Smoked chocolate and producing method thereof

Abstract

To provide a smoked chocolate capable of increasing a smoking ingredient concentration and a producing method thereof, smoked room temperature solid oil used therein and a producing method thereof.SOLUTION: A method for producing smoking room-temperature solid fat according to one aspect of the present invention comprises the steps of heating and melting room-temperature solid fat to obtain melted room-temperature solid fat, and smoking the melted room-temperature solid fat by a liquid smoking method to obtain smoked room-temperature solid fat. Further, a method for producing smoked chocolate according to another aspect of the present invention comprises the steps of heating and melting the main ingredient and the smoked room-temperature solid fat to mix them and obtain melted smoked chocolate, and cooling the melted smoked chocolate to solidify it.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a smoked chocolate and a method for producing the same, and further to a smoked fat that is solid at room temperature and a method for producing the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Chocolate is produced using cacao components such as cacao mass and cocoa powder, milk powder such as whole milk powder, skim milk powder and whey powder, and sugars such as sugar, lactose, maltose and fructose as main ingredients, and further adding fats and oils that are solid at room temperature such as cocoa butter.

[0003] Smoked chocolate, which is chocolate containing smoked ingredients, is more palatable, and many types of smoked chocolate have been produced and attempts have been made to produce them. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a technique relating to white chocolate containing smoked ingredients and a method for producing the same. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3661270 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] As mentioned above, one method for incorporating a smoked ingredient into chocolate is to bring smoke, which is a smoked ingredient, into contact with the chocolate itself. More specifically, this is done by the so-called cold smoking method or hot smoking method (including a method of applying an electric charge to smoke particles).

[0006] On the other hand, when the object of smoking is chocolate, the temperature must be kept low enough so that the chocolate does not melt, which limits the flexibility of the smoking temperature. Furthermore, because the smoking is superficial, the smoke aroma is weak and it is difficult to fixate the aroma. Specifically, with the cold smoking method described above, the chocolate ingredients generally melt and lose their shape when the temperature exceeds 30°C, so only cold smoking methods below 30°C can impart a smoke aroma. Furthermore, the smoke only comes into contact with the surface of the chocolate ingredients, preventing the smoked ingredients from reaching the interior, resulting in an uneven taste. Furthermore, when processes such as tempering and molding are performed to resolve this, the smoke aroma weakens. Another issue is that it is difficult to adjust the smoke aroma, i.e., the smoked ingredients.

[0007] In view of the above, the present invention aims to provide a smoked chocolate in which the concentration of smoked components can be adjusted to a high level, a method for producing the same, and a smoked fat that is solid at room temperature and can be used for the same, and a method for producing the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In the course of investigating the above-mentioned problems, the present inventors discovered that smoked fats that are solid at room temperature (meaning fats that can remain solid at room temperature and can be easily melted by heat; a specific definition will be given later) such as fats that are solid at room temperature are heated and melted, and then brought into contact with smoke in a liquid smoking method in the melted state to produce smoked fats that are solid at room temperature; further, they discovered that by using this, chocolate that has a significantly stronger smoked flavor (smoked chocolate) can be produced compared to when the chocolate is smoked after production, and that the strength of the smoked aroma can be adjusted, which led to the completion of the present invention.

[0009] That is, a method for producing smoked oil / fat that is solid at room temperature according to one aspect of the present invention includes a step of heating and melting oil / fat that is solid at room temperature to obtain melted oil / fat, and a step of smoking the melted oil / fat that is solid at room temperature by a liquid smoking method to obtain smoked oil / fat that is solid at room temperature.

[0010] Furthermore, a smoked oil or fat that is solid at room temperature according to another aspect of the present invention is produced by smoking the oil or fat in a dissolved state by a liquid smoking method.

[0011] A smoked chocolate according to another aspect of the present invention contains a main ingredient and a smoked room-temperature solid fat.

[0012] Furthermore, a method for producing smoked chocolate according to another aspect of the present invention includes a step of heating, melting, and mixing a main ingredient and a smoked room-temperature solid oil / fat to produce molten smoked chocolate, and a step of cooling and solidifying the molten smoked chocolate. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] As described above, the present invention provides a smoked chocolate capable of adjusting the concentration of smoked components to a high level, a method for producing the same, and a smoked room-temperature solid fat and oil used therein and a method for producing the same. In particular, the smoked chocolate provided by the present invention not only has a very strong smoky aroma, but also has a very high palatability and is very delicious. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a liquid smoking device used in an embodiment. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention can be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the specific examples mentioned in the following embodiments and examples.

