Oil confit food, method for producing the same, and use thereof

Abstract

To provide an oil confit food, a method for producing the same, and use thereof.SOLUTION: A production method includes: a step in which a Rhizopus sp. strain is inoculated into a plant substrate to advance fermentation and form a fermented food, where the plant substrate includes nuts, legumes, or a combination thereof; and a step in which the fermented food is immersed in cooking oil to perform an oil confit process and form an oil confit food. The cooking oil accounts for 30 to 70 wt.% of the total of the fermented food and the cooking oil. The process time for the oil confit process is 5 to 48 days.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for producing an oil confit food that can be used as a foie gras substitute using a Rhizopus sp strain, an oil confit food produced using this method, and the use of this oil confit food as a foie gras substitute.

Background Art

[0002] Foie gras is an animal liver ingredient produced by force-feeding poultry such as geese and ducks to cause fatty liver. Since it is a liver rich in fat, it is one of the high-class ingredients in French cuisine that has a soft and creamy texture after cooking. However, since the production of foie gras requires breeding by force-feeding, inhumane poultry farming is regarded as a problem. For this reason, there are not a few countries that currently prohibit the production and sale of foie gras.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] Although foie gras is considered an ingredient that does not meet the rules of animal welfare, it is closely linked to the history of foie gras and the traditions of France, and it is also recognized that there is a need to preserve traditional values. Therefore, against the background that it is expected to satisfy animal welfare and achieve low-carbon breeding while inheriting this traditional food culture, further developing alternative ingredients with a texture similar to foie gras has become one of the research issues for related fields.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a method for manufacturing an oil confit food is provided, which includes inoculating a Rhizopus sp strain into a plant substrate to allow fermentation to proceed to form a fermented food, wherein the plant substrate includes nuts, legumes, or a combination thereof, and immersing the fermented food in cooking oil to perform an oil confit process to form an oil confit food. The ratio of the fermented food to the sum of the fermented food and the cooking oil is 30 to 70% by weight, and the process time of the oil confit process is 5 to 48 days.

[0005] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, an oil confit food manufactured using the above-described manufacturing method is provided.

[0006] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, use of the oil confit food manufactured using the above-described manufacturing method as a foie gras substitute is provided.

[0007] In order to make the features or advantages of the present disclosure clearer and more understandable, preferred embodiments will be given below and described in detail in correspondence with the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3A

Figure 3B

Figure 3C

Figure 3D

Figure 3E

Figure 3F

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6A

Figure 6B

Figure 6C

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The oil confit food according to the embodiments of the present disclosure and its manufacturing method will be described in detail below. In the following description, it should be understood that a number of different embodiments or examples are presented in order to implement different aspects of some embodiments of the present disclosure. The specific components and arrangement methods described below are merely for concisely and clearly explaining some embodiments of the present disclosure. Naturally, these are merely used as examples and do not limit the present disclosure.

[0010] Terms such as "about", "approximately", and "substantially" in this text usually represent being within 5%, or 3%, or 2%, or 1%, or 0.5% of a predetermined value or range. A predetermined number in this text is an approximate number, that is, even if not particularly described as "about", "approximately", or "substantially", it may include the meaning of "about", "approximately", or "substantially". Furthermore, the expressions "between a first numerical value and a second numerical value" and "from a first numerical value to a second numerical value" for describing a numerical range indicate that the range includes the first numerical value, the second numerical value, and other numerical values therebetween.

[0011] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in this text have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the technical field to which the present disclosure belongs. It should be understood that these terms, such as terms defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be understood to have a meaning consistent with the related technology and the background or context of the present disclosure, and should not be construed in an idealized or overly strict manner. To make the content of the present disclosure easier to understand, the definitions of the following terms and expressions are presented.

[0012] The term "nuts" refers to fruits with hard and dry pericarps, and includes seeds with hard shells and relatively high oil content, such as nuts. Examples of nuts include, but are not limited to, almonds, cashew nuts, hazelnuts, coconuts, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, chestnuts, Brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, etc.

[0013] The term "leguminous plant" refers to a plant that has fruits of the type characterized by legumes. Examples of leguminous plants include, but are not limited to, soybean, black soybean, adzuki bean, mung bean, edamame, green bean, kidney bean, red kidney bean, pigeon pea, pea, chickpea, cowpea, broad bean, lentil, hyacinth bean, peanut, winged bean, glass bean, and grass pea.

