Soybean curd-based meat substitute

Abstract

To provide soybean curd-based meat substitute suitable for freezing.SOLUTION: There is provided soybean curd-based meat substitute that is obtained by dehydrating soybean curd, loosening and applying heat treatment to the surface, and has a granular form and a surface hardened layer, in which: as a stress measurement testing, a rheometer model name: a creep meter manufactured by Yamaden Co., Ltd. [RHEONER2 CREEP METER RE2-33005B] is used, and as a measurement condition, a compression stress to strain caused when a container having an inner diameter of 34 mm and a height of 17 mm is filled with a sample as a measuring object and is set in the rheometer, and the measuring object is compressed at a normal temperature at a compression speed of 1.0 mm / second by a plunger having a diameter of 30 mm, is measured so as to obtain a stress at a strain rate of 40%, and the stress is found to be 33.5 N-81.6 N.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a plant-based meat substitute that uses tofu as a main ingredient. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, as people have become more interested in healthier eating habits, plant-based meat substitutes have come onto the market. Plant-based meat substitutes are made from ingredients such as wheat and soybeans, and are made to have a texture similar to that of animal meat. Among them, soybeans are widely used as a raw material for meat substitutes. Most of the soybean-derived meat substitutes are made from defatted soybeans (soybean meal) as the raw material, as described in Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-143969 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, there have been few meat substitutes made from tofu. The raw material for tofu is whole soybeans, unlike defatted soybeans. Dried soybeans are soaked in water to remove impurities. The soybeans containing water are then ground to make raw soybeans. The raw soybean paste is heated and squeezed to separate the soybean pulp, and soy milk is obtained. Tofu is made by coagulating the soy milk with bittern. Generally, meat substitutes tend to be granular, like ground meat. Granulated meat substitutes made from tofu contain a lot of water, unlike those made from defatted soybeans, so they stick together when frozen and do not fall apart when frozen. Therefore, in order to obtain the required amount of meat substitute for a dish, the user had to take the time to thaw the entire amount and then refreeze it in portions, or to cut off the required amount by leaving it in a semi-thawed state. Naturally, the quality of meat substitute that is thawed, semi-frozen, and then refrozen deteriorates.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a tofu-based meat substitute suitable for freezing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In view of the above problems, the first aspect of the present invention solves the problems by providing a tofu-based meat substitute that is made by dehydrating, breaking up, and heat-treating the surface of tofu, and that has a granular shape and a surface-hardened layer, and that uses a rheometer model name: Yamaden Corporation's creep meter "RHEONER2 CREEP METER RE2-33005B" for stress measurement testing, and the measurement conditions are as follows: a sample to be measured is filled into a container with an inner diameter of 34 mm and a height of 17 mm, and the container is set in the rheometer. The sample is compressed at room temperature with a plunger with a diameter of 30 mm at a compression speed of 1.0 mm / sec., and the compressive stress against the strain is measured. The compressive stress is 33.5N to 81.6N at a strain rate of 40%.

[0007] Also disclosed is a tofu meat substitute according to a second embodiment, in which the compressive stress at a strain rate of 40% in the tofu meat substitute according to the first embodiment is 45.8N to 49.7N.

[0008] Furthermore, as a third aspect, a frozen tofu substitute meat obtained by freezing the above-mentioned tofu substitute meat is also disclosed. Effect of the Invention

[0009] The tofu-based meat substitute of the present invention can be frozen. The tofu-based meat substitute of the present invention has the property of being easily broken apart even in a frozen state. Furthermore, the tofu-based meat substitute of the present invention has a surface hardened layer with a suitable hardness, and is of high quality as a meat substitute. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a photograph showing the appearance of the tofu-based meat substitute of the embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of a method for producing a tofu-based meat substitute according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a tofu-based meat substitute. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a set of photographs showing the results of the evaluation of the detachment of frozen foods for each test group. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals in different drawings indicate parts having the same function, and duplicated descriptions in each drawing will be omitted as appropriate.

