Freeze-dried shio-koji and shio-koji-containing seasoning

Abstract

To provide solid freeze-dried Shio-koji that retains a firm, chewy texture and the distinctive taste of Shio-koji.SOLUTION: Freeze-dried Shio-koji, obtained by blending dietary fiber into Shio-koji, containing the dietary fiber, with a post-freeze-drying salt content of 38 mass% or less and a dietary fiber content of 1.7 mass% to 9.0 mass%, exhibits suppressed foaming and expansion during freeze-drying, resulting in a solid product with a firm, chewy texture. Furthermore, when crushed, it resists powdering and forms granules, allowing it to be sprinkled directly onto food or mixed with seasoning components or edible oils to produce a Shio-koji-containing seasoning with freeze-dried Shio-koji that retains a firm, chewy texture.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to freeze-dried salted koji and a seasoning containing freeze-dried salted koji.

[0002] Shio koji is a cloudy, thick, porridge-like condiment made by mixing rice koji, salt, and water and saccharifying the rice koji with the enzymes contained in the rice koji. It is a versatile condiment characterized by a complex flavor with a good balance of umami, sweetness, and saltiness. It can be applied thinly to the entire surface of ingredients before cooking, or rubbed into or soaked in. In addition to the sweetness and umami of the shio koji itself, the enzymes contained in it break down ingredients, bringing out their unique flavors.

[0003] Since shio koji is a fluid seasoning with a high water content, reducing the salt concentration can reduce its shelf life, so Patent Document 1 describes powdered shio koji, which is produced by drying and pulverizing shio koji. Commercially available powdered shio koji, like fluid shio koji, is used for pre-treating food ingredients, such as sprinkling it all over meat. On the other hand, in addition to powdered soy sauce and granular soy sauce, freeze-dried soy sauce (Patent Documents 2 and 3), which is produced by mixing soy sauce and soy sauce moromi with excipients and freeze-drying the mixture, is known as a seasoning with a crispy texture. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-106598 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-17424 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 5864580 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] To provide freeze-dried salt koji having a new texture that can be eaten as it is by converting salt koji, which is used as a fluid seasoning or powder seasoning, into a solid seasoning that is not in a powder form. Another object of the present invention is to provide a salt koji-containing seasoning that retains the flavor and texture of freeze-dried salt koji as is. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The inventors discovered that freeze-dried salted koji that is inhibited from foaming and swelling during freeze-drying can be obtained by blending a predetermined amount of dietary fiber with salted koji raw material, the salt content of which has been adjusted so that the salt content after freeze-drying is a predetermined mass % or less, and then freeze-drying the mixture, thereby completing the present invention.

[0007] The present invention relates to the freeze-dried salted koji described in the following (1) to (3), or the salted koji-containing seasoning described in (4) or (5). (1) Freeze-dried salt koji characterized in that the salt content after freeze-drying is 38% by mass or less and the dietary fiber content is 1.7% by mass or more and 9.0% by mass or less. (2) The freeze-dried salt koji according to (1) above, having a salt content of 24% by mass or more after freeze-drying. (3) The freeze-dried salt koji according to (1) or (2) above, containing an excipient. (4) A powdered and / or granular salt koji-containing seasoning containing the freeze-dried salt koji and seasoning ingredients described in (1) or (2) above. (5) A salt koji-containing seasoning containing the freeze-dried salt koji described in (1) or (2) above and edible oil. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The freeze-dried salted koji of the present invention has a chewy texture when eaten, while retaining the flavor of the salted koji itself, because foaming and swelling during freeze-drying is suppressed and brittleness is reduced. While foamed and swollen freeze-dried products tend to turn into powder when crushed, the freeze-dried product of the present invention is less likely to turn into powder when crushed and remains in a granular form, so that granular freeze-dried salted koji that has a chewy texture when eaten can be obtained by crushing. In this way, the solid salt koji has a chewy texture and the flavor of salt koji itself, and the granules obtained by crushing it can be sprinkled on various dishes, allowing salt koji to be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Furthermore, by mixing it with seasoning ingredients and edible oil, a salt koji-containing seasoning containing freeze-dried salt koji that maintains its chewy texture can be produced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] This figure shows the relationship between salt concentration, dietary fiber concentration, and processing suitability (foaming) for the freeze-dried shio-koji of the Examples, test plots 1 to 39. The vertical axis is salt concentration (% by mass), and the horizontal axis is dietary fiber concentration (% by mass). Processing suitability is plotted with ● for no foaming, ▲ for slight foaming, and × for foaming. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The present invention relates to a solid freeze-dried salted koji obtained by freeze-drying (lyophilizing) salted koji, which has a chewy texture and the flavor of salted koji itself. In the present invention, "%" means "% by mass" even if the unit is not specified, and "to" between numerical values ​​means a value that includes the numerical values ​​before and after it, and means a value that is equal to or greater than the preceding numerical value and equal to or less than the following numerical value.

