Fried confectionery

Abstract

The fried confectionery of the present invention is characterized in that, in the strain rate-load curve obtained by the following compression test, three or more peaks appear in the strain rate range of 40-80% and the load at each peak is 5-25 N. Compression test: From the fried confectionery to be evaluated, a section having a thickness of 6 mm and including the surface of the fried confectionery is cut out and used as a sample. Using a rheometer equipped with a pressing jig, the sample is compressed in the thickness direction thereof at a sample temperature of 70°C and a pressing speed of the pressing jig of 5 mm / second so as to obtain the strain rate-load curve of the sample during the compression process.

Description

Fried snacks

[0001] The present invention relates to fried snacks such as doughnuts.

[0002] Fried snacks are foods made by deep-frying dough primarily made from wheat flour and other grain flours. They are extremely popular due to their distinctive texture and the savory flavor of the oil-soaked dough. Generally, when deep-frying such dough, moisture evaporates from the surface layer of the dough heated to a high temperature, hardening the surface layer. Oil then penetrates the voids created in the surface layer due to the moisture evaporation, and the remaining moisture in the dough below the surface layer softens as it cooks. Deep-fried snacks, produced through these complex thermal changes in the dough, have a more complex texture and flavor than foods produced by other cooking methods, which is one of the main reasons for their popularity. The texture desired for fried snacks varies depending on the type of snack, including, for example, a crispy texture, a chewy, viscoelastic texture, and a crunchy, chewy texture. Therefore, when producing fried snacks, careful consideration is required to achieve the desired texture.

[0003] Conventionally, attempts have been made to improve the quality of fried snacks by tinkering with ingredients. Patent Document 1 describes a composition for fried snacks capable of producing fried snacks with a honeycomb-like internal structure, large volume, and a light texture, containing specific amounts of wheat flour, starch, pregelatinized starch, whole eggs, sugars, fats and oils, emulsifiers, leavening agents, and sodium caseinate. Patent Document 2 describes a doughnut mix suitable for a method of producing doughnuts that can be stably submerged-fried using a continuous fryer, containing approximately 15% by mass of wheat flour, 8% by mass of pregelatinized starch, and 50% by mass of hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch. Patent Document 3 describes a method for producing doughnuts with a soft, crisp texture, characterized by using pregelatinized high-amylose starch as an ingredient and using a specific amount of whole eggs in the dough preparation depending on the flour and / or starch.

[0004] JP 63-173539 A JP 2018-23317 A JP 2020-202773 A

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a fried snack having a good crispy texture.

[0006] The present inventors have focused on a crispy texture among various textures desired for fried snacks, and have investigated various techniques for stably producing fried snacks with such a texture, more specifically, fried snacks that have a crispy and pleasant disintegrating sensation when chewed in the mouth. As a result, they have found that by adjusting the "strain rate-load curve" obtained by performing a predetermined compression test on fried snacks using a rheometer to a specific shape, the crispness of the fried snacks can be maintained longer when chewed, and a good texture can be obtained.

[0007] The present invention was made based on the above findings and relates to a fried confectionery in which a strain rate-load curve obtained by the following compression test has three or more peaks between a strain rate of 40 and 80%, and the load at each peak is 5 to 25 N. The present invention also relates to a method for producing the fried confectionery of the present invention, comprising a dough preparation step of preparing a dough using a raw material flour having a starch content of 50% by mass or more, and a frying step of frying the dough.

[0008] Figure 1 is a graph substituted for a drawing showing an example of a strain rate-load curve for a fried snack of the present invention. Figure 2 is a graph substituted for a drawing showing an example of a strain rate-load curve for a fried snack outside the scope of the present invention. Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram (photograph substituted for a drawing) of a method for measuring the porosity of the surface cross section of a fried snack, where Figure 3(a) is an example of an image of the surface cross section of a fried snack taken with an X-ray tomography device, and Figure 3(b) is a histogram created based on the image of Figure 3(a).

