Konjac rice and method for producing the same

Abstract

To provide konjac rice which uses tapioca starch and grain flour (for example, rice flour) and has a texture and flavor closer to those of cooked rice. [Solution] Konjac rice contains konjac flour, tapioca starch, and grain flour, with the tapioca starch and grain flour content being 10 to 14 parts by mass per part by mass of the konjac flour, and the grain flour-derived protein content being 0.05 to 0.3 parts by mass per part by mass of the konjac flour. The konjac rice has one or more shapes selected from granular, oblate ellipsoidal, and oblate circular, and has a moisture content of 8 to 15% by mass.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to konjac rice and a method for producing konjac rice, for example, konjac rice that can be cooked together with rice or eaten alone. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a method for producing konjac rice, in which water is added to 1 part by weight of refined konjac flour and stirred, then 8 to 15 parts by weight of starch is added and kneaded, and then 3 to 10% of the weight of the refined konjac flour of alkali that is permitted for use in food is added in the form of an aqueous dispersion and kneaded uniformly, and the mixture is then formed into granules using a konjac granule molding machine, and the mixture is poured into water at 40 to 60°C, which is below the gelatinization temperature of the starch, and stirred, and the starch-containing konjac gel that does not gelatinize is dried with hot air.

[0003] The method for producing konjac in Patent Document 2 comprises mixing 1.6 to 4.0% of starch material, 1.2 to 4.0% of konjac flour, 3.0 to 8.0% of one or more dietary fiber materials selected from Group A of dietary fiber materials consisting of resistant starch and processed starch containing a large amount of dietary fiber, and one or more dietary fiber materials selected from Group B of dietary fiber materials consisting of oat fiber, wheat fiber, potato fiber, sugarcane fiber, crystalline cellulose, sodium alginate, carrageenan, guar gum, hydrolyzed guar gum, psyllium seed gum, xanthan gum, tamarind gum, tragacanth gum, and gellan gum. The disclosure discloses that the method comprises a konjac paste preparation process using 0-2.0% dietary fiber material and 82.0-94.2% water; a konjac gelation process in which the water temperature is set to 60°C or lower, which is below the starch gelatinization temperature; a process in which the konjac gel is steamed at 70°C or higher to gelatinize the starch in the konjac gel in an unsaturated state without increasing the water content; a process in which resistant dextrin is added to and mixed with the konjac gel at 5-20% relative to the konjac gel and the water in the konjac gel is expelled to the outside; and a drying process for the konjac gel containing a large amount of resistant dextrin.

[0004] The konjac processed food of Patent Document 3 lists rice flour as an example of a first food raw material, and the processed food of Patent Document 4 lists rice flour as an example of a water-insoluble protein food.

[0005] The minced meat processed food of Patent Document 5 lists rice flour as an example of a gel-forming material, and Patent Document 6 discloses that the konjac mochi uses glutinous rice flour. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5189352 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 4555400 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-087487 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-152139 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 01-153060 [Patent Document 6] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 09-238631 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Patent Document 1 does not mention using rice flour as a raw material. Patent Document 2 does not mention using rice flour as a raw material, and furthermore, the manufacturing process requires a step of gelatinizing starch, mixing with indigestible dextrin, and then drying. Konjac rice manufactured using the conventional techniques of Patent Documents 1 and 2 does not have sufficient texture or flavor compared to cooked rice.

[0008] Patent Document 3 does not mention using tapioca starch as an ingredient, but rather gels the product without heating after adjusting the pH, and then adds a second food ingredient to produce a processed food. Patent Document 4 does not mention using tapioca starch as an ingredient.

[0009] Patent Document 5 does not mention using tapioca starch as a raw material, but rather gels it without heating after adjusting the pH, and then mixes it with ground meat to produce a processed ground meat food.Patent Document 6 mixes glutinous rice flour into a glucomannan hydrate gel.

