The prepared gel was dried at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain dry rice. For the panel test, 15 g of this dried rice and 37.5 g of natural rice were immersed in 150 ml of water for 30 minutes, and then cooked in a household rice cooker.

Example 3 (curdlan: rice flour = 3: 2 (curdlan 60%)) <two-step method>
0.5 g of trehalose was dissolved in 200 ml of water. 9.8 g of rice flour was dispersed in the solution and heated to 85 ° C, and then cooled to 25 ° C. Thereafter, 14.7 g of curdlan was dispersed, and 1.6 g of starch as an additive was further dispersed to prepare a sol. The sol was placed in a bowl-shaped mold and steamed for 5 minutes to prepare a rice-shaped gel. The prepared gel was dried at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain dry rice. For the panel test, 15 g of this dried rice and 37.5 g of natural rice were immersed in 150 ml of water for 30 minutes, and then cooked in a household rice cooker.

Example 4 (curdlan: rice flour = 4: 1 (curdlan 80%)) <two-stage method>
0.5 g of trehalose was dissolved in 200 ml of water. In this solution, 4.9 g of rice flour was dispersed and heated to 85 ° C., and then cooled to 25 ° C. Thereafter, 19.6 g of curdlan was dispersed, and 1.6 g of starch as an additive was further dispersed to prepare a sol. The sol was placed in a bowl-shaped mold and steamed for 5 minutes to prepare a rice-shaped gel. The prepared gel was dried at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain dry rice. For the panel test, 15 g of this dried rice and 37.5 g of natural rice were immersed in 150 ml of water for 30 minutes, and then cooked in a household rice cooker.

Example 5 (curdlan: rice flour = 95: 5 (curdlan 95%)) <two-step method>
0.5 g of trehalose was dissolved in 200 ml of water. After 1.23 g of rice flour was dispersed in the solution and heated to 85 ° C, it was cooled to 25 ° C. Thereafter, 23.3 g of curdlan was dispersed, and 1.6 g of starch as an additive was further dispersed to prepare a sol. The sol was placed in a bowl-shaped mold and steamed for 5 minutes to prepare a rice-shaped gel. The prepared gel was dried at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain dry rice. For the panel test, 15 g of this dried rice and 37.5 g of natural rice were immersed in 150 ml of water for 30 minutes, and then cooked in a household rice cooker.

Example 6 (curdlan: rice flour = 95: 5 (curdlan 95%)) <two-stage method >
0.5 g of trehalose was dissolved in 400 ml of water. After 1.23 g of rice flour was dispersed in the solution and heated to 85 ° C, it was cooled to 25 ° C. Thereafter, 23.3 g of curdlan was dispersed, and 1.6 g of starch as an additive was further dispersed to prepare a sol. The sol was placed in a bowl-shaped mold and steamed for 5 minutes to prepare a rice-shaped gel. The prepared gel was dried at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain dry rice. For the panel test, 7.5 g of this dried rice and 37.5 g of natural rice were immersed in 150 ml of water for 30 minutes, and then cooked in a household rice cooker.

Example 7 (curdlan: rice flour = 95: 5 (curdlan 95%)) <two-stage method>
0.5 g of trehalose was dissolved in 800 ml of water. After 1.23 g of rice flour was dispersed in the solution and heated to 85 ° C, it was cooled to 25 ° C. Thereafter, 23.3 g of curdlan was dispersed, and 1.6 g of starch as an additive was further dispersed to prepare a sol. The sol was placed in a bowl-shaped mold and steamed for 5 minutes to prepare a rice-shaped gel. The prepared gel was dried at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain dry rice. For the panel test, 3.75 g of this dried rice and 37.5 g of natural rice were immersed in 135 ml of water for 30 minutes and then cooked in a household rice cooker.

Example 8 (curdlan: rice flour = 95: 5 (curdlan 95%)) <two-step method>
0.5 g of trehalose was dissolved in 1,600 ml of water. After 1.23 g of rice flour was dispersed in the solution and heated to 85 ° C, it was cooled to 25 ° C. Thereafter, 23.3 g of curdlan was dispersed, and 1.6 g of starch as an additive was further dispersed to prepare a sol. The sol was placed in a bowl-shaped mold and steamed for 5 minutes to prepare a rice-shaped gel. The prepared gel was dried at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain dry rice. For the panel test, 1.88 g of this dried rice and 37.5 g of natural rice were soaked in 125 ml of water for 30 minutes, and then cooked in a household rice cooker.