[0009] The fried snacks of the present invention are characterized by a specific shape of strain rate-load curve obtained by the following compression test. Compression test: A 6 mm thick slice including the surface of the fried snack is cut from the fried snack to be evaluated to serve as a sample. Using a rheometer equipped with an indentation jig, the sample is compressed in its thickness direction at a product temperature of 70°C and an indentation speed of the indentation jig of 5 mm / sec, and the strain rate-load curve of the sample during the compression process is obtained.

[0010] Regarding the compression test, a rheometer such as the "RE2-33005C" manufactured by Yamaden Corporation can be used. The "6 mm thick slice including the surface of the fried snack" used as the sample for the compression test includes a portion extending 6 mm normal to the surface of the fried snack. Specifically, the slice may be, for example, a strip (rectangular shape) measuring 10 mm in length, 6 mm in width, and 6 mm in thickness in a plan view of the surface of the fried snack. After being cut from the fried snack, the slice is allowed to stand in an ambient temperature of 70°C for at least 30 minutes before being used as the sample for the compression test. The sample is placed on the sample stage of the rheometer so that the surface of the fried snack is pressed by the indentation tool provided with the rheometer. Typically, the top surface of the sample placed on the sample stage is the surface of the fried snack, and the indentation tool of the rheometer is positioned above the top surface of the sample. The indentation tool of the rheometer is typically large enough to cover the entire sample when compressed. Here, "covering the entire sample" refers to the fact that when a sample set on the sample stage of a rheometer is compressed with a pressing tool, if the compression surface of the pressing tool (the surface in contact with the sample) is projected in the direction of compression, the projected image overlaps the entire sample. The shape of the pressing tool is not particularly limited, and a cylindrical one can be used, for example. When a cylindrical pressing tool is used to compress the above-mentioned "strip-shaped sample with a longitudinal length of 10 mm, a lateral length of 6 mm, and a thickness of 6 mm," the diameter of the compression surface of the pressing tool can be, for example, approximately 10 to 15 mm. Five fried snacks to be measured are prepared, and the compression test is performed on each of the fried snacks to measure the strain rate. The strain rate-load curve of the fried snack is calculated from the average strain rate and load of the five tests.

[0011] Figures 1 and 2 show examples of strain rate-load curves obtained by the compression test of fried snacks. Figure 1 shows the strain rate-load curve of one embodiment of the fried snack of the present invention (the fried snack of Example 1 described below), and Figure 2 shows the strain rate-load curve of a fried snack outside the scope of the present invention (the fried snack of Comparative Example 3 described below). In the strain rate-load curves of Figures 1 and 2, the peak indicated by the symbol P appears when the fried snack (sample) is deformed during compression using the rheometer's pressing tool, causing the fried snack to break and releasing the strain. Peak P appears when the strain rate of the fried snack (sample) reverses from positive to negative. Hereinafter, the numerical value of the strain rate (horizontal axis) corresponding to peak P will also be referred to as the "breaking strain rate," and the numerical value of the load (vertical axis) corresponding to peak P will also be referred to as the "breaking load."

[0012] The strain rate-load curve of the fried snack of the present invention obtained by the compression test is characterized by the presence of three or more peaks P between strain rates of 40 and 80%, as illustrated in FIG. 1 . The strain rate-load curve of FIG. 1 shows four peaks between strain rates of 40 and 80%. According to the inventor's findings, the greater the number of peaks P, the longer the crispiness of the snack will be maintained during mastication, allowing for repeated perception of crispness, and providing a strong sense of disintegration when the snack completely disintegrates in the mouth, resulting in the generation of small pieces. Conventional fried snacks typically have only one peak P, as shown in FIG. 2 , meaning that once a snack breaks, the entire snack disintegrates at that point. With such conventional fried snacks, the crispiness cannot be repeatedly perceived during mastication, and a good sense of disintegration cannot be enjoyed during mastication. Furthermore, even if the number of peaks P is large, if the breaking strain rate of the peaks P is too small, the fried snack will be too brittle and the crispness will be difficult to perceive when chewed. Conversely, if the breaking strain rate of the peaks P is too large, the fried snack may be too hard. The breaking load of the peaks P also shows a similar trend to the breaking strain rate. In this regard, in the fried snack of the present invention, as shown in Figure 1, three or more peaks P exist between a strain rate of 40 and 80%, and the breaking load of each peak P at a strain rate of 40 to 80% is 5 to 25 N, so that a moderate crispness can be repeatedly perceived when chewed. From the perspective of further improving the texture of the fried snack, it is preferable that the strain rate-load curve obtained by the compression test has preferably four or more peaks with a breaking load of 5 to 25 N between a strain rate of 40 and 80%.