[0016] (Smoked chocolate) The smoked chocolate according to this embodiment (hereinafter referred to as "the present smoked chocolate") contains a main ingredient and a smoked room-temperature solid fat.

[0017] Furthermore, the method for producing the present smoked chocolate is not limited as long as it has the above configuration, but it includes (S2-1) a step of heating, melting, and mixing the main ingredient and the smoked room-temperature solid oil / fat to produce molten smoked chocolate, and (S2-2) a step of cooling and solidifying the molten smoked chocolate.

[0018] As is clear from the above description, the present smoked chocolate is prepared by first producing a smoked fat that is solid at room temperature, and then mixing the smoked fat with other main ingredients, thereby making it possible to adjust the concentration of the smoked component to be uniform and high throughout the chocolate. As will be clear from the description below, the smoked fat that is solid at room temperature can be produced in a molten state using a liquid smoking method, and is therefore not subject to the limitation of the above-mentioned known technology, such as the need to maintain a temperature low enough to prevent the chocolate from melting. Rather, because the fat is smoked efficiently in a molten state, it is possible to incorporate a much higher concentration of the smoked component than conventional methods, and by using smoked ingredients to be kneaded with the main ingredients, it is possible to uniformly distribute the smoked component throughout the chocolate.

[0019] The definition of "chocolate" in this smoked chocolate may differ depending on the legal provisions of each country, but in this specification it is limited to including the main ingredient and smoked solid fat. Here, in this specification, "main ingredient" refers to ingredients other than smoked solid fat that are generally necessary for consumers to recognize it as chocolate. However, the exclusion of smoked solid fat from the main ingredients does not mean that smoked solid fat is not the main ingredient in chocolate, but is simply a literal distinction made to make it easier to distinguish between smoked solid fat and other ingredients when explaining this smoked chocolate. Note that unsmoked solid fat is interpreted as being included in the main ingredients.

[0020] As mentioned above, the "main ingredient" here refers to an ingredient required for something to be generally recognized as chocolate, and examples thereof include, but are not limited to, cacao components such as cocoa mass and cocoa powder, milk powders such as whole milk powder, skim milk powder, and whey powder, sugars such as sugar, lactose, maltose, and fructose, and flavorings such as vanilla and herb extracts. Also, as mentioned above, smoked fats and oils that are solid at room temperature are excluded, but non-smoked fats and oils that are solid at room temperature are included in the main ingredients. The fats and oils that are solid at room temperature are as follows:

[0021] In the present smoked chocolate, the term "oils and fats solid at room temperature" refers to oils and fats that can maintain a solid state at room temperature (specifically, about 20°C) and that have a hardness sufficient to allow the chocolate to maintain its shape even when kneaded into the chocolate. It is also important that the oils and fats solid at room temperature can be melted by heating. Being fluid, preferably liquid, in the melted state allows for the application of liquid smoking methods and allows for a high smoked component content. Specific examples of oils and fats solid at room temperature include, but are not limited to, cocoa butter, typically, and in some cases, vegetable oils such as palm oil and coconut oil. Cocoa butter is particularly preferred because it has sufficient hardness in the solid state, providing excellent snap properties, while quickly melting once the temperature in the mouth exceeds a certain level, resulting in a smooth mouthfeel. While soybean oil, rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, and the like are generally not included in this category because they are liquid at room temperature, they can become solid at room temperature if they are processed (hardened, interesterified, fractionated, etc.) to a degree that allows them to maintain a solid state at room temperature. Animal fats and oils can also be included in the above-mentioned oils and fats that are solid at room temperature, but from the standpoint of hardness in the solid state and smoothness in the melted state, vegetable fats and oils are still more suitable as oils and fats that are solid at room temperature.

[0022] Furthermore, "smoked fat" refers to a smoked fat that is solid at room temperature, and is an important element in the present smoked chocolate. By using a smoked fat that is solid at room temperature, smoked chocolate can be easily produced by simply dissolving it with other ingredients. In particular, by increasing the amount of smoked components contained in the smoked fat, smoked chocolate with a strong smoky aroma can be produced, and by adjusting the amount of smoked components in this smoked fat, smoked chocolate with the desired amount of smoked components can be produced.