[0014] The term "fermentation" refers to the process of a biochemical reaction in which an organism (including bacteria, fungi, plant cells, yeast, etc.) is used to decompose organic substances (including sugars, proteins, lipids, etc.). The "fermentation" referred to in the specification of the present disclosure means inoculating a strain of the genus Rhizopus into a plant substrate and decomposing the organic substances in the plant substrate by the strain to produce a fermented food.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG. 1, a method for producing an oil confit food is provided, which includes: a step S101 of performing pretreatment on nuts, leguminous plants or a combination thereof as a plant substrate raw material to form a plant substrate; a step S103 of inoculating a strain of the genus Rhizopus (Rhizopus sp) into the plant substrate and allowing fermentation to proceed to form a fermented food; and a step S105 of immersing the fermented food in cooking oil to perform an oil confit process to form an oil confit food.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the nuts as the plant substrate raw material may include, but are not limited to, almond, cashew nut, hazelnut, coconut, pine nut, sunflower seed, pumpkin seed, walnut, chestnut, Brazil nut, macadamia nut, etc. Also, the leguminous plants as the plant substrate raw material may include, but are not limited to, soybean, black soybean, adzuki bean, mung bean, edamame, green bean, kidney bean, red kidney bean, pigeon pea, pea, chickpea, cowpea, broad bean, lentil, hyacinth bean, peanut, winged bean, glass bean, grass pea, or the aforementioned combination. Furthermore, the plant substrate is suitable for use in fermentation by inoculation of the strain and may be any substrate, or may also be a processing residue by a processing process or the like.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the pretreatment step S101 of the plant substrate raw material may include, but is not limited to, drying treatment, steaming treatment, polishing treatment, or a combination of the foregoing. According to some embodiments, after drying the raw material that is the plant substrate, the dried plant substrate raw material is steamed, cooled to room temperature (about 25°C), and then becomes the plant substrate to be fermented.

[0018] According to some embodiments, the water content of the plant substrate raw material subjected to the drying treatment may be less than about 15%, for example, less than 14%, less than 13%, less than 12%, less than 11%, less than 10%, less than 9%, less than 8%, less than 7%, less than 6% or less than 5%. According to some embodiments, the temperature and time of the steaming treatment of the plant substrate raw material are adjusted according to the type and material of the raw material. When nuts are used as the raw material, the temperature range of the steaming treatment can be, for example, from 90°C to 140°C, 100 to 125°C, and the time of the steaming treatment can be, for example, 1 to 15 minutes, 2 to 10 minutes, but is not limited thereto.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the Rhizopus sp strain used in the inoculation step S103 of the present disclosure refers to a strain capable of producing the fermented food of the present invention, which includes Rhizopus microspores, Rhizopus microspores var. oligosporus, Rhizopus microspores var. chinensis, Rhizopus oryzae, Rhizopus stolonifer, or Rhizopus azygospours, etc., but is not limited thereto, and any strain suitable for producing a fermented food that is a foie gras substitute by fermentation may be used, and a commercially available Rhizopus genus bacterium that can be purchased may also be used.

[0020] According to some embodiments, the Rhizopus microspores used in the present disclosure may be the Rhizopus microspores with deposit number BCRC 930226 deposited at the Food Industry Research and Development Institute. The Rhizopus microsporus var. oligosporus used in the present disclosure may be the Rhizopus microsporus var. oligosporus with deposit numbers BCRC 31631, BCRC 31750, BCRC 31996, BCRC 31997, BCRC 32600, BCRC 33956, or BCRC 33957 deposited at the Food Industry Research and Development Institute, but is not limited thereto. In some other embodiments, the Rhizopus microsporus var. sinensis used in the present disclosure may be the Rhizopus microsporus var. sinensis with deposit number BCRC 31630 deposited at the Food Industry Research and Development Institute. The Rhizopus oryzae used in the present disclosure may be the Rhizopus oryzae with deposit numbers BCRC 31145 or BCRC 34550 deposited at the Food Industry Research and Development Institute. The Rhizopus stolonifer used in the present disclosure may be the Rhizopus stolonifer with deposit number BCRC 32002 deposited at the Food Industry Research and Development Institute. The Rhizopus arrhizus used in the present disclosure may be the Rhizopus arrhizus with deposit number BCRC 31158 deposited at the Food Industry Research and Development Institute, but is not limited thereto.