[0012] [Example] The "tofu-based meat substitute" in the present invention is to be distinguished from meat substitutes made from defatted soybeans. The tofu-based meat substitutes and meat substitutes made from defatted soybeans in the examples are completely different not only in terms of raw materials, but also in terms of manufacturing process, nutritional components, etc.

[0013] [1. Manufacturing process of tofu-based meat substitute of the embodiment] FIG. 1 is a photograph showing the appearance of the tofu-based meat substitute of the embodiment. The tofu-based meat substitute 1a shown in FIG. 1 has been seasoned and has a brown granular appearance similar to that of cooked minced meat of animal origin, so there is no sense of incongruity when it is used in dishes that use minced meat of animal origin. The production of such a tofu-based meat substitute 1a begins with the production of tofu.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of a method for producing a tofu-based meat substitute according to an embodiment. The tofu-based meat substitute manufacturing process 2c is roughly divided into a tofu manufacturing process 2a and a molding process 2b for molding the tofu 3c into a meat substitute.

[0015] (Tofu manufacturing process) (Soaking process) The tofu production process 2a is the process surrounded by a dashed line in FIG. 2, and begins with a soaking step S1 in which soybeans are soaked in water.

[0016] (milling process) The soybeans soaked in water are crushed in the grinding process S2 to produce raw soybeans. The grinding is carried out while water is poured in to adjust the concentration of the raw soybeans.

[0017] (Kettle boiling process) Next, the raw soybeans are placed in a pot and steam-heated in the pot-cooking process S3, which dissolves the proteins and other components contained in the soybeans. The soybean paste from which the ingredients have been sufficiently dissolved is separated into soy milk 3a and soybean cake 3b (okara) in the squeezing, filtering and separating process S4.

[0018] (Heating process) Tofu 3c is made by solidifying soy milk 3a with a coagulant such as magnesium chloride, but if the temperature of soy milk 3a is low, it will not solidify properly. Therefore, in order to promote solidification, soy milk 3a is heated in a heating step S5 to a temperature suitable for solidification (about 75°C to 80°C). The heating step S5 is not necessary if the temperature of the soymilk 3a is appropriate, and the heating step S5 may also be unnecessary depending on the type of coagulant.

[0019] (solidification process) Thereafter, the soy milk 3a that has been moderately heated is solidified in a solidification step S6 in which magnesium chloride, a coagulant, is added, and the soy milk 3a is poured into a mold and solidified into tofu 3c. The completed tofu 3c is then cooled to remove any residual heat.

[0020] The above is an outline of the tofu production process 2a of the embodiment, but the tofu production process 2a described is a general process for producing tofu 3c. There are various variations in the method for producing tofu 3c. Regardless of the method, the tofu 3c that is the raw material for the tofu-based meat substitute 1a of the present invention can be any tofu 3c that is coagulated from soy milk 3a.

[0021] (Variation 1 of tofu production) The coagulant used in the embodiment is magnesium chloride, which is called bittern. Modification 1 is an example in which calcium sulfate, calcium chloride, glucono-delta-lactone, etc. are used as the coagulant. The coagulant used may be any suitable one capable of solidifying the soy milk 3a.

[0022] (Variation 2 of tofu production) Some of the known tofu production processes 2a do not include the boiling step S3. Since there is no boiling process S3, the raw soybean paste produced in the grinding process S2 is sent to the squeezing, filtering and separating process S4 as raw soybean paste without being boiled, and soybean milk derived from raw soybean paste 3a is produced. The tofu 3c of the present invention also includes such tofu 3c derived from raw soybean paste.

[0023] (molding process) The forming step 2b in this embodiment is a step of forming the tofu 3c produced in the previous step into a tofu-based meat substitute 1a.