[0023] Furthermore, the smoked oil / fat that is solid at room temperature can be produced by, but is not limited to, the steps of (S1-1) heating and melting oil / fat that is solid at room temperature to obtain melted oil / fat, and (S1-2) smoking the melted oil / fat that is solid at room temperature by a liquid smoking method to obtain smoked oil / fat that is solid at room temperature, as long as it has the above-mentioned characteristics.

[0024] As described above, the present smoked chocolate is produced by first producing a smoked fat that is solid at room temperature, and then using the smoked fat that is solid at room temperature and a main ingredient to produce the smoked chocolate. The following description will follow this process.

[0025] First, to produce smoked fat, a step (S1-1) is carried out in which fat that is solid at room temperature is heated and melted to form a melted fat that is solid at room temperature. This step allows the fat that is solid at room temperature to be converted into a highly fluid fluid, specifically a liquid, which is then smoked in the next step. Because fats that are solid at room temperature are solid at room temperature (specifically, about 20°C), it is preferable to set the temperature at room temperature or higher. The melting temperature can be adjusted appropriately depending on the melting temperature of the fat that is solid at room temperature. More specifically, using cocoa butter as an example, the melting point of fats that are solid at room temperature is generally 33.8°C. However, they tend to melt rapidly at temperatures above 26°C, while they may deteriorate at temperatures above 60°C. Therefore, when the fat that is solid at room temperature is cocoa butter, the melting temperature is preferably between 25°C and 60°C, and more preferably between 34°C and 45°C.

[0026] Furthermore, in order to produce smoked fat that is solid at room temperature, the step (S1-2) of smoking the melted fat that is solid at room temperature by a liquid smoking method to obtain smoked fat that is solid at room temperature is important. In this step, it is preferable to adjust the amount of smoked ingredients relative to the fat that is solid at room temperature, taking into consideration the amount of smoked ingredients to be contained in the smoked chocolate. Specifically, it is preferable to consider the amount of smoked ingredients to be contained in the total amount of smoked chocolate, and to include that amount of smoked ingredients in the fat that is solid at room temperature. This adjustment is easy because this step involves smoking a liquid fat that is solid at room temperature.

[0027] The "liquid smoking method" refers to a method of smoking a liquid oil or fat that is solid at room temperature after being heated and melted, but is not limited thereto. Specifically, for example, as shown in the method described in Japanese Patent No. 4783463, it is not limited to the method as long as it is capable of supplying air containing smoke to a liquid oil or fat that is solid at room temperature by bubbles or the like and bringing it into contact with the liquid oil or fat. To explain the patented technology in more detail, for example, it is preferable to use a liquid smoking device 1 shown in FIG. 1, which specifically includes: (A) a flexible smoke supply pipe 3 connected to the smoke supply port 21 of a lid 2 having a smoke supply port 21 and a smoke exhaust port 22; (B) a smoke chamber 4 having a large number of minute smoke holes 41 connected to the smoke supply pipe 3; (C) a storage container 5 filled with a liquid oil or fat L that has been heated and melted at room temperature; (D) a back side (storage container side) of the lid 2; a packing 6 is placed in the storage container 5, and the packing 6 is used to combine the lid 2 and the storage container 5 to form a closed space; (E) smoking material S is placed in the smoking chamber 7 and burned, and smoke is supplied from the smoke chamber 4 to the storage container 5 via the smoke supply pipe 3, while the air in the storage container 5 is exhausted from the smoke exhaust port 22 through the smoke exhaust pipe 8, and the smoke is supplied to the smoke supply port 21 of the lid 2, and microbubbles of smoke are ejected from the numerous micro-diameter smoke holes 41 in the smoke chamber 4 into the liquid room-temperature solid oil L, thereby fumigating the oil. Note that in the above method, the step (C) of introducing the room-temperature solid oil L that has been heated and turned into a liquid state into the storage container 5 may be replaced by introducing the room-temperature solid oil L that is solid at room temperature and then heating the storage container 5 itself to dissolve the room-temperature solid oil.