[0010] The present disclosure provides konjac rice that uses tapioca starch and grains (e.g., rice flour) to make the texture and flavor of konjac rice closer to that of cooked rice. The present disclosure also provides a method for producing konjac rice using tapioca starch and grains (e.g., rice flour), which is not disclosed in the above-mentioned prior art. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The konjac rice of the present disclosure is Contains konjac flour, tapioca starch, and grain flour. (Rice) It has one or more shapes selected from granular, flattened ellipsoidal, and flattened circular. Examples of the grain flour include rice, wheat, and legumes. Examples of wheat include wheat, barley, rye, and oats, and examples of legumes include adzuki beans, soybeans, pinto beans, peas, lima beans, and chickpeas.

[0012] The content of the grain flour-derived protein may be 0.05 to 0.3 parts by mass, preferably 0.07 to 0.28 parts by mass, and more preferably 0.1 to 0.25 parts by mass, per part by mass of the konjac flour.

[0013] The content of the tapioca starch and the grain flour may be 10 to 14 parts by mass, preferably 11 to 13 parts by mass, and more preferably 11.5 to 12.5 parts by mass, relative to 1 part by mass of the konjac flour.

[0014] The moisture content of the konja rice may be 8 to 15% by mass.

[0015] By setting the content of the protein derived from the grain flour to an appropriate amount, the gelation state of the konjac rice can be improved, and the texture and flavor can also be improved. Furthermore, when the grain flour is rice flour, increasing the amount of rice flour added will enhance the rice flavor, but will also increase the calories. From this perspective, the amount of rice flour added can be determined depending on the flavor and calories designed.

[0016] The adhesiveness of konjac rice (when cooked) is 10% or more, preferably 20% or more, and more preferably 30% or more of the adhesiveness of cooked rice (white rice). The adhesion test method involves measuring the adhesion (the adhesive force when the sample is compressed with a compression tool and then pulled up) of a measurement sample in a low compression test (compression rate 25%) and a high compression test (compression rate 90%).

[0017] The texture of konjac rice (when cooked) is In terms of relative sensory evaluation, where cooked rice (white rice) is given a score of 10, the rice has a score of 5 or more, preferably 6 or more, and more preferably 7 or more.

[0018] The flavor of konjac rice (when cooked) is The relative sensory evaluation, where konjac rice (when cooked) containing no grain flour is given a score of 1, is 5 points or more, preferably 6 points or more, and more preferably 7 points or more. The lower the score, the worse the flavor (for example, the stronger the alkaline odor).

[0019] The method for producing konjac rice of the present disclosure is as follows: A stirring step of stirring konjac flour (A) and water (D) at 28 ° C to 35 ° C to obtain a first konjac rice material (S1); A first kneading step of adding tapioca starch (B) and grain flour (e.g., rice, wheat, beans) (C) to the first konjac rice material (S1) and kneading to obtain a second konjac rice material (S2); A second kneading step of adding alkali (F) to the second konjac rice material (S2) and kneading to obtain a third konjac rice material (S3); A heat gelling step in which the third konjac rice material (S3) is put into warm water at a temperature equal to or lower than the starch gelatinization temperature and stirred (without gelatinizing the starch in the sol) to gelatinize the material, and a konjac gel (S4) containing the components (B) and (C) is obtained after gelation with an adjusted pH of 7 to 9.5, preferably 8 to 9.5; a granular molding step of molding the konjac gel (S4) containing the (B) and (C) components into granules to obtain a granular (B) and (C) component-containing konjac gel (S5); a drying step of drying the konjac gel (S5) containing the granular (B) and (C) components to obtain konjac rice (S6) having a moisture content of 8 to 15% by mass; may also include:

[0020] The stirring step may include a step of leaving the mixture to stand for a predetermined period of time (for example, 30 minutes or more) after the stirring is completed.

[0021] The heat-gelling step may include a neutralization step in which a neutralizing agent (e.g., citric acid) is added after gelling to neutralize the mixture. After the neutralization step, a granulation step may be carried out.

