WO2004032646A2

WO2004032646A2 - Rice cakes and method of preparing the same

Info

Publication number: WO2004032646A2
Application number: PCT/KR2003/002088
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sook-Ja Yoon
Original assignee: Sook-Ja Yoon
Priority date: 2002-10-10
Filing date: 2003-10-10
Publication date: 2004-04-22
Also published as: WO2004032646A3; AU2003269513A8; KR20040032593A; KR100446412B1; AU2003269513A1

Abstract

Disclosed are rice cakes being rapidly cooked and supplying abundant nutrients as well as being produced at low costs by a simplified process, and a method of preparing such rice cakes. The method of preparing rice cakes is comprising the steps of: washing rice with water and immersing the washed rice in citric acid and DF-100-containing water for 8 hrs; finely pulverizing the water-soaked rice and mixing the resulting rice powder with a natural pigment, cowpea powder and other auxiliary materials; placing the mixture into a tray with a unique shape, filling the tray with a gas mixture to allow for long-term shelf life, and tightly sealing the tray with a nylon film; placing the tray containing the mixture into a Retort sterilizer, and carrying out simultaneously cooking and sterilization to produce rice cakes; and mildly drying the rice cakes to remove moisture present in the outside thereof, and packaging the resulting rice cakes to facilitate their transport.

Description

RICE CAKES AND METHOD OF PREPARING THE SAME

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention, in general, relates to rice cakes. More particularly, the present invention relates to rice cakes being rapidly cooked and supplying abundant nutrients as well as being produced at low costs by a simplified process, and a method of preparing such rice cakes.

PRIOR ART

In Korea, foods made with rice capable of being eaten between regular meals are mainly snacks and beverages, which have been provided with a variety of forms by the Korean government's rice consumption policy. They are popular, especially with children, who do not like rice meals, students and workers, who do not have enough time to eat breakfast. Recently, rice-based food products with diverse forms have been supplied to consumers, which include beverages containing a mixture of rice and several other grains, noodles or hamburgers. As rice food products, rice snacks, rice beverages and rice cakes are mass-produced with regular sizes and weights and supplied to consumers in packaged units. In particular, the rice snacks and beverages are preferred owing to their properties of maintaining their initial taste and nutrients for long periods even when not prepared under high temperatures, wherein such properties are provided by their raw materials.

However, rice cakes as a major material should be consumed in a short time owing to their shorter shelf life than other snacks and beverages. Therefore, consumers must eat rice cakes quickly after purchase. Owing to their short shelf life property, preparation of rice cakes requires additional steps in comparison with the cases of preparing the rice snacks and beverages. In particular, in case of mass production, rice cakes are prepared via a relatively complicated process. Taking a brief look about such a process, rice is first washed with water and immersed in water for about 8 hrs to allow for retaining of sufficient moisture. After immersion in water, the rice is finely pulverized and mixed with several auxiliary materials. Then, the mixture is put into trays with various shapes and heated in a steam cooker. The resulting rice cakes are sequentially packaged and sterilized, thereby producing marketable rice cakes.

That is, regular-sized rice cakes can be prepared by a series of steps of placing an appropriate amount of a mixture of rice powder and auxiliary materials into trays, heating the mixture in a steam cooker, packaging the resulting rice cakes while covering their surface, and then infecting the packaged rice cakes.

As described above, the conventional process for preparing rice cakes comprises separate steps, wherein the production of rice cakes by steam heating, packaging and sterilization are independently carried out. This process causes costs of production to increase, as well as being time-consuming and thus making it difficult to rapidly produce a large amount of rice cakes.

Typically, mechanical apparatuses for pulverization of rice, steam heating, packaging and sterilization are separately installed, thereby causing high costs in management of the mechanical apparatuses. Also, this uneconomical system leads to take long to produce salable rice cakes, resulting in higher prices of the rice cakes. Therefore, there is a need to simplify such a rice cake-preparing process and the mechanical system used in the process.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

Keeping the aforementioned problems in mind, the present invention aims to provide rice cakes being rapidly cooked and supplying abundant nutrients as well as being produced at low costs by a simplified process. Also, the present invention aims to provide a method of preparing such rice cakes.

Further, the present invention aims to provide rice cakes capable of being stored for relatively long periods while maintaining their initial states and thus of being present in a fresh state upon ingestion by consumers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a process for preparing rice cakes according to the present invention.

BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

To effectively achieve the aforementioned objects, the present invention provides rice cakes prepared by primarily uniformly sprinkling into a mold in a tray 0.5-1.5 weight % of insect-borne fungi extract solution, which is prepared by mixing 0.5-1 weight % of insect-borne fungi with 99.0-99.5% water by weight and boiling the mixture for 30 min to 1 hr 30 min, 5-15 weight % of cowpea

(Vigna sinensis) powder, again 0.5-1.5 weight % of insect-borne fungi extract solution and then 30-40 weight % of a mixture of rice and auxiliary materials; secondarily uniformly sprinkling onto the primary accumulation 0.5-1.5 weight % of insect-borne fungi extract solution, 5-15 weight % of the cowpea powder, again 0.5-1.5 weight % of insect-borne fungi extract solution and then 30-40 weight % of the mixture of rice and auxiliary materials; thirdly uniformly sprinkling onto the second accumulation 0.5-1.5 weight % of insect-borne fungi extract solution, 5-15 weight % of the cowpea powder, and again 0.5-1.5 weight % of insect-borne fungi extract solution; taking out the mold from the tray, sprinkling 0.5-1.5 weight % of insect-borne fungi extract solution outside the mold containing the accumulations and sealing the mold containing the accumulations; and carrying out cooking and sterilization by steam heating in a Retort sterilizer for 15-50 min.

Insect-borne fungi, as used herein, refers to fungi living inside the body of the larva or the image of insects in winter and later grows outside the body in the form of mushroom in summer. Representative examples of insect-borne fungi include Corayceps militaris, Corayceps sinensis, Corayceps sphecocephala, Paecilomyces japonica etc.

With reference to Fig. 1, a process for preparing rice cakes will be described in detail, as follows. At Step SI 00, 54.7 weight % of dextrinized rice is washed with water.

The rice is washed with water until the water is not turbid any more, that is, until being clear. After washing, the rice is immersed for 8 hrs in 0.15% citric acid and 0.15% DF-100-containing water maintained at a temperature ranging from 10 to 30°C. Water of below 30°C is suitable for the immersion of the rice, and, at the temperature, rice very well absorbs water. Herein, selected rice of good quality is used.

At Step S200, a mixture is prepared using rice and various auxiliary materials. First, to remove water, the water-soaked rice is transferred into a sieve and left at room temperature for about 30 min. Then, the rice is finely pulverized using a pulverizer. To obtain a unique color, at Step S210, the resulting rice powder is mixed with a small amount of a natural pigment. The pigment is used at an amount ranging from 1 to 3% by weight, depending on the kind of rice cakes.

For example, in case of obtaining a pink color, the rice powder is mixed with strawberry powder as the natural pigment. In case of obtaining a green color and a yellow color, the rice powder is mixed with green tea powder or mugwort powder and a Gardenia seed extract solution, respectively. After being mixed with the natural pigment, the rice powder is mixed with other auxiliary materials. In case that the rice is nonglutinous rice, the rice powder is primarily mixed with 10.3 weight % of cowpea (Vigna sinensis) powder in order to prevent hardening in a short time and thus maintains its soft state. Then, the mixture containing the rice powder is optionally mixed with 3-5% sweet potatoes, 1-3% chestnuts, 1-2% jujubes, 5-10% beans, 1-3% walnuts, 1-3% peanuts, 1-3% pine nuts, by weight. At Step S300, the mixture of rice and auxiliary materials are transferred into a tray with a unique shape, filled with a gas mixture to allow for long-term shelf-life in the market (S310), and sealed tightly with a nylon film.

The tray has various shapes such as round, square and star shapes, but is not limited to the shapes. The gas mixture is prepared by mixing nitrogen and carbonic acid gas at a ratio of 5:5 to 7:3. The nylon film used in the present invention has a multilayer structure, and so suitable for minimizing invasion of bacteria and influx of oxygen. Also, the nylon film is advantageous in terms of rarely releasing environmental hormones and having high heat- and pressure- resistance and excellent mechanical strength. After close sealing with the nylon film, at Step S400, the final mixture of rice and auxiliary materials are cook by steam heating, during which sterilization is achieved. Then, at Step S500, the resulting wet rice cakes are dried to remove moisture present in the outside thereof, and packaged to facilitate their transport.