[0021] According to some embodiments, prior to inoculating the Rhizopus strain, in a liquid fermenter, after culturing the Rhizopus strain in a potato + glucose (PDB) medium for a certain period of time, processes such as centrifugation, adsorption, and drying can be performed on the bacterial solution with a predetermined concentration of bacteria to obtain Rhizopus bacterial powder. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, direct inoculation can also be performed using a liquid bacterial solution.

[0022] According to some embodiments, the fermentation of Rhizopus strains in a plant substrate may include a solid fermentation process, a liquid fermentation process, or a combination of the foregoing. After the fermentation is carried out, a single-screw wet extrusion process or a twin-screw wet extrusion process may be further performed on the plant substrate to form a fermented food. According to some embodiments, the fermentation temperature can be between about 20°C and about 40°C, for example, between 25°C and 35°C, or between 30°C and 35°C. According to some embodiments, the fermentation duration can be between about 20 hours and about 50 hours, or between about 24 hours and about 48 hours, for example, 28 hours, 30 hours, 32 hours, 34 hours, 36 hours, 40 hours, 44 hours, or 46 hours.

[0023] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in the oil confit process S105 of the present disclosure, the fermented food obtained in the above step can be immersed in cooking oil by natural immersion or under vacuum conditions. The cooking oil used may include sesame oil, olive oil, Sacha inchi oil, flaxseed oil, coconut oil, camellia oil, soybean oil, brown rice oil, canola oil, perilla oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, avocado oil, lard, fish oil, beef tallow, or a combination of the foregoing. From the perspective of environmental friendliness and extending the shelf life, vegetable oils such as sesame oil, olive oil, Sacha inchi oil, flaxseed oil, coconut oil, camellia oil, soybean oil, brown rice oil, canola oil, perilla oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, avocado oil, or a combination of the foregoing can be used.

[0024] According to an embodiment, before performing the oil confit process on the fermented food obtained in the above step, a shaping process can be performed. The forms of the fermented food after the shaping process include, but are not limited to, strip shape, thin slice shape, slice shape, kibbled shape, block shape, diced shape, small block shape, etc. From the perspective that the processed food is easy to break in the mouth during chewing and can impart a juicy feeling, the kibbled shape, block shape, diced shape, and small block shape can be used.

[0025] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in the oil confit process S105 of the present disclosure, the ratio of the fermented food to the cooking oil in the total of the fermented food and the cooking oil is 30 to 70% by weight, for example, 35 to 65% by weight, 40 to 60% by weight. According to some embodiments, the temperature of the oil confit process may be about 15°C or lower, for example, 0°C, 4°C, 6°C, 8°C, 10°C, 12°C. According to some embodiments, the time for performing the oil confit process may be between about 5 days and about 48 days, or about 7 days and about 30 days, for example, 10 days, 12 days, 14 days, 21 days, 28 days. By controlling the temperature of the oil confit, the time of the oil confit, the ratio of the cooking oil, etc. within the specific ranges described above, it is possible to impart a creamy and soft texture to the oil confit food, and the produced food can be easily broken during chewing and has a juicy feeling.

[0026] In some embodiments, in the oil confit process S105 of the oil confit food, if it does not affect the effects of the present disclosure, other ingredients may be mixed as necessary, for example, seasonings or spices may be added to adjust the taste, but it is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the above seasonings may include soy sauce, salt, sugar, umami seasonings, vinegar, any suitable seasonings or combinations of the foregoing. In some embodiments, the above spices may include pepper, truffle, cumin, star anise, cardamom, celery, laurel, korean parsley leaves, onion, vanilla, rosemary, rum, mustard, any suitable spices or combinations of the foregoing.

[0027] According to the method for producing the oil confit food of the present disclosure, after performing fungal fermentation using a plant-based ingredient, the oil confit food can be produced by performing a treatment in an oil confit process. Since the oil confit food has undergone fermentation and oil confit immersion, a soft and creamy texture can be felt when eating. Therefore, the oil confit food of the present disclosure can replace animal livers obtained by low-cost and inhumane breeding and can be an environmentally friendly ingredient.