[0024] (Dehydration process) The tofu 3c produced in the tofu production process 2a has a high moisture content, so it is dehydrated in the dehydration process S7 until the moisture content becomes appropriate. If the tofu 3c is not dehydrated sufficiently, the tofu-based meat substitute 1a produced will be watery and will have a texture far from that of meat. In this example, 400 g of tofu 3c was dehydrated to 200 g. The dehydration was performed using a press. In this process, the tofu-based meat substitute 1a that has been thoroughly dehydrated has a firm body and a good chewiness. Moreover, the tofu-based meat substitute 1a that has been lightly dehydrated has a light chewiness. Although the degree of dehydration in this step may vary, in the subsequent hardened surface layer forming step S9, the dehydrated tofu 3c is fried in oil until the compressive stress reaches a predetermined value. Tofu 3c that is lightly dehydrated will require a longer hardened surface layer forming step S9 until the compressive stress reaches the predetermined value than tofu 3c that is sufficiently dehydrated.

[0025] (Loosening process) Next, the dehydrated tofu 3c is broken into a predetermined grain size in a breaking step S8. If the tofu-based meat substitute 1a has the same shape and grain size, it will look unnatural. Therefore, in the breaking step S8, it is preferable to break it into grains of irregular shapes and with a certain degree of grain size. If the particle size of the shredded dehydrated tofu 3c is too small, it will become powdery, and if it is too large, it will be of a size that is not suitable for use as hamburger steak or minced meat. It is preferable that the particle size of the shredded dehydrated tofu 3c be a size suitable for cooking. The loosening step S8 in this embodiment was carried out using a wire mesh sieve with mesh openings of 3.35 mm to 8.0 mm while applying pressure from above to the tofu 3c.

[0026] (Surface hardening layer formation process) The hardened surface layer forming step S9 is a step of heat treating the loosened tofu 3c to form a hardened surface layer. In the example, the heat treatment was performed by spreading oil in a frying pan and frying the shredded tofu 3c in the oil. The amount of oil may be any amount, such as that used for deep frying, but the heat treatment performed in the example was performed by frying with the amount of oil normally used for frying in a frying pan.

[0027] 3 is a cross-sectional view of tofu-based meat substitute 1a. Dehydrated and loosened tofu 3c undergoes a surface-hardened layer forming step S9 to form a surface-hardened layer 1b. The inside of the surface-hardened layer 1b is a soft inner layer 1c. The thickness of the surface-hardened layer 1b varies depending on the processing conditions (processing time, etc.) of the surface-hardened layer forming step S9.

[0028] (seasoning liquid) In the surface hardened layer forming step S9, a seasoning liquid is used together with oil, so that color and flavor can be imparted to the surface of the tofu-based meat substitute 1a.

[0029] (Heat treatment) The heat treatment carried out in the surface hardened layer forming step S9 can be modified in various ways as long as the compressive stress can be kept within a predetermined value as measured by a measuring means described later. For example, the hardened surface layer forming step S9 may be performed by applying oil to the surface of the loosened tofu 3c and placing it in an oven. The oven may also be a superheated steam oven. Any suitable treatment can be used so long as it is possible to form a surface hardened layer using oil and heat.

[0030] (Role of the surface hardening layer) The surface hardened layer 1b, together with the inner layer 1c, greatly affects the texture of the tofu-based meat substitute 1a. The surface hardened layer 1b also affects the surface moisture content of the tofu-based meat substitute 1a, changing the characteristics of the tofu-based meat substitute 1a when frozen. The details of the change in characteristics will be described later. In order to make the hardened surface layer 1b harder, the surface of the dehydrated and loosened tofu 3c may be dusted with flour or a powder of flour with added oil or fat, etc. Also, the surface of the dehydrated and loosened tofu 3c may be dusted with oil and then dusted with a powder such as flour.