[0011] Shio koji is produced by fermenting and maturing a mixture of rice koji, salt, and water while stirring appropriately. The rice koji used to make shio koji can be made using a conventional rice koji manufacturing method or commercially available. For example, seed koji is sprinkled on steamed rice and cultured at 25-40°C for 2-4 days to allow the koji mold to grow. The rice used to produce rice koji is not particularly limited, and the seed koji is also not particularly limited as long as it is one that is commonly used in koji production. Examples include Aspergillus species such as Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus sojae. Preferred koji molds are those that have a high ability to produce starch and protein-digesting enzymes.

[0012] Shio koji is produced, for example, by adding and mixing 20 to 50 parts by mass of salt per 100 parts by mass of rice koji, adding and mixing 100 to 200 parts by mass of water or hot water, and fermenting the mixture preferably for about 7 to 14 days at about 25° C. Mixing once a day during fermentation ensures uniform fermentation and produces shio koji with a good flavor. Shio koji can be easily made at home. For example, rice koji and about 30-40% by weight of salt are placed in a container, and water is added so that the rice koji is completely submerged. The mixture is then left to mature and ferment at room temperature. By stirring the mixture about once a day during the maturation process, it will be ready in about a week to 10 days. Once completed, it can be stored in the refrigerator for several months. Alternatively, a simpler method is to ferment the mixture at about 55-60°C for 6-12 hours using a yogurt maker, which will also produce shio koji.

[0013] The salted koji used in the present invention is selected from raw salted koji so that the salt content of the freeze-dried salted koji after freeze-drying is 38% by mass or less, or the salt content is adjusted to suit the requirements. A predetermined amount of dietary fiber is added to such salted koji, and salt and water are added as necessary, followed by freeze-drying, to produce a solid freeze-dried salted koji that has a chewy texture and the flavor of salted koji itself.

[0014] The salt content of the freeze-dried salted koji of the present invention is 38% by mass or less, preferably 36% by mass or less, and preferably 24% by mass or more. If the salt content after freeze-drying exceeds 38% by mass, the addition of dietary fiber will not suppress foaming and swelling during freeze-drying, and a chewy texture will not be obtained. Furthermore, if the salt content after freeze-drying is less than 24% by mass, the original flavor and umami of the salted koji may be weakened depending on the amount of dietary fiber added.

[0015] The dietary fiber content of the freeze-dried salted koji of the present invention is 1.7% by mass or more and 9.0% by mass or less. If the dietary fiber content after freeze-drying is less than 1.7% by mass, foaming and swelling during freeze-drying is not sufficiently suppressed, making the tissue brittle and making it difficult to obtain freeze-dried salted koji with a chewy texture. On the other hand, if the dietary fiber content after freeze-drying exceeds 9.0% by mass, foaming is likely to occur during freeze-drying and the original flavor and umami of the salted koji will be weakened.

[0016] Dietary fiber in the present invention means carbohydrates that are not digested or are difficult to digest by human digestive enzymes. The dietary fiber may be derived from shio koji or may be any of water-soluble dietary fiber, insoluble dietary fiber, or a combination thereof, as a raw material for freeze-dried shio koji. Examples of water-soluble dietary fiber include indigestible dextrin, pectin, guar gum, guar gum hydrolyzate, agarose, glucomannan, polydextrose, alginic acid and its salts, β-glucan, inulin, carrageenan, fucoidan, and derivatives thereof. Examples of insoluble dietary fiber include insoluble glucomannan, chitin, chitosan, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, agar, and the like.