[0028] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG. 1, the method for manufacturing an oil-confi food of the present disclosure may further include step S107 of performing heat treatment on the oil-confi food to form a heated oil-confi food. The temperature and time of the heat treatment can be appropriately adjusted so that the oil-confi food has a good texture with cohesive force. For example, the temperature of the heat treatment can be 150 to 200°C, and the time of the heat treatment can be 3 to 5 minutes, but it is not limited thereto. By the above steps, the cohesive force of the oil-confi food is significantly increased, but the degree of its elasticity is not affected, and the oil-confi food can be made to have a texture more similar to that after heating animal liver.

[0029] Further, the oil-confi food or the heated oil-confi food provided by the present disclosure may have a hardness between about 4.00 N and about 11.00 N, for example, 5.00 N, 6.00 N, 7.00 N, 8.00 N, 9.00 N, 10.00 N. Also, according to an embodiment, the hardness of the oil-confi food of the present disclosure may be between about 8.00 N and about 11.00 N, for example, between about 8.13 N and about 10.13 N, and the heated oil-confi food of the present disclosure may be between about 7.00 N and about 10.00 N, for example, between about 7.85 N and about 9.15 N.

[0030] The oil-confi food or the heated oil-confi food provided by the present disclosure may have a springiness between about 0.20 Nm and about 0.70 Nm, for example, 0.30 Nm, 0.40 Nm, 0.50 N, 0.60 N.

[0031] The oil-confitted food or heated oil-confitted food provided by the present disclosure may have a chewiness between about 1.00 N and about 4.00 N, such as 1.50 N, 2.00 N, 2.50 N, 3.00 N, 3.50 N. Also, according to one embodiment, the oil-confitted food of the present disclosure may have a chewiness between about 2.00 N and about 3.50 N, such as between about 2.47 N and about 3.30 N, and the heated oil-confitted food of the present disclosure may be between about 2.00 N and about 2.50 N, such as between about 2.16 N and about 2.48 N.

[0032] The oil-confitted food or heated oil-confitted food provided by the present disclosure may have a gumminess between about 2.00 N and about 6.50 N, such as 3.50 N, 4.00 N, 4.50 N, 5.00 N, 5.50 N, 6.00 N. Also, according to one embodiment, the oil-confitted food of the present disclosure may have a chewiness between about 4.00 N and about 6.50 N, such as between about 4.75 N and about 5.92 N, and the heated oil-confitted food of the present disclosure may be between about 4.50 N and about 5.50 N, such as between about 4.54 N and about 5.31 N.

[0033] The oil-confitted food or heated oil-confitted food provided by the present disclosure may have a cohesiveness between about 0.40 and about 0.70, such as 0.45 N, 0.50 N, 0.55 N, 0.60 N, 0.65 N. The resilience of the oil-confitted food may be between about 0.80 and about 1.60, such as 1.00 N, 1.20 N, 1.40 N.

[0034] According to some embodiments, the parameters such as the hardness, elasticity, chewiness, gumminess, cohesiveness and resilience are the results obtained by measuring with a texture analyzer (Changhong Instrument Development Co., Ltd., model number: UniversalTA).

[0035] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG. 2, in addition to the same steps S101 to S105 as those in the above-described embodiment, the method further includes a step S109 of performing a homogenization treatment on the oil-confi food to obtain a plant matrix source. Since the processes of steps S101 to S105 of the present disclosure are the same as those of steps S101 to S105 described with reference to FIG. 1, the description thereof is omitted in this embodiment.

[0036] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, in step S109 of the homogenization treatment of the present disclosure, the homogenization treatment may be performed in a commonly used manner using a homogenizer generally used for food processing. Further, the temperature during homogenization may be any temperature, for example, room temperature of about 25°C, or homogenization may be performed under general heating conditions, for example, at 50°C. In some embodiments, steps such as canning, sealing, and sterilization may be further performed on the plant matrix source obtained by the homogenization treatment as necessary.

[0037] In some embodiments, in step S109 of the homogenization treatment of the oil-confi food, if it does not affect the effects of the present disclosure, other components can be mixed as necessary to adjust the texture and taste. For example, an adhesive, a seasoning, or a fragrance can be added, but it is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the adhesive may include protein powder, soy protein, whey protein, vegetable gum, any suitable adhesive, or a combination of the foregoing. In some embodiments, the seasoning may include soy sauce, salt, sugar, umami seasoning, vinegar, any suitable seasoning, or a combination of the foregoing. In some embodiments, the fragrance may include pepper, truffle, cumin, star anise, cardamom, celery, laurel, kobumikan leaves, onion, vanilla, rosemary, rum, mustard, any suitable fragrance, or a combination of the foregoing.

