Frozen oyster aggregate, cut product of frozen oyster aggregate, fried oyster food, and method for producing fried oyster food

Abstract

To provide, for example, a technology for producing a fried oyster food of a desired size regardless of the size of individual oysters.SOLUTION: The invention includes, for example: a frozen oyster aggregate in which multiple oysters are integrally frozen; a cut product of the frozen oyster aggregate; a fried oyster food containing two or more individual oysters, at least one of which is a cut fragment; and a method for producing a fried oyster food, comprising a freezing step of gathering multiple oysters together and freezing them to form a frozen oyster aggregate, and a cutting step of cutting the frozen oyster aggregate while it remains frozen.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to, for example, frozen oyster masses, frozen oyster mass cuts, fried oyster food products, and methods for producing fried oyster food products. [Background technology]

[0002] Fried oyster foods (oyster fries, oyster tempura, etc.) are particularly popular among fried seafood foods, due to the distinctive flavor and texture of oysters. Generally, a single oyster is processed into a single fried oyster food. However, a technique for obtaining large fried oysters by stacking and frying multiple oysters is also known (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Because oysters become almost immobile once they attach to rocks, they have little muscle, and most of their body is made up of internal organs, which are tissue derived from the mesoderm. Other tissues include the adductor muscle and the mantle, which includes the gills. Oysters are shellfish that are eaten with their internal organs, and much of the distinctive flavor of oysters comes from their internal organs. While this distinctive oyster flavor is widely accepted, there are also consumers who dislike it.

[0004] In addition, oysters vary in size, and excessively large or small oysters may not be suitable for processing into fried oyster foods. In particular, small oysters are not suitable for fried oyster foods and are therefore often processed into oyster extracts, etc. However, in light of the recent rise in raw material costs and weather conditions, which have led to an upward trend in oyster prices, and the growing diversity of consumer preferences, there is a demand for the use of small oysters, which have not traditionally been used in fried oyster foods, in fried oyster foods. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-188178 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present disclosure provides, for example, a technique for producing fried oyster food products of a desired size regardless of the size of the individual oysters. The present disclosure also provides, for example, a technique for producing fried oyster food products that allow the distinctive oyster flavor to be easily perceived as mild. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present disclosure discloses, for example, a frozen oyster aggregate in which multiple oysters are frozen together; cut pieces of a frozen oyster aggregate; a fried oyster food product containing two or more individual oysters, at least one of which is a cut piece; and a method for producing a fried oyster food product that includes a freezing step in which multiple oysters are gathered together and frozen to form a frozen oyster aggregate, and a cutting step in which the frozen oyster aggregate is cut while still frozen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] [Frozen oyster aggregate] A frozen oyster aggregate is a collection of multiple oysters frozen together. Typically, a frozen oyster aggregate is a collection of multiple individual oysters that have been frozen and bound together by some means while still maintaining their respective shapes (i.e., not in a paste or crushed form, but in a form that is recognizable as shucked oysters). Therefore, in this specification, a frozen oyster aggregate does not mean a simple collection (without being bound together) of individually frozen oysters. Note that a frozen oyster aggregate may also be a collection of multiple individual oysters that have been bound together and become a single unit as a result of being frozen.

[0009] Typically, the frozen oyster aggregates are used for fried oyster foods. In this specification, the term "fried oyster foods" generally refers to oysters coated with a batter and deep-fried (fried in oil). In other words, fried oyster foods include, for example, fried oysters and oyster tempura.

[0010] Typically, the frozen oyster aggregates are flat. In this specification, "flat" refers to a shape having two parallel or nearly parallel surfaces. Typically, such a shape makes it easier to obtain uniformly cut pieces, and the shape of the final fried oyster food product tends to be consistent. The frozen oyster aggregates may be rectangular or nearly rectangular. Typically, when the frozen oyster aggregates are rectangular or nearly rectangular, less loss occurs during cutting.

[0011] The thickness of the frozen oyster aggregate, i.e., the distance between the two parallel or nearly parallel surfaces, can be, for example, about the minor axis of a typical oyster conventionally used in fried oyster foods. The thickness of the frozen oyster aggregate may be, for example, within the range of 10 mm to 30 mm, 12 mm to 28 mm, 14 mm to 26 mm, or 16 mm to 24 mm. Typically, if the thickness of the frozen oyster aggregate is within an appropriate range, it will tend to be cut into pieces of a size suitable for fried oyster foods.

[0012] The frozen oyster aggregates of the present disclosure can be cut into blocks and used as a filler for fried foods, allowing for the production of fried oyster foods of any desired size, regardless of the size of the individual oysters. Furthermore, the frozen oyster aggregates of the present disclosure can be used not only with normal-sized oysters, but also with small-sized oysters that have not previously been used in fried oyster foods. When small-sized oysters are used, the size of the internal organs present in one place in the fried oyster food becomes smaller, and the internal organs are dispersed, which tends to result in a milder oyster flavor.

[0013] (oyster) The oyster may be any edible shellfish belonging to the order Ostrea. The oyster may belong to the family Ostrea, or may belong to the genus Ostrea or Crassula, or may belong to the genus Crassula. Typically, the oyster is Crassula gigas or Crassula serrata. More typically, the oyster is Crassula gigas.

[0014] The oysters used may be uncooked or cooked. Typically, uncooked oysters are used. Fresh oysters (so-called raw oysters) may be used, or frozen oysters such as IQF (Individual Quick Frozen) raw materials may be thawed and used. The whole shucked oysters may be used, or shucked oysters cut into pieces may be used.

