Method for manufacturing cooking sets and omelet rice-type food products

Abstract

To provide a technology that enables the simple production of omelet rice and similar food products with good appearance and texture. [Solution] The cooking set 1 of the present invention is a cooking set for omelet rice-type food 10 obtained by heating a main ingredient 4 containing seasoning liquid 3 with egg mixture 6 using microwave heating, and comprises a packaging bag 2 and seasoning liquid 3 contained inside the packaging bag 2. The packaging bag 2 has a pair of opposing surfaces 23, 23 connected by a gusset portion 21, and the gusset portion 21 is provided in the part that becomes the bottom 22 when microwave heating is performed. The cooking set 1 is used by putting the main ingredient 4 and egg mixture 6 inside the packaging bag 2 and then heating the packaging bag 2 with microwave heating.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a manufacturing technique for omelet rice-like foods obtained by microwave heating a main ingredient containing a seasoning liquid coated with egg liquid.

Background Art

[0002] An omelette obtained by cooking seasoned egg liquid in a frying pan or the like has a fresh yellow appearance of eggs, a fluffy texture of eggs, and a rich flavor, and is a popular food. As omelets, there are plain omelets mainly composed of egg liquid, those baked from a mixture of egg liquid and various ingredients, etc., which are eaten all over the world. Also, foods using omelets are popular, and a representative example thereof is omelet rice, which is made by wrapping seasoned rice such as chicken rice with an omelet. Omelet rice allows one to enjoy the contrast in appearance due to the adjacency of two types of foods with different appearances, namely omelets and rice, and to taste the flavors of those two types of foods individually or simultaneously, and is very popular.

[0003] Problems with omelet rice include that the cooking method is complicated and requires advanced techniques. That is, the cooking of omelet rice usually includes three steps: a step of heating egg liquid to produce an omelet, a step of producing seasoned rice, and a step of wrapping the seasoned rice with the omelet, which is complicated. Moreover, it requires skill to cook the egg liquid evenly without burning it to produce an omelet with a good appearance, and advanced techniques are required to neatly wrap the rice with the omelet. Against the backdrop of the increasing demand for time-saving cooking in recent years, a technique for easily cooking omelet rice at home is required.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a cooking technique for foods such as omelet rice in which ingredients are coated with eggs. Specifically, it discloses a cooking method including a step of putting liquid eggs into a packaging material for microwave cooking in which ingredients including rice are collected at the bottom and then heating in a microwave oven. According to the cooking method described in Patent Document 1, it is said that the above-mentioned food with a good taste and appearance can be easily cooked. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-108553 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] The technology described in Patent Document 1, while producing food of a certain quality, falls short of the quality of omurice prepared by a skilled cook, leaving room for improvement. A technology that can easily produce omurice with good appearance and texture has yet to be provided.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a technology that enables the simple production of omelet rice-type food products with good appearance and texture. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention relates to a cooking set for omurice-type food products, which are obtained by heating a main ingredient containing a seasoning liquid with egg liquid using microwaves. The set comprises a packaging bag and the seasoning liquid contained inside the packaging bag, the packaging bag having a pair of opposing surfaces connected by a gusset, the gusset being located at the bottom of the bag during microwave heating, and the cooking set being used by placing the main ingredient and egg liquid inside the packaging bag and then heating the packaging bag using microwaves.