Example 9 (curdlan: rice flour = 2: 3 (curdlan 40%)) <one-step method >
0.5 g of trehalose was dissolved in 200 ml of water. After 9.8 g of curdlan was dispersed in the solution, 14.7 g of rice flour was dispersed, and 1.6 g of starch as an additive was further dispersed and heated to 50 ° C. to prepare a sol. The prepared sol was cooled to 25 ° C. The sol was placed in a bowl-shaped mold and steamed for 5 minutes to prepare a rice-shaped gel. The prepared gel was dried at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain dry rice. For the panel test, 15 g of this dried rice and 37.5 g of natural rice were immersed in 140 ml of water for 30 minutes, and then cooked in a household rice cooker.

Example 10 (curdlan: rice flour = 3: 7 (curdlan 30%)) <one-step method>
0.5 g of trehalose was dissolved in 200 ml of water. After 7.35 g of curdlan was dispersed in the solution, 17.15 g of rice flour was dispersed, and 1.6 g of starch as an additive was further dispersed and heated to 50 ° C. to prepare a sol. The prepared sol was cooled to 25 ° C. The sol was placed in a bowl-shaped mold and steamed for 5 minutes to prepare a rice-shaped gel. The prepared gel was dried at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain dry rice. For the panel test, 15 g of this dried rice and 37.5 g of natural rice were immersed in 140 ml of water for 30 minutes, and then cooked in a household rice cooker.

Example 11 (curdlan: rice flour = 1: 1 (curdlan 50%)) <one-step method>
0.5 g of trehalose was dissolved in 200 ml of water. After 12.25 g of curdlan was dispersed in the solution, 12.25 g of rice flour was dispersed, and 1.6 g of starch as an additive was further dispersed and heated to 50 ° C. to prepare a sol. The prepared sol was cooled to 25 ° C. The sol was placed in a bowl-shaped mold and steamed for 5 minutes to prepare a rice-shaped gel. The prepared gel was dried at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain dry rice. For the panel test, 15 g of this dried rice and 37.5 g of natural rice were immersed in 150 ml of water for 30 minutes, and then cooked in a household rice cooker.

Example 12 (curdlan: rice flour = 3: 2 (curdlan 60%)) <one-step method>
0.5 g of trehalose was dissolved in 200 ml of water. After 14.7 g of curdlan was dispersed in the solution, 9.8 g of rice flour was dispersed, and 1.6 g of starch as an additive was further dispersed and heated to 50 ° C. to prepare a sol. The prepared sol was cooled to 25 ° C. The sol was placed in a bowl-shaped mold and steamed for 5 minutes to prepare a rice-shaped gel. The prepared gel was dried at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain dry rice. For the panel test, 15 g of this dried rice and 37.5 g of natural rice were immersed in 150 ml of water for 30 minutes, and then cooked in a household rice cooker.

Example 13 (curdlan: rice flour = 3: 2 (curdlan 60%)) <one-step method>
0.5 g of trehalose was dissolved in 200 ml of water. After 22.05 g of curdlan was dispersed in the solution, 14.7 g of rice flour was dispersed, and 1.6 g of starch as an additive was further dispersed and heated to 50 ° C. to prepare a sol. The prepared sol was cooled to 25 ° C. The sol was placed in a bowl-shaped mold and steamed for 5 minutes to prepare a rice-shaped gel. The prepared gel was dried at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain dry rice. For the panel test, 15 g of this dried rice and 37.5 g of natural rice were immersed in 150 ml of water for 30 minutes, and then cooked in a household rice cooker.

Example 14 (curdlan: rice flour = 67: 33 (curdlan 67%)) <two-stage method>
0.5 g glucose was dissolved in 200 ml water. After 8.0 g of rice flour was dispersed in the solution and heated to 85 ° C., it was cooled to 25 ° C. Thereafter, 16.5 g of curdlan was dispersed, and 1.6 g of starch as an additive was further dispersed to prepare a sol. The sol was placed in a bowl-shaped mold and steamed for 5 minutes to prepare a rice-shaped gel. The prepared gel was dried at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain dry rice. For the panel test, 15 g of this dried rice and 37.5 g of natural rice were immersed in 150 ml of water for 30 minutes, and then cooked in a household rice cooker.