[0015] The mass of the oysters is not particularly limited. For example, oysters weighing 1 g to 30 g may be used. Typically, oysters used in fried oyster foods are typically 10 g or more, and more typically 20 g or more. However, from the perspective of effectively utilizing small oysters, the frozen oyster aggregate may contain oysters weighing less than 20 g, 18 g or less, 16 g or less, 14 g or less, 12 g or less, 10 g or less, 8 g or less, or 5 g or less. The oysters may be 1 g or more. Typically, by using a frozen oyster aggregate containing small oysters, when processed into fried oyster foods, the internal organs are dispersed and the size of the internal organs present in one place is reduced, which tends to result in a milder flavor derived from the internal organs.

[0016] Furthermore, the frozen oyster aggregate may contain, by number, 10% or more, 20% or more, 30% or more, 40% or more, or 50% or more of the individual oysters contained therein that are 10g or less. Typically, by making the frozen oyster aggregate contain a certain proportion or more of small oysters that are 10g or less, when processed into a fried oyster food product, the internal organs are dispersed and the size of the internal organs present in one place is reduced, which tends to make the flavor derived from the internal organs milder.

[0017] In this specification, the mass of oysters refers to the mass of shucked oysters (including the viscera, adductor muscle, and gills). The mass of oysters also includes the mass of water, minerals, and the like contained in the oysters. The edible parts of oysters are mainly the viscera (esophagus, stomach, intestines, and midgut gland), adductor muscle, and gills. The proportions of each part in the edible part are approximately 53% to 57% by mass for oysters with eggs, 7% to 11% by mass for adductor muscle, and 32% to 35% by mass for gills, while for oysters without eggs, the proportions are approximately 45% to 50% by mass for viscera, 7% to 11% by mass for adductor muscle, and 38% to 33% by mass for gills. Individual oysters missing some of the viscera, adductor muscle, or gills may also be used.

[0018] The oyster content in the frozen oyster aggregate is not particularly limited. The frozen oyster aggregate may contain, for example, 50% by mass or more, 60% by mass or more, 70% by mass or more, or 80% by mass or more of oysters relative to the total mass of the frozen oyster aggregate. Furthermore, the frozen oyster aggregate may contain, for example, 100% by mass or less, 96% by mass or less, 92% by mass or less, or 90% by mass or less of oysters relative to the total mass of the frozen oyster aggregate.

[0019] The upper and lower limits of the oyster content in the frozen oyster mass can be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the present disclosure. The mass of oysters relative to the total mass of the frozen oyster mass may be, for example, within the range of 50% to 100% by mass, 60% to 96% by mass, 70% to 92% by mass, or 80% to 90% by mass.

[0020] (joint) The frozen oyster aggregates may contain a binder (binding agent) or may not contain a binder. Fried oyster foods made from frozen oyster aggregates that do not contain binders are less affected by ingredients other than the oysters, so when eaten, they tend to have a taste and flavor similar to that of a single oyster processed into a single fried oyster food. On the other hand, frozen oyster aggregates that contain binders are less likely to crack or chip when cut, and tend to retain their shape better when coated and fried.

[0021] Various binders can be used as binders for the frozen oyster aggregates. The frozen oyster aggregates may contain methylcellulose. Methylcellulose is a polysaccharide having a structure in which methyl groups are bonded to a cellulose skeleton. Methylcellulose can be obtained, for example, by extracting cellulose from plant fibers, treating it with alkali, and then reacting it with methyl chloride or the like. Methylcellulose may be partially modified, such as hydroxypropylmethylcellulose having hydroxypropyl groups. Methylcellulose may be dissolved in vegetable oil. The vegetable oil used is not particularly limited, and examples include palm oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, olive oil, coconut oil, corn oil, sesame oil, castor oil, and linseed oil. From the viewpoint of cost, rapeseed oil, particularly canola oil, may be used as the vegetable oil. Typically, the inclusion of methylcellulose as a binder in the frozen oyster aggregates may improve binding properties. Typically, the frozen oyster aggregates contain methylcellulose as a binder, which may facilitate an improvement in the texture of the fried oyster food product.Typically, the frozen oyster aggregates contain methylcellulose as a binder, which may facilitate the prevention of puncture during frying.

[0022] The frozen oyster aggregates may contain pregelatinized starch and / or oil- or fat-processed starch. The type of starch used as the pregelatinized starch and / or oil- or fat-processed starch is not particularly limited. The pregelatinized starch and / or oil- or fat-processed starch may be derived from any plant. For example, the pregelatinized starch and / or oil- or fat-processed starch may be derived from tapioca starch, rice starch, potato starch, or corn starch. Typically, when the frozen oyster aggregates contain pregelatinized starch as a binder, the water absorption and / or oil absorption may be easily improved. Furthermore, typically, when the frozen oyster aggregates contain oil- or fat-processed starch as a binder, the binding property may be easily improved. Typically, when the frozen oyster aggregates contain oil- or fat-processed starch as a binder, the water retention property may be easily improved. Typically, when the frozen oyster aggregates contain oil- or fat-processed starch as a binder, the dripping may be easily suppressed. Typically, the frozen oyster aggregates may contain oil-processed starch as a binder, which may facilitate improved moldability.

[0023] The frozen oyster mass may contain oyster paste. The oyster paste may be prepared by grinding and mixing some or all of the edible parts of oysters (viscera, adductor muscles, and gills) using a food processor or the like to form a paste. The oyster paste may further contain at least one selected from the group consisting of methylcellulose, pregelatinized starch, and oil- or fat-processed starch. Typically, when the frozen oyster mass contains oyster paste as a binder, the resulting fried oyster food product has a uniform oyster flavor that is easy to sense no matter where you eat it. Furthermore, typically, when the oyster paste contains oyster viscera, the resulting fried oyster food product has an enhanced oyster flavor.