[0013] The strain rate-load curve of the fried snack obtained by the compression test can be adjusted to the specific shape by, for example, appropriately adjusting the composition of the fried snack, the manufacturing method, etc. Conditions 1 to 3 of the manufacturing method of the fried snack described below are effective for adjusting the strain rate-load curve of the fried snack obtained by the compression test to the specific shape.

[0014] In addition to the strain rate-load curve obtained by the compression test having a specific shape, the fried snack of the present invention preferably also has a porosity within a specific range in the cross section of the surface layer. The "porosity of the cross section of the surface layer" refers to the "percentage (%) of the total area of ​​voids present in the cross section of the surface layer of the fried snack relative to the total area of ​​the cross section of the surface layer of the fried snack." Furthermore, the "void" refers to the non-substantial portion of the cross section of the surface layer of the fried snack. The "substantial portion" referred to here, i.e., the non-void portion of the fried snack, typically refers to the components of the fried snack that are solid or liquid in the porosity measurement environment (room temperature and normal pressure). A typical example of the "solid substantial portion" is the dough of the fried snack, and a typical example of the "liquid substantial portion" is the frying oil soaked into the dough of the fried snack. Therefore, the porosity refers to the area of ​​voids containing gases such as air and water vapor. Voids containing liquids such as oil are considered to be substantial portions and are not included in the porosity. The porosity is measured by the following method.

[0015] <Method for measuring porosity of the surface cross section of a fried snack> First, an X-ray tomography device is used to image the surface cross section of the fried snack to be measured at a resolution of 500 dpi and a brightness of 256 levels. Here, the "surface cross section of the fried snack" refers to a cross section extending 5 mm from the surface of the fried snack in the normal direction and 4 mm in the direction perpendicular to the normal direction. More specifically, the "surface cross section of the fried snack" is defined by an imaginary line A extending from a point on the surface of the fried snack to position P1, 5 mm inward in the normal direction; an imaginary line B extending from position P1 to position P2, 4 mm perpendicular to imaginary line A; and an imaginary line C extending from position P2 toward the surface of the fried snack, parallel to imaginary line A. The obtained image of the surface cross section is then imported into image analysis software and quantified from dark areas (gradation 0) to light areas (gradation 255), a histogram is created with gradation on the horizontal axis and frequency on the vertical axis, and the porosity of the surface cross section of the fried snack is calculated from the histogram. Five fried snacks to be measured are prepared, and the porosity of each is calculated using the above procedure, with the average value being used as the porosity of the surface cross section of the fried snack to be measured.

[0016] Figure 3(a) shows an example of an image of a surface cross-section of a fried snack taken by an X-ray tomography device, and Figure 3(b) shows a histogram created based on the image of Figure 3(a). In the image of Figure 3(a), an irregularly shaped gray area is present in the center of the image against a black background. This gray area is the solid portion, i.e., "a portion of the fried snack that is not a void," and the black area surrounded by the gray area is a void. In other words, in the image of Figure 3(a), the gray area and the black area surrounded by it are the fried snack and are the subject of histogram creation. On the other hand, in the image of Figure 3(a), the black area not surrounded by the gray area (the black area surrounding the irregularly shaped gray area) is the background and is not the subject of histogram creation. The histogram in Figure 3(b) has three valleys (depressions in the curve) between gradation levels (horizontal axis) 0 and 255. If we refer to these valleys as the first, second, and third valleys in order of proximity to gradation level 0 (the left end of the graph), the colored portion surrounded by the curve and the horizontal axis between gradation level 0 and the first valley (hereinafter also referred to as the "first region") is the "void," the colored portion surrounded by the curve and the horizontal axis between the first and second valleys is the "liquid substantial portion," i.e., the frying oil that has soaked into the dough of the fried snacks (hereinafter also referred to as the "second region"), and the colored portion surrounded by the curve and the horizontal axis between the second and third valleys is the "solid substantial portion," i.e., the dough of the fried snacks (hereinafter also referred to as the "third region"). The shape of the histogram varies depending on the type of fried snack, but the basic shape shown in Figure 3(b) is common to many known fried snacks, in which first to third regions are roughly mountain-shaped with peaks between gradations 0 and 255. To calculate the porosity of the surface cross section of a fried snack from the histogram, image analysis software is used to measure the area of ​​each of the three regions in the histogram, and the percentage of the void area (area of ​​the first region) relative to the sum of these areas is calculated.

