JPH06181717A - Processed salt and its production - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a new type processed salt having a mild salty taste, etc. CONSTITUTION:The processed salt comprised a dry dissolution product of granular salt with a taste ingredient in which the taste ingredient is stuck to the surfaces of the crystals of the salt to substantially incorporate both the materials with each other, the dry dissolution product being dried into a dry state having a water content of approximately <=2wt.% or being prepared through the dry state. The processed salt is produced by dissolving salt and a taste ingredient selected from dried bonito, tangle, bouillon, meat, vegetables, fruits, etc., drying the solution into the above water content under vacuum with stirring, and, if necessary, adjusting the granular diameter of the product. The processed salt has a characteristic mild flavor different from conventional products, is good in the balance of the flavor, is good in its solubility in mouths, has excellent adhesive characteristics to foods, and is useful for seasoning snacks such as potato chips, etc.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a processed salt suitably used for seasoning snacks and the like, a method for producing the processed salt, and a food containing the processed salt. It is a dry salt of 2% by weight or less, or is prepared through the dry state, and is a processed salt in which the salt crystals and the umami component are combined in a specific state. It has a unique mild salty taste, a well-balanced flavor, and a good melt in the mouth,
In particular, the present invention relates to a new type of processed salt having excellent properties suitable for seasoning of snacks and the like, a method for producing the processed salt, and a food containing the processed salt.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, salt snacks such as potato chips, sprinkles, seasonings and the like are generally used in a state in which salt for seasoning is adhered or mixed. Usually, in such a form of food, when eating the food, since the salt that is attached or mixed is directly tasted, not only the flavor of the food itself but also the taste of salt is an important factor on the taste. Therefore, the product value of the food itself is affected by the flavor.

However, the salt itself used in the food of the above-mentioned form has not been studied so far, and in most cases, ordinary salt is used as it is, and its flavor is as it is. It was no exaggeration to say that the flavor was limited to the hard flavor of salt itself.

[0004] Therefore, when eating snacks such as potato chips, the intense and hard flavor of the salt adhering to the surface is first felt, and only an excessive amount of salty taste appears above the flavor of the product itself. It has a problem that it has a strong tendency and may give an impression as a food containing a large amount of salt that does not match the recent taste trends of consumers who strongly demand low-salt foods.

On the other hand, it is of course possible to produce snack foods such as potato chips without using such salt at all, but if salt is not used at all, some kind of seasoning should be applied in a different form instead. Originally, confectionary snacks such as potato chips tend to prefer a conservative flavor and tend to dislike novel flavors, and in the end, salt that has the intense hard flavor described above. There was a situation where I had no choice but to use it as it was.

Conventionally, various products have been developed as seasonings containing salt, for example, JP-A-54-11.
JP-A-0365 and JP-A-59-130168 disclose powder seasonings prepared by dissolving salt and umami components and spray-drying. However, powder seasonings obtained by such spray-drying are: The degree of drying is slow (for example, in JP-A No. 54-110365, 6% is described in the right column on the second page of the same), and the specification of the particle size is not considered. In the conventional powdered seasoning as described above, it is not possible to sufficiently achieve the peculiar mild salty taste in harmony with the umami component and the good meltability in the processed salt of the present invention, and these are snack confectionery. It was not developed for use in seasoning, etc. and is unsuitable for use for such purposes.

[0007]

In view of such a situation, the present inventors have a flavor different from the hard flavor peculiar to the ordinary salt, and taste the snacks such as potato chips. As a result of initiating research to obtain a new type of processed salt having excellent properties that can be suitably used,
A solution of salt and umami ingredients is dried until a specific low water content is reached, and the crystals of salt and umami ingredients are combined in a specific state to form a granule that melts in the mouth when touching the tongue. It is possible to obtain a processed salt or the like having a unique property that is not found in conventional products having a mild salty taste including an umami component, and the processed salt is particularly suitable for seasoning snacks and the like. With excellent flavor characteristics to obtain, in a form adhered to or mixed with the food,
The inventors have found that particularly excellent properties can be obtained in applications where they are directly eaten, and have completed the present invention.