[0024] The content of binder in the frozen oyster aggregates is not particularly limited. The frozen oyster aggregates may contain, for example, 1% by mass or more, 3% by mass or more, 5% by mass or more, or 10% by mass or more of binder relative to the total mass of the frozen oyster aggregates. Furthermore, the frozen oyster aggregates may contain, for example, 30% by mass or less, 25% by mass or less, 20% by mass or less, or 15% by mass or less of binder relative to the total mass of the frozen oyster aggregates.

[0025] The upper and lower limits of the binder content in the frozen oyster aggregates can be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the weight of the binder relative to the total weight of the frozen oyster aggregates may be in the range of 1% to 30% by weight, 3% to 25% by weight, 5% to 20% by weight, or 10% to 15% by weight.

[0026] (Other ingredients) The frozen oyster mass may contain any other ingredients in addition to the oysters and binders described above, such as water, grains, fruit juice, vegetables, beans, seafood, meat, starch, oils and fats, seasonings, spices, thickeners, gelling agents, colorings, flavorings, enzymes, stabilizers, etc.

[0027] (Method of manufacturing frozen oyster aggregates) Frozen oyster aggregates can be produced, for example, by mixing the above-mentioned oysters and binder using a twin-screw mixer or the like, pouring the resulting mixture into a mold, and freezing it in a freezer. However, the above-mentioned oysters and binder may also be mixed manually, poured into a mold, and frozen. The freezing temperature may be 0°C or below, -5°C or below, -10°C or below, or -15°C or below. The freezing temperature may be -35°C or above, -30°C or above, or -25°C or above.

[0028] [Cut pieces of frozen oyster clusters] The present disclosure also provides slices of frozen oyster aggregates. The slices of frozen oyster aggregates are obtained by cutting an object in which multiple oysters have been frozen together. Typically, the slices of frozen oyster aggregates are obtained by cutting an object in which multiple oysters have been frozen after being bound to each other by some means. The process of cutting oysters while they are still frozen has not been performed in the past; typically, frozen oysters are thawed as is, and then separated into individual pieces for use while maintaining their individual shape. Therefore, the slices of frozen oyster aggregates are themselves novel.

[0029] When a frozen oyster collection is cut, some of the individual oysters contained in the frozen oyster collection are also cut. Therefore, typically, the cut product of the frozen oyster collection contains pieces of cut oysters. The cut product of the frozen oyster collection may have the cut ends (cut surfaces) of the cut oyster pieces exposed on the surface. The cut ends (cut surfaces) of the cut oyster pieces may be flat. Typically, the cut product of the frozen oyster collection contains two or more individual oysters, and at least one individual oyster is a cut piece. Here, "containing two or more individual oysters" means that the oyster pieces or whole shucked meat contained in the cut product of the frozen oyster collection are derived from two or more individual oysters.

[0030] When a slice of a frozen oyster collection contains two or more individual oysters, possible variations in the combination of oysters contained in one slice include, for example, the following: However, the combination of oysters contained in one slice is not limited to those listed below.

[0031] A single section of a frozen oyster assemblage does not contain a whole shucked individual oyster, but rather contains fragments of two different individual oysters. A single section of a frozen oyster assemblage does not contain a whole shucked individual oyster, but contains fragments of three or more different individual oysters. One section of a frozen oyster assemblage contains one whole shucked individual oyster and a fragment of one individual oyster. One section of a frozen oyster assemblage contains the whole shucked meat of one individual oyster and pieces of two different individual oysters. A single section of frozen oyster assemblage contains the whole shucked meat of one individual oyster and pieces of three or more different individual oysters. One section of a frozen oyster assemblage contains two whole shucked individual oysters and a fragment of one individual oyster. One section of a frozen oyster assemblage contains whole shucked meat from two individual oysters and pieces from two different individual oysters. A single section of a frozen oyster assemblage contains whole shucked oysters from two individual oysters and fragments from three or more different individual oysters. A single section of frozen oyster assemblage contains the whole shucked meat of three or more individual oysters and the fragments of one individual oyster. A single section of a frozen oyster assemblage contains whole shucked meat from three or more individual oysters and pieces from two different individual oysters. · One section of a frozen oyster assemblage contains whole shucked meat from three or more individual oysters and pieces from three or more different individual oysters.

[0032] Typically, the cut pieces of frozen oyster masses are used for fried oyster food, which can be obtained by coating the cut pieces of frozen oyster masses with a batter and frying them in oil.

[0033] The shape of the cut pieces of frozen oyster aggregates is not particularly limited. The cut pieces of frozen oyster aggregates may be, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped or approximately rectangular parallelepiped. Typically, when the cut pieces of frozen oyster aggregates are a rectangular parallelepiped or approximately rectangular parallelepiped, production from the frozen oyster aggregates becomes easier. Furthermore, typically, when the cut pieces of frozen oyster aggregates are a rectangular parallelepiped or approximately rectangular parallelepiped, fried oyster foods similar in shape to conventional fried oyster foods can be easily obtained.

[0034] The dimensions of the cut pieces of frozen oyster aggregates are not particularly limited. The longitudinal dimension of the cut pieces of frozen oyster aggregates may be, for example, 30 mm or more, 35 mm or more, or 40 mm or more. The longitudinal dimension of the cut pieces of frozen oyster aggregates may be, for example, 80 mm or less, 70 mm or less, or 60 mm or less. Note that the longitudinal dimension of the cut pieces of frozen oyster aggregates is the dimension of the longest side when the cut pieces of frozen oyster aggregates are rectangular or approximately rectangular.

[0035] The upper and lower limits of the longitudinal dimension of the frozen oyster slices can be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the longitudinal dimension of the frozen oyster slices may be within the range of 30 mm to 80 mm, 35 mm to 70 mm, or 40 mm to 60 mm.