[0009] The present invention also relates to a method for producing omurice-type food products, which is obtained by heating a main ingredient containing a seasoning liquid with egg liquid using microwaves, comprising the steps of: 1) forming a mixture containing a seasoning liquid and a main ingredient inside a packaging bag; 2) forming the mixture into a lump; 3) pouring egg liquid into the packaging bag; 4) adhering the egg liquid to the entire surface of the lump of mixture inside the packaging bag; and 5) microwave heating the packaging bag, wherein the packaging bag has a pair of opposing surfaces connected by a gusset, and the gusset is provided at the bottom during microwave heating. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, a technology (cooking set, method for manufacturing omelet rice-type food products) is provided that enables the simple production of omelet rice-type food products with good appearance and texture. Specifically, with the cooking set of the present invention, a omelet rice dish with good appearance and texture can be produced by a relatively simple operation: simply placing the main ingredients and egg mixture, which have been prepared separately, into the packaging bag that constitutes the cooking set and heating it in a microwave oven or other microwave cooking device. Similarly, with the method for producing omelet rice dishes of the present invention, a relatively simple operation is performed, for example, by placing the raw materials (main ingredients, seasoning liquid, and egg mixture) into the packaging bag and heating it in a microwave cooking device. In both cases, the omelet rice dish with good appearance and texture can be produced, and the skilled techniques and cooking utensils such as frying pans and spatulas required in conventional methods are unnecessary. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram of one embodiment of a method for manufacturing omurice-type food products using the omurice cooking set of the present invention, where Figure 1(a) is an explanatory diagram of step 1, Figure 1(b) is an explanatory diagram of step 2, Figure 1(c) is an explanatory diagram of steps 3 and 4, Figure 1(d) shows the omurice-type food product removed from the packaging bag after step 5, and Figure 1(e) is a schematic perspective view of the omurice-type food product divided into two parts. [Figure 2]Figure 2 shows one embodiment of the packaging bag that constitutes the omelet rice cooking set of the present invention, and is a schematic perspective view of the packaging bag with the gusset at the bottom unfolded. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic bottom view of the packaging bag shown in Figure 2. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic front view of the packaging bag shown in Figure 2, with the gusset folded. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] This invention relates to a manufacturing technology for omurice-type food products. In this specification, "omurice-type food products" refers to omurice and its variations, of which there are multiple types. Each omurice-type food product has in common that it contains ingredients and a solid mass of egg liquid that coats the ingredients. The "solid mass of egg liquid" is obtained by heating the egg liquid. The term "omurice" refers to a dish in which the ingredients covered with a solid egg mixture are rice. Typically, the rice used in omurice is seasoned rice such as ketchup rice or fried rice, but it does not have to be seasoned. The aforementioned "variations of omurice" refer to dishes that are variations of omurice, possessing the basic structure of omurice (a structure comprising ingredients and a solid egg mixture covering them), but with some modifications to the original omurice. An example of an omurice variation is omusoba. Omusoba differs from omurice in that the ingredients covered by the solid egg mixture are noodles. An example of noodles that make up omusoba is yakisoba.

[0013] The omelet rice-type food produced by the present invention is an omelet rice-type food obtained by coating a main ingredient containing seasoning liquid with egg mixture and then heating it with microwaves. In other words, in the present invention, when producing an omelet rice-type food, seasoning liquid, main ingredient, and egg mixture are used as raw materials, and microwave heating is used as the heating cooking method.

[0014] Figure 1 shows how to produce an omelet-like food item 10 using a cooking set 1, which is one embodiment of the cooking set of the present invention. The cooking set 1 includes a packaging bag 2 and a seasoning liquid 3 contained inside the packaging bag 2. The cooking set 1 is used by placing the main ingredients 4 and egg mixture 6 inside the packaging bag 2 (see Figures 1(a) to (c)) and then heating the packaging bag 2 with a microwave. The main ingredients 4 and egg mixture 6 are not included in the cooking set 1. Figures 1(d) and (e) show an omelet-like food item 10 obtained using the cooking set 1. In this embodiment, the omelet-like food item 10 is omelet rice and includes an inner layer 11 consisting of a mixture 5 containing the seasoning liquid 3 and the main ingredients 4, and an outer layer 12 consisting of solid egg mixture 6 (omelet). Details of how to use the cooking set 1 will be described later.

[0015] Figures 2-4 show the unused packaging bag 2. The packaging bag 2 is formed from packaging material into a bag shape and has a pair of opposing surfaces 23, 23 connected by a gusset portion 21. The pair of surfaces 23, 23 are the main surfaces of the packaging bag 2, one being the front and the other the back. The gusset portion 21 is provided at the bottom 22 of the packaging bag 2. In the packaging bag 2 of this embodiment, the entire bottom 22 is the gusset portion 21. The bottom 22 is the part of the packaging bag 2 that becomes the bottom during microwave heating, that is, the part located at the lowest point during microwave heating. Therefore, the seasoning liquid 3 contained inside the packaging bag 2, and the main ingredients and egg liquid that are put inside the packaging bag 2 when used, are located inside the bottom 22 of the packaging bag 2 during microwave heating. The packaging bag 2 is provided with a storage compartment 24 inside, which consists of a space defined by a pair of surfaces 23, 23 and a bottom portion 22 (gusset portion 21), and the contents to be stored, such as the seasoning liquid 3, are stored in the storage compartment 24.

[0016] The gusset portion 21 is formed by folding inward the portion of the packaging material that constitutes the packaging bag 2 corresponding to the bottom portion 22, creating a so-called gusset fold. The packaging material constituting the gusset portion 21 can be in a folded state (unfolded state) or an unfolded state. Figures 2 and 3 show the gusset portion 21 in the unfolded state, and Figure 4 shows the gusset portion 21 in the unfolded state. When the gusset portion 21 is moved from the unfolded state to the unfolded state, the bottom portion 22 changes from a folded state to a flat state, thereby expanding the bottom surface of the packaging bag 2, and the packaging bag 2 becomes self-supporting as shown in Figure 2. Moving the gusset portion 21 from the unfolded state to the unfolded state, or vice versa, can be easily done by applying external force to the gusset portion 21 (bottom portion 22) from both the inside and outside of the packaging bag 2. When there are contents such as seasoning liquid or main ingredients inside the packaging bag 2, the gusset portion 21 is usually in the unfolded state.