[0017] The freeze-dried shio koji of the present invention may also contain an excipient to ensure freeze-drying. Examples of excipients that can be used include, but are not limited to, various starches, dextrins, and gelatins. The use of an excipient imparts viscosity to the shio koji mixture before freeze-drying, making it easier to fill into a freeze-drying container. When viscous dietary fiber is used, freeze-drying can be performed without using an excipient or with a small amount of an excipient. Furthermore, while an excipient can reduce the dietary fiber content, using a large amount of excipient reduces the flavor of the solid freeze-dried shio koji. Therefore, the content of excipient after freeze-drying is preferably 25% by mass or less, and the use of an excipient further reinforces the solid state of the freeze-dried shio koji.

[0018] The freeze-dried shio koji of the present invention is a solid seasoning in which the umami components contained in shio koji are attached to dietary fiber and excipients, and contains 5% or less water by mass, has a chewy texture, and is convenient for long-term storage and transport. It retains the flavor and umami inherent to shio koji and can be eaten as is or used as a seasoning for various dishes, or it can be crushed to a specified particle size to form granules depending on the intended use.

[0019] The freeze-dried salted koji of the present invention may also be a freeze-dried mixture of salted koji, dietary fiber, excipients, and seasonings such as sugar, salt, vinegar, miso, monosodium glutamate, monosodium inosinate, etc. This allows for the production of freeze-dried salted koji with a flavor suited to the intended use.

[0020] The method for producing freeze-dried shio koji is similar to the conventional method of freeze-drying a mixture of ingredients. Freeze-drying is also called freeze-drying, and involves rapidly freezing the mixture at around -40°C, then reducing the pressure and sublimating the water in a vacuum to dry it.

[0021] The freeze-dried shio koji of the present invention is produced by mixing shio koji and dietary fiber to form a mixture, and then freeze-drying the mixture. For example, the shio koji, dietary fiber, and excipients are placed in a container and mixed uniformly. If necessary, the above-mentioned seasonings may be added and mixed. The mixed mixture is heated if necessary, and then freeze-dried. There are no limitations on the equipment used for freeze-drying or the production conditions. The freeze-dried shio koji of the present invention is produced by freeze-drying the mixture until the water content is, for example, about 5% by mass or less. Thereafter, if necessary, the mixture can be crushed to a predetermined size or used as an ingredient in other seasonings or foods.

[0022] When the freeze-dried salted koji is crushed into granules of a predetermined particle size depending on the intended use, from the viewpoint of enjoying the texture of the freeze-dried salted koji itself, the particle size of the freeze-dried salted koji is preferably, for example, 840 μm or more in opening size, and preferably 8 mm or less. By using such particle sizes, the freeze-dried salted koji can be made to have an even more chewy texture. Note that if the particle size of the freeze-dried salted koji is larger than 8 mm, the particles may be too large and the texture may be poor, and if it is less than 840 μm, the texture may be rough. A general crusher can be used as the crusher.

[0023] In this case, the freeze-dried shio koji obtained by crushing is placed on a mesh sieve with openings of 840 μm or 8 mm and vibrated. Freeze-dried shio koji that passes through the 8 mm opening sieve is called "8 mm or less" or "8 mm pass," while freeze-dried shio koji that does not pass through the 8 mm opening sieve and remains on the sieve is called "8 mm or more" or "8 mm on." Alternatively, the crushed freeze-dried shio-koji can be placed on mesh sieves with openings of 350 μm, 840 μm, or 1.7 mm, vibrated, and then classified by particle size into particles that pass through each sieve and particles that do not pass through. For example, with 350 μm pass, 350 μm and 840 μm pass, 840 μm and 1.7 mm pass, and 1.7 mm pass, particle sizes of 30.7 mass% (hereinafter "mass%" is omitted), 19.5, 10.8, 39.0, and 22.5, 13.2, 8.2, and 56.2% are obtained.

[0024] The solid freeze-dried salted koji of the present invention obtained in this way has the umami components contained in salted koji attached to the dietary fiber and excipients, contains less than 5% water by mass, has a chewy texture, and is convenient for long-term storage and transport. This freeze-dried salted koji retains the flavor and umami inherent to salted koji and can be used as a salt substitute as is, so it can be eaten as is or used as a seasoning in various dishes. Furthermore, the freeze-dried salted koji can be mixed with edible oil to produce a liquid salted koji-containing seasoning.