[0036] The mass of the cut pieces of the frozen oyster aggregate is not particularly limited. The mass of the cut pieces of the frozen oyster aggregate may be, for example, 5 g or more, 6 g or more, 7 g or more, 8 g or more, 10 g or more, or 12 g or more. The mass of the cut pieces of the frozen oyster aggregate may be, for example, 40 g or less, 35 g or less, 30 g or less, 25 g or less, 20 g or less, or 15 g or less.

[0037] The upper and lower limits of the mass of the frozen oyster slices can be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the mass of the frozen oyster slices may be within the range of 5 g to 40 g, 6 g to 35 g, 7 g to 30 g, 8 g to 25 g, 10 g to 20 g, or 12 g to 15 g.

[0038] The oysters contained in the cut pieces of the frozen oyster aggregates of the present disclosure are the same as the oysters contained in the frozen oyster aggregates of the present disclosure described above. Furthermore, the cut pieces of the frozen oyster aggregates of the present disclosure may contain a binder. The binder that may be contained in the cut pieces of the frozen oyster aggregates of the present disclosure is the same as the binder that may be contained in the frozen oyster aggregates of the present disclosure described above.

[0039] The oyster content in the sliced ​​frozen oyster aggregates is not particularly limited. The sliced ​​frozen oyster aggregates may contain, for example, 50% by mass or more, 60% by mass or more, 70% by mass or more, or 80% by mass or more of oysters relative to the total mass of the sliced ​​frozen oyster aggregates. Furthermore, the sliced ​​frozen oyster aggregates may contain, for example, 100% by mass or less, 96% by mass or less, 92% by mass or less, or 90% by mass or less of oysters relative to the total mass of the sliced ​​frozen oyster aggregates.

[0040] The upper and lower limits of the oyster content in the slices of frozen oyster aggregates can be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the present disclosure. The mass of oysters relative to the total mass of the slices of frozen oyster aggregates may be, for example, within the range of 50% to 100% by mass, 60% to 96% by mass, 70% to 92% by mass, or 80% to 90% by mass.

[0041] When the cut pieces of frozen oyster aggregates contain binder, the content of binder in the cut pieces of frozen oyster aggregates is not particularly limited. The cut pieces of frozen oyster aggregates may contain, for example, 1% by mass or more of binder, 3% by mass or more, 5% by mass or more, or 10% by mass or more, relative to the total mass of the cut pieces of frozen oyster aggregates. Furthermore, the cut pieces of frozen oyster aggregates may contain, for example, 30% by mass or less of binder, 25% by mass or less, 20% by mass or less, or 15% by mass or less, relative to the total mass of the cut pieces of frozen oyster aggregates.

[0042] The upper and lower limits of the binder content in the frozen oyster slices can be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the weight of the binder relative to the total weight of the frozen oyster slices may be in the range of 1% to 30% by weight, 3% to 25% by weight, 5% to 20% by weight, or 10% to 15% by weight.

[0043] The pieces of frozen oyster mass may contain any ingredients other than oysters and binders, such as water, grains, fruit juice, vegetables, beans, seafood, meat, starch, oils and fats, seasonings, spices, thickeners, gelling agents, colorings, flavorings, enzymes, stabilizers, etc.

[0044] The slices of frozen oyster aggregates may have a coating material attached thereto. Alternatively, the slices of frozen oyster aggregates may be frozen with the coating material attached. The coating material may contain wheat flour, pregelatinized grain flour, breadcrumbs, dried egg white, etc. Alternatively, the coating material may contain, as a batter, an emulsifier, eggs, oils and fats, starch, wheat flour, etc.

[0045] The cut pieces of frozen oyster aggregates of the present disclosure allow for the production of fried oyster foods of a desired size, regardless of the size of the individual oysters. Furthermore, the cut pieces of frozen oyster aggregates of the present disclosure allow for the use of not only normal-sized oysters, but also small-sized oysters that have not previously been used in fried oyster foods. When small-sized oysters are used, the size of the internal organs present in one place in the fried oyster food becomes smaller, and the internal organs are dispersed, which tends to result in a milder oyster flavor.

[0046] (Method of manufacturing cut pieces of frozen oyster aggregates) Cut pieces of frozen oyster aggregates can be produced, for example, by cutting the frozen oyster aggregates of the present disclosure described above using a cutting tool such as an ultrasonic cutter.

[0047] [Fried oyster food] The present disclosure also provides fried oyster foods comprising two or more individual oysters, at least one of which is a cut piece. Here, "comprising two or more individual oysters" means that the oyster pieces or whole shucked meat contained in the fried oyster food are derived from two or more individual oysters. Typically, one fried oyster food contains one oyster that retains its individual shape. Although there are rare cases of fried oyster foods containing two or more individual oysters, even in such cases, each individual oyster is used while retaining its individual shape. Therefore, fried oyster foods comprising two or more individual oysters, at least one of which is a cut piece, are novel and have not existed before.

[0048] When a fried oyster food product contains two or more individual oysters, possible variations in the combination of oysters contained in one fried oyster food product include, for example, the following: However, the combinations of oysters contained in one fried oyster food product are not limited to those listed below.

[0049] One fried oyster product does not contain whole shucked oysters, but contains fragments from two different individual oysters. A single fried oyster food product does not contain whole shucked oysters, but contains fragments from three or more different individual oysters. One fried oyster meal contains one whole shucked oyster and one piece of an oyster. One fried oyster meal contains whole shucked oyster meat from one individual oyster and pieces from two different individual oysters. One fried oyster food product contains the whole shucked meat of one individual oyster and pieces of three or more different individual oysters. One fried oyster meal contains two whole shucked individual oysters and pieces of one individual oyster. One fried oyster meal contains whole shucked oysters from two individual oysters and pieces from two different individual oysters. One fried oyster food product contains whole shucked oysters from two individual oysters and pieces from three or more different individual oysters. One fried oyster food product contains three or more whole shucked individual oysters and pieces of one individual oyster. One fried oyster food product contains whole shucked meat from three or more individual oysters and pieces from two different individual oysters. One fried oyster food product contains whole shucked oysters from three or more individual oysters and pieces from three or more different individual oysters.