[0038] Plant matrix sources produced according to another embodiment of the present disclosure are pasted or thickened, so that, for example, they have a smoother or thicker texture and can be made into direct spread foods. Further, in another embodiment of the present disclosure, other flavoring components can be mixed as needed simultaneously with performing homogenization in the step of homogenization treatment, so that the produced plant matrix source can be made closer to the flavor of animal liver.

[0039] In order to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure clearer and more understandable, several examples and comparative examples will be given and described in detail below, but the content of the present disclosure is not limited thereby.

[0040]

Examples

[0041] Production Example 1

[0042] 120 to 180 grams of cashew nuts were thawed and then steamed again, dried at about 65°C for 8 hours, and after cooling to room temperature, the cashew nuts were thoroughly mixed with about 2.4 to 18 grams of Rhizopus microspores with deposit number BCRC 930226, placed in a culture fermenter at 30°C, and after 24 to 48 hours, about 125 to 202 grams of fermented food were obtained. A 2.5 cm 3 square block of the fermented food was taken as a sample, and measurements were carried out under the following conditions using a texture analyzer (Changhong Instrument Development Co., Ltd., model number: UniversalTA) to obtain physical properties such as its hardness, springiness, chewiness, gumminess, cohesiveness, and resilience. Also, about 3 to 5 evaluators actually ate and evaluated the fermented food of Production Example 1.

[0043] Texture Analyzer Conditions Initial height: 50 mm Pre-test speed: 10 mm / s Test speed: 10 mm / s Speed after test: 10 mm / s Probe specification: diameter 38 mm Height of sample: 20 mm Measurement setting: After touching the sample, press it downward by 13 mm (65% deformation)

[0044] Production Example 2

[0045] 2.5 cm 3 Take the fermented food produced in Production Example 1 in the shape of a square block of 2.5 cm, and heat-treat the fermented food at about 150 to 200 °C for 3 to 5 minutes to obtain the heat-treated fermented food of Production Example 2. At the same time, perform texture analyzer analysis and evaluation tests under the same conditions as in Production Example 1 to obtain the physical properties and texture of Production Example 2.

[0046] Example 1

[0047] 2.5 cm 3 Take 130 g of the fermented food produced in Production Example 1 in the shape of a square block of 2.5 cm, add 170 g of cold-pressed virgin olive oil and 1 g of pepper salt, stir evenly, then evacuate and seal, place it in an environment at 4 °C, and let it stand for 7 days to obtain the oil confit food of Example 1. At the same time, perform texture analyzer analysis and evaluation tests under the same conditions as in Production Example 1 to obtain the physical properties and texture of Example 1.

[0048] Example 2

[0049] 2.5 cm 3 Take the oil confit food obtained in Example 1 in the shape of a square block of 2.5 cm, and heat-treat the oil confit food at about 150 to 200 °C for 3 to 5 minutes to obtain the heat-treated oil confit food of Example 2. At the same time, perform texture analyzer analysis and evaluation tests under the same conditions as in Production Example 1 to obtain the physical properties and texture of Example 2.

[0050] Example 3

[0051] The oil confit food of Example 3 was obtained by producing in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the standing time in the oil confit process was changed to 14 days. At the same time, texture analyzer analysis and evaluation tests were conducted under the same conditions as in Production Example 1 to obtain the physical properties and texture of Example 3.

[0052] Example 4

[0053] The heat-treated oil confit food of Example 4 was obtained by performing heat treatment in the same manner as in Example 2, except that the oil confit food produced in Example 3 was taken and heated. At the same time, texture analyzer analysis and evaluation tests were conducted under the same conditions as in Production Example 1 to obtain the physical properties and texture of Example 4.

[0054] Example 5

[0055] The oil confit food of Example 5 was obtained by producing in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the standing time in the oil confit process was changed to 21 days. At the same time, texture analyzer analysis and evaluation tests were conducted under the same conditions as in Production Example 1 to obtain the physical properties and texture of Example 5.

[0056] Example 6

[0057] The heat-treated oil confit food of Example 6 was obtained by performing heat treatment in the same manner as in Example 2, except that the oil confit food produced in Example 5 was taken and heated. At the same time, texture analyzer analysis and evaluation tests were conducted under the same conditions as in Production Example 1 to obtain the physical properties and texture of Example 6.

