Packaged mixed cooked rice and production method of the same

Abstract

To provide a packaged mixed cooked rice containing brown cooked rice retaining deliciousness like that of just-cooked rice even when being cold, and excellent in taste, and to provide a production method of the same.SOLUTION: A packaged mixed cooked rice in which cooked brown rice (hereinafter cooked brown rice) and cooked polished rice (hereinafter cooked polished rice) are filled is such that: the yellowness of the cooked brown rice is 27 or more and 32 or less; and the yellowness of the cooked polished rice is 22 or less. The packaged mixed cooked rice is produced by cooking brown rice to produce cooked brown rice, cooking polished rice to produce cooked polished rice, and filling a package with the cooked polished rice having a cooked rice temperature of 75°C or more and the cooked brown rice.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a container-packed mixed cooked rice and a method for producing the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Brown rice is more nutritious than polished rice, its dietary fiber is good for intestinal health, and its antioxidant components inhibit oxidation in the body and improve immunity. The health benefits of brown rice are widely recognized.

[0003] Toyo Rice Co., Ltd., the applicant, has therefore discovered that the reasons why brown rice is not tasty to eat these days are that 1) brown rice has a waxy, waterproof layer on the surface of the grain that prevents it from easily germinating as a plant seed, which prevents it from absorbing water and preventing it from swelling when cooked (causing the rice grains to crack rather than stretch, and significantly worsening the taste), and 2) even if efforts are made to scratch or remove the waxy layer, if the bran layer is peeled off unevenly, the rice will not swell straight like polished rice when cooked (causing the rice grains to crack rather than stretch, or leaving a thick layer of unpalatable bran behind, significantly worsening the taste). Toyo Rice Co., Ltd. has developed rice that does not have the waxy layer that covered the surface of brown rice, has a bran layer that is not peeled off unevenly across the entire surface of the brown rice grain, contains at least 1.7 g of remaining dietary fiber per 100 g, and has a yield rate of at least 97% (excluding rice with all of the pericarp removed) (Patent Document 1). The nutritional value of this rice is almost the same as that of regular cooked brown rice, but the taste is significantly improved and it is more digestible. Furthermore, since it can be cooked under the same conditions as polished rice (no need for prolonged soaking in water, no need for pressure cooking, etc.), it has been highly praised by consumers among brown rice products since its launch. Furthermore, with the recent rise in health consciousness, the number of consumers adopting a brown rice diet is increasing. However, the number of consumers who eat brown rice is still small compared to consumers who prefer polished rice (polished rice). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6850526 specification Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present inventors have been conducting research on brown rice in order to contribute to consumer health by popularizing the consumption of brown rice. As a result, they have found that, compared to ordinary surface-treated brown rice, the rice developed by the present applicant has a glossy and sticky surface when cooked, and has the "stickiness" (also called a sticky concentrated film or water-retaining film), which is said to be a factor in the deliciousness of cooked rice, so it has the excellent characteristic of being able to be eaten in the same way as polished rice. However, when this brown rice is stored in a rice cooker or airtight container, the taste of all brown rice deteriorates significantly more quickly than that of polished rice, which deteriorates little over time or with a drop in temperature. Therefore, even brown rice made from the above-mentioned rice varieties, which have excellent taste, has difficulty maintaining the taste of freshly cooked rice, and by the time the brown rice is eaten by the consumer, the taste has deteriorated compared to when it was freshly cooked. This has been found to be one of the reasons why many consumers who incorporate brown rice into their meals return to polished rice, or prefer polished rice to brown rice. Furthermore, with lifestyles becoming more diverse and families rarely eating together, it is no exaggeration to say that there are fewer opportunities to eat freshly cooked rice these days. When eating out, people often keep their rice warm in a rice cooker, and many eat boxed lunches purchased at convenience stores, supermarkets, department stores, boxed lunch shops, train stations, airports, etc. It was thought that consumers were looking for brown rice that remains tasty even after it has aged or cooled down.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a packaged mixed cooked rice having excellent taste, including brown rice that maintains the deliciousness of freshly cooked rice even after time has passed or the rice has cooled, and a method for producing the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] After extensive research, the inventors have found that freshly cooked brown rice, in which the wax layer has been removed and the rice grain surface has been processed without unevenly peeling the bran layer, has a fluffy texture, and the rice grain surface is covered with a fresh, sticky layer similar to that of polished rice, making it very delicious.However, when the cooked rice is then kept warm at a temperature of approximately 60°C to 75°C, which is the temperature at which rice cookers are kept warm, over time the rice releases moisture from the surface, causing it to dry out and become hard and dry.The steam evaporated from the cooked rice contains not only moisture but also the sticky components that are the true essence of the deliciousness of cooked rice, and this is released together with the moisture, resulting in a deterioration in taste.Furthermore, they have found that the taste of brown rice deteriorates rapidly as moisture evaporates when the cooked rice is heated to high temperatures, but that the deterioration in taste is gradual after the rice has cooled to room temperature. Further investigation revealed that compared to polished rice, brown rice contains less sticky component in the steam emitted, and that polished rice has an abundant amount of sticky material formed on the surface of the rice grains, so even if a small amount of sticky material solidifies, it is covered by the remaining abundant sticky material, and consumers hardly notice any deterioration in taste over time or as the temperature drops, whereas brown rice only has a small amount of sticky material formed on the surface of the rice grains. Based on these findings, it is thought that with brown rice, even a small amount of sticky material solidifying can cause consumers to notice a deterioration in taste. Based on the above, in order to prevent deterioration in the taste of brown rice, the inventors have found that storing cooked brown rice in a container together with cooked polished rice prevents evaporation of moisture from the brown rice, and since the water vapor that evaporates from polished rice contains a large amount of sticky components, transferring the sticky components released from polished rice to the brown rice not only prevents deterioration in the taste of the brown rice, but also maintains the deliciousness of freshly cooked rice, thereby completing the present invention.