Cooking and sterilization are simultaneously carried out using a Retort sterilizer within about 25 min. The Retort sterilizers are largely divided into batch and continuous systems. The batch Retort sterilizers are subdivided into steam and hot-water spray types depending on its heating tool. Also, the Retort sterilizers are divided into stationary, circulatory and rotary systems. Of them, the hot-water spray type has several advantages in comparison with the steam type, as follows:

1) Hot water has larger heat energy per unit volume than steam, thereby allowing for rapid heating and sterilization of foods;

2) The pressure in the Reto' t is easily controlled, the pressure change is small, and pouches and containers are rarely damaged or modified; 3) Temperature distribution is not dispersed by air remaining in the Retort sterilizer, and but uniformly maintained throughout the Retort sterilizer;

4) Temperature in the Reto-rt reaches a sterilization temperature during sterilization in a short time; and

5) After Retort sterilization, hot water is transmitted to the upper region and recycled. Owing to the aforementioned properties, the hot water-type Retort sterilizer rather than the steam type is used in the present invention.

Briefly, the process for preparing rice cakes according to present invention comprises mixing rice powder stained with a specific natural pigment with auxiliary materials, fully placing the mixture into trays with characteristic shapes and making the surface of the contents even, filling the tray with a gas mixture of nitrogen and carbonic acid gas, tightly sealing the upper part of the tray with a nylon film, carrying out simultaneously cooking and sterilization in a Retort sterilizer, removing moisture present in the outside of the resulting rice cakes and packaging the rice cakes for transport to the market. This simplified process makes it possible to produce a large quantity of rice cakes in a short time and reduce the production costs of rice cakes, thereby allowing consumers to enjoy eating rice cakes without economical burden.

The rice cakes prepared as above were identified to maintain initial taste and other initial states during long-term storage (about 1 month).

On the other hand, according to the process of the present invention, various healthy rice cakes were prepared using diverse auxiliary materials, as follows.

The names for rice cakes, used in the present invention, were determined depending on their positive effects on humans and thus can be revised in the future.

First, "intelligence rice cake" may be effective in activating brain function, and contains pine nuts and insect-borne fungi abundant taste and nutrients provided by the added components. The intelligence rice cake is prepared prepared by primarily uniformly sprinkling into a mold in a tray 0.84 weight % of insect-borne fungi extract solution, which is prepared by mixing 0.75 weight % of insect-borne fungi with 99.25% water by weight and boiling the mixture for 1 hr, 5.61 weight % of cowpea (Vigna sinensis) powder, again 0.84 weight % of insect-borne fungi extract solution and then 37.24 weight % of a mixture of rice and auxiliary materials; secondarily uniformly sprinkling onto the primary accumulation 0.84 weight % of insect-borne fungi extract solution, 5.61 weight % of the cowpea powder, again 0.84 weight % of insect-borne fungi extract solution and then 37.24 weight % of the mixture of rice and auxiliary materials; thirdly uniformly sprinkling onto the second accumulation 0.84 weight % of insect-borne fungi extract solution, 5.61 weight % of the cowpea powder, and again 0.84 weight % of insect-borne fungi extract solution; taking out the mold from the tray, sprinkling 0.84 weight % of insect-borne fungi extract solution onto the outer surface of the mold and packaging the mold containing the accumulation; and steam heating the accumulation in a Retort sterilizer for 30 min, where the accumulation is sterilized.

The mixture of rice and auxiliary materials is preferably prepared by mixing 67.8 weight % of glutinous rice powder, 1.13 weight % of salt and 9.42 weight % of sugar and passing the mixture through a sieve, adding 7.53 weight % of insect-borne fungi extract solution into the filtered mixture and passing the second mixture via the sieve, and then mixing the second filtered mixture with, finely chopped, 4.17 weight % of red bean, 1.88 weight % of chestnut, 1.88 weight % of jujube, 4.71 weight % of bean and 0.94 weight % of pine nuts.

"Pumpkin rice cake" may be effective in reducing swelling of under weight people with a weakly functioning stomach, patients recovering and pregnant women, and has therapeutic efficiency in diabetes, hypertension and enlargement of the prostate gland. The pumpkin rice cake abundantly contains carotin as the precursor of vitamin A and is thus effective in preventing nyctalopia and xerophthalmia and suppressing carcinogens. Also, the pumpkin rice cake contains a diuretic that is effective in removing excess water in the body.