[0058] Example 7

[0059] The oil confit food of Example 7 was obtained by producing in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the standing time in the oil confit process was changed to 28 days. At the same time, texture analyzer analysis and evaluation tests were conducted under the same conditions as in Production Example 1 to obtain the physical properties and texture of Example 7.

[0060] Example 8

[0061] The oil confit food prepared in Example 7 was taken and heat-treated in the same manner as in Example 2 to obtain the heat-treated oil confit food of Example 8. At the same time, texture analyzer analysis and evaluation tests were conducted under the same conditions as in Production Example 1 to obtain the physical properties and texture of Example 8.

[0062] Example 9

[0063] 100 grams of the oil confit food prepared in Example 3 was taken, homogenized at 3500 rpm using a homogenizer at 25°C, and then the plant matrix source of Example 9 was obtained. At the same time, an evaluation test was conducted under the same conditions as in Production Example 1. After the evaluators actually ate and evaluated it, the obtained matrix source had the texture of a smooth mousse.

[0064] Comparative Example 1

[0065] The Italian oil confit tempeh of Taiwan Tianbei Food Enterprise Co., Ltd. was used as a comparative example. After cutting the Italian oil confit tempeh into 2.5 cm 3 square block shapes, texture analyzer analysis was performed to obtain the physical properties of Comparative Example 1. Also, 3 to 5 evaluators actually ate the oil confit food of Comparative Example 1 and evaluated its texture.

[0066] 2.5 cm 3 The 2.5 cm square block-shaped Comparative Example 1 was taken and heat-treated at about 150 to 200°C for 3 to 5 minutes to obtain the heat-treated oil confit food of Comparative Example 2. At the same time, texture analyzer analysis was conducted under the same conditions as in Production Example 1 to obtain the physical properties of Comparative Example 2. Also, 3 to 5 evaluators actually ate the oil confit food of Comparative Example 2 and evaluated it.

[0067] As shown in FIGS. 3A to 3F, in the hardness test, the hardness of Example 1 was lower than that of Preparation Examples 1 and 2 without oil confit, indicating that the oil confit treatment can increase the softness of the food. Also, the hardness of Example 2 after heat treatment was even lower (FIG. 3A), showing that heat treatment can further enhance the softness. Furthermore, from the evaluation test, it was found that both Example 1 and Example 2 had a softer texture.

[0068] In the elasticity and chewiness tests, the elasticity and chewiness of Example 1 and Example 2 with oil confit treatment were both lower than those of Preparation Examples 1 and 2 (FIGS. 3B to 3C). And from the evaluation test, the texture of Example 1 and Example 2 was creamy and easily crushed by the tongue. On the other hand, the texture of Preparation Examples 1 and 2 was more tightened and firm, requiring chewing.

[0069] In the gumminess test, the gumminess of both Example 1 and Example 2 was clearly lower than that of Preparation Examples 1 and 2 (FIG. 3D), and from the evaluation test, it was found that the texture of Example 1 and Example 2 was more refreshing and non-sticky. In the cohesiveness test, the cohesiveness of Example 1 was clearly lower than that of Preparation Examples 1 and 2, but the cohesiveness of heat-treated Example 2 was clearly increased (FIG. 3E). From the evaluation test, it was found that Example 2 became more likely to solidify due to heat treatment, making it closer to the texture of heated animal liver. Also, in terms of resilience, there was no obvious change before and after either oil confit or heating (FIG. 3F), indicating that oil confit or heat treatment does not affect its resilience.

[0070] As shown in FIGS. 4 to 5, it can be seen from the data that as the oil confit process time increases, obvious differences emerge in terms of hardness, gumminess, and chewiness. There are no obvious differences in terms of elasticity, cohesiveness, and resilience. Also, from the physical properties and evaluation tests, it was found that the numerical values and texture evaluations of Examples 3 and 4 are more excellent. In contrast, Examples 7 and 8, from the numerical values and evaluation tests, regardless of whether heat treatment was performed or not, neither their data nor texture is as excellent as those of Examples 3 and 4, and it can be seen that there is a problem that the texture is too soft.