[0008] That is, the first aspect of the present invention is A container-packed mixed rice containing cooked brown rice (hereinafter referred to as brown rice) and cooked polished rice (hereinafter referred to as polished rice), The yellowness of the brown rice is 27 or more and 32 or less, The yellowness of the polished cooked rice is 22 or less. This invention relates to a packaged mixed cooked rice characterized by the above.

[0009] In the container-packed mixed cooked rice, brown rice and polished rice may be stacked one on top of the other, brown rice and polished rice may be arranged next to each other in a block, or brown rice and polished rice may be mixed together.

[0010] In the container-packed mixed cooked rice, brown rice and polished rice may be sealed in a container after being cooked.

[0011] In the container-packed mixed cooked rice, the content of brown rice in the mixed cooked rice may be 70% by weight or less.

[0012] In the container-packed mixed cooked rice, the brown rice may be rice in which at least a part of the wax layer on the surface of the brown rice is missing, all or most of the inner bran layer including the pericarp remains, and the bran layer is not evenly peeled off over the entire surface of the brown rice grain.

[0013] In the container-packed mixed cooked rice, the brown rice may be rice that has no wax layer on the surface of the brown rice, the bran layer is not evenly peeled off over the entire surface of the brown rice grain, contains 1.7 g or more of remaining dietary fiber per 100 g, and is finished with a yield rate of 97% or more (excluding rice from which all the pericarp has been removed).

[0014] In the container-packed mixed cooked rice, the polished rice may be one or more types selected from the group consisting of polished rice, germ rice, polished rice polished to 50% or more, and rice in which the bottom part of the aleurone layer or the part below the boundary between the aleurone layer and the subaleurone layer remains.

[0015] In the container-packed mixed cooked rice, the container may be made of one or more materials selected from the group consisting of plastic, paper, and natural materials.

[0016] In addition, a second aspect of the present invention is A process of cooking brown rice to prepare cooked brown rice; A process of cooking polished rice to prepare polished cooked rice; A step of sealing the polished cooked rice having a cooked rice temperature of 75°C or higher and the brown cooked rice in a container. and The present invention relates to a method for producing containerized mixed cooked rice, characterized in that the brown rice has a yellowness index of 27 to 32, and the polished rice has a yellowness index of 22 or less. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] The containerized mixed cooked rice of the present invention contains brown rice, making it highly nutritious, and since this brown rice maintains its freshly cooked flavor even after cooling after cooking, it can be eaten more deliciously together with polished rice than conventional brown rice. Therefore, for example, by using the containerized mixed cooked rice of the present invention to keep the rice warm in a rice cooker at a restaurant or in a lunch box provided at a convenience store, supermarket, department store, lunch box specialty store, train station, airport, etc., it is possible to popularize brown rice consumption and improve the health of consumers. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the appearance of mixed cooked rice 1 in a container. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of mixed cooked rice 1 in a container, in which brown rice 6 is stacked on top of polished rice 7 on the bottom. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of mixed cooked rice 1 in a container, in which brown rice 6 is stacked on top of polished rice 7. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a container-packed mixed cooked rice 1 in which brown rice 6 and polished rice 7 are arranged side by side. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a container-packed mixed cooked rice 1 in which brown rice 6 and polished rice 7 are mixed together. [Figure 6] 1 is a graph showing the results of measuring the absorbance of water vapor emitted from brown rice and polished rice, performed in Example 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] The containerized mixed cooked rice of the present invention is a containerized mixed cooked rice containing cooked brown rice (hereinafter referred to as brown rice) and cooked polished rice (hereinafter referred to as polished rice), characterized in that the yellowness index of the brown rice is 27 or more and 32 or less, and the yellowness index of the polished rice is 22 or less.