[0050] The fried oyster food is not particularly limited as long as it is made by coating oysters with a batter and frying them. The fried oyster food may be, for example, fried oysters, oyster tempura, etc. The batter may contain wheat flour, pregelatinized grain flour, breadcrumbs, dried egg white, etc. The batter may also contain an emulsifier, egg, oil, starch, wheat flour, etc.

[0051] The fried oyster food product of the present disclosure can be produced, for example, by using slices of the frozen oyster mass of the present disclosure as a sandwich, coating it with a batter, and frying it. If necessary, the coated sandwich may be frozen before frying.

[0052] The fried oyster food product of the present disclosure may contain the oysters described above as the oysters contained in the frozen oyster mass of the present disclosure. The fried oyster food product of the present disclosure may also contain the binder described above as the binder contained in the frozen oyster mass of the present disclosure. That is, the fried oyster food product of the present disclosure may contain at least one selected from the group consisting of methylcellulose, pregelatinized starch, and oil- or fat-processed starch. The fried oyster food product of the present disclosure may also contain oyster paste.

[0053] The amount of oysters contained in fried oyster foods is not particularly limited. The fried oyster foods may contain, for example, 50% by mass or more, 60% by mass or more, 70% by mass or more, or 80% by mass or more of oysters relative to the total mass excluding the coating material. Furthermore, the fried oyster foods may contain, for example, 100% by mass or less, 96% by mass or less, 92% by mass or less, or 90% by mass or less of oysters relative to the total mass excluding the coating material.

[0054] The upper and lower limits for the oyster content in a fried oyster food product can be combined in any manner within the scope of the present disclosure. The mass of oysters relative to the total mass of the fried oyster food product excluding the coating material may be, for example, within the range of 50% to 100% by mass, 60% to 96% by mass, 70% to 92% by mass, or 80% to 90% by mass.

[0055] When a fried oyster food product contains a binder, the amount of binder contained in the fried oyster food product is not particularly limited. The fried oyster food product may contain, for example, 1% by mass or more, 3% by mass or more, 5% by mass or more, or 10% by mass or more of the binder relative to the total mass excluding the coating material. Furthermore, the fried oyster food product may contain, for example, 30% by mass or less, 25% by mass or less, 20% by mass or less, or 15% by mass or less of the binder relative to the total mass excluding the coating material.

[0056] The upper and lower limits of the binder content in fried oyster food products can be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the mass of the binder relative to the total mass of the fried oyster food product excluding the coating material may be within the range of 1% to 30% by mass, 3% to 25% by mass, 5% to 20% by mass, or 10% to 15% by mass.

[0057] The fried oyster food product may contain any ingredients other than oysters and binders, such as water, grains, fruit juice, vegetables, beans, seafood, meat, starch, oils and fats, seasonings, spices, thickeners, gelling agents, colorings, flavorings, enzymes, stabilizers, etc.

[0058] The mass of the coating material relative to the total mass of the fried oyster food product is not particularly limited. The mass of the coating material relative to the total mass of the fried oyster food product may be, for example, 30% by mass or more, 35% by mass or more, 40% by mass or more, 45% by mass or more, or 50% by mass or more. Furthermore, the mass of the coating material relative to the total mass of the fried oyster food product may be, for example, 80% by mass or less, 75% by mass or less, 70% by mass or less, 65% by mass or less, or 60% by mass or less.

[0059] The upper and lower limits of the mass of the coating material relative to the total mass of the fried oyster food product can be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the mass of the coating material relative to the total mass of the fried oyster food product may be within the range of 30% to 80% by mass, 35% to 75% by mass, 40% to 70% by mass, 45% to 65% by mass, or 50% to 60% by mass.

[0060] The fried oyster food of the present disclosure can be produced to a desired size regardless of the size of the oysters used. Furthermore, not only normal-sized oysters but also small-sized oysters that have not previously been used in fried oyster foods can be used for the fried oyster food of the present disclosure. When small-sized oysters are used, the size of the internal organs present in one place in the fried oyster food becomes smaller and the internal organs are distributed, which tends to make the unique oyster flavor milder.

[0061] [Manufacturing method for fried oyster food] The fried oyster food of the present disclosure may, for example, a freezing step of gathering and freezing a plurality of oysters to form a frozen oyster aggregate; A cutting step of cutting the frozen oyster aggregate while it is still frozen; The manufacturing method can be carried out by the following steps.

[0062] (freezing process) In the freezing process, multiple oyster individuals are gathered together. The oysters may be those described above as oysters contained in the frozen oyster aggregate of the present disclosure. In the freezing process, the gathered multiple oyster individuals may be frozen as is to form a frozen oyster aggregate. Furthermore, before the freezing process, a mixing process may be performed in which a binder (binding agent) is mixed with the oysters to increase the adhesion between the oyster individuals, and then the oysters may be gathered together and frozen to form a frozen oyster aggregate.

[0063] The binder may be any of those described above as binders contained in the frozen oyster mass of the present disclosure. That is, the binder may contain at least one selected from the group consisting of methylcellulose, pregelatinized starch, and oil- or fat-processed starch. The binder may also contain oyster paste.

[0064] The mass of the oysters used in the freezing process is not particularly limited. For example, oysters weighing 1 g to 30 g may be used. From the viewpoint of effectively utilizing small oysters, at least a portion of the oysters used in the freezing process may be oysters weighing less than 20 g, oysters weighing 18 g or less, oysters weighing 16 g or less, oysters weighing 14 g or less, oysters weighing 12 g or less, oysters weighing 10 g or less, oysters weighing 8 g or less, or oysters weighing 5 g or less. The oysters may weigh 1 g or more. Typically, by using small oysters, when processed into fried oyster food, the internal organs are dispersed and the size of the internal organs present in one place is reduced, which tends to result in a milder flavor derived from the internal organs.