[0025] The liquid salt-koji-containing seasoning of the present invention is prepared by adding the granular freeze-dried salt-koji of the present invention to edible oil, and further adding various ingredients and seasoning components as necessary. The granular freeze-dried salt-koji contained in the salt-koji-containing seasoning of the present invention is preferably 1 to 35% by mass, more preferably 5 to 30% by mass. Even when the freeze-dried salt-koji is mixed with edible oil, the chewy texture of the freeze-dried salt-koji can be maintained. If the granular freeze-dried salt-koji is 40% by mass or more of the salt-koji-containing seasoning, the fluidity of the seasoning is poor, making it difficult to homogeneously mix the granular freeze-dried salt-koji with the various seasoning components described below during production.

[0026] The ingredients are not particularly limited as long as they give the salt-koji-containing seasoning a chewy texture, and examples thereof include nuts, dried vegetables and processed products thereof, dried fruits and processed products thereof, beans, etc. Seasoning ingredients include sugars such as sugar, liquid sugar, glucose, brown sugar, and starch syrup, soy sauce, salt, miso paste, brewed vinegar, spices, yeast extract, meat, seafood, vegetable, or fruit extracts and seasonings, alcoholic seasonings such as mirin, sake, wine, and ethanol, and citrus juices such as yuzu and kabosu, but are not limited to these, and various seasoning ingredients can be blended depending on the salt-koji-containing seasoning.

[0027] The edible oil used in the present invention is an edible oil that is liquid at room temperature. Examples of edible oils that can be used include vegetable oils such as rice oil, cottonseed oil, corn germ oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil, peanut oil, soybean oil, and rapeseed oil, as well as salad oils made from these vegetable oils. Flavored oils obtained by transferring flavor components and pigments contained in spices and aromatic vegetables to vegetable oils can also be used. Only one of these edible oils can be selected, or a mixture of two or more of them can be used.

[0028] Furthermore, the liquid salt-koji-containing seasoning of the present invention may contain water, preferably 5% by mass or less. When no water is added to the salt-koji-containing seasoning, the freeze-dried salt-koji has a crunchy and relatively heavy texture. When water is added to the salt-koji-containing seasoning, the freeze-dried salt-koji absorbs the water and appears to dissolve slightly. Adding water in this way changes the properties of the freeze-dried salt-koji, thereby changing its texture.

[0029] The freeze-dried salted koji of the present invention can be used as a substitute for salt as it is, and when sprinkled on lettuce instead of salt, the granules that maintain a chewy texture remain on top of the ingredients, giving a strong salty taste only in those areas, so the taste is not unsatisfying and as a result, salt can be reduced. The salt content of the freeze-dried salted koji obtained in the examples is 24% or more and 38% or less.

[0030] The powdered and / or granular salt-koji-containing seasoning of the present invention contains freeze-dried salt-koji and seasoning ingredients. The seasoning ingredients include powdered and granular types of the seasoning ingredients described above, such as fried garlic, fried onion, pepper, dried mixed herbs, etc., and are mixed to produce a powdered and / or granular freeze-dried salt-koji-containing seasoning (seasoning condiment, etc.). In this case, the content of freeze-dried salt-koji is not particularly specified. [Example]

[0031] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. In the examples, "%" simply means "% by mass."

[0032] [Study on the optimum dietary fiber content and salt content after freeze-drying] The "salt koji" used in the examples was the commercially available product "Plus Koji Nama Shio Koji" (Marukome Co., Ltd.). Because there is a risk that the enzymes contained in the salt koji may decompose starch, the enzymes were inactivated by heating to 80°C. The inactivated salt koji was mixed with salt, dietary fiber (Fibersol 2, indigestible dextrin, Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.), water, and potato starch (Kawahitsu Bussan Co., Ltd.) as an excipient in the amounts shown in Table 1 below. After heating to 80°C and homogenizing, the mixture was poured into a plastic tray and completely frozen at -40°C. The atmosphere was then reduced to 0.1 Torr, and the contents were heated on a shelf to a degree that prevented them from dissolving, followed by thorough freeze-drying.

[0033] [Table 1]

[0034] The freeze-dried product was observed to assess its suitability for processing. Products that showed almost no expansion in volume and had a chewy texture and the flavor of salted koji when crushed and eaten were classified as "non-foaming." Products that showed a slight expansion in volume but had the same chewy texture and flavor of salted koji when crushed and eaten were classified as "slightly foaming." Products that showed a large expansion in volume with bubbles expanding were classified as "foaming." The salt and dietary fiber concentrations of each test group were also calculated. A summary is shown in Table 2.