[0020] In the present invention, the "container" may be any container that has a structure that can prevent the diffusion of part or all of the water vapor generated from cooked rice, and examples thereof include a container with a lid. The container with lid may be a type in which the container body and the lid are separate, or a folding lid container type in which the lid is joined to the container body. The lid may or may not be interlocking. The lid may be provided with a slit or the like as an air vent.

[0021] FIG. 1 shows an example of an embodiment of the container-packed mixed cooked rice 1 of the present invention. In FIG. 1, mixed cooked rice 2 is filled into a container body 4 of a container 3, and a lid 5 is placed on the container body 3, so that the water vapor generated from the mixed cooked rice 2 remains within the container 3 and is prevented from diffusing. The container 3 that can be used in the present invention is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 1, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.

[0022] The material of the container 3 is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include plastic, paper, and natural materials. Examples of the plastic include polystyrene resins, polypropylene resins, polyethylene terephthalate resins, polyvinyl chloride resins, and resins containing fillers such as talc. These resins may be foamed or aluminum-deposited. They may also be biodegradable plastics, recycled plastics, or plastics derived from biological materials (biomass plastics). The natural materials are naturally occurring non-plastic materials such as sugarcane, reeds, kenaf, bamboo, wood, rice husks, etc. Paper that has been subjected to a Harvil process or that has been waterproofed by laminating (sticking) a sealable polyethylene film or the like may also be used. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, in a container 3 in which the container body 4 and the lid 5 are separate, the container body 4 and the lid 5 may be made of different materials. The container 3 may be made of a material that is a combination of two or more of plastic, paper, and natural materials.

[0023] In the present invention, "brown rice" refers to cooked brown rice (cooked brown rice) having a yellowness index in the range of 27 or more and 32 or less.

[0024] In the present invention, the "yellowness index" of cooked rice can be measured using a commercially available measuring instrument such as a spectrophotometer or colorimeter. Examples of such measuring instruments include the SE7700 spectrophotometer / colorimeter manufactured by Nippon Denshoku Industries Co., Ltd., which complies with JIS Z-8722. The higher the yellowness index value, the more yellow the rice is, and the lower the value, the whiter the rice is.

[0025] In the present invention, rice may be cooked by any known method, and there are no particular limitations.

[0026] The brown rice may be surface-treated brown rice. Surface-treated brown rice includes various types of brown rice depending on the type of surface treatment applied, such as brown rice from which at least a portion of the wax layer on the surface has been removed and from which all or most of the inner bran layer, including the pericarp, remains. Rice that is free of at least a portion of the wax layer on the surface, has all or most of the bran layer including the pericarp remaining inside, and in addition, has the bran layer not evenly peeled off over the entire surface of the brown rice grain is preferred because the brown rice grains tend to absorb water from around them and expand in the same way as polished rice during cooking, and the shape of the cooked rice is likely to be similar to that of polished rice.

[0027] As described in Patent Document 1, brown rice that has no waxy layer on the surface, the bran layer is not evenly peeled off over the entire surface of the brown rice grain, contains 1.7 g or more of remaining dietary fiber per 100 g, and has a yield rate of 97% or more (excluding rice with all the pericarp removed) is preferred because it contains the most nutrients found in brown rice and the cooked rice has an excellent taste. Examples of such brown rice include the "Golden Germ Wax Cut Brown Rice" series manufactured by Toyo Rice Co., Ltd.

[0028] In the present invention, "polished rice" refers to rice that has been cooked from polished rice and has a yellowness index of 22 or less (polished cooked rice). The yellowness and cooking conditions may be the same as those for cooked brown rice.

[0029] Examples of the polished rice include polished rice, germ rice, polished rice polished to 50% or more, and rice in which the bottom part of the aleurone layer or the part below the boundary between the aleurone layer and the subaleurone layer remains. The polished rice may be one of the above types of rice or a mixture of two or more types of rice.

[0030] The relationship between the type of polished rice and the yellowness of cooked rice made from that polished rice cannot be generally determined; it depends on the state of the polished rice. For example, the yellowness of polished cooked rice is around 8 to 15, and the yellowness increases as the amount of bran and germ remaining on the surface of the rice increases. The yellowness of cooked rice made from polished rice that has been polished to 50% or more, or rice in which the bottom part of the aleurone layer or the part below the boundary between the aleurone layer and the sub-aleurone layer remains, is in the range of 15 to 22.

[0031] In the containerized mixed cooked rice of the present invention, the brown rice and polished rice may be mixed in any state as long as the steam released from the polished rice can come into contact with the brown rice. For example, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the brown rice 6 and the polished rice 7 are stacked on top of each other, as shown in Figure 4, the brown rice 6 and the polished rice 7 are arranged side by side in a block, or as shown in Figure 5, the brown rice 6 and the polished rice 7 are mixed together, so that the steam released from the polished rice 7 remains in the container 3 and easily comes into contact with the brown rice 6, thereby efficiently suppressing changes in the taste of the brown rice 6 (deterioration of the taste).