[0008] That is, the present invention provides a new type of processed salt which has a unique mild saltiness useful for seasoning snacks and the like, has a good flavor balance, and has a good melting in the mouth, which is not found in conventional products. The purpose is.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a process for producing a new type of processed salt which has been dried to a specific low water content, has specific physical properties, and has the aforementioned properties. Is.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a food product such as snacks such as potato chips, which is prepared by adhering or mixing the processed salt.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a processed salt in a container, which is dried to a specific low water content or less and is packaged while maintaining the dry state.

[0012]

The present invention which achieves such an object comprises the following technical means (1) to (10). (1) A granular substance having a water content of about 2% by weight or less, or prepared by undergoing the dry state, in which the umami component is bound to the surface of a salt crystal and substantially both are integrally bound. A processed salt characterized by being a dried product of salt and umami.

(2) The processed salt according to (1), which has a particle size of about 700 μm or less.

(3) The processed salt according to (1) or (2), which has a water content of about 0.5% by weight or less.

(4) The processed salt according to any one of (1) to (3), which contains about 0.005% by weight or more of an umami component.

(5) The umami component is bonito, kelp, bouillon,
The processed salt according to any one of (1) to (4) above, which is one or more selected from the group consisting of meats, vegetables and fruits.

(6) A method for producing a processed salt, which comprises dissolving salt and an umami component, and drying this under atmospheric pressure or under reduced pressure to obtain the processed salt according to (1) above.

(7) The method for producing a processed salt according to (6) above, wherein the drying treatment is performed while stirring the raw materials.

(8) A food product containing the processed salt according to (1) above in a state of being adhered or mixed, and provided in a form in which the processed salt is eaten as it is.

(9) Foods are snacks, sprinkles,
The food according to (8) above, which is a salt-containing food such as a seasoning and a raw material for seasoning.

(10) A processed salt in a container, wherein the processed salt in a dry state having a water content of about 2% by weight or less as described in (1) is packaged in a state in which the dried state is maintained.

Next, the present invention will be described in more detail. [Specifications of Raw Materials and the Like] First, the specifications of raw materials and the like of the processed salt of the present invention will be described. (1) (Raw material composition of processed salt) The salt and the umami component, which are the constituents of the processed salt of the present invention, may be any of ordinary ones used for food, and are not particularly limited. The umami component may include a solid substance having a particle size of about 700 μm or less in a state of being included in the processed salt. The type of the umami component may be any suitable one, for example, one or more selected from the group consisting of bonito, bouillon, meats, vegetables and fruits is exemplified as a typical one. The types of components are not particularly limited, and suitable umami materials can be used in any combination. In addition to salt and umami components, sweetening components, flavoring components (spices, etc.) and the like can also be used.

(2) (Contents of Salt and Umami Components) The contents of salt and umami components in the processed salt (processed salt-in the grains) are
About 0.005% by weight or more, preferably about 0.005-3
%, More preferably about 0.005 to 1% by weight, with approximately the balance of salt. If the umami component is less than 0.005% by weight, the peculiar mild salty taste may not be obtained. Further, if the umami component exceeds 3% by weight, the umami tends to precede too much, which is not preferable.

As described above, by setting the content of each component of the salt and the umami component in a specific range, a state in which the umami component is sufficiently adsorbed on the surface of the salt crystal is realized, and thereby a unique mildness is achieved. It is possible to obtain a processed salt that achieves a salty taste, has a good flavor balance, and has good properties such as melting in the mouth.

(3) (Water content) The water content is about 2% by weight or less, preferably about 0.5% by weight or less, more preferably about 0.1% by weight or less in the dry state, or as described above. It is required to be prepared through the dry state of. When the dissolved product of the salt and the umami component is dried to a water content of about 2% by weight or less, a processed salt having a structure in which the umami component is sufficiently adsorbed on the surface of the salt crystal can be obtained.

In addition to the above-mentioned dried salt having a water content of 2% by weight or less, if it is once dried to a water content of 2% by weight or less, it is then returned to an atmosphere in which the water content exceeds 2% by weight and used. Since the adsorbed state of the umami component is achieved to an acceptable level, the characteristics peculiar to the processed salt of the present invention can also be achieved in this case, but generally, the water content is 2% by weight. It is preferable to fill the container while keeping the dry state of not more than%, and vacuum-pack it.