[0031] (Test areas used in the experiment) The test plots used in the experiments of the examples were prepared as follows. The tofu-based meat substitute 1a for each test group was made by placing 2 kg of dehydrated and shredded tofu 3c in a frying pan containing 15 ml of vegetable oil and heat-treating (frying) it for a different time for each test group. (Stress measurement test) A stress measurement test was carried out using the tofu-based meat substitute 1a of the embodiment produced by varying the treatment conditions of the surface hardening layer forming step S9. The measurements were carried out using a rheometer, model name: Yamaden Corporation's creep meter "RHEONER2 CREEP METER RE2-33005B" was used. The measurements were performed by filling a container with an inner diameter of 34 mm and a height of 17 mm with the sample to be measured, setting this container in the rheometer, and then measuring the compressive stress versus strain when the sample was compressed at room temperature with a plunger with a diameter of 30 mm at a compression speed of 1.0 mm / s. The compressive stress at a strain rate of 40% was obtained as the measured value. In the following, in this specification, "compressive stress at a strain rate of 40%" is abbreviated to "compressive stress".

[0032] Table 1 shows the test results. The notations "#1 to #9" indicate the test plot numbers. Test plots #5 to #9 correspond to examples of the present invention, and the compressive stress is in the range of 33.5N to 81.6N. [Table 1] The frying pan was preheated to about 210℃, oil was poured in, and the heat treatment started. Note that the comparative test #1 was not heat-treated at all, and consisted of dehydrated and shredded tofu 3c. The heat treatment was performed so that the surface temperature of the frying pan and the surface temperature of the dehydrated and loosened tofu 3c were kept almost constant. The tofu-based meat substitute 1a made for the tests in Table 1 was a plain type tofu-based meat substitute 1a to which no seasoning or the like was added in order to ensure accurate evaluation.

[0033] The data for each test plot in Table 1 are the average values ​​of three tests, and three experiments were performed for each test plot.

[0034] (Frozen food detachment evaluation) The freezing was carried out in a home refrigerator. The tofu-based meat substitute 1a was simply packed in a bag and frozen without any special pre-freezing treatment or freezing treatment. Test plots #1 to #9, which had a compressive stress at a strain rate of 40% as shown in Table 1, were frozen. The tofu-based meat substitute 1a of each test plot was placed in a bag and frozen, and when it had solidified into a slab, it was removed from the bag by folding it 5 cm from the bag and placed on a plate. For test plots where the tofu-based meat substitute 1a had not solidified into a slab and could be removed from the bag in its loose form, an appropriate amount was placed on a plate. The degree to which the frozen products placed on the plate had loosened was evaluated as the "frozen product looseness evaluation."

[0035] 4 is a photograph showing the results of the evaluation of the detachment of frozen foods in each test plot. Test plots #2 to #4 are comparative examples in which the compressive stress is below the range of the present invention. The frozen tofu-based meat substitute 1a in test plots #2 to #4 remained in a slab-like lump, and the only way to remove the frozen product was to break it from the bag. The evaluation of these test plots was as shown in Table 1, "x: remained in a slab-like lump without breaking apart." In the embodiment of test plot #5, most of the lumps remained, but some were loosened. The evaluation of test plot #5 was "△: Some were loosened" as shown in Table 1.

[0036] Test plots #5 to #9 are examples in which the compressive stress is within the range of the present invention. The frozen products of test plots #5 to #9 could be removed from the bag onto a plate in granular form without solidifying. Test plot #6 was rated as "Good: 40% or more of the product broke apart" and test plots #7 to #9 were rated as "Excellent: The product broke apart" as shown in Table 1.

[0037] Although not shown in the present specification, the inventors prepared several test plots with compressive stress exceeding the compressive stress of 81.6 N of test plot #9 and evaluated the degree of frozen product disintegration. In all test plots where the compressive stress exceeded 81.6 N, the evaluation of frozen product disintegration was "◎: The grains broke apart and disintegrated."

[0038] It was revealed that the degree of hardening of the surface hardened layer 1b of the tofu-based meat substitute 1a affects the evaluation of the flaking property of the frozen product.