[0028] In this step, it is preferable to generate smoke during smoking, and a smoking material is generally used to generate this smoke. The smoking material is not limited to, but is preferably, for example, wood chips. Examples of wood chips that can be used include, but are not limited to, cherry chips, cypress chips, apple chips, beech chips, oak chips, walnut chips, hickory chips, whiskey oak chips, and maple chips. In addition to the above, chocolate raw material chips made from chocolate raw materials such as cocoa shells and vanilla bell clusters are also preferred as smoking materials.

[0029] The smoked oil-and-fat that is solid at room temperature produced in this step may be transferred to the next step of producing the present smoked chocolate in its melted state, or may be left to cool to room temperature to become a solid smoked oil-and-fat that is solid at room temperature.

[0030] As described above, the method for producing the smoked chocolate also includes the step (S2-1) of heating, melting, and mixing the main ingredient and the smoked solid fat at room temperature to produce a melted smoked chocolate. By using the smoked solid fat as a raw material, the initial raw material can already contain the smoked component, and the smoked chocolate can be produced without being smoked after it has been formed into chocolate. The amount of the smoked component can be adjusted taking into account the amount of the main ingredient.

[0031] In this step, the type and amount of the main ingredient, as well as the ratio of these to the smoked solid at room temperature fat, can be adjusted as appropriate and are not limited, but for example, if a smooth texture is desired, the smoked solid at room temperature fat should preferably be 5% by weight or more, preferably 10% by weight or more, and more preferably 20% by weight or more, when the total weight of the smoked chocolate is 100% by weight, although even a small amount can allow the smoked chocolate to contain sufficient smoked ingredients. Also, if it is determined that the smoked ingredients in the smoked solid at room temperature fat are too high, the amount of smoked solid at room temperature fat can be reduced while adding an appropriate amount of unsmoked solid fat to achieve a balanced amount.

[0032] In this step, the temperature for heating and melting is not particularly limited as long as it is equal to or higher than the temperature at which the above-mentioned room-temperature solid oil and fat and the main ingredient are melted, as in the case of the above-mentioned room-temperature solid oil and fat. In addition, the heating method may be a direct application of heat, or may be a physical stirring of the main ingredient and the smoked room-temperature solid oil and fat, and heating may be performed by frictional heat generated by this stirring.

[0033] The method for producing smoked chocolate also includes a step (S2-2) of cooling and solidifying the melted smoked chocolate. This step is necessary to solidify the melted smoked chocolate into the solid chocolate that is normally distributed as a product. This step itself does not require the supply of cold heat, but rather may involve leaving the chocolate as is to cool it down to room temperature. However, it is preferable to pour the melted smoked chocolate into a mold or the like and mold it. This results in a smoked chocolate that is also aesthetically pleasing. In the process of cooling and solidifying the chocolate, it is preferable to perform so-called tempering, in which the temperature is lowered once, then raised again, and then further cooled to solidify it.

[0034] As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide a smoked chocolate capable of adjusting the concentration of smoked components to a high level, a method for manufacturing the same, and a smoked fat that is solid at room temperature and is used therein, and a method for manufacturing the same. In particular, the smoked chocolate of the present embodiment is able to impart a uniform and sufficient smoky aroma to the inside because it is mixed with melted smoked fat that is solid at room temperature. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, because a single raw material is smoked, it is easy to adjust the smoky aroma, and the smoky aroma can be quantified by the amount of liquid contained, making it easy to adjust the strength of the smoky aroma.

[0035] Another method involves introducing smoke generated by burning wooden chips in a smoke generator onto the top surface of chocolate being conched in a conche, bringing the chocolate ingredients into contact with the smoke. However, because the smoke can only come into contact with the top surface of the chocolate, most of the smoke does not come into contact with the chocolate, resulting in a weak smoky aroma in the chocolate and making it difficult to quantify the amount of smoke. [Example]

[0036] Here, smoked fats and oils that are solid at room temperature and smoked chocolates were actually produced to confirm the effects of the present invention.

[0037] (Smoked cocoa butter) First, cocoa butter, which is a room-temperature solid fat, was placed in a heating tank and heated in a water bath until the temperature of the cocoa butter reached 45° C. Although the cocoa butter was liquefied in this example by a water bath, the heating method is not limited to or is not restricted to any particular method, and liquefaction may also be achieved by heating using an open flame, an electric heater, or electromagnetic waves.

