Imitation shrimp

Abstract

To provide an imitation shrimp having a distinctive springy texture like that of natural shrimp.SOLUTION: An imitation shrimp comprises a matrix containing glucomannan and a polysaccharide (other than glucomannan) in which plant protein particles containing a seasoning and a colorant are dispersed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to imitation shrimp.

Background Art

[0002] Shrimp has a unique crispy texture and is one of the ingredients favored by people in countries around the world, including Asian countries. In Japan, a large amount of farmed shrimp is imported from Southeast Asia to meet the demand. However, due to the recent rapid increase in demand and other factors, the price has been soaring, so the development of foods with a shrimp-like texture that can be used as a substitute for shrimp has been underway.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a shrimp substitute food produced by mixing 1 to 10% by weight of wheat starch and / or high amylose corn starch, 1.5 to 8% by weight of konjac flour, 1 to 7% by weight of cellulose, an alkaline agent, and water, heating, and then freezing. In Patent Document 1, in order to impart the flavor of shrimp, a shrimp extract, a shrimp flavor, a shrimp powder, various flavoring agents, etc. are added.

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses a shrimp-like protein food obtained by forming a shrimp-shaped product from spun soy protein fiber (A), soy protein fiber (B) colored using a yellow and red coloring agent different from the spun fiber, and a dough (C) obtained by mixing fish paste and seasonings.

[0005] Patent Document 3 discloses a squid, shrimp, scallop-like food formed by molding a fibrous gel of heat-setting β-1,3-glucan (curdlan), and discloses that seasonings such as mirin can be used in the dough.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] However, with the technologies disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3, the crispy feeling of natural shrimp cannot be obtained. The inventor has found that in Patent Documents 1 to 3, seasonings are uniformly mixed in the matrix of shrimp-like foods, which causes the strength of the matrix to decrease due to the seasonings.

[0008] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide imitation shrimp having a crispy and unique texture like natural shrimp.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] That is, the imitation shrimp of the present invention is characterized in that plant protein particles containing seasonings and pigments are dispersed in a matrix containing glucomannan and polysaccharides (excluding glucomannan). In the imitation shrimp of the present invention, since the seasonings and pigments are contained in the plant protein particles and exist separately from the matrix, the strength of the matrix is not decreased by the seasonings, and thus it has a crispy and unique texture like natural shrimp.

[0010] The imitation shrimp of the present invention preferably contains curdlan as the polysaccharide. Since curdlan is a thermally irreversible polysaccharide, it does not melt even when heat-cooked and can maintain the texture of the imitation shrimp after heating.

[0011] The imitation shrimp of the present invention preferably contains cellulose as the polysaccharide. By containing cellulose, the texture of the imitation shrimp of the present invention can be changed.

[0012] The pigment is preferably lycopene. The seasoning preferably contains salt.

[0013] The above plant protein particles are preferably contained in the above matrix at a ratio of 1 to 40% by weight. When the ratio of the plant protein particles is within the above range, the appearance is closer to that of natural shrimp and has an appropriate flavor.

[0014] The imitation shrimp of the present invention is preferably frozen or enclosed in a retort container. When it is in a frozen or retort container-enclosed state, it is possible to maintain the crispy texture of the imitation shrimp of the present invention while suppressing the growth of bacteria for a long time.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015]

Figure 1

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] In the imitation shrimp of the present invention, plant protein particles containing a seasoning and a pigment are dispersed in a matrix containing glucomannan and polysaccharides (excluding glucomannan).

[0017] Figure 1 is a perspective schematic view showing an example of the imitation shrimp according to the present invention. In the imitation shrimp 100, plant protein particles 20 are dispersed in a matrix 10 in the shape of a jade pendant. Since the seasoning and the pigment are contained in the plant protein particles 20 and exist separately from the matrix 10, the strength of the matrix 10 is not reduced by the seasoning, and it has a unique crispy texture like that of natural shrimp.

[0018] Glucomannan is a water-soluble neutral polysaccharide and is a general term for polysaccharides in which glucose and mannose are linked. As glucomannan, glucomannan-containing materials can also be used. The glucomannan-containing materials used in the present invention are not particularly limited as long as they are edible, and examples include konjac flour, konjac tubers, konjac refined flour, and the like. Glucomannan and glucomannan-containing materials can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0019] Glucomannan is preferably contained in the imitation shrimp of the present invention in an amount of 0.1 to 5% by weight.

[0020] The polysaccharide contained in the matrix refers to a polysaccharide other than glucomannan in the present invention. The polysaccharide is not particularly limited, but preferably includes a thermally irreversible polysaccharide that is difficult to dissolve even after heat cooking and can maintain the texture of the imitation shrimp even after heating. Examples of the thermally irreversible polysaccharide include curdlan, sodium alginate, pectin, and dierangam. The polysaccharide can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0021] The thermally irreversible polysaccharide is preferably contained in the imitation shrimp of the present invention in an amount of 2 to 20% by weight.