[0022] The alkali (F) may contain calcium hydroxide (F1) and water (F2), and the blending mass ratio of F1:F2 may be 0.035 to 0.06:33.

[0023] The blending mass ratio of the konjac flour (A) to the water (D) may be A:D=1:20-35. In the production method, the blending mass ratio of the konjac flour (A) to the alkali (F) may be A:F=1:0.04 to 0.06. 4 to 6 parts by mass of the alkali (F) may be added to 100 parts by mass of the konjac flour (A).

[0024] (effect) (1) By including grain flour (e.g., rice, wheat, beans), the taste can be made closer to cooked rice or mixed grain rice than 100% konjac products. (2) By making the third konjac rice material (S3) weakly alkaline before gelation, the konjac gelation is achieved without denaturing the protein, so the rice-like flavor and texture are not lost. (3) It has less of an alkaline odor than conventional 100% konjac products, and can be cooked as konjac rice or eaten with rice. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 is a manufacturing flow showing the manufacturing process of the first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a manufacturing flow showing the manufacturing process of the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] Several embodiments of the present invention will be described below. The embodiments described below are examples of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and includes various modifications that are implemented within the scope of the present invention.

[0027] (Embodiment 1) The method for producing konjac rice according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The stirring step 100 is a step in which konjac flour (A) and water (D) at 28°C to 35°C are stirred, for example, using a stirrer in a mixing vessel to obtain a first konjac rice material (S1).

[0028] The konjac flour (A) used as the raw material is not particularly limited, and may be any konjac flour that is commonly available. Examples of water (D) include drinking water, tap water, purified water, soft water, hard water, pure water, and ion-exchanged water. The blending ratio of the mass of the konjac flour (A) to the mass of the water (D) may be A:D=1:20-35.

[0029] The first kneading step 101 is a step of adding tapioca starch (B) and grain flour (C) to the first konjac rice material (S1) and kneading them using, for example, a kneading device to obtain a second konjac rice material (S2).

[0030] The tapioca starch (B) used as a raw material is not particularly limited and is generally available tapioca starch powder.

[0031] Rice flour (C1), an example of cereal flour, is not particularly limited, and may be any of long-grain, medium-grain, and short-grain varieties. For example, it may be selected from Japonica rice, Indica rice, Javanica rice, etc. It may be selected according to the variety of rice to be cooked together, or may be selected according to preference. The rice flour may be a mixture of one or more varieties.

[0032] Examples of grain flours include wheat, barley, rye, oats, etc., and are not particularly limited, but are commonly available flours. The wheat flour may be a mixture of one or more types of wheat.

[0033] Examples of grain flours include beans (C3), such as adzuki beans, soybeans, pinto beans, peas, lima beans, and chickpeas, which are commonly available but not limited to these. The bean flour may be a mixture of one or more types of beans.

[0034] For example, the following mass ratios of the raw materials may be used. The blending mass ratio of the konjac flour (A), tapioca starch (B), and rice flour (C1) may be A:B:C1=1:8-10:4-2. The blending mass ratio of the konjac flour (A), tapioca starch (B), and wheat (C2) may be A:B:C2=1:9.1-10.5:2.9-1.5. The blending mass ratio of the konjac flour (A), tapioca starch (B), and beans (C3) may be A:B:C3=1:10.9-11.6:1.1-0.4.

[0035] The grain flour may be a mixture of one or more of rice flour, wheat flour, and soy flour.

[0036] The particle size of each powder may be, for example, within the range of 35 μm to 150 μm.

[0037] The content of protein derived from grain flour (rice, wheat, or beans) may be 0.05 to 0.3 parts by mass, preferably 0.07 to 0.28 parts by mass, and more preferably 0.1 to 0.25 parts by mass per part by mass of konjac flour.

[0038] The second kneading step 102 is a step of adding an alkali (F) to the second konjac rice material (S2) and kneading the mixture using a kneading device in a mixing vessel, for example, to obtain a third konjac rice material (S3).