[0017] Regarding the method for measuring the porosity, the X-ray tomography device may be, for example, a "High-Resolution Tabletop 3D X-ray Microscope SKYSCAN 1272" manufactured by BRUKER Corporation. Furthermore, the image analysis software may be, for example, "3D.SUITE Software" manufactured by BRUKER Corporation. The portion of the surface cross section of the fried snack to be imaged may be selected arbitrarily, and may be, for example, the top, side, or bottom of the fried snack. Note that if the size of the fried snack is too small to ensure a sufficient area of ​​the "surface cross section of the fried snack" to be imaged, the maximum surface cross section that can be secured for the fried snack is imaged.

[0018] The fried snack of the present invention preferably has a porosity of the cross section of the surface layer measured by the above method of 10 to 45 area %, more preferably 15 to 35 area %, and even more preferably 15 to 25 area %. When the porosity is within the above preferred range, the texture of the fried snack becomes appropriate, neither too hard nor too soft, and the texture can be further improved.

[0019] The porosity of the cross section of the surface layer of the fried snack can be adjusted to fall within the above-mentioned specific range, for example, by appropriately adjusting the composition of the fried snack, the manufacturing method, etc.

[0020] The composition of the fried snack of the present invention is not particularly limited, provided that it has the above-described physical properties. However, it typically contains cereal flour. The term "cereal flour" as used herein refers to a cereal-derived powder substance at room temperature and normal pressure, including at least cereal flour and starch. In the present invention, one type of cereal flour can be used alone, or two or more types can be used in combination. Examples of cereal flour include wheat flour, rice flour, barley flour, and rye flour. Specific examples of wheat flour include strong flour, semi-strong flour, medium-strength flour, weak flour, durum flour (including durum semolina and durum wheat flour), and whole wheat flour. The cereal flour may be subjected to heat treatment such as dry heat treatment or moist heat treatment. Examples of starch include unprocessed starches such as potato starch, corn starch, waxy corn starch, rice starch, wheat starch, and bean-derived starch; and processed starches obtained by subjecting unprocessed starch to one or more of the following processes: cross-linking, phosphorylation, acetylation, etherification, oxidation, and gelatinization. Unless otherwise specified, the term "starch" used here refers to "pure starch" isolated from plants such as wheat, and is distinguished from starch that is inherently present in cereal flour.

[0021] The fried snacks of the present invention may contain ingredients other than cereal flours. The other ingredients may be any ingredients commonly used in the production of fried snacks, without any particular limitation, and examples thereof include eggs such as egg white powder; oils and fats such as palm oil, corn oil, and olive oil; leavening agents such as baking powder; dairy products such as fresh cream, condensed milk, cow's milk, fermented milk, and milk powder; proteins such as soy protein and wheat protein; emulsifiers; sugar alcohols; dextrins; seasonings; spices; enzymes; flavorings; thickeners; dietary fiber; and the like, and these may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0022] The fried confectionery of the present invention can be produced according to conventional methods. The fried confectionery of the present invention is typically produced by adding a liquid ingredient to a powdered raw material flour containing cereal flour at room temperature and normal pressure to prepare a dough (dough preparation step), dividing or shaping the dough as necessary, and then frying the dough (frying step). The frying step is typically carried out by pouring the dough into hot edible oil contained in an oil tank. The cereal flour content in the raw material flour is preferably 70% by mass or more, more preferably 75 to 85% by mass, based on the total mass of the raw material flour. The raw material flour may typically further contain sugars such as glucose and sucrose in addition to cereal flour. In preparing the dough, preferably 50 to 160 parts by mass, more preferably 60 to 150 parts by mass, of a liquid ingredient is added per 100 parts by mass of the raw material flour. Examples of liquid ingredients include water such as distilled water and purified water; liquid eggs such as whole eggs, liquid egg yolk, and liquid egg white; and liquid oils and fats, and one or more of these may be used. The prepared dough is divided into portions of, for example, about 10 to 80 g each, shaped as necessary, and then deep-fried in oil heated to about 160 to 190°C.