The pumpkin rice cake is preferably prepared by mixing well 53.17 weight % of nonglutinous rice powder, 17.73 weight % of cowpea powder, 0.69 weight % of salt, 6.25 weight % of sugar and 14.77 weight % of pumpkin steam- cooked,^' adding into the mixture 7.39 weight % of a Gardenia seed extract solution, prepared by boiling 9 weight % of Gardenia seeds in 91 weight % of water for 24 hrs at low temperatures, passing the second mixture through a sieve, placing the filtered mixture into a tray of which the bottom has been covered with a weighing paper, and then cooking the filtered mixture in a Retort sterilizer for 30 min while carrying out sterilization at the same time.

"Duteop rice cake" contains a medical plant Acanthopanax senticosus, and thus may have effects on hypoglycemia and stress. The Duteop rice cake is prepared as follows. 63.61 weight % of glutinous rice powder, 1.06 weight % of salt and 8.83 weight % of sugar are passed through a sieve. 5.3 weight % of an A. senticosus extract solution, prepared by boiling 0.8 weight % of the medical plant A. senticosus in 99.2 weight % of water for 1 hr at low temperatures and then for 2 hrs at high temperatures, is added to the filtered mixture. The resulting mixture is passed again through a sieve.

Then, the second filtered mixture is mixed with 1.77 weight % of pine nuts, 8.83 weight % of chestnuts, 2.65 weight % of jujubes, 3.53 weight % of citron slice preserved in sugar and 1.77 weight % of walnuts, wherein the auxiliary materials have been finely chopped and boiled in sugar, thus giving a mixture of rice and auxiliary materials.

5.35 weight % of cowpea powder, 37.83 weight % of the mixture of rice and auxiliary materials, 8.02 weight % of cowpea powder, 37.83 weight % of the mixture of rice and auxiliary materials and 5.35 weight % of cowpea powder are sequentially sprinkled uniformly into a mold inserted into a tray, and then 5.62 weight % of the medical plant A. senticosus extract solution is sprinkled between layers of the accumulation and outside the mold containing the accumulation. Then, the mold is taken out from the tray, sealed and placed into a Retort sterilizer, in which cooking and sterilization are preferably carried out for 30 min.

Herein, the medical plant A. senticosus is preferably sprinkled between layers of the accumulation, and outside the mold containing the accumulation after taking out the mold. "Mugwort rice cake" contains a large quantity of mugwort, and thus may be effective in preventing and treating a cold and improving physical constitution and may have therapeutic effect on skin diseases. Also, the mugwort rice cake contains a medical plant Lonicerajaponica, which has effects of stimulating the the immune system, inhibiting viral activity, alleviating a fever, neutralizing poison, inhibiting bacterial activity, alleviating inflammation, relieving the pain, promoting urination and suppressing cancer development.

The mugwort rice cake is prepared as follows. First, 49.21 weight % of nonglutinous rice powder, 16.4 weight % of Cowpea (Vigna sinensis) powder, 4.78 weight % of parboiled mugwort, 0.27 weight % of mugwort powder, 0.64 weight % of salt and 9.57 weight % of sugar are passed through a sieve, and the filtered mixture is supplemented with 13.67 weight % of a L. japonica extract solution, prepared by boiling 0.8 weight % of the medical plant L. japonica in 99.2 weight % of water for 1 hr at low temperatures and then for 2 hrs at high temperatures. The resulting mixture is again passed through a sieve, thus giving a mixture of rice and auxiliary materials.

After covering the bottom of a tray with a weighing paper, the mixture of rice and auxiliary materials is placed into the tray, and cooked in a Retort sterilizer for 30 min while carrying out sterilization at the same time.

"Strawberry rice cake" contains citric acid and thus supplies plenty of calcium, which is an essential element of bone formation. Also, the strawberry rice cake contains safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) seeds that increase bone mineral density, and thus may be effective in preventing osteoporosis.

The strawberry rice cake is prepared as follows. First, 55.24 weight % of nonglutinous rice powder, 18.41 weight % of Cowpea {Vigna sinensis) powder, 0.72 weight % of salt, 8.44 weight % of sugar, 3.07 weight % of strawberry and

0.31 weight % of strawberry powder are passed through a sieve, and the filtered mixture is supplemented with 13.81 weight % of a safflower seed extract solution, prepared by boiling 0.8 weight % of the safflower seeds in 99.2 weight % of water for 1 hr at low temperatures and then for 2 hrs at high temperatures. The resulting mixture is again passed through a sieve, thus giving a mixture of rice and auxiliary materials.