[0017] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1(a), (c), and (d), the packaging bag 2 has an opening 27 for introducing the main ingredients 4 and egg mixture 6 into it. The opening 27 is located at the top of the packaging bag 2 (the end opposite to the bottom 22). In this embodiment, the unused packaging bag 2, as shown in Figure 2, does not have an opening 27. The opening 27 can be formed by tearing the packaging bag 2 along a tear guide line 26 provided near the top of the packaging bag 2. The tear guide line 26 can be provided according to conventional methods.

[0018] In this embodiment, the opening 27 is openable and closable. That is, an opening / closing mechanism 25 is provided near the opening end of the opening 27 (the upper end of the packaging bag 2), and the opening 27 can be opened and closed by using the opening / closing mechanism 25 in a conventional manner. Being able to close the opening 27 prevents the contents of the packaging bag 2 from spilling out during use of the cooking set 1 as shown in Figure 1. The opening / closing mechanism 25 can be any type conventionally used for opening and closing this type of packaging bag, without any particular limitations, and examples include opening / closing mechanisms using fasteners such as zippers, zippers, etc.; and opening / closing mechanisms using adhesives, suction cups, etc.

[0019] From the perspective of reliably obtaining an omelette rice-like food with good appearance and texture, the volume of the packaging bag 2 in the state where the opening 27 is closed, that is, the volume of the accommodating portion 24 in the state where the opening 27 is closed by the opening / closing means 25, is preferably 500 to 1200 mL, more preferably 600 to 1000 mL, and even more preferably 650 to 900 mL. If the volume of the packaging bag 2 is not appropriate, the usability of the cooking set 1 may decrease, and the appearance and texture of the intended omelette rice-like food may deteriorate. This also applies not only to the volume of the packaging bag 2 but also to the dimensions 21W, 2H, and 2W of each part of the packaging bag 2 described later.

[0020] The volume of the packaging bag 2 described above can be measured by measuring the maximum value of the amount of water that can be accommodated inside the packaging bag 2 (accommodating portion 24) as the volume of the water. Here, "accommodable" means that after water is accommodated inside the packaging bag 2 through the opening 27, the opening 27 can be closed. That is, if the volume of the water accommodated inside the packaging bag 2 is too large to close the opening 27, the volume of that water is not the amount of water that can be accommodated inside the packaging bag 2.

[0021] From the perspective of reliably obtaining an omelette rice-like food with good appearance and texture, the maximum separation length (hereinafter also referred to as "mach width") 21W (see FIG. 3) of the pair of surfaces 23, 23 in the state where the gusset portion 21 is developed in the portion (bottom portion 22) having the gusset portion 21 is preferably 3 to 8 cm, more preferably 4 to 7 cm.

[0022] From the perspective of reliably obtaining an omelette rice-like food with good appearance and texture, referring to FIG. 4, in the non-developed state of the gusset portion 21, the height 2H and the width (length in the direction orthogonal to the height direction on the surface 23) 2W of the packaging bag 2 are preferably 8 to 30 cm and more preferably 10 to 25 cm, respectively.

[0023] The size of the omelet rice-type food that can be produced with one cooking set 1 is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of improving the ease of use of the cooking set 1 and improving the appearance and texture of the omelet rice-type food, a weight of 200 to 500 g is preferred. That is, it is preferable that the dimensions of each part of the packaging bag 2 be set so that 200 to 500 g of omelet rice-type food can be obtained with one cooking set 1. The preferred ranges of the volume of the packaging bag 2 and the dimensions 21W, 2H, and 2W of each part are suitable for producing omelet rice-type food weighing 200 to 500 g.

[0024] The packaging bag 2 is required to be microwave-heatable for the contents to be heated, such as the seasoning liquid 3, and to be water-resistant and capable of containing liquids such as seasoning liquid and egg mixture. The material of the packaging material constituting the packaging bag 2 is preferably one that can satisfy these required characteristics, and examples include resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, nylon, polycarbonate, polyvinyl alcohol and polymers thereof; and composite materials of resin and paper. One of these can be used alone or in combination of two or more. The packaging bag 2 may be composed of one type of packaging material or multiple types of packaging materials. In the latter case, the multiple types of packaging materials may have a portion where they are laminated in the thickness direction, or the multiple types of packaging materials may have a portion where they are joined in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction.