[0032] In the container-packed mixed cooked rice 1 of the present invention, the enclosed brown rice 6 has a yellowness index of 27 or more and 32 or less, and the polished rice 7 has a yellowness index of 22 or less. The yellowness index of the brown rice cooked rice 6 is 27 or more and 32 or less, so that it is more nutritious than the polished rice cooked rice 7. Compared to the brown rice cooked rice 6, in which the bran layer remains thick and almost no "stickiness" is formed on the surface of the rice grains, the endosperm floats to the surface of the rice grains, and although less "stickiness" is formed than in the polished rice cooked rice 7, the "stickiness" components contained in the steam are easily transferred to the cooked rice. On the other hand, the yellowness index of the polished rice 7 is 22 or less, so that the stickiness formed on the surface of the rice grains is abundant and the "stickiness" components are easily evaporated along with the steam. The yellowness can be measured by sampling rice grains of brown rice 6 or polished rice 7 from the mixed cooked rice and measuring the yellowness with a measuring device capable of measuring a predetermined yellowness.

[0033] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, when brown rice 6 and polished rice 7 are stacked on top of each other, the vertical position of the brown rice 6 relative to the polished rice 7 is not particularly limited. As shown in FIG. 4, when the brown rice cooked rice 6 and the polished rice cooked rice 7 are arranged next to each other in a block, the brown rice cooked rice 6 and the polished rice cooked rice 7 may be in contact with each other, or may not be in contact with each other, although this is not shown. As shown in FIG. 5, the mixed state of brown rice 6 and polished rice 7 can be achieved by stirring cooked brown rice 6 and cooked polished rice 7 together. In other words, it is sufficient that the brown rice 6 is in contact with the water vapor evaporated from the polished rice 7. Furthermore, the mixed cooked rice 2 in the container 3 may be in a state in which two or more of the above states are combined.

[0034] In the containerized mixed cooked rice 1 of the present invention, the brown rice 6 and the polished rice 7 are sealed in the container 3 after cooking, and since the steam evaporating from the polished rice 7 contains a large amount of sticky components, the sticky components released from the polished rice 7 are transferred to the brown rice 6, which not only prevents the deterioration of the taste of the brown rice 6 but also maintains the deliciousness of freshly cooked rice (water-retaining film (stickiness)). While the same effect can be obtained by keeping the brown rice 6 and the polished rice 6 warm together in a rice cooker after cooking, sealing the brown rice 6 and the polished rice 7 in the container 3 is more preferable as it also prevents moisture from evaporating from the brown rice 6. The term "sealed" means that the brown rice 6 and the polished rice 7 are placed in the container 3 in a state where water vapor from the polished rice 7 does not diffuse, and specifically refers to a state where the container body 4 containing the brown rice 6 and the polished rice 7 is covered with a lid 5.

[0035] In the mixed cooked rice 2, the taste of the brown rice 6 can be measured using an AI-equipped taste sensor "Leo" (manufactured by OISSY Inc.) as described in the Examples below. For example, the taste of the cooked rice being measured can be evaluated by comparing it with the taste of freshly cooked cooked rice. The condition of freshly cooked rice can be measured using the taste measurement system "Toyo Taste Meter MA-30AM" (manufactured by Toyo Rice Co., Ltd.), which can measure the water-retaining film (stickiness) on the surface of cooked rice. For example, it can be seen that the taste measurement system capable of measuring taste has a water-retaining film similar to that of freshly cooked rice.

[0036] There are no particular limitations on the amounts of brown rice 6 and polished rice 7 in the container-packed mixed rice 1 of the present invention, but from the viewpoint of easily suppressing changes in the taste of the brown rice 6, it is preferable that the brown rice 6 account for 70% by weight or less of the total amount of the brown rice 6 and the polished rice 7, and more preferably 60% by weight or less.

[0037] As a method for producing the container-packed mixed cooked rice 1 of the present invention as described above, A step of cooking brown rice to prepare brown rice cooked rice 6; A step of cooking the polished rice to produce polished cooked rice 7; A step of sealing the polished cooked rice 7 having a cooked rice temperature of 75°C or higher and the brown cooked rice 6 in a container 3. The method includes the following.

[0038] The method for cooking brown rice and polished rice may be any known method, for example, by heating (including pressurizing) with a predetermined amount of water using a commercially available rice cooker or a commercial gas rice cooker, but is not particularly limited. The cooked brown rice 6 has a yellowness index of 27 or more and 32 or less. As the polished cooked rice 7 after cooking, rice having a yellowness index of 22 or less is used.