[0065] Furthermore, in the freezing process, oysters weighing 10g or less may be used in an amount of 10% or more, 20% or more, 30% or more, 40% or more, or 50% or more of the total number of oysters used. Typically, by using a certain proportion or more of small oysters weighing 10g or less, when processed into fried oyster food, the internal organs are dispersed and the size of the internal organs present in one place is reduced, which tends to result in a milder flavor derived from the internal organs.

[0066] One method for gathering and freezing multiple oysters is to mix the oysters and binder using a twin-shaft mixer or the like, pour the resulting mixture into a mold, and freeze it in a freezer. However, multiple oysters can also be gathered manually, packed into a mold, and frozen. The freezing temperature may be 0°C or below, -5°C or below, -10°C or below, or -15°C or below. The freezing temperature may be -35°C or above, -30°C or above, or -25°C or above.

[0067] The resulting frozen oyster aggregates are a plurality of individual oysters frozen together. The frozen oyster aggregates obtained by the freezing process may be flat. Typically, by forming the frozen oyster aggregates into a flat shape in the freezing process, it becomes easier to obtain uniformly cut pieces in the cutting process, and the shape of the final fried oyster food tends to be consistent. The frozen oyster aggregates obtained in the freezing process may be rectangular or approximately rectangular. Typically, by forming the frozen oyster aggregates into a flat shape in the freezing process, it becomes easier to reduce loss in the subsequent cutting process.

[0068] The thickness of the frozen oyster aggregates obtained by the freezing process, i.e., the distance between two parallel or nearly parallel surfaces, can be, for example, approximately the minor axis of a typical oyster conventionally used in fried oyster foods. The thickness of the frozen oyster aggregates may be, for example, within the range of 10 mm to 30 mm, 12 mm to 28 mm, 14 mm to 26 mm, or 16 mm to 24 mm. Typically, by keeping the thickness of the frozen oyster aggregates within an appropriate range in the freezing process, it becomes easier to cut them into a size suitable for fried oyster foods in the cutting process.

[0069] The content of oysters in the raw material is not particularly limited. The oysters may be used in an amount of, for example, 50% by mass or more, 60% by mass or more, 70% by mass or more, or 80% by mass or more, based on the total mass of the raw material. Furthermore, the oysters may be used in an amount of, for example, 100% by mass or less, 96% by mass or less, 92% by mass or less, or 90% by mass or less, based on the total mass of the raw material.

[0070] The upper and lower limits for the oyster content in the raw material can be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the present disclosure. The mass of oysters relative to the mass of the total raw material may be, for example, within the range of 50% to 100% by mass, 60% to 96% by mass, 70% to 92% by mass, or 80% to 90% by mass.

[0071] When a binder is used, the binder content in the raw materials is not particularly limited. The binder may be used in an amount of, for example, 1% by mass or more, 3% by mass or more, 5% by mass or more, or 10% by mass or more, based on the total mass of the oysters and binder. Furthermore, the binder may be used in an amount of, for example, 30% by mass or less, 25% by mass or less, 20% by mass or less, or 15% by mass or less, based on the total mass of the oysters and binder.

[0072] The upper and lower limits of the binder content in the raw materials can be combined in any combination within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the weight of the binder relative to the total weight of the oysters and binder may be within the range of 1% to 30% by weight, 3% to 25% by weight, 5% to 20% by weight, or 10% to 15% by weight.

[0073] (cutting process) In the cutting process, the frozen oyster aggregate obtained in the freezing process is cut while still frozen. The cutting may be performed using a cutting tool such as an ultrasonic cutter. When the frozen oyster aggregate is cut, some of the individual oysters contained in the frozen oyster aggregate are also cut. Therefore, typically, the cut product obtained by the cutting process contains cut oyster fragments. The cut product obtained by the cutting process may have the cut surface of the cut oyster fragment exposed on the surface. The cut surface may be flat. Typically, the cut product obtained by the cutting process contains two or more oyster individuals, and at least one oyster individual is a cut fragment. Here, "containing two or more oyster individuals" means that the oyster fragments or whole shucked oysters contained in the cut product obtained by the cutting process are derived from two or more oyster individuals.

[0074] When the cuttings obtained by the cutting process contain two or more individual oysters, possible variations in the combination of oysters contained in one cutting are, for example, as follows: However, the combination of oysters contained in one cutting is not limited to those listed below.

[0075] - A single cut obtained from the cutting process does not contain the whole shucked meat of an individual oyster, but rather contains pieces of two different individual oysters. - A single cutting obtained by the cutting process does not contain the whole shucked meat of an individual oyster, but contains fragments of three or more different individual oysters. - Each cut obtained by the cutting process contains the whole shucked meat of one individual oyster and a fragment of one individual oyster. -One cut obtained from the cutting process contains the whole shucked meat of one individual oyster and pieces of two different individual oysters. -One cut obtained from the cutting process contains the whole shucked meat of one individual oyster and pieces of three or more different individual oysters. - Each cut obtained from the cutting process contains the whole shucked meat of two individual oysters and a fragment of one individual oyster. - One cut obtained from the cutting process contains whole shucked meat from two individual oysters and pieces from two different individual oysters. - One cut obtained from the cutting process contains whole shucked meat from two individual oysters and pieces from three or more different individual oysters. - Each cut obtained by the cutting process contains the whole shucked meat of three or more individual oysters and fragments of one individual oyster. - A single cut obtained from the cutting process contains whole shucked meat from three or more individual oysters and pieces from two different individual oysters. - A single cut obtained by the cutting process contains whole shucked meat from three or more individual oysters and pieces from three or more different individual oysters.