[0023] From the viewpoint of more reliably adjusting the shape of the strain rate-load curve of the fried confectionery in the compression test to the specific shape, when a dough is prepared using a raw material flour and the dough is then fried as described above to produce a fried confectionery, it is preferable to use a raw material flour having a starch content of preferably 50% by mass or more, more preferably 55 to 90% by mass, and even more preferably 60 to 85% by mass.

[0024] A preferred embodiment of the method for producing fried confectionery of the present invention comprises a dough preparation step of preparing dough using raw material flour having a starch content of 50% by mass or more, and a frying step of frying the dough. From the viewpoint of more reliably adjusting the shape of the strain rate-load curve obtained by the compression test to the specific shape, the method for producing fried confectionery is preferably carried out under any one of the following conditions 1 to 3.

[0025] Condition 1: In the dough preparation step, the dough is prepared at a temperature of 35 to 90°C, preferably 40 to 65°C, and in the frying step, the dough at a temperature of 35 to 90°C, preferably 40 to 65°C, is placed in oil and fried.

[0026] Condition 2: In the dough preparation step, the dough is prepared at a temperature of 35 to 90°C, preferably 40 to 65°C, and the dough is cooled to a temperature of 5°C or less, preferably 0°C or less. Then, in the frying step, the dough at a temperature of 5°C or less is placed in oil and fried.

[0027] Condition 3: The frying step is carried out twice, and a dough cooling step is carried out between the first and second frying steps. The oil temperature in the first frying step is 140 to 175°C, preferably 150 to 165°C, and the oil temperature in the second frying step is higher than the oil temperature in the first frying step, at 175 to 190°C, preferably 175 to 185°C. In the dough cooling step, the dough fried in the first frying step is cooled to a product temperature of 40 to 80°C, preferably 45 to 70°C.

[0028] In general methods for producing fried snacks, the dough temperature is often set to approximately 20 to 28°C in order to reduce dough stickiness and improve workability. Condition 1 is characterized in that the dough temperature during the period from dough preparation to frying is higher than that in general fried snack production. Under Condition 1, the dough temperature prepared in the dough preparation step and the dough frying step may be the same or different, provided that they are both in the range of 35 to 90°C (preferably 40 to 65°C). Under Condition 1, high-temperature dough with a temperature of 35 to 90°C can be prepared, for example, by: 1) preparing the dough using a mixer while heating the ingredient storage section (the space where the stirring blades are installed) of the mixer used for dough preparation in a hot water bath; or 2) using a liquid ingredient with a relatively high temperature. The high-temperature dough prepared in the dough preparation step may also be heated to maintain its high temperature until it is subjected to the frying step. For example, when the high-temperature dough prepared in the dough preparation step is shaped into a predetermined shape in the shaping step and then subjected to the frying step, the shaping step may be carried out in a high-temperature environment. Examples of such a shaping step in a high-temperature environment include a method in which the dough is shaped on a hot plate set at a predetermined temperature. To ensure the effect of Condition 1, the frying step is preferably carried out within 60 minutes, preferably within 30 minutes, after the dough is prepared.

[0029] Condition 2 differs from Condition 1 in that the dough is cooled before frying and then the cooled dough is fried. Condition 2 allows the period from dough preparation to frying to be set longer than that of Condition 1, since the dough is cooled before frying. The period from dough preparation to frying under Condition 2 can be, for example, one day or more. To prevent the dough from drying out during this period, it is preferable to seal the dough in an airtight container or the like. Under Condition 2, the method for cooling the dough is not particularly limited, and known refrigeration or freezing methods can be used as appropriate depending on the desired cooling temperature. The lower limit of the product temperature of the cooled dough is not particularly limited, but is preferably −50°C or higher.