[0039] Furthermore, the polished cooked rice 7 sealed in the container 3 has a temperature of 75°C or higher. If the cooked rice temperature is 75°C or higher, steam is released from the cooked rice, and the sticky components of the polished cooked rice 7 are transferred to the brown rice cooked rice 6 through this steam, thereby suppressing changes in the taste of the brown rice cooked rice 6. The cooked rice temperature can be measured near the center of the lump of cooked rice using a thermometer after the mixed cooked rice 2 is transferred from the rice cooker to the container body 4 and before the lid 5 of the container 3 is placed on it.

[0040] Mixed rice, in which brown rice and polished rice are mixed before cooking, is known, but when this mixed rice is cooked, the brown rice and polished rice have different water absorption properties, and the amount of water required for cooking differs, so the cooked mixed rice does not taste good. For example, if the water content is increased to match the brown rice, the highly water-absorbent polished rice will absorb more water than necessary before the brown rice does, resulting in a mixed rice mixture of soggy polished rice and undercooked brown rice that has absorbed enough water and is hard, with little expansion or stickiness.On the other hand, if the water content is adjusted to match the polished rice, the cooked polished rice will be a mixture of brown rice that is harder, with less expansion and stickiness, and undercooked brown rice with a core.

[0041] The brown rice 6 to be sealed in the container 3 is preferably freshly cooked rice, but it is sufficient if the brown rice 6 is sealed in the container 3 together with the polished rice 7 before the temperature of the brown rice 6 drops to the keeping-warm temperature of the rice cooker.

[0042] The sealing can be achieved by covering the container body 4 of the container 3 with the lid 5. If the lid 5 has a fittable feature, the lid 5 and the container body 4 can be fixed by the fit. If the lid 5 does not have a fittable feature, the lid 5 and the container body 4 may be fixed by, for example, a string, a rubber band, or the like, or the lid may simply be placed on the container body 4.

[0043] The container-packed mixed cooked rice 1 obtained as described above is a mixed cooked rice with excellent taste, in that the brown rice maintains the deliciousness of freshly cooked rice even when cooled, and has a taste comparable to that of conventional polished rice, while having higher nutritional value than polished rice. Furthermore, compared to conventional brown rice, it maintains its deliciousness even when cooled, so it can be used, for example, in the same way as conventional polished rice, for serving cooked rice in restaurants or in boxed lunches sold at convenience stores, supermarkets, department stores, boxed lunch specialty stores, train stations, airports, etc. [Example]

[0044] Example 1 The brown rice used was "Raw Cut Brown Rice" (manufactured by Toyo Rice Co., Ltd.), and the polished rice used was "Kinmemai" (manufactured by Toyo Rice Co., Ltd.). Next, using an Iris Ohyama Inc. rice cooker "RC-MF15," one cup of brown rice was measured using the measuring cup provided, and 1.5 to 2 cups of water was added using the same measuring cup (rice:water = 1:1.5 to 2 by volume (1.8 to 2.4 times by weight)). The rice was soaked for one hour before being cooked, and one cup of polished rice was measured using the measuring cup, and water was added up to the scale line on the inner pot (approximately 1.7 times the weight of water compared to the weight of rice). The rice was soaked for one hour before being cooked. Freshly cooked brown rice is "Sample 1A" Brown rice cooked in a rice cooker for 60 minutes and kept warm (approximately 75°C) was used as "Sample 2A." Freshly cooked brown rice was placed in an airtight container (a polypropylene container with a lid) and stored for 60 minutes as "Sample 3A"; Freshly cooked brown rice and freshly cooked polished rice were placed side by side in a sealed container with some of the rice touching each other (rice temperature 91°C), sealed, and stored for 60 minutes. This was designated "Sample 4A." The weight ratio of brown rice to polished rice was 1:1.

[0045] For each sample (Sample 4A used cooked brown rice), the taste was evaluated using the AI-equipped taste sensor "Leo" (manufactured by OISSY Inc.) for sweetness, saltiness, sourness, bitterness, umami, and richness. The results are shown in Table 1. It is said that 95% of people can recognize the difference in taste when the taste values ​​measured by the AI-equipped taste sensor differ by 0.2, and about 60% can recognize the difference when the values ​​differ by 0.1.

[0046] [Table 1]

[0047] The results shown in Table 1 show that compared to freshly cooked brown rice (Sample 1A), the brown rice that had been kept warm (Sample 2A) had a difference of 0.2 or more in sweetness and richness, and a difference of 0.1 or more in umami, indicating significant differences in sweetness, umami, and richness. Furthermore, compared to brown rice that had been kept warm (sample 2A), brown rice sealed in a sealed container (sample 3A) had sweetness, umami, and richness values ​​that were close to those of freshly cooked brown rice (sample 1A), but the differences in sweetness, umami, and richness were more than 0.1, meaning there were significant differences in sweetness, umami, and richness. In contrast, the brown rice in the sealed container mixed rice (Sample 4A) showed no significant differences in taste in terms of sweetness, saltiness, sourness, bitterness, umami, or richness compared to freshly cooked brown rice (Sample 1A), indicating that the brown rice maintained the same deliciousness as freshly cooked rice. Furthermore, when comparing each of the tastes (sweetness, umami, richness, etc.) with sample 1A (freshly cooked), sample 3A has a difference of more than 0.1 (approximately 60% of people can recognize the difference in taste), while sample 4A has a difference of less than 0.1. This suggests that the state of the water-retaining film (stickiness) on the surface of the cooked rice is different between the two.