After covering the bottom of a tray with a weighing paper, the mixture of rice and auxiliary materials is placed into the tray, and cooked in a Retort sterilizer for 30 min while carrying out sterilization at the same time. "Coffee rice cake" emits a sweet coffee fragrance and thus may have effect of clearing the spirit by stimulating the central nervous system and of assisting the elimination of urine by promoting urination. Also, the coffee rice cake contains additionally milk and thus supplies for diverse and abundant nutrients. The coffee rice cake is prepared as follows. First, 54.58 weight % of nonglutinous rice powder, 18.19 weight % of Cowpea (Vigna sinensis) powder, 0.71 weight % of salt, 7.65 weight % of sugar and 0.68 weight % of coffee powder are passed through a sieve.

The filtered mixture is supplemented with 3.03 weight % of milk and 15.16 weight % of water, and again passed through a sieve, thus giving a mixture of rice and auxiliary materials. After covering the bottom of a tray with a weighing paper, the mixture of rice and auxiliary materials is placed into the tray, and cooked in a Retort sterilizer for 30 min while carrying out sterilization at the same time. "Sesame-seed rice cake" is prepared as follows. First, 80.71 weight % of glutinous rice powder, 1.35 weight % of salt and 8.97 weight % of sugar are passed through a sieve.

4.34 weight % of white sesame seeds, 40.31 weight % of the filtered mixture, 2.89 weight % of black sesame seeds, 40.31 weight % of the filtered mixture and 4.34 weight % of white sesame seeds are sequentially sprinkled uniformly into a mold inserted into a tray, and then 7.81 % water by weight is sprinkled on layers of the accumulation and outside the mold containing the accumulation. Then, the mold is taken out from the tray, sealed and placed into a Retort sterilizer, in which cooking and sterilization are preferably carried out for 30 min. Herein, the water is preferably sprinkled between layers of the accumulation, and outside the mold containing the accumulation after taking out the mold.

"Ginseng rice cake" contains ginseng, thereby supplying consumers with healthy food with various efficacy provided by the added ginseng, which has therapeutic efficacy on stress, fatigue, melancholia, renal failure, hypertension, arteriosclerosis, anemia, diabetes and developed tumors, and effect of softening the skin and preventing its drying, as well as having positive effect on hepatic function. The ginseng rice cake is prepared as follows. First, after well mixing 54.9 weight % of nonglutinous rice powder, 18.3 weight % of Cowpea (Vigna sinensis) powder, 0.72 weight % of salt and 9.91 weight % of sugar, the mixture is mixed with 10.07 weight % of a ginseng extract solution, prepared by dissolving ginseng powder for ginseng tea in water, and the resulting mixture is passed through a sieve.

The filtered mixture is well mixed with 6.1 weight % of ginseng tablets. After covering the bottom of a tray with a weighing paper, the final mixture is placed into the tray, and cooked in a Retort sterilizer for 30 min while carrying out sterilization at the same time. "Sweet potato rice cake" contains resin-containing high-fiber sweet potatoes that have effects of promoting excretion of excrement and softening the skin, and thus may have a positive effect on diabetes.

The sweet potato rice cake is prepared as follows. First, 34.75 weight % of glutinous rice powder, 17.38 weight % of black rice powder, 17.83 weight % of unhulled rice powder, 1.16 weight % of salt and 7.72 weight % of sugar are passed through a sieve. The filtered mixture is mixed with 6.18 weight % of a Hericium erinaceum extract solution prepared by boiling 0.8 weight % of the edible mushroom H. erinaceum in 99.2 weight % of water for 1 hr at low temperatures and then for 1 hr at high temperatures. The resulting mixture is again passed through a sieve. The second filtered mixture is mixed with 6.95 weight % of chestnuts,

2.31 weight % of jujubes, 1.54 weight % of pine nuts, 1.54 weight % of walnuts and 3.09 weight % of sweet potatoes, wherein the auxiliary materials have been finely chopped and boiled in sugar, thus giving a mixture of rice and auxiliary materials.

Cowpea (Vigna sinensis) powder, the mixture of rice and auxiliary materials, the cowpea powder, the mixture and the cowpea powder are sequentially sprinkled uniformly into a mold inserted into a tray at an amount of 4.82%, 39.03%, 7.27%, 39.03% and 4.82% by weight, wherein 5.06 weight % of the H. erinaceum mushroom extract solution is sprinkled between layers of the accumulation and outside the mold containing the accumulation. Then, the mold is taken out from the tray, sealed and placed into a Retort sterilizer, in which cooking and sterilization are preferably carried out for 30 min.