Example 15 (curdlan: rice flour = 67:33 (curdlan 67%)) <two-step method>
0.5 g of maltose was dissolved in 200 ml of water. After 8.0 g of rice flour was dispersed in the solution and heated to 85 ° C., it was cooled to 25 ° C. Thereafter, 16.5 g of curdlan was dispersed, and 1.6 g of starch as an additive was further dispersed to prepare a sol. The sol was placed in a bowl-shaped mold and steamed for 5 minutes to prepare a rice-shaped gel. The prepared gel was dried at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain dry rice. For the panel test, 15 g of this dried rice and 37.5 g of natural rice were immersed in 150 ml of water for 30 minutes, and then cooked in a household rice cooker.

Example 16 (curdlan: rice flour = 67:33 (curdlan 67%)) <two-stage method>
0.5 g of sucrose was dissolved in 200 ml of water. After 8.0 g of rice flour was dispersed in the solution and heated to 85 ° C., it was cooled to 25 ° C. Thereafter, 16.5 g of curdlan was dispersed, and 1.6 g of starch as an additive was further dispersed to prepare a sol. The sol was placed in a bowl-shaped mold and steamed for 5 minutes to prepare a rice-shaped gel. The prepared gel was dried at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain dry rice. For the panel test, 15 g of this dried rice and 37.5 g of natural rice were immersed in 150 ml of water for 30 minutes, and then cooked in a household rice cooker.

Example 17 (curdlan: rice flour = 2: 3 (curdlan 40%)) <one-step method>
0.5 g of trehalose was dissolved in 200 ml of water. After 19.6 g of curdlan was dispersed in the solution, 29.4 g of rice flour was dispersed, and 1.6 g of starch as an additive was further dispersed and heated to 50 ° C. to prepare a sol. The prepared sol was cooled to 25 ° C. The sol was placed in a bowl-shaped mold and steamed for 5 minutes to prepare a rice-shaped gel. The prepared gel was dried at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain dry rice. For the panel test, 15 g of this dried rice and 37.5 g of natural rice were immersed in 150 ml of water for 30 minutes, and then cooked in a household rice cooker.

Example 18 (curdlan: rice flour = 2: 3 (curdlan 40%)) <one-step method>
0.5 g of trehalose was dissolved in 200 ml of water. After 29.4 g of curdlan was dispersed in the solution, 44.1 g of rice flour was dispersed, and 1.6 g of starch as an additive was further dispersed and heated to 50 ° C. to prepare a sol. The prepared sol was cooled to 25 ° C. The sol was placed in a bowl-shaped mold and steamed for 5 minutes to prepare a rice-shaped gel. The prepared gel was dried at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain dry rice. For the panel test, 15 g of this dried rice and 37.5 g of natural rice were immersed in 150 ml of water for 30 minutes, and then cooked in a household rice cooker.

Example 19 (curdlan: rice flour = 4: 1 (curdlan 80%)) <two-stage method>
0.5 g of trehalose was dissolved in 400 ml of water. In this solution, 4.9 g of rice flour was dispersed and heated to 85 ° C., and then cooled to 25 ° C. Thereafter, 19.6 g of curdlan was dispersed, and 1.6 g of starch as an additive was further dispersed to prepare a sol. The sol was placed in a bowl-shaped mold and steamed for 5 minutes to prepare a rice-shaped gel. The prepared gel was dried at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain dry rice. For the panel test, 15 g of this dried rice and 37.5 g of natural rice were immersed in 150 ml of water for 30 minutes, and then cooked in a household rice cooker.

Example 20 (curdlan: rice flour = 3: 2 (curdlan 60%)) <two-step method>
0.5 g of trehalose was dissolved in 400 ml of water. 9.8 g of rice flour was dispersed in the solution and heated to 85 ° C, and then cooled to 25 ° C. Thereafter, 14.7 g of curdlan was dispersed, and 1.6 g of starch as an additive was further dispersed to prepare a sol. The sol was placed in a bowl-shaped mold and steamed for 5 minutes to prepare a rice-shaped gel. The prepared gel was dried at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain dry rice. For the panel test, 15 g of this dried rice and 37.5 g of natural rice were immersed in 150 ml of water for 30 minutes, and then cooked in a household rice cooker.