[0076] The multiple cut pieces obtained by the cutting process may each contain two or more individual oysters in different forms. For example, one cut piece may not contain the whole shucked meat of an oyster individual, but may contain fragments of two different oyster individuals, while another cut piece may contain the whole shucked meat of two oyster individuals and fragments of three or more different oyster individuals. Furthermore, among the multiple cut pieces obtained by the cutting process, some cut pieces may contain only one individual oyster. In that case, the individual oyster may be a fragment.

[0077] The shape of the cut pieces obtained in the cutting step is not particularly limited. In the cutting step, the frozen oyster aggregates may be cut into, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped or an approximately rectangular parallelepiped. Typically, by cutting the frozen oyster aggregates into a rectangular parallelepiped or an approximately rectangular parallelepiped, the cutting step is less likely to become complicated. Furthermore, typically, by cutting the frozen oyster aggregates into a rectangular parallelepiped or an approximately rectangular parallelepiped, it is easier to obtain fried oyster foods having a shape similar to that of conventional fried oyster foods in the subsequent frying step.

[0078] The dimensions of the cut pieces obtained by the cutting process are not particularly limited. In the cutting process, the frozen oyster aggregates may be cut out, for example, so that the longitudinal dimension is 30 mm or more, so that the longitudinal dimension is 35 mm or more, or so that the longitudinal dimension is 40 mm or more. In the cutting process, the frozen oyster aggregates may be cut out, for example, so that the longitudinal dimension is 80 mm or less, so that the longitudinal dimension is 70 mm or less, or so that the longitudinal dimension is 60 mm or less. Note that the longitudinal dimension of the cut pieces is the dimension of the longest side when the cut pieces are rectangular or approximately rectangular.

[0079] The upper and lower limits of the longitudinal dimension of the cut pieces obtained by the cutting step can be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, in the cutting step, the cut pieces may be cut out so that the longitudinal dimension is in the range of 30 mm to 80 mm, 35 mm to 70 mm, or 40 mm to 60 mm.

[0080] The mass of the cut pieces obtained by the cutting step is not particularly limited. In the cutting step, the cut pieces may be cut out so that the mass is, for example, 5 g or more, 6 g or more, 7 g or more, 8 g or more, 10 g or more, or 12 g or more. In the cutting step, the cut pieces may be cut out so that the mass is, for example, 40 g or less, 35 g or less, 30 g or less, 25 g or less, 20 g or less, or 15 g or less.

[0081] The upper and lower limits of the mass of the cut pieces obtained by the cutting step can be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, in the cutting step, the cut pieces may be cut out so that the mass thereof is within the range of 5 g to 40 g, 6 g to 35 g, 7 g to 30 g, 8 g to 25 g, 10 g to 20 g, or 12 g to 15 g.

[0082] (Frying process) The fried oyster food can be produced by using the cut pieces obtained in the cutting step as a sponge, coating the sponge with a coating material, and frying the sponge in oil. If necessary, the sponge with the coating material may be frozen before frying. Typically, the coating material is applied in the following order: dusting flour, batter, and breadcrumbs. The dusting flour may contain, for example, wheat flour, pregelatinized grain flour, breadcrumbs, and / or dried egg white. The batter may contain, for example, an emulsifier, oil, starch, wheat flour, and / or eggs.

[0083] The mass of the coating material used is not particularly limited. The coating material may be used in an amount of, for example, 30% by mass or more, 35% by mass or more, 40% by mass or more, 45% by mass or more, or 50% by mass or more, based on the total mass of the fried oyster food product. Furthermore, the coating material may be used in an amount of, for example, 80% by mass or less, 75% by mass or less, 70% by mass or less, 65% by mass or less, or 60% by mass or less, based on the total mass of the fried oyster food product.

[0084] The upper and lower limits of the mass of the coating material relative to the total mass of the fried oyster food product can be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the mass of the coating material relative to the total mass of the fried oyster food product may be within the range of 30% to 80% by mass, 35% to 75% by mass, 40% to 70% by mass, 45% to 65% by mass, or 50% to 60% by mass.

[0085] Deep frying can be performed, for example, by placing the cut pieces obtained in the cutting step with the coating material attached thereto into oil (vegetable oil, etc.) heated to 170°C to 180°C, and frying for 2 minutes or more, 2.5 minutes or more, 3 minutes or more, or 3.5 minutes or more.

[0086] (Other processes) The method for producing a fried oyster food product of the present disclosure may include, in any of the above steps or as an additional step, a step of mixing or adding other ingredients, such as water, grains, fruit juice, vegetables, beans, seafood, meat, starch, oils and fats, seasonings, spices, thickeners, gelling agents, colorings, flavorings, enzymes, stabilizers, etc.

[0087] In this specification, each specific feature described in one embodiment relating to each aspect of the present disclosure may be combined in any manner to form a new embodiment, and it should be understood that such a new embodiment may also be included in each aspect of the present disclosure. [Example]

[0088] The present disclosure will be explained in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present disclosure is not limited to these examples.

[0089] The ingredients shown in Table 1 were mixed for 1 to 2 minutes using a food processor (Robot-Coupe, ROBOT COUPE R10 Series 5) to prepare Paste A. In all of the tables below, "%" for the blending ratio represents "% by mass."

[0090] [Table 1]

[0091] The ingredients listed in Table 2, except for Paste A, were mixed in a bag and then placed in a twin-shaft meat mixer (Hanagi Seisakusho Co., Ltd., 40 kg capacity, inverter frequency 20.0-30.0 Hz) along with the prepared Paste A. Mixing was performed for a total of 90 seconds, with 45 seconds in forward rotation and 45 seconds in reverse rotation. Even after mixing, each of the oysters generally retained its shape. The mixture was then poured onto a stainless steel plate (external dimensions: 453 x 223 x 40 mm) containing a Harville-processed backing (445 x 214 x 20 mm), covered with a stainless steel lid (443 x 215 x 20 mm), and frozen in a -18°C freezer to produce a frozen oyster aggregate. The oysters used contained oysters weighing less than 5 g, and 50% or more of the oysters weighed less than 10 g.