Herein, the H. erinaceum mushroom extract solution is preferably sprinkled between layers of the accumulation, and outside the mold containing the accumulation after taking out the mold.

"Chocolate rice cake" may be effective in alleviating melancholia, improving thinking ability, strengthening heart function and promoting urination, as well as having an anticancer effect by adding the edible mushroom Agaricus blazei.

The chocolate rice cake is prepared as follows. First, 59.35 weight % of nonglutinous rice powder, 0.67 weight % of salt, 8.22 weight % of sugar, 8.22 weight % of almond powder and 0.5 weight % of coffee powder are passed through a sieve. The filtered mixture is mixed with 16.47 weight % of a Agaricus blazei extract solution prepared by boiling 0.8 weight % of the edible mushroom A. blazei in 99.2 weight % of water for 1 hr at low temperatures and then for 1 hr at high temperatures. The resulting mixture is again passed through a sieve.

The second filtered mixture is mixed well with 3.27 weight % of chocolate, 1.65 weight % of almond and 1.65 weight % of peanuts. After covering the bottom of a tray with a weighing paper, the final mixture is placed into the tray, and cooked in a Retort sterilizer for 30 min while carrying out sterilization at the same time.

The above ten embodiments of rice cakes have been described in an illustrative manner. Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. Therefore, it is to be understood that delicious and nutritious rice cakes may be prepared optionally using other healthy materials in addition to the aforementioned materials.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

As described hereinbefore, rice cakes and the method of preparing the same according to the present invention allow rapid cooking, supply abundant nutrients, and reduce the costs of the production by a simplified process. Also, the present invention provides rice cakes capable of being stored for relatively long periods while maintaining mew: initial states and thus of being present in a fresh state upon ingestion by consumers.

Claims

1. A rice cake prepared by a process comprising the steps of: sequentially uniformly sprinkling into a mold in a tray the following materials named (a) 0.5-1.5 weight % of insect-borne fungi extract solution, which is prepared by mixing 0.5-1 weight % of insect-borne fungi with 99.0-

99.5% water by weight and boiling the mixture for 30 min to 1 hr 30 min, (b) 5- 15 weight % of cowpea (Vigna sinensis) powder, (c) 0.5-1.5 weight % of insect- borne fungi extract solution, (d) 30-40 weight % of a mixture of rice and auxiliary materials, (e) 0.5-1.5 weight % of insect-borne fungi extract solution, (f) 5-15 weight % of cowpea powder, (g) 0.5-1.5 weight % of insect-borne fungi extract solution, (h) 30-40 weight % of the mixture of rice and auxiliary materials, (i) 0.5-1.5 weight % of insect-borne fungi extract solution, (j) 5-15 weight % of cowpea powder and (k) 0.5-1.5 weight % of insect-borne fungi extract solution; taking out the mold from the tray; sprinkling 0.5-1.5 weight % of insect-borne fungi extract solution outside the mold containing the materials accumulated; sealing the mold containing the accumulations; and carrying out cooking and sterilization by steam heating in a Retort sterilizer for 15-50 min.

2. The rice cake as set forth in claim 1, wherein the mixture of rice and auxiliary materials is prepared by well mixing 57-77 weight % of glutinous rice powder, 0.5-1.5 weight % of salt and 5-15 weight % of sugar and passing the mixture through a sieve, adding 3-10 weight % of insect-borne fungi extract solution into the filtered mixture and passing the second mixture via the sieve, and then mixing the second filtered mixture with, finely chopped, 2-6 weight % of red bean, 1-3 weight % of chestnut, 1-3 weight % of jujube, 2-6 weight % of bean and 0.5-1.5 weight % of pine nuts.

3. A method of preparing rice cakes, comprising the steps of: washing rice with water and immersing the washed rice in 0.15% citric acid and 0.15% DF-100-containing water for 8 hrs; finely pulverizing the water-soaked rice and mixing the resulting rice powder with a natural pigment, cowpea (Vigna sinensis) powder and other auxiliary materials; placing the mixture into a tray with a unique shape, filling the tray with a gas mixture to allow for long-term shelf life, and tightly sealing the tray with a nylon film; placing the tray containing the mixture into a Retort sterilizer, and carrying out simultaneously cooking and sterilization to produce rice cakes; and mildly drying the rice cakes to remove moisture present in the outside thereof, and packaging the resulting rice cakes to facilitate their transport.