Example 21 (curdlan: rice flour = 3: 2 (curdlan 60%)) <one-step method>
0.5 g of trehalose was dissolved in 200 ml of water. After 19.6 g of curdlan was dispersed in the solution, 29.4 g of rice flour was dispersed, and 1.6 g of starch as an additive was further dispersed and heated to 50 ° C. to prepare a sol. The prepared sol was cooled to 25 ° C. The sol was placed in a bowl-shaped mold and steamed for 5 minutes to prepare a rice-shaped gel. The prepared gel was dried at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain dry rice. For the panel test, 15 g of this dried rice and 37.5 g of natural rice were immersed in 150 ml of water for 30 minutes, and then cooked in a household rice cooker.

Example 22 (curdlan: rice flour = 3: 2 (curdlan 60%)) <two-step method>
1.0 g trehalose was dissolved in 200 ml water. 9.8 g of rice flour was dispersed in the solution and heated to 85 ° C, and then cooled to 25 ° C. Thereafter, 14.7 g of curdlan was dispersed, and 1.6 g of starch as an additive was further dispersed to prepare a sol. The sol was dropped into a 90 ° C. water bath and solidified to prepare a rice grain gel. The prepared gel was dried at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain dry rice. For the panel test, 15 g of this dried rice and 37.5 g of natural rice were immersed in 150 ml of water for 30 minutes, and then cooked in a household rice cooker.

Example 23 (curdlan: buckwheat flour = 67:33 (curdlan 67%)) <two-stage method>
0.2 g of trehalose was dissolved in 80 ml of water. In the solution, 3.2 g of buckwheat flour was dispersed and heated to 85 ° C., and then cooled to 25 ° C. Thereafter, 6.6 g of curdlan was dispersed, and 0.64 g of starch as an additive was further dispersed to prepare a sol. The sol was dropped into a 90 ° C. water bath and solidified to prepare a rice grain gel. The prepared gel was dried at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain dry rice. For the panel test, 15 g of this dried rice and 37.5 g of natural rice were immersed in 150 ml of water for 30 minutes, and then cooked in a household rice cooker.

Example 24 (curdlan: buckwheat flour = 1: 1 (curdlan 50%)) <two-step method>
0.2 g of trehalose was dissolved in 80 ml of water. 4.9 g of buckwheat flour was dispersed in the solution, heated to 85 ° C., and then cooled to 25 ° C. Thereafter, 4.9 g of curdlan was dispersed, and 0.64 g of starch as an additive was further dispersed to prepare a sol. The sol was dropped into a 90 ° C. water bath and solidified to prepare a rice grain gel. The prepared gel was dried at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain dry rice. For the panel test, 15 g of this dried rice and 37.5 g of natural rice were immersed in 150 ml of water for 30 minutes, and then cooked in a household rice cooker.

Example 25 (curdlan: buckwheat flour = 2: 3 (curdlan 40%)) <two-step method>
0.2 g of trehalose was dissolved in 80 ml of water. 5.88 g of buckwheat flour was dispersed in the solution, heated to 85 ° C., and then cooled to 25 ° C. Thereafter, 3.92 g of curdlan was dispersed, and 0.64 g of starch as an additive was further dispersed to prepare a sol. The sol was dropped into a 90 ° C. water bath and solidified to prepare a rice grain gel. The prepared gel was dried at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain dry rice. For the panel test, 15 g of this dried rice and 37.5 g of natural rice were immersed in 150 ml of water for 30 minutes, and then cooked in a household rice cooker.

Comparative example 1 (curdlan: rice flour = 1: 4 (curdlan 20%)) <two-stage method>
0.5 g of trehalose was dissolved in 200 ml of water. 19.6 g of rice flour was dispersed in the solution, heated to 85 ° C., and then cooled to 25 ° C. Thereafter, 4.9 g of curdlan was dispersed, and 1.6 g of starch as an additive was further dispersed to prepare a sol. The sol was placed in a bowl-shaped mold and steamed for 5 minutes, but the sol did not solidify well and no gel was formed.