[0048] For Sample 4A, the yellowness of the brown rice and polished rice after 60 minutes of storage was measured using a spectrophotometer / colorimeter SE7700 manufactured by Nippon Denshoku Industries Co., Ltd. in accordance with JIS Z-8722. The yellowness index of brown rice was 31.7, and that of polished rice was 16.8.

[0049] Example 2 "Raw-cut brown rice" (manufactured by Toyo Rice Co., Ltd.) was prepared as brown rice, and "Kinmemai" (manufactured by Toyo Rice Co., Ltd.) was prepared as polished rice. The brown rice and polished rice were cooked in the same manner as in Example 1. Freshly cooked polished rice is "Sample 1B"; Sample 2B is made by keeping the polished rice warm (about 75°C) in a rice cooker for 60 minutes. Sample 3B is made by sealing freshly cooked polished rice in an airtight container (a polypropylene container with a lid) and storing it for 60 minutes. Freshly cooked brown rice and freshly cooked polished rice were placed side by side in a sealed container with some of the rice touching each other (rice temperature 91°C), sealed, and stored for 60 minutes. This was "Sample 4B" (the product of the present invention). The weight ratio of brown rice to polished rice was 1:1.

[0050] For each sample obtained (Sample 4B used polished cooked rice), the taste was evaluated for sweetness, saltiness, sourness, bitterness, umami, and richness using the AI-equipped taste sensor "Leo" (manufactured by OISSY Co., Ltd.). The results are shown in Table 2.

[0051] [Table 2]

[0052] The results shown in Table 2 show that compared to freshly cooked polished rice (Sample 1B), there was no significant difference in taste between the polished rice that had been kept warm (Sample 2B), the polished rice that had been sealed in a sealed container (Sample 3A), and the polished rice in the mixed rice that had been sealed in a sealed container (Sample 4B), and it was found that the polished rice maintained the same deliciousness as freshly cooked rice. In addition, in Sample 4B, the yellowness index of the brown rice cooked rice after 60 minutes of storage was 31.8, and the yellowness index of the polished rice cooked rice was 16.4.

[0053] The results of Examples 1 and 2 show that the brown rice and polished rice contained in the mixed cooked rice sealed in the container both maintained the freshly cooked deliciousness even after 60 minutes of storage, and had excellent eating quality.

[0054] Example 3 "Raw-cut brown rice" (manufactured by Toyo Rice Co., Ltd.) was prepared as brown rice, and "Kinmemai" (manufactured by Toyo Rice Co., Ltd.) was prepared as polished rice. The brown rice and polished rice were cooked in the same manner as in Example 1. Brown rice and polished rice were placed in the same sealed container as Sample 4A in Example 1, but in different ways as described below, and then sealed and stored for a predetermined period of time. The cooked rice was immediately after cooking, as with Sample 4A in Example 1, and the cooked rice temperature was 89°C. The predetermined period of time was the time when the cooked rice temperature had returned to room temperature and was stored (1 hour later), and then 3 hours after it had been stored in that state. (Sample 1C) As shown in FIG. 4, cooked brown rice 6 and cooked polished rice 7 were placed side by side, sealed, and then stored for 1 hour. Brown rice 6: Polished rice 7 (weight ratio) = 1:1 (5:5) (Sample 2C) As shown in FIG. 4, cooked brown rice 6 and polished rice 7 were placed side by side, sealed, and then stored for 3 hours. Brown rice 6: Polished rice 7 (weight ratio) = 1:1 (5:5) (Sample 3C) As shown in FIG. 3, the cooked brown rice 6 was placed on the bottom and the polished cooked rice 7 was placed on top, sealed, and then stored for 1 hour. Brown rice 6: Polished rice 7 (weight ratio) = 1:1 (5:5) (Sample 4C) As shown in FIG. 3, the cooked brown rice 6 was placed on the bottom and the polished cooked rice 7 was placed on top, sealed, and then stored for 3 hours. Brown rice 6: Polished rice 7 (weight ratio) = 1:1 (5:5) (Sample 5C) As shown in FIG. 2, the cooked brown rice 6 was placed on top of the cooked polished rice 7, and the resulting mixture was sealed and stored for 1 hour. Brown rice 6: Polished rice 7 (weight ratio) = 1:1 (5:5) (Sample 6C) As shown in FIG. 2, the containers were stacked with brown rice 6 on top and polished rice 7 on the bottom, sealed, and then stored for 3 hours. Brown rice 6: Polished rice 7 (weight ratio) = 1:1 (5:5) (Sample 7C) As shown in FIG. 4, cooked brown rice 6 and cooked polished rice 7 were placed side by side, sealed, and then stored for 1 hour. Brown rice 6: Polished rice 7 (weight ratio) = 3:2 (6:4) (Sample 8C) As shown in FIG. 4, cooked brown rice 6 and polished rice 7 were placed side by side, sealed, and then stored for 3 hours. Brown rice 6: Polished rice 7 (weight ratio) = 3:2 (6:4) (Sample 9C) As shown in FIG. 4, cooked brown rice 6 and cooked polished rice 7 were placed side by side, sealed, and then stored for 1 hour. Brown rice 6: Polished rice 7 (weight ratio) = 7:3 (Sample 10C) As shown in FIG. 4, cooked brown rice 6 and polished rice 7 were placed side by side, sealed, and then stored for 3 hours. Brown rice 6: Polished rice 7 (weight ratio) = 7:3 (Sample 11C) As shown in FIG. 4, cooked brown rice 6 and cooked polished rice 7 were placed side by side, sealed, and then stored for 1 hour. Brown rice 6: Polished rice 7 (weight ratio) = 4:1 (8:2) (Sample 12C) As shown in FIG. 4, cooked brown rice 6 and polished rice 7 were placed side by side, sealed, and then stored for 3 hours. Brown rice 6: Polished rice 7 (weight ratio) = 4:1 (8:2)