[0035] [Table 2]

[0036] The results of Table 2 are shown in Figure 1 as the relationship between salt concentration, dietary fiber concentration, and processing suitability (foaming). The plot is marked with a ● for no foaming, a ▲ for slight foaming, and an × for foaming. These results confirm that good processing suitability can be achieved with a salt concentration of 38% or less and a dietary fiber concentration in the range of 1.7 to 9.0%. After freeze-drying, each test section was crushed and classified to obtain freeze-dried shio koji (840 μm mesh on, 1.7 mm mesh pass). When the "foaming" test sections were eaten, the foaming and swelling during freeze-drying was not sufficiently suppressed, making the tissue brittle and dissolving immediately in the mouth. On the other hand, the "non-foaming" and "slightly foaming" test sections both had a chewy texture and the flavor of shio koji was also noticeable.

[0037] [Consideration of types of dietary fiber] Freeze-dried shio koji was prepared in the same manner as above, but with different types of dietary fiber (Table 3). The cellulose used was manufactured by Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd., the pectin preparation "Homemade Pectin" manufactured by Kyoritsu Foods Co., Ltd., and the guar gum used was manufactured by MP Gokyo Food & Chemical Co., Ltd. Each was designed to have a dietary fiber content of 2% and salt content of 30% when freeze-dried (Table 3). The finished product after freeze-drying was observed to evaluate its suitability for processing. As with test group 12, no foaming was observed in either case, and the suitability for processing was good.

[0038] [Table 3]

[0039] [Investigation of the lower limit of salt content after freeze-drying] The freeze-dried shio koji that showed good results in terms of processing suitability was roughly crushed using a metal tool and passed through an 8mm mesh. The taste of the resulting freeze-dried coarsely crushed material was evaluated. The evaluation criterion was whether the flavor was strong enough to stand out against the ingredients when sprinkled on lettuce (Table 4). The results showed that a salt concentration of 24% or higher produced a strong flavor that was strong enough to stand out against the ingredients.

[0040] [Table 4]

[0041] [Examination of the presence or absence of excipients (starch)] Freeze-dried shio koji was prepared in the same manner as above, but without starch, using different types of dietary fiber (Table 5). Guar gum (test plots 44-47), agar (test plots 48-51), and mannan (test plot 52) ​​were used as dietary fiber, and a test plot was prepared without starch. The guar gum was manufactured by MP Gokyo Food & Chemical Co., Ltd., the agar was manufactured by Ina Food Industry Co., Ltd., and the mannan was manufactured by Shimizu Chemical Co., Ltd. The freeze-dried product was observed to evaluate its suitability for processing. As a result, it was found that even in the test area where starch was not added, freeze-dried salt koji with good processing suitability (non-foaming) could be obtained by keeping the salt and dietary fiber content after freeze-drying within a specified range.

[0042] [Table 5]

[0043] [Seasonings containing salt koji in powdered and / or granular form] A mixture of 85% freeze-dried salt koji (840 μm mesh on, 5.66 mm mesh pass) from test area 12, 5% fried garlic, 5% fried onion, 4% dried mixed herbs, and 1% pepper was prepared and sprinkled on meat, which could be eaten without feeling unsatisfied with the taste.

[0044] [Seasonings containing salted koji] Sterilized 110ml bottles were filled with freeze-dried salt koji (840μm mesh on, 5.66mm mesh pass) from test plot 12 or test plot 44 at 25, 30, and 35% capacity, respectively, with salad oil added to the remaining portion and the jars were then capped to create six salt koji-containing seasonings. These were then stored in a dark place. The seasonings were removed from the bottles on day 0 and after six months of storage and subjected to sensory evaluation. The results confirmed that no moisture absorption or aggregation had occurred in any of the test plots after six months, and that the texture and taste of the freeze-dried salt koji were the same as before storage.

Claims

1. This freeze-dried salt koji is characterized in that the salt content after freeze-drying is 38% by mass or less and the dietary fiber content is 1.7% by mass or more and 9.0% by mass or less.

2. The freeze-dried salt koji according to claim 1, wherein the salt content after freeze-drying is 24% by mass or more.

3. The freeze-dried salt koji according to claim 1 or 2, which contains an excipient.

4. A powdered and / or granular salt-koji-containing seasoning containing the freeze-dried salt-koji according to claim 1 or 2 and a seasoning ingredient.

5. A salt koji-containing seasoning comprising the freeze-dried salt koji according to claim 1 or 2 and edible oil.

Images