[0025] Since the packaging material constituting the packaging bag 2 is typically non-permeable, if the packaging bag 2 containing an object containing moisture such as seasoning liquid 3 is microwave-heated with its opening 27 closed, the steam generated from the object may increase the internal pressure of the packaging bag 2, potentially causing it to burst. One way to prevent this problem is to give the packaging bag 2 a robust structure that will not burst even with increased internal pressure, for example, by using a high-strength packaging material. Another way to prevent this problem is to provide the packaging bag 2 with a de-steaming mechanism that discharges internal steam to the outside. The de-steaming mechanism can be any type conventionally used in this type of packaging bag without any particular limitations. Examples of desteaming mechanisms include: 1) a mechanism in which a portion of the opening 27 remains open at all times (even when the opening 27 is closed using the opening / closing means 25, a portion of the opening 27 remains open); 2) a mechanism in which a portion of the packaging bag 2 ruptures when the internal pressure exceeds a predetermined value, forming a steam vent; and 3) a mechanism in which a steam vent is formed in the packaging bag 2, and a non-permeable sheet is attached to the portion of the outer surface of the packaging bag 2 corresponding to the steam vent, so that the non-permeable sheet peels off as the internal pressure increases.

[0026] The seasoning liquid 3 is used to season the main ingredients 4 that are placed inside the packaging bag 2 (storage section 24) when using the cooking set 1, and together with the main ingredients 4, it constitutes the inner layer 11 of the omelet rice type food 10. The seasoning liquid 3 typically contains seasonings and water and is liquid at room temperature and pressure. The seasonings are not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected depending on the type of omelet rice type food 10 to be made using the cooking set 1. Examples of the seasonings include liquid seasonings such as ketchup, soy sauce, mirin, and dashi; and solid seasonings such as sugar, salt, and spices, and one or more of these can be used. The seasoning liquid 3 may also contain other components besides seasonings and water, such as oil, alcohol, flour, starch, sugars, thickeners, emulsifiers, and preservatives, and one or more of these can be used.

[0027] The seasoning liquid 3 may contain solid ingredients that are solid at room temperature and pressure. The solid ingredients can be those conventionally used in this type of omelet rice dish, such as minced meat and finely chopped vegetables. From the viewpoint of reliably imparting the desired flavor to the main ingredients 4, the content of solid ingredients in the seasoning liquid 3 is preferably 30% by mass or less, more preferably 25% by mass or less, relative to the total mass of the seasoning liquid 3.

[0028] For example, if the omurice-type food item 10 is a typical omurice, the inner layer 11 is rice (so-called chicken rice) seasoned with a tomato sauce-based seasoning liquid 3. Therefore, the seasoning liquid 3 includes tomato ketchup and / or tomato paste as seasonings, and may also include small pieces of ingredients such as green peas and / or sausage. In addition to tomato sauce-based seasoning liquids, other examples of seasoning liquids 3 include those based on demi-glace sauce, white sauce, or curry sauce.

[0029] The amount of seasoning liquid 3 contained in the packaging bag 2 is preferably adjusted appropriately according to the amount of main ingredients 4 added, etc., so that the main ingredients 4 added to the packaging bag 2 can be seasoned as desired. For example, when 200 to 500 g of omurice-type food 10 can be obtained from one cooking set 1, the amount of seasoning liquid 3 contained in the packaging bag 2 is preferably 30 to 100 g, more preferably 35 to 80 g. If the amount of seasoning liquid 3 is too small, the seasoning of the main ingredients 4 may be insufficient, and if the amount of seasoning liquid 3 is too large, the shape retention of the mixture 5 containing the seasoning liquid 3 and main ingredients 4 may decrease, making it difficult to mold into the desired shape.

[0030] The cooking set 1 is typically manufactured by filling a predetermined amount of seasoning liquid 3 inside the packaging bag 2 during the manufacturing process of the packaging bag 2, and then sealing the packaging bag 2. The method of filling the packaging bag 2 with the seasoning liquid 3 is not particularly limited; for example, a prepared seasoning liquid 3 may be poured into the packaging bag 2, or the seasoning liquid 3 may be prepared inside the packaging bag 2 by pouring the raw materials for the seasoning liquid 3 into the packaging bag 2 and stirring. The packaging bag 2 may also be provided with an opening other than the opening 27 that is used when filling the packaging bag with the seasoning liquid 3 or its raw materials.

[0031] Next, the method for producing omurice-type food products of the present invention will be explained using the cooking set 1 described above as an example, with reference to Figure 1. For components of the method for producing omurice-type food products of the present invention that are not specifically described, the description of the cooking set 1 described above will be applied as appropriate.