(4) (Particle size) The particle size of the processed salt is not particularly limited, but 700 μm or less,
It is preferably 300 μm or less, more preferably 150 μm or less. The particle size of the processed salt, together with the water content, influences the mouth-solubility of the processed salt, and particularly by specifying the particle size in the above range, good mouth-solubility is achieved, whereby the above-mentioned mild saltiness and the like are achieved. The flavoring is further improved and the flavor balance of the processed salt becomes particularly excellent. Further, when the processed salt is used by adhering to the food, the adhesiveness is improved, and the processed salt can be evenly adhered to the food to uniformly season the food. Therefore, it is suitable for seasoning snacks such as potato chips. If the particle size exceeds 700 μ, the above characteristics may not be sufficiently obtained.

The above particle size was achieved by devising the method of the drying treatment itself, or
After the drying treatment, any of those achieved by further pulverizing by an appropriate means may be used, but the one prepared so as to specify the particle size by the drying treatment alone is the best in terms of flavor characteristics. Yes, it is preferable.

[Production Method] Next, a method for producing the processed salt of the present invention will be described. (1) (Dissolution treatment) Salt and umami components are used as raw materials and dissolved. The dissolving means is not particularly limited, and for example, an appropriate method such as a method of dissolving both in water or hot water can be adopted. In order to obtain a processed salt having a structure in which the umami component is sufficiently adsorbed on the surface of the salt crystal by drying it, a solution having a salt content of about 5 to 30% by weight is prepared and dried. Good to do.

(2) (Drying Treatment) As the drying treatment method, any method can be adopted as long as it can achieve the dried state of the processed salt, and is not particularly limited. If the drying treatment is performed, for example, by using a stirring-type reduced-pressure dryer or the like under reduced pressure with stirring, while forming a film on the wall surface of the drying container, or under a condition in which these are arbitrarily combined, a salt solution is obtained. These methods are preferable because a processed salt having a structure in which the umami component is sufficiently adsorbed on the surface of the crystal can be suitably obtained. Decompression degree is 30m
It is desirable that the degree of pressure reduction be as high as possible at mHg or less in order to obtain a processed salt having desired properties.

Conventionally, it has been known to produce powder seasonings by spray-drying soup stock containing salt, extracts, etc., but the water content of each of the powder seasonings obtained is about 6%. However, since the powder state after spray-drying is relatively rich in water, the above-mentioned characteristics of the present invention cannot be achieved even if the conventional product is used.

On the other hand, according to the present invention, the water content of the dissolved dried product of the salt and the umami component is adjusted to 2 by the reduced pressure drying treatment.
By reducing the content to less than or equal to wt%, the adsorption of the umami component to the surface of the salt crystals is sufficiently promoted, and the salt crystals and the umami component are substantially integrally combined to achieve the above-mentioned characteristic properties. It is something.

As described above, a processed salt having such characteristics can be obtained by adjusting the water content of the dissolved dry product of salt and umami component to a specific range, and
The processed salt has not been found so far as an example reported as being suitable for seasoning snack foods such as potato chips, and the matter is a new finding obtained by the present inventors. is there.

[0034]

EXAMPLES Next, the present invention will be specifically described based on examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

Example 1 Using 2 kg of water, 40 g of kelp, and 60 g of shavings as a raw material, salt was obtained by a conventional method, but salt was added to the juice so that the salt concentration became about 10% by weight, and the above solution was decompressed under reduced pressure. About 60
Drying treatment was carried out by an evaporator at 0 ° C. to obtain a processed salt having a water content of about 3% by weight. Further, the product was dried to a water content of about 0.02% by a vacuum dryer to prepare a processed salt as the product of the present invention. The above processed salt has a water content of about 0.02.
% By weight, particle size of about 150μ or less
%), Salt content of about 99.2% by weight, and umami components (inosinic acid, sodium glutamate, etc.) of about 0.2
It contained a weight percentage, had a mild salty taste that was not found in conventional products in harmony with the umami components, had a good overall flavor balance, and had a good melt in the mouth.