[0022] The polysaccharide preferably also includes cellulose. By including cellulose, the texture of the imitation shrimp of the present invention can be changed. Cellulose is preferably blended in the imitation shrimp of the present invention in an amount of 0.3 to 10% by weight.

[0023] In the imitation shrimp of the present invention, it is preferable to include a thermally irreversible polysaccharide and cellulose as the polysaccharide, and it is more preferable to include curdlan and cellulose. The polysaccharide is preferably blended in the imitation shrimp of the present invention in an amount of 2.3 to 30% by weight.

[0024] The plant protein particles are dispersed in the above matrix. Examples of the plant protein constituting the plant protein particles include pea protein, soybean protein, broad bean protein, etc. One or more kinds of plant proteins can be used. The plant protein particles preferably contain pea protein. The plant protein is preferably contained in an amount of 5 to 50% by weight based on the plant protein particles.

[0025] The plant protein particles may contain starch. The starch is not particularly limited. Examples include tuber starches such as potato starch, sweet potato starch, tapioca starch, cereal starches such as wheat flour starch, waxy corn starch, corn starch, rice starch, bean starches such as pea starch, broad bean starch, and yardlong bean starch, and processed starches such as cross-linked starch, gelatinized starch, etherified starch, and esterified starch made from these starches. One or more of these starches can be used. Preferably, it is potato starch. The starch is preferably blended in an amount of 5 to 25% by weight based on the plant protein particles.

[0026] The plant protein particles may further contain glucomannan. Examples of the glucomannan include the same ones contained in the matrix. The glucomannan is preferably blended in an amount of 0.1 to 5% by weight based on the plant protein particles.

[0027] The plant protein particles contain seasonings and pigments. Examples of the seasonings include salt, sugar, umami seasonings, etc. The seasonings preferably contain salt. Since the strength of the matrix significantly decreases when salt is dispersed in the matrix, the imitation shrimp of the present invention has a remarkable effect when it contains salt as a seasoning. When the seasonings contain organic acids such as acetic acid and citric acid, the strength of the matrix decreases. Therefore, it is preferable that the seasonings do not contain organic acids.

[0028] The seasoning is preferably blended in an amount of 1 to 20% by weight based on the plant protein particles.

[0029] As the pigment, a red pigment or the like for imitating the artificial shrimp of the present invention to natural shrimp can be used. For example, lycopene, red kojic acid pigment, cochineal pigment, lac dye, annatto pigment, paprika pigment (capsicum pigment), etc. can be mentioned. Whether the pigment is water-soluble or oil-soluble is not particularly limited. These pigments can be used alone or in combination of two or more. The pigment is preferably lycopene. The pigment is preferably blended in an amount of 0.1 to 5% by weight based on the plant protein particles. In the present invention, the plant protein particles containing the pigment are dispersed in the matrix. When the pigment is water-soluble, it may be directly dispersed in the matrix.

[0030] The plant protein particles are preferably contained in the matrix at a ratio of 1 to 40% by weight. When the ratio of the plant protein particles is within the above range, the appearance is closer to that of natural shrimp and has an appropriate flavor.

[0031] The artificial shrimp of the present invention may contain food additives such as a pH adjuster and an antioxidant in addition to the above materials.

[0032] Next, a method for producing the artificial shrimp of the present invention will be described. (Plant protein particle production step) First, water is added to the plant protein and uniformly mixed, and then the seasoning and the pigment are further added and mixed to prepare a raw material mixture. When starch and glucomannan are used as the materials, the starch is mixed with water in advance, the plant protein and glucomannan are added thereto, and then the seasoning and the pigment are added. By drying the raw material mixture cut into strip shapes, granular plant protein particles can be obtained. The granular plant protein particles desirably have an average particle diameter of 1 to 3 mm. The average particle diameter is the average value calculated by selecting 10 arbitrary granular plant protein particles within one field of view using an optical microscope with a scale, measuring their sizes, and calculating the average. When the granular plant protein particles are not perfect circles (spheres), measure the major axis. In the case of square granular plant protein particles, measure the longer diagonal.

[0033] (Production process of imitation shrimp) Mix glucomannan and polysaccharides with water, add granular plant protein particles thereto, and prepare the dough for imitation shrimp. While extruding the dough using an extrusion molding machine with a die base imitating the shape of shrimp such as a hook shape, cut it to obtain a molded product, boil the molded product, and further steam it to obtain imitation shrimp. Through the above steps, imitation shrimp can be produced.

[0034] The obtained imitation shrimp can be frozen in a freezer at -30°C or lower to produce frozen imitation shrimp. Also, by using a known retort processing technique, imitation shrimp enclosed in a retort container can be produced.

[0035] The following matters are disclosed in this specification.

[0036] The present disclosure (1) is an imitation shrimp in which plant protein particles containing seasonings and pigments are dispersed in a matrix containing glucomannan and polysaccharides (excluding glucomannan).

[0037] The present disclosure (2) is the imitation shrimp according to the present disclosure (1), which contains curdlan as the above polysaccharide.