[0039] (Elasticity texture evaluation) The comparative examples, test plots #1 to #4, and the working examples, test plots #5 to #9, were subjected to an elastic texture evaluation by a five-member panel. The evaluation was based on whether Tofu-based meat substitute 1a had elasticity. Naturally, the compressive stress affects the elastic texture evaluation by the panelists. The elastic texture evaluation is conducted to investigate the relationship between the inorganic compressive stress value and the human evaluation by the panelists. The evaluation was conducted based on the following criteria: ×: × was given to the test group which was almost the same as dehydrated tofu 3c and had no elasticity that could be called a meat substitute. 〇:〇 was given to the test group which was more elastic than dehydrated tofu 3c. ◎: ◎ was given to test sections with elasticity close to that of meat. ●:● was given to test areas that felt hard to the touch. XX: XX was given to the test group as it was too hard and unsuitable as food. Furthermore, none of the test plots shown in Table 1 were rated as XX. Although specific data is not shown, the test plots where the compressive stress was extremely high were rated as XX.

[0040] The elasticity texture evaluation was limited to the elasticity of the test group, tofu-based meat substitute 1a, in order to ensure accurate evaluation by the panelists. Test groups that were almost the same as dehydrated tofu 3c and did not have the elasticity to be called a meat substitute were given an "X" rating. However, this does not mean that the test group was not tasty. Even if the test group was rated the same as dehydrated tofu 3c, it would still be tasty if cooked in a way that suited the elasticity of the test group. The elasticity texture evaluation employed an evaluation method that specialized in elasticity in order to evaluate a texture close to meat, eliminating subjective evaluations such as tasty or not tasty.

[0041] As mentioned above, the elasticity texture evaluation adopted objective evaluation criteria that eliminated subjectivity, so there were almost no differences in the evaluations among the five panelists. Furthermore, in the event that the evaluations were divided among the panelists, a rule was established that the evaluation value selected by the majority of the panelists would be given.

[0042] (Protein content) The taste was evaluated by changing the protein content of the tofu-based meat substitute 1a of the embodiment. As a result, it was found that the tofu-based meat substitute 1a of the present invention has a rich and deep taste by adjusting the protein content to the range of 16g ​​to 30g / 100g.

[0043] (lipid content) The difference between the tofu-based meat substitute 1a of the present invention and the meat substitute made from defatted soybeans, called soy meat, is the fat content. Most soy meat is made from defatted soybeans, so the fat content is inevitably low. The fat content of soy meat is 4 to 5 g / 100 g, and the low fat content gives it a refreshing taste. On the other hand, it has been found that the tofu-based meat substitute 1a of the present invention, particularly by adjusting the lipid content to 8 to 18 g / 100 g, produces a lingering umami taste brought about by lipids, resulting in a good taste.

[0044] The preferred mesh size of the sieve used in the loosening step S8 is 2.00 mm to 20.0 mm. If the mesh size is too small, the tofu-based meat substitute 1a becomes powdery, making it difficult to obtain a meat-like texture. If the mesh size exceeds 20.0 mm, the tofu-based meat substitute 1a becomes large lumps, limiting the cooking methods that can be used. If the mesh size exceeds 20.0 mm, the processing time required for the surface hardening layer formation step S9 to achieve a compressive stress of 33.5 N to 81.6 N becomes significantly longer. This is because the volume of the inner layer increases in proportion to the size of one grain of tofu-based meat substitute 1a. It is not preferable to increase the mesh size to make the grain size of tofu-based meat substitute 1a too large, as this significantly reduces production efficiency. The particle size distribution of the tofu-based meat substitute 1a may be to some extent, but it is preferable that the particle size distribution is not too broad. In addition, in the loosening step S8 of the embodiment, the loosening is performed using a sieve, but it goes without saying that the loosening may be performed by a method other than using a sieve.