[0071] As shown in FIGS. 6A to 6C, from the results of the physical properties and evaluation tests, in Examples 1 and 2, all of hardness, elasticity, and chewiness are lower than those of Comparative Examples 1 and 2, and in terms of evaluation, the texture of Comparative Examples 1 and 2 is harder and less elastic than the texture of Examples 1 and 2, and it is not a texture that is smooth and easily collapsible during chewing, and clearly does not have the creamy softness of foie gras. Therefore, regardless of whether heat treatment was performed or not, Comparative Examples 1 and 2 do not have a creamy and soft texture. In particular, the texture of Comparative Example 2 after heating is harder than that of Comparative Example 1 and other each Example, so it can be seen that it is clearly not suitable as a food material to replace animal liver.

[0072] As described above, the method for manufacturing an oil confit food provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure can, by the oil confit process, make the hardness, elasticity, and chewiness of the fermentation product obtained by fermentation with Rhizopus bacteria lower, and thus can obtain a texture that is creamy, soft, and not overly sticky. Therefore, it can realize a texture similar to that of animal liver and is suitable as a foie gras alternative food material. Also, by further performing heating after the oil confit process, the cohesiveness of the food can be increased, so it becomes easier to solidify, and a texture closer to that of animal liver after heating can be reproduced.

[0073] According to the method for manufacturing an oil confit food provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, manufacturing can be achieved at a relatively low cost and with high-volume production, solving the problems of high cost and unethical breeding in the production of animal liver ingredients. Moreover, since the manufacturing is carried out using a plant-based substrate, options can be provided to vegetarian consumers, which is in line with the rules of low-carbon food development and contributes to achieving the goal of environmental carbon reduction.

[0074] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure and their advantages have been disclosed as described above, it should be understood that those with ordinary knowledge in the relevant technical field can naturally make changes, substitutions, and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, each claim constitutes an individual embodiment, and the protection scope of the present disclosure also includes the combination of each claim and embodiment. The protection scope of the present disclosure is based on that defined in the appended claims.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0075] Step S101 Step S103 Step S105 Step S107 Step S109

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an oil confit food, comprising: inoculating a Rhizopus sp strain into a plant substrate and allowing fermentation to proceed to form a fermented food; immersing the fermented food in cooking oil to perform an oil confit process to form an oil confit food; wherein the ratio of the fermented food to the total of the fermented food and the cooking oil is 30 to 70% by weight, and the process time of the oil confit process is 5 to 48 days. A method for manufacturing an oil confit food.

2. The method for manufacturing an oil confit food according to claim 1, wherein the plant substrate includes nuts, leguminous plants, or a combination thereof.

3. The method for manufacturing an oil confit food according to claim 1, wherein the Rhizopus sp strain includes at least one of Rhizopus microspores, Rhizopus microspores var. oligosporus, Rhizopus microspores var. chinensis, Rhizopus oryzae, Rhizopus stolonifer, and Rhizopus azygospours.

4. The method for manufacturing an oil confit food according to claim 3, wherein the Rhizopus sp strain is at least one selected from the strains consisting of Rhizopus microspores strain with deposit number BCRC 930226, deposit numbers BCRCBCRC 31631, deposit number BCRC 31750, deposit number BCRC 31996, deposit number BCRC 31997, deposit number BCRC 32600, deposit number BCRC 33956, deposit number BCRC 33957 of Rhizopus microspores var. oligosporus, deposit number BCRC 31630 of Rhizopus microspores var. chinensis, deposit numbers BCRC 31145, BCRC 34550 of Rhizopus oryzae, deposit number BCRC 32002 of Rhizopus stolonifer, and deposit number BCRC 31158 of Rhizopus azygospours.

5. The method for producing an oil confit food according to claim 1, wherein the temperature of the oil confit process is from 0°C to 15°C.

6. The method for producing an oil confit food according to claim 1, further comprising a step of performing a heat treatment on the oil confit food to form a heated oil confit food.

7. An oil confit food produced by using the production method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The oil confit food according to claim 7, wherein the oil confit food has at least one physical property selected from the group consisting of the following conditions. The hardness of the oil confit food is between 4.00 N and 11.00 N, The springiness of the oil confit food is between 0.20 Nm and 0.70 Nm, The chewiness of the oil confit food is between 1.00 N and 4.00 N, The gumminess of the oil confit food is between 2.00 N and 6.50 N, and The cohesiveness of the oil confit food is between 0.40 and 0.

70.

9. Use of an oil confit food produced by the production method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 as a foie gras substitute.

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