4. The method as set forth in claim 3, wherein the natural pigment is selected from a group consisting of strawberry powder, green tea powder, mugwort powder and a Gardenia seed extract solution.

5. The method as set forth in claim 3, wherein the other auxiliary materials are chestnuts, jujubes, walnuts, beans, peanuts and pine nuts.

6. The method as set forth in claim 3, wherein the gas mixture is prepared by mixing nitrogen and carbonic acid gas at a ratio of 5 :5 to 7:3.

7. A rice cake prepared by a process comprising the steps of: mixing well 43-63 weight % of nonglutinous rice powder, 7-27 weight % of cowpea powder, 0.3-1 weight % of salt, 3-9 weight % of sugar and 4-24 weight % of pumpkin steam-cooked; adding into the mixture 3-10 weight % of a Gardenia seed extract solution, prepared by boiling 9 weight % of Gardenia seeds in 91 weight % of water for 24 hrs at low temperatures, and passing the second mixture through a sieve; and placing the second filtered mixture into a tray of which the bottom has been covered with a weighing paper, and cooking the filtered mixture in a Retort sterilizer for 15-50 min while carrying out sterilization at the same time.

8. A rice cake prepared by a process comprising the steps of: passing through a sieve 53-73 weight % of glutinous rice powder, 0.5-1.5 weight % of salt and 5-15 weight % of sugar; adding to the filtered mixture 2-8 weight % of a plant Acanthopanax senticosus extract solution, prepared by boiling 0.8 weight % of the A. senticosus plant in 99.2 weight % of water for 1 hr at low temperatures and then for 2 hrs at high temperatures, and passing the resulting mixture through a sieve; mixing the second filtered mixture with 0.7-2.7 weight % of pine nuts,

6.8-9.8 weight % of chestnuts, 1.6-3.6 weight % of jujubes, 2.5-4.5 weight % of citron slice preserved in sugar and 0.7-2.7 weight % of walnuts, wherein the auxiliary materials have been finely chopped and boiled in sugar, thus giving a mixture of rice and auxiliary materials; sequentially uniformly sprinkling 2-8 weight % of cowpea (Vigna sinensis) powder, 27-47 weight % of the mixture of rice and auxiliary materials, 5-15 weight % of the cowpea powder, 27-47 weight % of the mixture and 2-8 weight % of cowpea powder into a mold inserted into a tray, sprinkling 4-7 weight % of the plant A. senticosus extraction solution on layers of the accumulation and outside the mold containing the accumulation; and taking the mold out from the tray, sealing the mold, and carrying out cooking and sterilization in a Retort sterilizer for 15-50 min.

9. A rice cake prepared by a process comprising the steps of: passing through a sieve 30-50 weight % of nonglutinous rice powder, 10- 20 weight % of cowpea (Vigna sinensis) powder, 2-6 weight % of parboiled mugwort, 0.1-0.5 weight % of mugv/ort powder, 0.3-1 weight % of salt and 5-15 weight % of sugar; mixing the filtered mixture with 10-17 weight % of a plant Lonicera japonica extract solution, prepared by boiling 0.8 weight % of the medical plant L. japonica in 99.2 weight % of water for 1 hr at low temperatures and then for 2 hrs at high temperatures, and passing the resulting mixture through a sieve; and placing the second filtered mixture into a tray of which the bottom has been covered with a weighing paper, and cooking the filtered mixture in a Retort sterilizer for 15-50 min while carrying out sterilization at the same time.

10. A rice cake prepared by a process comprising the steps of: passing through a sieve 45-65 weight % of nonglutinous rice powder, 8-28 weight % of cowpea (Vigna sinensis) powder, 0.5-1 weight % of salt, 5-10 weight % of sugar, 1-5 weight % of strawberry and 0.1-0.5 weight % of strawberry powder; mixing the filtered mixture with 10-16 weight % of a safflower seed extract solution, prepared by boiling 0.8 weight % of the safflower seeds in 99.2 weight % of water for 1 hr at low temperatures and then for 2 hrs at high temperatures, and passing the resulting mixture through a sieve; and placing the second filtered mixture into a tray of which the bottom has been covered with a weighing paper, and cooking the filtered mixture in a Retort sterilizer for 15-50 min while carrying out sterilization at the same time.