[0030] In Condition 3, no particular limitation is imposed on the dough preparation step. For example, the product temperature of the dough prepared in the dough preparation step may be 35 to 90°C, as in Conditions 1 and 2, or may be lower. The method for cooling the dough in the dough cooling step in Condition 3 is not particularly limited, and known dough cooling methods can be used as appropriate. For example, a method in which the dough (fried dough) that has undergone the first frying step is left standing in an environment where the ambient temperature is adjusted to a predetermined range is exemplified. In the second frying step, the fried dough that has undergone the dough cooling step and has a product temperature of 40 to 80°C is fried again. From the perspective of more reliably achieving the effect of Condition 3, the time from when the fried dough is cooled to a product temperature of 40 to 80°C to immediately before the second frying step is performed (when the dough is put into oil) is preferably 5 to 120 minutes, more preferably 10 to 90 minutes.

[0031] It is not clear why adopting any one of the above conditions 1 to 3 as the production conditions for fried snacks makes it more likely that the shape of the strain rate-load curve in the compression test of the fried snacks will take on the specific shape, but it is thought that this is because, as in conditions 1 and 2, the product temperature of the dough (dough that is fluid at room temperature and pressure) before frying is set to a relatively high temperature of 35°C or higher, or, as in condition 3, frying at a relatively low oil temperature followed by frying at a relatively high oil temperature is more likely to form a structure in at least a part of the fried snacks that are the resulting product, in which multiple layers with different compression characteristics (multiple layers corresponding to the multiple peaks that exist between 40% and 80% in the strain rate-load curve) are stacked in one direction (specifically, for example, the compression direction in the compression test).

[0032] The present invention is applicable to various fried snacks, but is particularly useful for fried snacks made using dough containing cereal flour. Examples of fried snacks for which the present invention is particularly useful include donuts and sata andagi.

[0033] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0034] Examples 1 to 6, Comparative Examples 1 to 4: Production of Donuts Raw material flour was prepared by mixing ingredients according to the composition shown in Table 1 below. Wheat starch was used as the starch, and soft flour was used as the wheat flour. Donuts, a type of fried confectionery, were produced using the prepared raw material flour. Specifically, 100 parts by mass of raw material flour and a predetermined amount of water (liquid ingredient) were added to a commercially available mixer at room temperature of 24°C and stirred at low speed for 3 minutes, medium-low speed for 3 minutes, and medium-high speed for 2 minutes in this order to prepare dough (dough preparation step). The amount of water added was as shown in the "Amount of Water Added" column in Table 1. The prepared dough was divided into 60 g portions and formed into disks. The formed dough was placed in rapeseed oil heated at a high temperature in an oil tank and fried for 2 minutes and 30 seconds, turning the dough over every 30 seconds, to produce donuts. The temperature of the rapeseed oil in the frying step is as shown in the "Oil temperature" column in Table 1. In each of Examples 1 to 6 and Comparative Examples 1 to 4, the temperature of the dough immediately after preparation and the temperature of the dough immediately before frying were both 24°C.

[0035] [Test Example] For the donuts of each Example and Comparative Example, strain rate-load curves were obtained by the above-mentioned method, and the porosity of the cross section of the surface layer was measured. Figure 1 shows the strain rate-load curve of the donut of Example 1 obtained by the compression test, and Figure 2 shows the strain rate-load curve of the donut of Comparative Example 3 obtained by the compression test. In addition, the donuts of each Example and Comparative Example were eaten by 10 expert panelists, who evaluated the texture of the donuts according to the following evaluation criteria. The average of the scores of the 10 panelists was used as the evaluation score for the texture of the donut. The results are shown in Table 1 below.

[0036] <Evaluation criteria for texture> 5 points: Not too hard, very crisp, very good, disintegrates when chewed. 4 points: Not too hard, crisp, disintegrates when chewed, good. 3 points: Slightly hard or soft, crisp, disintegrates when chewed, good. 2 points: Slightly hard or soft, not crisp enough, poor. 1 point: Hard or soft, hardly crisp, very poor.