[0045] (Heat treatment) The heat treatment carried out in the hardened surface layer forming step S9 involved heat-treating (frying) 2 kg of dehydrated and shredded tofu 3c in a frying pan containing 15 ml of vegetable oil. In the heat treatment of the embodiment, only 15 ml of vegetable oil was used for the amount of dehydrated and shredded tofu 3c, and vegetable oil is not essential. The main purpose of using vegetable oil is to prevent it from adhering to the frying pan, and if a resin-coated frying pan that is less likely to adhere is used, vegetable oil may not be necessary. However, when vegetable oil is used, the tofu-based meat substitute 1a is thinly coated with the oil, which makes it easier to form a hardened surface layer compared to when no oil is used. Therefore, it is a preferred embodiment to use oil (vegetable oil or animal oil) in the heat treatment carried out in the hardened surface layer forming step S9.

[0046] (comprehensive evaluation) The greater the compressive stress of the tofu-based meat substitute 1a was above 33.5 N in the experimental test #5, the higher the evaluation of the frozen product's ability to loosen. Considering only this result, a tofu-based meat substitute 1a that exhibits a good evaluation of its ability to loosen needs only to have a compressive stress of 33.5 N or more. Furthermore, the compressive stress of tofu-based meat substitute 1a, which was rated as "◎: the grains broke apart and were loosened," was 45.8 N or more in test plots #7 to #9, and the rating of ◎ was maintained even when the compressive stress exceeded test plot #9, although the data is not shown. Therefore, the compressive stress of the tofu-based meat substitute 1a is preferably greater than 33.5N, and more preferably 45.8N or greater.

[0047] On the other hand, as a result of the evaluation of the elastic texture as a food product, it is preferable that the compressive stress of the tofu-based meat substitute 1a is equal to or greater than 28.3 N in test group #4. However, since the evaluation of the frozen flaking property of test group #4 was poor, it is preferable that the compressive stress of the tofu-based meat substitute 1a is greater than 33.5 N in overall evaluation. In addition, as a result of the elastic texture evaluation, when the compressive stress of the tofu-based meat substitute 1a reached 81.6N in test group #9, it began to feel hard to the touch, and when it exceeded this, it became too hard and had a texture that was unsuitable for use as food. Therefore, the upper limit of the compressive stress of the tofu-based meat substitute 1a was 81.6N in a comprehensive evaluation. Therefore, it was found that the compressive stress of the tofu-based meat substitute 1a is preferably 33.5N to 81.6N, more preferably 35.0N to 60.0N, and further more preferably 45.8N to 49.7N.

[0048] The above describes in detail the embodiments of the present invention along with examples and modified examples. However, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention includes design changes and the like that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments can be combined by utilizing the technologies of each other, so long as there are no particular contradictions or problems in the purpose, configuration, and the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1a Tofu-based meat substitute 1b Surface hardening layer 1c Inner layer 2a Tofu manufacturing process 2b Molding process 2c Tofu-based meat substitute manufacturing process 3a Soy milk 3b Soybean pulp (okara) 3c tofu

Claims

1. A tofu-based meat substitute obtained by dehydrating, breaking down, and heat-treating the surface of tofu, It has a granular morphology, It has a surface hardened layer, As a stress measurement test Rheometer model name: Yamaden Co., Ltd. creep meter "RHEONER2 CREEP METER RE2-33005B" was used. The measurement conditions are as follows: a container having an inner diameter of 34 mm and a height of 17 mm is filled with a sample to be measured; this container is then set in a rheometer; the sample is compressed at room temperature with a plunger having a diameter of 30 mm at a compression speed of 1.0 mm / sec, and the compressive stress relative to the strain is measured; the compressive stress at a strain rate of 40% is measured, and the obtained compressive stress is 33.5 N to 81.6 N.

2. 2. The tofu-based meat substitute according to claim 1, wherein the compressive stress at a strain rate of 40% is 35.0N to 60.0N.

3. 3. A frozen product obtained by freezing the tofu-based meat substitute according to claim 1 or 2.

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