Comparative example 2 (curdlan: rice flour = 3: 7 (curdlan 30%)) <two-step method >
0.5 g of trehalose was dissolved in 200 ml of water. In the solution, 17.2 g of rice flour was dispersed and heated to 85 ° C, and then cooled to 25 ° C. Thereafter, 7.35 g of curdlan was dispersed, and 1.6 g of starch as an additive was further dispersed to prepare a sol. The sol was placed in a bowl-shaped mold and steamed for 5 minutes to prepare a rice-shaped gel. The prepared gel was dried at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain dry rice. For the panel test, 15 g of this dried rice and 37.5 g of natural rice were immersed in 140 ml of water for 30 minutes, and then cooked in a household rice cooker.

Comparative Example 3 (curdlan: rice flour = 95: 5 (curdlan 95%)) <two-stage method>
0.5 g of trehalose was dissolved in 3,200 ml of water. After 1.23 g of rice flour was dispersed in the solution and heated to 85 ° C, it was cooled to 25 ° C. Thereafter, 23.3 g of curdlan was dispersed, and 1.6 g of starch as an additive was further dispersed to prepare a sol. The sol was placed in a bowl-shaped mold and steamed for 5 minutes, but the sol did not solidify well and no gel was formed.

Comparative Example 4 (curdlan: rice flour = 2: 3 (curdlan 40%)) <two-stage method>
0.5 g of trehalose was dissolved in 200 ml of water. 29.4 g of rice flour was dispersed in the solution, heated to 85 ° C., and then cooled to 25 ° C. Thereafter, 19.6 g of curdlan was dispersed, and 1.6 g of starch as an additive was further dispersed to prepare a sol. The sol was placed in a bowl-shaped mold and steamed for 5 minutes, but the sol did not solidify well and no gel was formed.

Comparative Example 5 (curdlan: rice flour = 2: 3 (curdlan 40%)) <two-stage method>
0.5 g of trehalose was dissolved in 200 ml of water. In this solution, 22.1 g of rice flour was dispersed and heated to 85 ° C, and then cooled to 25 ° C. Thereafter, 14.7 g of curdlan was dispersed, and 1.6 g of starch as an additive was further dispersed to prepare a sol. The sol was placed in a bowl-shaped mold and steamed for 5 minutes, but the sol did not solidify well and no gel was formed.

Comparative Example 6 (curdlan: rice flour = 1: 4 (curdlan 20%)) <one-step method>
0.5 g of trehalose was dissolved in 200 ml of water. After 4.9 g of curdlan was dispersed in the solution, 19.6 g of rice flour was dispersed, and 1.6 g of starch as an additive was further dispersed and heated to 53 ° C. to prepare a sol. The prepared sol was cooled to 25 ° C. The sol was placed in a bowl-shaped mold and steamed for 5 minutes to prepare a rice-shaped gel. The prepared gel was dried at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain dry rice. For the panel test, 15 g of this dried rice and 37.5 g of natural rice were immersed in 140 ml of water for 30 minutes, and then cooked in a household rice cooker.

  The physical properties of the above Examples and Comparative Examples were compared, and a panel test was further performed. The results are shown below.

[Comparison of cross-sectional structures]
(1) A sol similar to that used for artificial rice produced according to Example 1 was dropped into hot water and the state of the cross section after steaming, and dried rice made by drying them was returned with water The state of the subsequent cross section and the state of the cross section of the rice grains of the retort rice using dry rice were observed with a microscope. FIG. 1A shows a cross section of an artificial rice formed by dropping into a water bath, and FIG. 1B shows a cross section of the artificial rice formed by steaming. Moreover, the cross-sectional state of the rice grain of the retort rice which used milky queen (natural rice) as a comparative example was also observed (FIG. 1C).

  From FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, it can be observed that both steamed and dripped hot water are porous and contain a lot of moisture. It can also be seen that when the dried rice is returned with water and after it is retorted, it contains a large amount of water as before drying. Compared to milky queen (natural rice), the rice of Example 1 has a large amount of water, and it can be said that the reduction in calories, which is one of the objects of the present invention, can be realized.

(2) The cross sections of the artificial rice produced according to Examples 2 to 5 and 8 to 10 were similarly observed with a microscope. Fig. 2 shows the state after steaming, and Fig. 3 shows the state after returning the dried rice with water.