Table 1 shows the results of a sensory test on the flavor of the obtained processed salt (seasoning salt). Also,
The results of observing both with an electron microscope are shown in FIGS. FIG. 1 is an electron micrograph showing the fine structure of the processed salt of the present invention (magnification: 500 times), and FIG. 2 is an electron micrograph showing the fine structure of conventional salt (magnification: 150 times). As is clear from FIG. 1, the processed salt of the present invention has a structure in which the umami component is sufficiently adsorbed on the surface of the salt crystal, and both are integrally bonded, and even in the fine structure, It is different from conventional salt.

[0037]

[Table 1]

[Example 1 of use] A hollow snack (made from corn) produced by a conventional method was seasoned by a conventional method using the processed salt obtained in Example 1 above. The resulting product is a Japanese-style snack with processed salt evenly applied and a mild saltiness with a unique dashi flavor.The intense, hard saltiness and graininess that is usually felt when eating this product. The product had no feeling, had a mild salty taste, had an excellent overall flavor balance, and had an extremely good meltability of the salty component in the mouth, and thus was a high-grade product.

Table 2 shows the results of a test conducted on the flavor of the obtained flavored snack and the adhesion property of the processed salt. A similar hollow snack that was seasoned with normal salt was used for comparison. It was confirmed that similar results were obtained when the same was used for seasoning other snacks.

[0040]

[Table 2]

[Use Example 2] Processed salt 1 obtained in Example 1
5 parts by weight, 15 parts by weight of dried salmon and 8 parts by weight of shavings were mixed and a sprinkled product was produced by a conventional method. When the obtained product is eaten over rice, it has a mild salty taste with a unique dashi flavor. The product had a very good overall taste balance, and the salty component melted in the mouth very well. It was confirmed that similar results were obtained when used as a seasoning component of various seasonings.

[0042]

Industrial Applicability As described above, according to the present invention, the umami component is sufficiently contained on the surface of the salt crystal by adjusting the water content of the dissolved dry product of salt and umami component to about 2% by weight or less. It is possible to prepare a processed salt in a state of being adsorbed on, and the processed salt becomes a peculiar one that gives a good mild salty taste containing umami components when touching the tongue, especially potato chips and the like. It is extremely excellent as a processed salt or the like for seasoning snacks and the like, especially in applications where it is directly eaten.

Further, by providing the processed salt in a fine particle size of not more than a specific size, it melts in the mouth at the time of eating, and in particular, when it is used for seasoning snacks and the like, the above-mentioned unique flavor is obtained. It has a feature that can be achieved more suitably.

Further, the processed salt has a good adhesive property, and particularly when it is used by adhering to the surface of a three-dimensional food such as a hollow snack, it should be applied uniformly and sufficiently on the surface of the food. It can be easily attached, and excellent adhesion, processability and seasoning can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a microstructure (electron micrograph) of the processed salt of the present invention.
Indicates.

FIG. 2 shows a microstructure (electron micrograph) of conventional salt.

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A umami component having a water content of about 2% by weight or less, or prepared after being dried, is bound to the surface of a salt crystal, and both are substantially bound together. A processed salt, which is a granular, dried product of salt and umami components. 2. The processed salt according to claim 1, which has a particle size of about 700 μm or less. 3. The processed salt according to claim 1, which has a water content of about 0.5% by weight or less. 4. The processed salt according to claim 1, which contains about 0.005% by weight or more of an umami component. 5. The processed salt according to claim 1, wherein the umami component is one or more selected from the group consisting of bonito, kelp, bouillon, meats, vegetables and fruits. 6. A method for producing a processed salt, which comprises dissolving salt and an umami component, and drying this under atmospheric pressure or under reduced pressure to obtain the processed salt according to claim 1. 7. The method for producing a processed salt according to claim 6, wherein the drying treatment is performed while stirring the raw materials. 8. A food product containing the processed salt according to claim 1 in a state of being attached or mixed, and provided in a form in which the processed salt is eaten as it is. 9. The food according to claim 8, wherein the food is a salt-containing food such as snacks, sprinkles, seasonings, and lumber for seasoning raw materials. 10. A processed salt contained in a container, wherein the processed salt in a dry state having a water content of about 2% by weight or less according to claim 1 is packaged in a state in which the dried state is maintained.