[0032] The present invention's method for producing omurice-type food products includes the following steps 1 to 5. Steps 1 to 5 are carried out in this order. Step 1: A step in which a mixture 5 containing seasoning liquid 3 and main ingredients 4 is formed inside the packaging bag 2. Step 2: The process of forming the mixture 5 into a mass. Step 3: The process of pouring the egg mixture 6 into the packaging bag 2. Step 4: The process of applying the egg mixture 6 to the entire surface of the lump mixture 5 inside the packaging bag 2. • Step 5: Heating step of heating packaging bag 2 in a microwave.

[0033] The type of main ingredient 4 is not particularly limited and can include, for example, rice dishes, noodles, and beans. One of these can be used alone or in combination of two or more. In this embodiment, the main ingredient 4 is rice dishes. Furthermore, the main ingredient 4 only needs to be edible after microwave heating in step 5, and does not need to be edible at the time of use in step 1. Typically, in step 1, the main ingredient 4 that has been cooked to an edible state is used.

[0034] Figure 1(a) shows an example of Step 1 using the cooking set 1. Before performing Step 1, the unused packaging bag 2 is broken along the break guide line 26 as shown in Figure 2 to form an opening 27 at the top of the packaging bag 2. In Step 1, the main ingredients 4 are put into the storage compartment 24 inside the packaging bag 2 through the opening 27 and mixed with the seasoning liquid 3 that is already stored in the storage compartment 24 to form a mixture 5.

[0035] The temperature of the main ingredient 4 immediately before being added to the packaging bag 2 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the temperature be in the range of 50 to 80°C, as this makes it easier to form the mixture 5 into a mass in the next step 2. When adding the main ingredient 4 to the packaging bag 2, the entire planned amount may be added at once, or it may be added in multiple batches.

[0036] The amount of main ingredient 4 added (or the sum of the amounts added in multiple batches) can be adjusted as appropriate according to the size of the omelet rice-like food product 10 to be manufactured. For example, if 200 to 500 g of omelet rice-like food product 10 is to be obtained from one cooking set 1, the amount of main ingredient 4 added is preferably 100 to 400 g, more preferably 115 to 350 g, and even more preferably 130 to 300 g, from the viewpoint of reliably obtaining omelet rice-like food product 10 with good appearance and texture. If the amount of main ingredient 4 added is too little, it may be difficult to form the mixture 5 into a lump in the next step 2, and if the amount of main ingredient 4 added is too much, the seasoning of the main ingredient 4 with the seasoning liquid 3 may be insufficient, and it may be difficult to coat the entire surface of the mixture 5 with the egg mixture 6 in step 4, among other problems.

[0037] In step 1, the method of mixing the seasoning liquid 3 and the main ingredients 4 inside the packaging bag 2 is not particularly limited. For example, mixing may be done by inserting a stirring tool such as a stirring rod into the packaging bag 2 through the opening 27, or by pressing the packaging bag 2 from the outside. When mixing the seasoning liquid 3 and the main ingredients 4, if part or all of the opening 27 is closed using the opening / closing means 25, it is possible to prevent the contents of the packaging bag 2 from spilling out during the mixing operation.

[0038] If the mixture 5 formed in step 1 has poor shape retention and easily falls apart, it may become difficult to form the mixture 5 into a lump in step 2, and difficult to coat the entire surface of the mixture 5 with the egg mixture 6 in step 4. From the viewpoint of reliably preventing such problems, the oil content of the mixture 5 is preferably 0.5 to 5% by mass, more preferably 0.9 to 4% by mass. From a similar viewpoint, the water content of the mixture 5 is preferably 40 to 75% by mass, more preferably 50 to 70% by mass, and even more preferably 58 to 65% by mass.

[0039] The oil and water content of mixture 5 can be adjusted by appropriately adjusting the composition of the seasoning liquid 3 and the main ingredient 4, the mixing mass ratio of the seasoning liquid 3 to the main ingredient 4, etc. To adjust the oil and water content of mixture 5 to a predetermined range, oil and / or water may be added to mixture 5. For example, when cooked rice is used as the main ingredient 4, from the viewpoint of reliably adjusting the oil and water content of mixture 5 to the above-mentioned preferred range, it is preferable that the oil content of the seasoning liquid 3 be preferably 1 to 10% by mass, more preferably 1.5 to 8% by mass, the water content of the seasoning liquid 3 be preferably 10 to 50% by mass, more preferably 20 to 40% by mass, and the mixing mass ratio of the seasoning liquid 3 to the main ingredient 4 be seasoning liquid 3:main ingredient 4 = 1:2 to 1:6. The oil and water content can be measured by the following methods, respectively.

[0040] <Method for measuring oil content> In accordance with "3 Lipids: 3-5 Acid Hydrolysis Method" in "Chapter 1 General Components and Related Components" of the Analysis Manual for the 2015 Edition (Seventh Revision) of the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan, the mass of the ether extract fraction after acid hydrolysis of the sample to be measured (seasoning liquid 3, main ingredients 4, mixture 5, etc.) is taken as the oil content, and the amount of this oil relative to the total mass of the sample to be measured before acid hydrolysis is expressed as a percentage to determine the oil content of the sample to be measured.