[0039] The alkali (F) may be lime water containing calcium hydroxide (F1) and water (F2). The blending mass ratio may be F1:F2=0.035 to 0.06:33. By setting the blending mass ratio in this range, denaturation of proteins by the alkali can be suppressed. The blending ratio of the mass of the alkali (F) to the mass of the konjac flour (A) may be A:D=1:0.035 to 0.06.

[0040] The heat gelation process 103 is a process in which the third konjac rice material (S3) is placed in warm water at a temperature below the starch gelatinization temperature, for example, 55°C to 60°C, and stirred using a stirrer in a mixing container for a predetermined time, for example, about 10 minutes to 1 hour, to gelatinize the starch in the sol without gelatinizing it, and obtains a konjac gel (S4) containing components (B) and (C) that has been adjusted to a pH of 7 to 9.5 or less, preferably a pH of 8 or more to 9.5 or less, after gelation.

[0041] The warm water may have the same physical properties as the water (D).

[0042] The granular molding step 104 is a step in which the konjac gel containing the (B) and (C) components (S4) is molded into granules using, for example, a konjac granule molding machine to obtain a granular konjac gel containing the (B) and (C) components (S5).

[0043] The granular konjac molding machine may include a raw material input section, a hollow cylindrical body connected to the raw material input section, a rotary nozzle that extrudes the raw materials in a rod shape from inside the hollow cylindrical body, and a cutting section that cuts the extruded gel into granular or flat shapes at the outlet tip of the rotary nozzle. The extruded gel may have an elliptical cross section (planar shape of the granules after cutting) with a major axis of 3 mm to 6 mm and a minor axis of 2 mm to 3 mm, and the cutting pitch (thickness of the granules after cutting) may be 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm.

[0044] The drying step 105 is a step in which the konjac gel (S5) containing the granular (B) and (C) ingredients is dried, for example, using a hot air dryer to obtain konjac rice (S6) having a moisture content of 8 to 15%. In the drying step, for example, excess moisture may be removed by dehydration using a centrifugal dehydrator before hot air drying.

[0045] The obtained granular konjac rice (S6) can be weighed to a predetermined weight and sealed in a package (packaging process). The packaging process may involve bulk packaging in large quantities or small-scale packaging in amounts suitable for cooking.

[0046] Granular konjac rice (S6) can be made by adding 1 cup (150g) of rice and 2 cups (300g) of polished rice with water equivalent to 4 cups of polished rice and cooking under normal conditions in a rice cooker to obtain 4 cups of rice containing konjac rice. Granulated konjac rice (S6) can be made by adding water equivalent to two cups of polished rice to one cup (150g) of rice and cooking it in a rice cooker under normal conditions to obtain two cups of konjac rice.

[0047] (Embodiment 2) The method for producing konjac rice according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. The difference from the first embodiment is that the method further includes a leaving step 100-1 and a neutralization step 103-1.

[0048] The standing step 100-1 is a step of standing for a predetermined time, for example, 30 minutes or more, after the stirring is completed in the stirring step 100. This allows the mixture to be naturally degassed. After that, the process proceeds to the first kneading step 101.

[0049] The neutralization step 103-1 is a step of neutralizing the konjac gel containing the components (B) and (C) by adding a neutralizing agent, for example, citric acid, after gelation in the heat-gelation step 103. This neutralizes the konjac gel containing the components (B) and (C) after gelation. [Example]

[0050] The present invention will be described in more detail below using examples, but these examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention.

[0051] (rice flour) Konja rice was produced according to the production flow of embodiment 1. Rice flour was used as the grain flour. Table 1 shows the konjac rice of Examples 1 to 8, which have different blends of ingredients. Table 2 shows the konjac rice of Comparative Examples 1 to 11, which had different ingredient compositions. The unit of composition is [kg]. The "protein content" derived from grains was calculated based on the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan (8th edition).

[0052] [Table 1]

[0053] [Table 2]

[0054] The results of adhesion in Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Example 1 are shown in Table 3.