11. A rice cake prepared by & process comprising the steps of: passing through a sieve 44-64 weight % of nonglutinous rice powder, 8-28 weight % of cowpea (Vigna sinensis) powder, 0.5-1 weight % of salt, 5-10 weight % of sugar and 0.2-1 weight % of coffee powder; mixing the filtered mixture with 1-5 weight % of milk and 5-25 weight % of water, and passing the resulting mixture through a sieve; and placing the second filtered mixture into a tray of which the bottom has been covered with a weighing paper, and cooking the filtered mixture in a Retort sterilizer for 15-50 min while carrying out sterilization at the same time.

12. A rice cake prepared by a process comprising the steps of: mixing well 70-90 weight % of glutinous rice powder, 0.5-2 weight % of salt and 5-12 weight % of sugar, and passing the mixture through a sieve; sequentially uniformly sprinkled 2-7 weight % of white sesame seeds, 30- 50 weight % of the filtered mixture, 1-5 weight % of black sesame seeds, 30-50 weight % of the filtered mixture and 2-7 weight % of white sesame seeds into a mold inserted into a tray, sprinkling 4-10 % water by weight on layers of the accumulation and outside the mold containing the accumulation; and taking the mold out from the tray, sealing the mold, and carrying out cooking and sterilization in a Retort sterilizer for 15-50 min.

13. A rice cake prepared by process comprising the steps of: mixing well 45-65 weight % of nonglutinous rice powder, 8-28 weight % of cowpea (Vigna sinensis) powder. 0.5-1 weight % of salt and 5-15 weight % of sugar, and mixing the mixture with 5-15 weight % of a ginseng extract solution, prepared by dissolving ginseng powder for ginseng tea in water, and passing the resulting mixture through a sieve; mixing well the filtered mixture with 3-10 weight % of ginseng tablets; and placing the final mixture into a tray of which the bottom has been covered with a weighing paper, and cooking the final mixture in a Retort sterilizer for 15-50 min while carrying out sterilization at the same time.

14. A rice cake prepared by a piocess comprising the steps of: passing through a sieve 25-45 weight % of glutinous rice powder, 7-27 weight % of black rice powder, 7-27 weight % of unhulled rice powder, 0.5-1.5 weight % of salt and 3-10 weight % of sugar; mixing the filtered mixture with 3-10 weight % of a mushroom Hericium erinaceum extract solution prepared by boiling 0.8 weight % of the mushroom H. erinaceum in 99.2 weight % of water for 1 hr at low temperatures and then for 1 hr at high temperatures, and passing the resulting mixture through a sieve; mixing the second filtered mixture with 3-10 weight % of chestnuts, 1 -4 weight % of jujubes, 0.5-2.5 weight % of pine nuts, 1-4 weight % of walnuts and

1-5 weight % of sweet potatoes, wherein the auxiliary materials have been finely chopped and boiled in sugar, thus giving a mixture of rice and auxiliary materials; and sequentially uniformly sprinkling 2-7 weight % of cowpea (Vigna sinensis) powder, 30-50 weight % of the mixture of rice and auxiliary materials, 2-7 weight % of the cowpea powder, 30-50 weight % of the mixture and 5-10 weight % of the cowpea powder into a mold inserted into a tray, sprinkling 3-10 weight % of a mushroom Hericium erinaceum extract solution on layers of the accumulation and outside the mold containing the accumulation; and taking the mold out from the tray, sealing the mold, and carrying out cooking and sterilization in a Retort sterilizer for 15-50 min.

15. A rice cake prepared by a process comprising the steps of: passing through a sieve 50-70 weight % of nonglutinous rice powder, 0.2-1 weight % of salt, 5-15 weight % of sugar, 5-15 weight % of almond powder and

0.1-1 weight % of coffee powder; mixing the filtered mixture with 10-20 weight % of a mushroom Agaricus blazei extract solution prepared by boiling 0.8 weight % of the A. blazei mushroom in 99.2 weight % of water for 1 hr at low temperatures and then for 1 hr at high temperatures, and passing the resulting mixture through a sieve; mixing well the second filtered mixture with 1 -5 weight % of chocolate,

1-3 weight % of almond and 1-3 weight % of peanuts; and placing the final mixture into a tray of which the bottom has been covered with a weighing paper, and cooking the final mixture in a Retort sterilizer for 15-50 min while carrying out sterilization at the same time.