[0041] <Method for measuring moisture content> In accordance with "1-1-1 Atmospheric Pressure Heating and Drying Method" in "Chapter 1 General Components and Related Components" of the Analysis Manual for the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan 2015 Edition (Seventh Revised Edition), the moisture content is calculated by subtracting the mass after drying from the mass before drying of the sample to be measured (seasoning liquid 3, main ingredients 4, mixture 5, etc.). The moisture content of the sample is then expressed as a percentage of the total mass of the sample before drying.

[0042] Figure 1(b) shows an example of step 2 using cooking set 1. In step 2, the loose mixture 5 obtained in step 1 is formed into a lump, that is, so that it can be handled as a single lump of mixture 5 in the next step. If the next step (step 3) is carried out without forming the mixture 5 into a lump, the characteristic appearance of omurice-type food 10, in which a single lump of main ingredients 4 (inner layer 11) is covered with solid egg mixture 6 (outer layer 12), may not be obtained. It is preferable that the shape of the lump of mixture 5 be approximately the same as the shape of the inner layer 11 of the omurice-type food 10 to be manufactured. The shape of the lump of mixture 5 is not particularly limited and may be, for example, cylindrical or elliptical.

[0043] The method for forming the mixture 5 into a mass in step 2 is not particularly limited. The mixture 5 is typically formed by gathering the mixture 5 on the bottom side inside the packaging bag 2, i.e., near the unfolded gusset portion 21, and applying pressure to the mixture 5. One example of a method for collecting the mixture 5 towards the bottom inside the packaging bag 2 is to support the packaging bag 2 so that the opening 27 is at the top and the bottom 22 is at the bottom, and allow the mixture 5 to move towards the bottom inside the packaging bag 2 by its own weight. Another example of a method for collecting the mixture 5 towards the bottom inside the packaging bag 2 is to press the packaging bag 2 in a way that squeezes it from the opening 27 side towards the bottom 22 side. One example of a method for applying pressure to the mixture 5 is to press the mixture 5 from the outside of the packaging bag 2 with your fingers or the like. Another example of a method for applying pressure to the mixture 5 is to shake the entire packaging bag 2, causing the mixture 5 to repeatedly collide with the inner surface of the packaging bag 2.

[0044] In step 2, from the viewpoint of smoothly molding the mixture 5, it is preferable to perform the molding with the air removed from inside the packaging bag 2. One example of a method for removing the air from inside the packaging bag 2 is to support the packaging bag 2 so that the opening 27 is at the top and the bottom 22 is at the bottom, and with the opening 27 open, press the packaging bag 2 from the bottom 22 side toward the opening 27 side to squeeze it and expel the air from the opening 27.

[0045] In the embodiment of step 2 shown in Figure 1(b), the mixture 5 is molded in two stages. Specifically, first, the opening 27 is closed using the opening / closing means 25 while the air inside the packaging bag 2 is removed from the opening 27. Then, as shown in the left diagram of Figure 1(b), the mixture 5 collected at the bottom 22 is molded by pressing it from the outside of the packaging bag 2 with the palm of the hand (first molding step). Next, the opening 27 is opened using the opening / closing means 25. Then, as shown in the right diagram of Figure 1(b), the entire packaging bag 2 is shaken by grasping the packaging bag 2 with the fingers and shaking it from side to side, causing the mixture 5 to move alternately in one direction (for example, towards one side of the packaging bag 2) and in the opposite direction (for example, towards the other side of the packaging bag 2), and is molded by colliding it with the inner surface of the packaging bag 2 at the destination (second molding step). In other words, in the embodiment of step 2 shown in Figure 1(b), the loose mixture 5 obtained in step 1 is formed into a lump by pressing it from the outside of the packaging bag 2 in the first molding step, and then the shape of the mixture 5 is refined by repeatedly colliding the lump of mixture 5 with the inner surface of the packaging bag 2 in the second molding step.

[0046] In the first molding process, as shown in the left-hand diagram of Figure 1(b), the packaging bag 2 is folded in half in the height direction, and the mixture 5 is pressed through the packaging bag 2. Folding the packaging bag 2 in this way, thereby substantially narrowing the space for the mixture 5, has advantages such as making it easier to press the mixture 5 and reducing the likelihood of the mixture 5 leaking out of the opening 27 due to the pressing.