[0055] [Table 3]

[0056] The adhesion measurement method involves measuring the adhesion (the force of adhesion when the measurement sample is compressed with a compression tool and then pulled up) of a measurement sample (1 grain, n=9) in a low compression test (compression rate 25%) and a high compression test (compression rate 90%). Equipment used: TENSIPRESSER (MODEL TTP-50BX) manufactured by Taketomo Electric Measurement sample: one grain, n=9 Measuring tool: Cylindrical plunger diameter φ30mm Measurement method: Low compression measurement (25% compression), high compression measurement (90% compression) Compression speed: 6mm / sec The adhesiveness values ​​in Table 3 are the average values ​​of n(9) measured by low-pressure compression. It was confirmed that by adding rice flour, the adhesiveness value approached that of white cooked rice.

[0057] (Evaluation of gelation state) The gelation state was confirmed visually and by pressing with a finger. A "◯" indicates that the gelation state has maintained its shape. A "△" indicates that the gelation state has maintained its shape but is soft. An "×" indicates that the gelation state has not maintained its shape.

[0058] (sensory evaluation test) One cup (150g) of each konjac rice prepared above was mixed with water equivalent to two cups of polished rice and cooked in a rice cooker under normal conditions. A blind sensory evaluation of the texture was conducted by five panelists who regularly evaluate texture. The evaluation items were "texture," "flavor," and "overall evaluation." "Texture" is a relative sensory evaluation with cooked rice (white rice) being given a score of 10. "Flavor" is a relative sensory evaluation where konjac rice (when cooked) containing no grains is given a score of 1 (Comparative Example 1). The lower the score, the worse the flavor (for example, the stronger the alkaline smell).

[0059] In comparison with Comparative Examples 1 to 11, Examples 1 to 8 were rated as ◯ in gelation state, and were rated as 5 or higher in texture and flavor, resulting in an overall rating of 6 or higher.

[0060] (flour) Konjac rice was produced according to the production flow of embodiment 1. Wheat flour was used as the grain flour. Table 4 shows the konjac rice of Examples 21 to 25, which had different blends of ingredients. Table 5 shows the konjac rice of Comparative Examples 21 to 33, in which the blending of each ingredient was changed. The blending amount is in kg. The "protein content" derived from grains was calculated based on the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan (8th edition).

[0061] [Table 4]

[0062] [Table 5]

[0063] (sensory evaluation test) One cup (150g) of each konjac rice prepared above was mixed with water equivalent to two cups of polished rice and cooked in a rice cooker under normal conditions. A blind sensory evaluation of the texture was conducted by five panelists who regularly evaluate texture. The evaluation items were "texture," "flavor," and "overall evaluation." "Texture" is a relative sensory evaluation with cooked rice (white rice) being given a score of 10. "Flavor" is a relative sensory evaluation where konjac rice (cooked) containing no grains was given a score of 1 (Comparative Example 21). The lower the score, the worse the flavor (for example, the stronger the alkaline smell).

[0064] In comparison with Comparative Examples 21 to 34, Examples 21 to 25 were evaluated as ◯ in terms of gelation state, and were evaluated as 6 or higher in terms of texture and flavor, resulting in an overall evaluation of 6 or higher.

[0065] (soybean flour) Konjac rice was produced according to the production flow of embodiment 1. Soybean flour was used as the grain. Table 6 shows the konjac rice of Examples 41 to 46, which had different blends of ingredients. Table 7 shows the konjac rice of Comparative Examples 41 to 53, in which the blending of each ingredient was changed. The blending amount is in kg. The "protein content" derived from grains was calculated based on the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan (8th edition).

[0066] [Table 6]

[0067] [Table 7]

[0068] (sensory evaluation test) One cup (150g) of each konjac rice prepared above was mixed with water equivalent to two cups of polished rice and cooked in a rice cooker under normal conditions. A blind sensory evaluation of the texture was conducted by five panelists who regularly evaluate texture. The evaluation items were "texture," "flavor," and "overall evaluation." "Texture" is a relative sensory evaluation with cooked rice (white rice) being given a score of 10. "Flavor" is a relative sensory evaluation where konjac rice (cooked) containing no grains was given a score of 1 (Comparative Example 41). The lower the score, the worse the flavor (for example, the stronger the alkaline smell).