[0092] [Table 2]

[0093] After removing the frozen oyster aggregates from the mold, they were cut into pieces measuring 10 g±2 (40 × 10 × 20 mm / piece) using an ultrasonic cutter, and the resulting pieces were stored in a freezer at −18° C. After removing the pieces from the freezer, the surfaces of the pieces were coated in the following order: flour dusting powder with the composition shown in Table 3, batter with the composition shown in Table 4, and breadcrumbs, and then frozen again in the freezer at −18° C. When coating, the coating materials were applied so that they accounted for 50 mass%, 55 mass%, and 60 mass% of the total mass. Specifically, when the coating material was 50% by mass, the ratio of fried oyster food: flour: batter: breadcrumbs was 50:8:19:23 (mass ratio); when the coating material was 55% by mass, the ratio of fried oyster food: flour: batter: breadcrumbs was 45:8:21.5:25.5 (mass ratio); and when the coating material was 60% by mass, the ratio of frozen oyster mass: flour: batter: breadcrumbs was 40:8:24:28 (mass ratio).

[0094] [Table 3]

[0095] [Table 4]

[0096] The battered and re-frozen cut pieces were then deep-fried in vegetable oil at 170°C to 180°C for 3 minutes 30 seconds to 4 minutes. Whether the batter content was 50%, 55%, or 60% by mass, the fried oyster food did not decompose during deep-frying.

[0097] When the obtained fried oyster foods were eaten, the flavor specific to oyster innards was perceived as mild in all the fried oyster foods.

[0098] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are set forth below. [1] A frozen oyster aggregate is a collection of oysters frozen together into a flat slab. [2] A collection of frozen oysters from [1] for use in fried oyster food. [3] Frozen oyster aggregates of [1] or [2] containing methylcellulose. [4] A frozen oyster assembly according to any one of [1] to [3], containing pregelatinized starch and / or oil-processed starch. [5] A frozen oyster collection of any of [1] to [4], including oyster paste. [6] A collection of frozen oysters from any of [1] to [5], including oysters weighing less than 20g, 18g or less, 16g or less, 14g or less, 12g or less, 10g or less, or 8g or less. [7] A frozen oyster collection of any of [1] to [6], containing oysters weighing 10g or less, by number, of 10% or more, 20% or more, 30% or more, 40% or more, or 50% or more.

[0099] [8] Sections of frozen oyster clusters. [9] Sections of a frozen oyster collection from [8], including pieces of cut oysters.

[10] A section of a frozen oyster aggregate of [8] or [9] that is a rectangular or approximately rectangular prism.

[11] Cut pieces of any of the frozen oysters [8] to

[10] for use as fried oyster food.

[12] Cuttings of frozen oyster aggregates from any of [8] to

[11] containing methylcellulose.

[13] Cut pieces of a frozen oyster aggregate according to any one of [8] to

[12] , containing pregelatinized starch and / or oil-modified starch.

[14] Cut pieces of any of the frozen oyster collections [8] to

[13] , including oyster paste.

[15] A cut piece of a frozen oyster collection from any of [8] to

[14] with a coating material attached to the surface.

[0100]

[16] Fried oyster food containing two or more oyster individuals, at least one of which is a cut piece.

[17] The fried oyster food product according to

[16] , which contains at least one selected from the group consisting of methylcellulose, pregelatinized starch, and oil-modified starch.

[18] Fried oyster food,

[16] or

[17] , including oyster paste.

[0101]

[19] a freezing step of collecting and freezing a plurality of oysters to form a frozen oyster aggregate; A cutting step of cutting the frozen oyster aggregate while it is still frozen; A method for producing fried oyster food comprising the steps of:

[20] The manufacturing method of

[19] , which includes a mixing step of mixing the binder and oysters before the freezing step.

[21] The manufacturing method of

[20] , wherein the binder contains oyster paste.

[22] The method according to

[20] or

[21] , wherein the binder comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of methyl cellulose, pregelatinized starch, and oil- or fat-modified starch.

Claims

1. A collection of frozen oysters, consisting of multiple oysters frozen together into a flat slab.

2. The frozen oyster mass according to claim 1, which is for use in fried oyster food.

3. 3. The frozen oyster mass of claim 1 or 2, which contains methylcellulose.

4. The frozen oyster mass according to claim 1 or 2, which contains pregelatinized starch and / or oil- or fat-processed starch.

5. 3. The frozen oyster mass according to claim 1 or 2, comprising oyster paste.

6. Cut pieces of frozen oysters.

7. 7. The frozen oyster mass cuts of claim 6, comprising cut oyster pieces.

8. A cut piece of frozen oyster mass according to claim 6 or 7, which is a rectangular parallelepiped or approximately rectangular parallelepiped.

9. A fried oyster food product comprising two or more oyster individuals, at least one of the oyster individuals being a cut piece.

10. The fried oyster food product according to claim 9, comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of methylcellulose, pregelatinized starch, and oil- or fat-processed starch.

11. 11. The fried oyster food product according to claim 9 or 10, comprising oyster paste.

12. a freezing step of gathering and freezing a plurality of oysters to form a frozen oyster aggregate; A cutting step of cutting the frozen oyster aggregate while it is still frozen; A method for producing fried oyster food comprising the steps of:

13. The manufacturing method according to claim 12, further comprising a mixing step of mixing the binder and the oysters before the freezing step.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the binder contains oyster paste.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the binder comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of methyl cellulose, pregelatinized starch, and oil- or fat-modified starch.

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