[0038] The present disclosure (3) is the imitation shrimp according to the present disclosure (1) or (2), which contains cellulose as the above polysaccharide.

[0039] The present disclosure (4) is the imitation shrimp according to any one of the present disclosures (1) to (3), wherein the above pigment is lycopene.

[0040] The imitation shrimp of any one of the present disclosures (1) to (4) containing salt is the imitation shrimp of the present disclosure (5).

[0041] The imitation shrimp of any one of the present disclosures (1) to (5) in which the plant protein particles are contained in a proportion of 1 to 40% by weight with respect to the matrix is the imitation shrimp of the present disclosure (6).

[0042] The imitation shrimp of any one of the present disclosures (1) to (6) that is frozen or enclosed in a retort container is the imitation shrimp of the present disclosure (7).

[0043] (Examples) Hereinafter, examples specifically disclosing the present invention will be shown. Note that the present invention is not limited to only these examples.

[0044] Production Example 1 Preparation of Plant Protein Particles 26.4 kg of hot water and 29.6 kg of potato starch were put into a blender and stirred until uniformly mixed. A premixed product of 10 kg of pea protein and 1.2 kg of glucomannan was put into the same blender, and another 10 kg of pea protein was added and stirred until the whole was uniformly mixed. Further, 100 kg of hot water was added, and 19 kg of pea protein was put in and stirred. Then, 19.3 kg of salt as a seasoning and 3.5 kg of lycopene pigment as a pigment were added and stirred. After confirming that the color of lycopene was evenly distributed throughout, the mixture was taken out and cooled. The cooled mixture was cut and dried to obtain granular plant protein particles with a particle size of 1 to 3 mm (average particle size 2 μm).

[0045] Example 1 Production of Imitation Shrimp 75.6 kg of water was added to a 200 L mixer, and while stirring, 7.0 kg of carrageenan, 0.7 kg of glucomannan, and 1.1 kg of powdered cellulose that had been premixed were added and stirred. An aqueous sodium phosphate solution prepared in advance (1.4 kg of sodium phosphate dissolved in 8.9 kg of water) was added and stirred, and then a mixture of 0.47 kg of edible lactic acid and 5.6 kg of water was added and stirred. Thereafter, 2.7 kg of the plant protein particles obtained in Production Example 1 was added and stirred to obtain a dough for imitation shrimp.

[0046] The obtained dough was extruded and cut using an extruder equipped with a die imitating the shape of a shrimp-hook so as to have a shrimp-hook shape with a length of 20 mm and a width of 20 mm to obtain a molded product. The obtained molded product was heated in a boiling tank, sterilized and coagulated in a steamer to obtain imitation shrimp. The obtained imitation shrimp was frozen in a freezer.

[0047] Comparative Example 1 An imitation shrimp for freezing was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that plant protein particles were not used.

[0048] Comparative Example 2 An imitation shrimp for freezing was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that 19.3 kg of salt, which is a seasoning, was mixed into the dough (matrix) instead of the plant protein particles.

[0049] (Sensory Evaluation) The imitation shrimp frozen in Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 to 2 were each thawed in running water for 10 minutes and drained, and five panelists ate them and evaluated the elasticity. The elasticity was evaluated by scoring on a five-point scale as follows. The scores were assigned based on each person's experience, and the criteria are as follows. The average value of the five people is shown in Table 1. Note that the following scores are a quantification of hardness and not a quantification of the goodness or badness of the texture. The higher the score, the harder the texture, and the ideal texture is around 3 points. 5 points: A very hard texture 4 points: A slightly hard texture 3 points: The texture has elasticity similar to that of natural shrimp. 2 points: The texture is slightly soft. 1 point: The texture is very soft.

[0050]

Table 1

[0051] The imitation shrimp of Example 1 contained plant protein particles, so its texture had elasticity similar to that of natural shrimp. The imitation shrimp of Comparative Example 1, which did not contain plant protein particles, had a very hard texture. The imitation shrimp of Comparative Example 2, in which salt was mixed into the dough (matrix), had a very soft texture because the strength of the matrix decreased. In the imitation shrimp of Example 1, since the salt was contained in the plant protein particles, the salt did not reduce the strength of the matrix.

Explanation of symbols

[0052] 10 Matrix 20 Plant protein particles 100 Imitation shrimp

Claims

1. A simulated shrimp in which plant protein particles containing seasonings and pigments are dispersed in a matrix containing glucomannan and polysaccharides (excluding glucomannan).

2. The simulated shrimp according to claim 1, wherein the polysaccharide contains curdlan.

3. The simulated shrimp according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the polysaccharide contains cellulose.

4. The simulated shrimp according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pigment is lycopene.

5. The simulated shrimp according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the seasoning contains salt.

6. The simulated shrimp according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plant protein particles are contained in a proportion of 1 to 40% by weight with respect to the matrix.

7. The simulated shrimp according to claim 1 or 2, which is frozen or enclosed in a retort container.

Images