[0037]

[0038] As shown in Table 1, the donuts of each Example had a crisper texture, a greater sense of disintegration when chewed, and a better eating texture than the donuts of each Comparative Example, which did not meet this requirement, due to the presence of three or more peaks with a breaking load of 5 to 25 N between a strain rate of 40 and 80% in the strain rate-load curve obtained in the compression test.

[0039] Examples 7 to 11: Production of Donuts Donuts were produced in the same manner as in Example 5, except that the temperature of the dough prepared in the dough preparation step immediately after preparation and the temperature of the dough immediately before frying were changed as shown in Table 2 below. Examples 7 to 11 differ from Example 5 in that donuts were produced under Condition 1 above. In Examples 7 to 11, in the dough preparation step, the dough was prepared using a mixer while the ingredient storage section of the mixer was immersed in hot water at a predetermined temperature, and the prepared dough was formed into a disk shape on a hot plate heated to a predetermined temperature. The formed dough was subjected to the frying step within 5 minutes after forming (within 15 minutes after dough preparation). The obtained donuts were evaluated in the same manner as in the above test examples. The results are shown in Table 2. Table 2 also lists the results of Example 5.

[0040]

[0041] Examples 12 to 17: Production of Donuts Donuts were produced under Condition 3 above. Specifically, the dough preparation process was carried out in the same manner as in Example 5, and the prepared dough at a product temperature of 24°C was subjected to a first frying process, a dough cooling process, and a second frying process in that order. Two oil tanks were prepared corresponding to the two frying processes. The oil temperatures of the two oil layers were as shown in Table 3 below. In the first frying process, the dough was fried for 100 seconds while being turned over every 30 seconds after being placed in the rapeseed oil. The dough was then removed from the rapeseed oil and allowed to stand at room temperature to cool. The dough was then placed in a 60°C thermostatic bath to adjust the product temperature to 60°C (dough cooling process). 30 minutes after the product temperature of the dough reached 60°C, the dough was subjected to the second frying process. In the second frying step, the dough was fried for 60 seconds, turning it over every 30 seconds after adding it to the rapeseed oil, to produce donuts. The resulting donuts were evaluated in the same manner as in the previous test examples. The results are shown in Table 3.

[0042]

[0043] According to the present invention, a fried snack is provided which is not too hard, has a moderate crispness, and provides a pleasant disintegrating sensation when chewed in the mouth.

Claims

1. A fried snack in which, in the strain rate-load curve obtained by the compression test described below, there are three or more peaks between a strain rate of 40 and 80%, and the load at each peak is 5 to 25 N. Compression test: A 6 mm thick piece including the surface of the fried snack is cut out from the fried snack to be evaluated to serve as a sample. Using a rheometer equipped with an indentation jig, the sample is compressed in its thickness direction under conditions of a sample temperature of 70°C and an indentation speed of the indentation jig of 5 mm / sec, and a strain rate-load curve of the sample during the compression process is obtained.

2. The fried snack according to claim 1, wherein the porosity of the surface cross section is 10 to 45% by area.

3. A method for producing fried confectionery as described in claim 1 or 2, comprising a dough preparation step of preparing dough using raw material flour having a starch content of 50% by mass or more, and a frying step of frying the dough.

4. The method for producing fried snacks according to claim 3, which is carried out under any one of the following conditions 1 to 3: Condition 1: In the dough preparation step, the dough is prepared to have a product temperature of 35 to 90°C, and in the frying step, the dough is placed in oil at a product temperature of 35 to 90°C and fried. Condition 2: In the dough preparation step, the dough is prepared to have a product temperature of 35 to 90°C, and the dough is cooled to a product temperature of 5°C or less, and then in the frying step, the dough is placed in oil at a product temperature of 5°C or less and fried. Condition 3: The frying step is carried out twice, and a dough cooling step is carried out between the first and second frying steps. The oil temperature in the first frying step is set to 140 to 175°C, and the oil temperature in the second frying step is set to 175 to 190°C, which is higher than the oil temperature in the first frying step. In the dough cooling step, the dough fried in the first frying step is cooled to a product temperature of 40 to 80°C.