[0047] In this embodiment, in order to enable the molding of the mixture 5 by repeated collisions in the second molding process, the dimensions of each part of the packaging bag 2, the amount of main ingredients 4 placed inside the packaging bag 2, etc., are adjusted so that a gap G is formed between the lump of mixture 5 located on or near the bottom surface inside the packaging bag 2 and the left and right side edges of the packaging bag 2 located on both sides of it, as shown in the right-hand diagram of Figure 1(b).

[0048] During the execution of step 2, the gusset portion 21 of the packaging bag 2 is in the unfolded state shown in Figures 1 and 3. From the viewpoint of making it easier to shape the mixture 5 into a desired shape after molding, it is preferable that the shape of the bottom side of the storage portion 24 (internal space of the packaging bag 2) when the gusset portion 21 is unfolded corresponds to the desired shape. Specifically, "bottom side of the storage portion 24" refers to the area defined by the bottom surface inside the packaging bag 2 when the gusset portion 21 is unfolded, and a virtual plane that faces the bottom surface at a position separated from the bottom surface by the opening 27 side by the height of the omelet rice type food 10 (product to be manufactured) (for example, 80 mm). For example, if the shape of the bottom side of the storage portion 24 when the gusset portion 21 is unfolded and the shape of the desired mixture 5 after molding are similar, then the above correspondence relationship is said to be established.

[0049] The left-hand diagram in Figure 1(c) shows an example of step 3 using the cooking set 1. In this example, the egg mixture 6 in the bowl 60 is poured into the packaging bag 2 through the opening 27, but the method of pouring the egg mixture 6 into the packaging bag 2 is not limited to this.

[0050] The egg liquid 6 contains at least whole egg liquid and may further contain one or more other components such as water, oil, seasonings, and food coloring. The whole egg liquid can be any edible egg, such as chicken eggs or quail eggs. Two or more types of whole egg liquid may be used in combination. The content of the other components in the egg liquid 6 is preferably less than 35% by mass, more preferably less than 30% by mass, based on the total mass of the egg liquid 6.

[0051] An example of a preferred egg mixture 6 is one prepared by mixing whole egg mixture and water. The amount of water used to prepare this preferred egg mixture 6 is preferably 20 to 40 parts by mass, more preferably 24 to 36 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of whole egg mixture. By using an egg mixture 6 of such composition, the solid portion (outer layer 12) of the egg mixture 6 in the final omelet-like food product 10 can be made to have a fluffy and soft texture.

[0052] The amount of egg mixture 6 added to the packaging bag 2 can be adjusted as appropriate depending on the size of the omelet rice-type food product 10 to be manufactured. For example, when preparing omelet rice-type food products 10 weighing 200 to 500 g from one cooking set 1, the amount of egg mixture 6 added is preferably 80 to 200 g, more preferably 90 to 180 g, and even more preferably 100 to 160 g, from the viewpoint of reliably obtaining omelet rice-type food products 10 with good appearance and texture. If the amount of egg mixture 6 added is too little, it may become difficult to coat the entire surface of the mixture 5 with the egg mixture 6 in the next step (step 4). If the amount of egg mixture 6 added is too much, uneven heating of the egg mixture 6 may occur during microwave heating in step 5, potentially causing the outer layer 12 of the omelet rice-type food product 10 to harden in some areas, thus degrading the texture of the omelet rice-type food product 10.

[0053] The right-hand diagram in Figure 1(c) shows an example of step 4 using the cooking set 1. In step 4, the egg liquid 6 that was placed inside the packaging bag 2 in step 3 is applied to the entire surface of the lump mixture 5 inside. The method of applying the egg liquid 6 is not particularly limited, as long as it does not disrupt the shape of the mixture 5. One example of a method for applying the egg mixture 6 is to pour the egg mixture 6 into the packaging bag 2, then hold the packaging bag 2 with your fingers and shake it from side to side to shake the entire packaging bag 2, thereby distributing the egg mixture 6 throughout the mixture 5 (hereinafter also referred to as "Method A"). Another example of a method for applying the egg mixture 6 is to pour the egg mixture 6 into the packaging bag 2, and then knead the packaging bag 2 from the outside with your fingers or the like to distribute the egg mixture 6 evenly throughout the mixture 5 (hereinafter also referred to as "Method B"). Another example of a method for applying the egg liquid 6 is to pour the egg liquid 6 into the packaging bag 2, and then press the portion of the packaging bag 2 corresponding to the lower half of the mixture 5 (the part closer to the bottom 22 than the center of the mixture 5 in the height direction) from the outside, thereby creating a gap between the mixture 5 and the bottom surface inside the packaging bag 2 (near the unfolded gusset portion 21), and allowing the egg liquid 6 to flow into this gap (hereinafter also referred to as "Method C"). Method A does not press the packaging bag 2, whereas methods B and C both press the packaging bag 2. Furthermore, method C differs from method B, which presses the packaging bag 2 without creating a gap, in that it creates a gap between the mixture 5 and the inner surface of the bottom of the packaging bag 2. From the viewpoint of ensuring that the egg mixture 6 adheres to the entire surface of the mixture 5 and obtaining an omelet-like food product 10 with a good appearance, method C is particularly preferred as a method for applying the egg mixture 6.