[0038] Next, the product was smoked for approximately 40 minutes using the liquid smoking technique described in Patent No. 4783463. Specifically, (A) a flexible smoke pipe was connected to the smoke pipe of a lid equipped with a smoke inlet and a smoke exhaust port, and a smoke chamber equipped with numerous minute smoke holes was connected to the smoke pipe. (B) The smoke chamber was placed in a container. (C) Liquid cocoa butter was heated and poured into the container. (D) A gasket was placed on the back side (container side) of the lid, and the lid and container were combined using the gasket to form a closed space. (E) Air was evacuated from the container through the smoke exhaust port, and smoke was supplied to the smoke inlet of the lid, causing the liquid cocoa butter to emit smoke in the form of minute bubbles from the numerous minute smoke holes in the smoke chamber. The wood chips used to generate the smoke were cherry wood chips. Although liquid smoking is described as the liquid smoking technology of Patent No. 4783463, this does not mean that the liquid smoking technology is limited or restricted to this. Also, although the chips used to generate smoke are cherry chips, the smoking material used to generate smoke is not limited or restricted to wood chips.

[0039] As a result, smoked cocoa butter was obtained. The cocoa butter was smoked, and sensory testing confirmed that it was thoroughly smoked.

[0040] Furthermore, to objectively measure the smoking process, the smoked cocoa butter was analyzed using gas chromatography. This analysis identified and observed three retention times that significantly change with smoking, and confirmed the overall smoke aroma by quantifying it (peak intensity observation). While quantifying the smoke aroma using a device is extremely important for stable production, sensory testing using multiple panelists (verifiers) is also acceptable. The gas chromatography conditions used in the examples, as well as the three retention times and their peak values, are shown below.

[0041] (Gas chromatography conditions) Manufacturer: GL Sciences Inc. Model: GC4000plus Data processing software: OpenLAB CDS EZ Chrom Edition GC-4000 conditions Column: InertCap Pure-WAX (0.25mm x 30m.df = 0.25μm) Column temperature: 40°C (5 min) - 5°C / min - 250°C (13 min) Inlet temperature: 250℃ Injection port pressure: He 80kPa Split ratio: Splitless Insert: Splitless Detector: FID Detector temperature: 260℃ Range: 10~0 Hydrogen flow rate: 35 mL / min Air flow rate: 250mL / min Make-up flow rate: N2 30mL / min

[0042] (observed retention time) (1) 15.5 min Peak intensity: 13,000 μVolts (2) 18.1 min Peak intensity: 5000 μVolts (3) 20.4 min Peak intensity: 30,000 μVolts

[0043] The results of the above experiments confirmed that smoked cocoa butter with a very strong smoky aroma can be produced. Specifically, while the retention time cannot be observed with unsmoked cocoa butter, the retention time was clearly observed with the smoked cocoa butter of this example, with a peak intensity of approximately 5000 μVolts, confirming that the cocoa butter was sufficiently smoked.

[0044] (Smoked chocolate) Next, 10% of the melted smoked cocoa butter and 60% of the melted cocoa mass were mixed, and 30% of the sugar was gradually added to produce a melted chocolate, which was then cooled to room temperature to obtain solidified smoked chocolate. The smoked cocoa butter used for this smoked chocolate was also subjected to gas chromatography in the same manner as above, and peaks at the same retention times were confirmed. The smoked aroma of the finished smoked chocolate was also sufficiently strong, and sensory testing confirmed that it was sufficiently smoked.

[0045] As described above, the effects of the present invention were confirmed. [Industrial Applicability]

[0046] The present invention has industrial applicability as a smoked chocolate and a method for producing the same, and further as a smoked room-temperature solid fat and a method for producing the same.

Claims

1. A step of heating and melting the oil or fat that is solid at room temperature to obtain a melted oil or fat that is solid at room temperature; A method for producing smoked room-temperature solid oil, comprising a step of smoking the dissolved room-temperature solid oil by a liquid smoking method to obtain smoked room-temperature solid oil.

2. Smoked oil that is solid at room temperature and produced by smoking it in a molten state using the liquid smoking method.

3. Smoked chocolate containing a main ingredient and smoked room temperature solid fat.

4. A step of heating and melting the main raw material and the smoked room temperature solid fat and oil and mixing them to obtain melted smoked chocolate; A method for producing smoked chocolate, comprising the step of cooling and solidifying the melted smoked chocolate.

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