[0055] (Sample 13C) Commercially available brown rice was prepared and cooked in the same brown rice state as in Example 1 to obtain untreated cooked brown rice.

[0056] (Sample 14C) Only cooked brown rice was placed in a sealed container and stored for 1 hour.

[0057] (Sample 15C) Cooked brown rice was stored in a rice cooker for 1 hour.

[0058] The brown rice or untreated brown rice in each sample was examined to see if its taste could be measured using a taste measurement system, "Toyo Taste Meter MA-30AM" (manufactured by Toyo Rice Co., Ltd.). The measurement conditions were as specified in the attached manual. The results are shown in Table 3. Measurable results are indicated by "◯" and unmeasurable results by "×".

[0059] [Table 3]

[0060] The results in Table 3 show that in mixed rice products (Samples 1C to 8C) in which brown rice and polished rice are sealed in a container, the grains of brown rice can be measured by the taste measurement system regardless of the position of the brown rice and polished rice, and therefore the brown rice is in the same condition as freshly cooked. Also, in mixed rice products (Samples 9C to 12C) in which brown rice and polished rice are sealed in a container, the grains of brown rice can be measured by the taste measurement system when the ratio of brown rice to polished rice is 7:3, but cannot be measured by the taste measurement system when the ratio is 8:2, indicating that there is a boundary between measurability and non-measurability at a brown rice to polished rice ratio of 7:3. On the other hand, untreated cooked brown rice (sample 13C), cooked brown rice alone sealed in a sealed container and stored for one hour (sample 14C), and cooked brown rice stored in a rice cooker for one hour (sample 15C) were all in a state that could not be measured by the taste measurement system, indicating that all of the cooked rice was different from the state of freshly cooked rice. This shows that although the change in the state of the water-retaining film (stickiness) is significant until the cooked rice cools to room temperature, the change in the state of the water-retaining film (stickiness) after cooling to room temperature is gradual. Also, when the proportion of polished cooked rice decreases, the amount of water vapor containing the "stickiness" component that evaporates from the polished cooked rice that can come into contact with brown rice decreases, and it can be seen that the effect of maintaining the taste of brown rice cannot be obtained.

[0061] Example 4 The water vapor emitted from the brown rice and polished rice obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 was collected, and the turbidity and absorbance were measured. Specifically, after the rice has been cooked in a rice cooker, the lid of the rice cooker is opened and a funnel with a tube connected to a collection container (e.g., a centrifuge tube) is placed over the inner pot (which contains the cooked rice) to collect the water vapor that evaporates from the rice (water vapor that is hotter than the ambient temperature condenses inside the tube or collection container and is collected as a liquid in the collection container). The method is not limited to this, and any method that can recover water vapor evaporated from cooked rice will do. For example, freshly cooked rice can be placed on the plate (base) of a desiccator with a plate (base) (such as a container like the "240GA" vacuum polycarbonate desiccator manufactured by AS ONE Corporation) with the inner pot (containing cooked rice) removed from the rice cooker and left with the lid on until the water vapor evaporated from the cooked rice has almost completely disappeared. The generated water vapor cools and liquefies, and the collected water vapor can be recovered. Alternatively, a sheet can be placed on the plate (base) to prevent rice grains from spilling to the bottom of the container, and the cooked rice can be transferred directly onto the plate (base). The generated water vapor can be cooled and liquefied, and the collected water vapor can be recovered. The liquid water vapor evaporated from the recovered cooked rice can then be measured. The turbidity was measured using a turbidity meter "WA-6000T" (manufactured by Nippon Denshoku Industries Co., Ltd.) in a glass cell with an optical path length of 20 mm. The absorbance was measured using a double beam spectrophotometer "UH5300" (manufactured by Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation) in the wavelength range of 220 nm to 800 nm.