[Viscosity measurement results of various artificial rice raw material powders]
The blending ratio of curdlan and rice flour in the raw material powder was changed, and the respective viscosities were measured by BRABENDER amylograph. As a measurement method, 450 ml of water was added to 15 g of the raw material powder, and the viscosity (BU) was plotted while heating at 1.5 ° C./min. In addition, as a comparative example A, the viscosity when the raw material powder is only curdlan was measured in the same manner, and as a comparative example B, the viscosity was similarly measured using the raw material of artificial rice disclosed in JP-A-62-225719. . The results are shown in the following table.

  From the results, the artificial rice of the present invention shows a low maximum viscosity compared to curdlan alone (Comparative Example A), while having a higher viscosity than Comparative Example B, which is an example of conventional artificial rice. It turns out that it is characterized by.

[Determination of minimum viscosity]
An experiment was conducted to check the lower limit of the viscosity of the raw material sol, which can form a rice grain gel by heating. For Examples 1 and 2, trehalose and rice flour were suspended in 80 ml of water, heated to alpha and then cooled to room temperature. Thereafter, curdlan and starch were dispersed, and the viscosity was measured using a visco-basic rotary viscometer. For Examples 9-11, the raw material flour (rice flour, curdlan, trehalose, and starch) was suspended in 80 ml of water, heated to 50 ° C. in a hot water bath, and then cooled to room temperature. It was measured.

The visco-basic rotary viscometer rotates a spindle immersed in a measurement sample and measures the viscous resistance due to the viscosity of the sample with a torque detector. The viscosity value (mPa that can be read directly from the measurement of the spindle speed and the stress received)・ S) Expressed in units. There are various types of spindles such as L1, L2, L3, and L4, and L1 is suitable for the sample with the lowest viscosity. The viscosity value was measured when the torque was in the range of 20-30%, and the viscosity was measured with the spindle model as L2. For comparison, the sols of Examples 1 and 2 were also measured for viscosity, but L4 was used because the spindle L2 has a high viscosity and the torque is out of the range of 20 to 30%. The results are shown in the following table.

  As described above, the viscosity increases as the amount of curdlan added increases. In Example of the present invention, the amount of curdlan added is the least in Example 10 (curdlan 30%). From the results of the 30% curdlan powder in Table 2 above, it was found that the lower limit of the viscosity of the sol that can carry out the present invention is about 600 mPa · s.

[Measurement of elasticity and viscosity of rice grains]
The ratio of curdlan and rice flour in the raw material was changed, and an experiment was conducted to compare the hardness and stickiness of the rice grains before drying produced according to Examples 1 to 5 and 8 to 10 and the rice grains dried and returned with water. It was. Three pieces of artificial rice produced according to the method described in the Examples, on the measuring table of the texture analyzer (manufactured by Stable Micro Systems, trade name: TA.XT.plus), which is a measuring device, at the center position directly below the compression plate The compression plates arranged side by side were vertically lowered toward the sample and contacted, and then pressed to a position of 90% of the sample thickness at a speed of 2.0 mm / second. Thereafter, the compression plate was lifted away from the sample at a speed of 10.0 mm / second and returned to the height before measurement, and the pressure (pressing and drawing pressure) applied to the compression plate at this time was measured. The positive value (pressing) of the measured pressure was taken as the hardness of the sample, and the negative value (attraction) of the pressure was taken as the stickiness of the sample. The result of the rice grain before drying is shown in FIG. 4, and the result of the rice grain after rehydration is shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 4, the samples with curdlan of 40% and 30% were not subjected to the first step of dispersing rice flour and trehalose in water and heating in the method described in Example 1, and all the raw materials were once It is the result of using the rice grain manufactured by the 1-step method of making it heat after dispersing in water (Examples 9 and 10). From the figure, it can be seen that the higher the curdlan ratio, the harder and the lower the viscosity. Samples with 30% and 40% curdlan content were found to be harder and less viscous rice grains than expected from other results by not preheating.

  In FIG. 5, the results of the rice grains after reconstitution with water were almost the same as before drying (FIG. 4). Therefore, even if it is a case where it is a dry rice, it turns out that it will be in the almost same state as before drying by returning with water.