[0069] In comparison with Comparative Examples 41 to 53, Examples 41 to 46 were evaluated as ◯ in gelation state, and were evaluated as 5 or higher in texture and flavor, resulting in an overall evaluation of 6 or higher.

[0070] (pea flour) Konjac rice was produced according to the production flow of embodiment 1. Pea flour was used as the grain flour. Table 8 shows the konjac rice of Examples 61 to 66, which had different blends of ingredients. Table 9 shows the konjac rice of Comparative Examples 61 to 73, which had different ingredient compositions. The unit of composition is [kg]. The "protein content" derived from grains was calculated based on the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan (8th edition).

[0071] [Table 8]

[0072] [Table 9]

[0073] (sensory evaluation test) One cup (150g) of each konjac rice prepared above was mixed with water equivalent to two cups of polished rice and cooked in a rice cooker under normal conditions. A blind sensory evaluation of the texture was conducted by five panelists who regularly evaluate texture. The evaluation items were "texture," "flavor," and "overall evaluation." "Texture" is a relative sensory evaluation with cooked rice (white rice) being given a score of 10. "Flavor" is a relative sensory evaluation where konjac rice (cooked) containing no grains was given a score of 1 (Comparative Example 41). The lower the score, the worse the flavor (for example, the stronger the alkaline smell).

[0074] In comparison with Comparative Examples 61 to 73, Examples 61 to 66 were evaluated as ◯ in terms of gelation state, and were evaluated as 5 or higher in terms of texture and flavor, resulting in an overall evaluation of 6 or higher.

Claims

1. A stirring step of stirring konjac flour (A) and water (D) to obtain a first konjac rice material; A first kneading step of adding tapioca starch (B) and grain flour (C) to the first konjac rice material and kneading to obtain a second konjac rice material; A second kneading step of adding alkali to the second konjac rice material and kneading it to obtain a third konjac rice material; A heat gelling step in which the third konjac rice material is added to warm water at a temperature lower than the starch gelatinization temperature and stirred to gelatinize the mixture, and the pH of the resulting konjac gel containing the components (B) and (C) is adjusted to 7 to 9.5 after gelation. A granular molding step of molding the konjac gel containing the (B) and (C) components into granules to obtain a granular (B) and (C) component-containing konjac gel (S5); A drying step of drying the konjac gel containing the granular (B) and (C) components to obtain konjac rice having a moisture content of 8 to 15% by mass; Including, How to make konjac rice.

2. In the heat gelation step, a neutralization treatment is performed after gelation. The method for producing konjac rice according to claim 1.

3. The method for producing konjac rice according to claim 1, wherein the content of the protein derived from the grain flour is 0.05 to 0.3 parts by mass per 1 part by mass of the konjac flour.

4. The method for producing konjac rice according to claim 1, wherein the content of the tapioca starch and the grain flour is 10 parts by mass to 14 parts by mass per 1 part by mass of the konjac flour.

5. The method for producing konjac rice according to claim 1, wherein the blending mass ratio of the konjac flour (A) to the alkali (F) is A:F = 1:0.04 to 0.

06.

6. The method for producing konjac rice according to claim 1, wherein the grain flour is one or more of those derived from rice, soybeans, peas, and wheat.

7. Contains konjac flour, tapioca starch, and grain flour. The content of the tapioca starch and the grain flour is 10 parts by mass to 14 parts by mass per part by mass of the konjac flour, The content of the grain flour-derived protein is 0.05 to 0.3 parts by mass per 1 part by mass of the konjac flour, The particles have one or more shapes selected from granular, flattened ellipsoidal, and flattened circular shapes, Konja rice has a moisture content of 8 to 15% by mass.

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