[0062] As a result, the absorbance (turbidity) of the water vapor emitted from the polished cooked rice was 18.0, The absorbance (turbidity) of the water vapor emitted from cooked brown rice is 5.6 It was. The absorbance in the wavelength range of 220 nm to 800 nm was as shown in Figure 6. The upper solid line shows the water vapor emitted from polished cooked rice, and the lower solid line shows the water vapor emitted from brown cooked rice. The water vapor emitted from polished cooked rice has a higher absorbance in the wavelength range of 240nm to 800nm ​​than the water vapor emitted from brown rice, which indicates that various substances are dissolved in the water vapor emitted from polished cooked rice. Therefore, since the components contained in the steam emitted from polished cooked rice are greater than the components contained in the steam emitted from brown rice, it is thought that there are more sticky components in the steam emitted from polished brown rice than in the steam emitted from brown rice.

[0063] Example 5 The same brown rice and polished rice as in Example 1 were prepared and mixed together, and then cooked in the same manner as in Example 1 to obtain mixed cooked rice (Sample 1D). The cooked brown rice in Sample 4A of Example 1 and the cooked brown rice in Sample 1D were taken out, and the length of the rice grains was measured with a vernier caliper. Regarding the length, 24 randomly sampled rice grains were measured, and the two shortest and two longest grains were removed, and the average length of the remaining 20 grains was calculated.

[0064] As a result, the average length of the brown rice grains in sample 4A was 8.5 mm or more, while the average length of the brown rice grains in sample 1D was shorter than 8.5 mm, showing a significant difference in length. Therefore, it was found that when mixed rice in which brown rice and polished rice were mixed in advance was cooked, the cooked brown rice was not cooked sufficiently. If the grain length of brown rice is shorter than 8.5 mm, the taste tends to be different from fully cooked brown rice with grain length of 8.5 mm or more. Furthermore, the brown color of the brown rice grains in Sample 1D was noticeable to the naked eye, suggesting that a thick bran layer remained. When actually eaten, the rice had the texture of bran skin, with residue remaining in the mouth, making it unpleasant to eat and giving the feeling that the rice was stuck in the throat. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 1. Packaged mixed rice 2 mixed rice 3 containers 4 Container body 5 Lid 6. Brown rice 7 Polished rice

Claims

1. A container-packed mixed rice product containing cooked brown rice (hereinafter referred to as brown rice) and cooked polished rice (hereinafter referred to as polished rice), The yellowness of the brown rice is 27 or more and 32 or less, The yellowness of the polished cooked rice is 22 or less. A packaged mixed cooked rice characterized by the above.

2. 2. The container-packed mixed cooked rice according to claim 1, wherein the brown rice and the polished rice are stacked, the brown rice and the polished rice are arranged next to each other in a block, or the brown rice and the polished rice are mixed together.

3. The container-packed mixed cooked rice according to claim 1 or 2, wherein brown rice and polished rice are sealed in a container after cooking.

4. The container-packed mixed cooked rice according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the content of brown rice in the mixed cooked rice is 70% by weight or less.

5. 3. The container-packed mixed cooked rice according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the brown rice is rice in which at least a portion of the wax layer on the surface of the brown rice is missing, all or most of the bran layer including the inner pericarp remains, and the bran layer is not evenly peeled off over the entire surface of the brown rice grain.

6. 3. The container-packed mixed cooked rice according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the brown rice has no wax layer on the surface of the brown rice, the bran layer is not evenly peeled off over the entire surface of the brown rice grain, contains 1.7 g or more of remaining dietary fiber per 100 g, and is finished with a yield rate of 97% or more (excluding rice from which all the pericarp has been removed).

7. 3. The container-packed mixed cooked rice according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the polished rice is one or more types selected from the group consisting of germ rice, rice polished to 50% or more, and rice in which the bottom part of the aleurone layer or the part below the boundary between the aleurone layer and the subaleurone layer remains.

8. The container-packed mixed cooked rice according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the container is made of one or more materials selected from the group consisting of plastic, paper, and natural materials.

9. A process of cooking brown rice to prepare cooked brown rice; A process of cooking polished rice to prepare polished cooked rice; A step of sealing the polished cooked rice having a cooked rice temperature of 75°C or higher and the brown cooked rice in a container. and The method for producing containerized mixed cooked rice, characterized in that the yellowness index of the brown rice is 27 to 32, and the yellowness index of the polished rice is 22 or less.

Images