[Water absorption of dried artificial rice]
50 ml of water (water temperature: 25 ° C.) was added to about 0.45 g of dry rice produced according to Examples 1 to 5 and 8, and the weight increase was calculated after standing at room temperature for 30 minutes. The results are shown in FIG. From the figure, it can be seen that the weight increases by about 4 times. When the same test was performed on plain rice (Koshihikari from Niigata), the weight increase was about 1.3 times even after 90 minutes of immersion, confirming the high water absorption of the dried artificial rice of the present invention. We were able to.

[Panel test]
According to Examples 1 to 25 and Comparative Examples 1 to 6, artificial rice mixed with natural rice and cooked was sampled on a panel, and the results are summarized in the following table. As with natural rice, it was judged as “good” when it was eaten deliciously, “poor” when it was eaten but slightly inferior to natural rice, and “impossible” when it was inferior. The results are shown in the following table.

  From the above results, it can be seen that the artificial rice of the present invention preferably has 30 to 95% of the total weight of the curdlan and flour, and more preferably 40 to 80% of the curdlan. When the pre-heating method (one-step method) was used, good results were obtained for curdlan with 40% and 30% of the total weight of curdlan and rice flour. On the other hand, in the case where the curdlan was 40% and 30% of the total weight of the curdlan and rice flour and the two-stage method was used (Comparative Examples 2 and 4), good results were not obtained. Therefore, it can be said that it is preferable to produce by a one-step method in a range where the proportion of curdlan in the raw material is low.

[Manufacture of retort products]
As one embodiment, a method for producing a retort product in which rice (milky queen) and the artificial rice of the present invention are mixed is shown below.

  First, the rice is washed. Immerse the washed rice in water for over 90 minutes. Remove the soaked rice from the water and steam for about 11 minutes in a steamer. In the middle, pour hot water twice (target yield-amount of weight after immersion). Add hot water to the steamed rice to reach the target yield and stir well. On the other hand, the artificial rice of the present invention is also immersed in water. Equivalent amounts (75 g each) of the steamed rice and artificial rice are weighed and mixed well in a tray, and then lid sealing (nitrogen replacement) is performed. Using a retort machine (high temperature and high pressure cooking sterilizer YRF-50 / 80 manufactured by Chiyoda Seisakusho), sterilization conditions are 113 ° C and 35 minutes, and pressure heat sterilization is performed at a pressure of 2.0K (F ≧ 4). After the sterilization, when the cooled retort cooked rice was heated and eaten by a normal method, the taste was good.

Claims (9)

A main raw material comprising curdlan and flour, wherein the main raw material has an amount of curdlan in the main raw material of 40 to 95% by weight of the total weight of the curdlan and flour. A first step of forming a raw material sol by dispersing in water in an amount of not less than 2.7 parts by weight and less than 130.5 parts by weight with respect to 1 part by weight of the dry raw material component comprising the flour, followed by cooling;
A method for producing artificial rice, comprising: a second step of forming the rice sol by heating the raw material sol to gel.   2. The method for producing artificial rice according to claim 1, wherein the viscosity of the raw material sol is 600 mPa · s or more when measured using a visco-basic rotary viscometer. Some or all of the grain powder is dispersed in water to form a sol solution prepared by swelling and α of the flour by heating, the first step of the solution to cool while the sol state, the sol a first step of comprising a second step of forming a by RiGen fee sol to stirring by adding curdlan and the remaining flour was added
A second step of forming the rice granules by heating and gelling the raw sol;
Comprising
The amount of the curdlan in the main raw material comprising the curdlan and flour is 40 to 95% by weight of the total weight of the curdlan and flour,
The method for producing artificial rice, wherein the water is 2.7 parts by weight or more and less than 130.5 parts by weight with respect to 1 part by weight of a dry raw material component comprising the curdlan and the flour .   The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising adding sugars and / or starch as additives.   5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second step drops the raw material sol in water heated to a temperature equal to or higher than a gelling temperature of the raw material sol. The manufacturing method of the artificial rice characterized by including making it gelatinize.   6. The method for producing artificial rice according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising the step of turning the shaped rice grains into dry rice.   It is a method of any one of Claims 1-6, Comprising: The said flour is rice flour, The manufacturing method of artificial rice characterized by the above-mentioned.   The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein starch is used as a main ingredient instead of flour.   Artificial rice produced by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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