[0054] In step 5, the packaging bag 2 is microwave-heated, thereby microwaving the mixture 5, which in step 4 had the egg mixture 6 adhering to its entire surface. This microwave heating causes the egg mixture 6 to solidify, resulting in an omelet-like food product 10 containing an outer layer 12 made of the solid and an inner layer 11 made of the mixture 5. Microwave heating can be carried out using a known microwave cooking appliance such as a microwave oven in accordance with conventional methods. The conditions for microwave heating are not particularly limited and can be set appropriately considering the amount of contents in the packaging bag 2. For example, when one cooking set 1 is used to obtain 200 to 500 g of omelet-like food product 10, the output during microwave heating is preferably 400 to 1000 W, more preferably 500 to 700 W, and the microwave heating time is preferably 3 to 6 minutes, more preferably 4 to 5 minutes.

[0055] In step 5, it is preferable to perform the microwave heating of the packaging bag 2 with the unfolded gusset portion 21 as the bottom, allowing the packaging bag 2 to stand upright. This effectively prevents the egg mixture 6 from solidifying into a disordered shape due to the shaking during microwave heating. Furthermore, when microwave heating the packaging bag 2 having the steam vents, it is preferable to adjust the position of the packaging bag 2 so as not to obstruct the discharge of steam from the steam vents.

[0056] The method for producing omurice-type food products of the present invention has been described above using the cooking set of the present invention, represented by the aforementioned cooking set 1, as an example. However, this method can also be carried out without using the cooking set. When carrying out the method for producing omurice-type food products of the present invention without using the cooking set, it is necessary to prepare a packaging bag and seasoning liquid included in the cooking set, in addition to the main ingredients and egg mixture. The packaging bag to be prepared is preferably a so-called bottom-gusset bag, such as packaging bag 2, which has a gusset at the bottom. In step 1, the seasoning liquid and main ingredients are placed inside the prepared packaging bag to form a mixture containing these. In step 1, the order in which the ingredients are placed inside the packaging bag is not particularly limited; the seasoning liquid may be placed first, then the main ingredients, or vice versa. The subsequent steps are the same as the method for producing omurice-type food products using the aforementioned cooking set.

[0057] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention. In the above embodiment, the packaging bag 2 had an opening / closing mechanism 25 for the opening 27, but the packaging bag 2 does not have to have an opening / closing mechanism 25. In that case, the opening 27 can be opened and closed using an opening / closing mechanism separate from the packaging bag 2, and examples of such an opening / closing mechanism include a band, a pinch, and a clip. In the above embodiment, the gusset portion 21 was provided only at the bottom 22 of the packaging bag 2. However, assuming that it is provided at the bottom during microwave heating, it may also be provided at other locations. For example, the gusset portion 21 may be provided on both sides of the packaging bag 2. [Examples]

[0058] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0059] [Examples 1-33, Comparative Examples 1-4: Manufacturing of Cooking Sets] A cooking kit for omurice was prepared by adding 50g of the seasoning liquid prepared using the method described below to one of the packaging bags A to C shown below. The characteristics of the packaging bags used are shown in Tables 1 to 4 below.

[0060] (Packaging bag A) Packaging bag A is a bottom-gusseted bag made of a non-breathable packaging material, having a pair of opposing surfaces connected by a gusset, with the gusset located at the bottom. The packaging material consists of a laminate of polypropylene film and nylon film. The basic structure of packaging bag A is the same as that of packaging bag 2 (see Figures 2-4) described above. Several types of packaging bag A were prepared, each with different dimensions but similar to one another (see Table 2). One of the multiple types of packaging bag A had a volume of 700 mL, and when the gusset was folded, its height (length between the top opening and the bottom) was 16 cm, its width (length in the direction perpendicular to the height direction in a front view) was 24 cm, and its gusset width was 3 cm.

[0061] (Packaging bag B) Packaging bag B is a three-sided sealed bag made of an airtight packaging material. The packaging material consists of a laminate of a polypropylene film and a nylon film. Packaging bag B is manufactured by overlapping two pieces of packaging material, each with a rectangular shape in plan view, to obtain a laminate, and then heat-sealing three of the four sides of the laminate. The remaining side that is not heat-sealed is the top opening, and the heat-sealed side opposite to the unheated side is the bottom. Packaging bag B has a volume of 700 mL, and when laid flat without being folded, its height (length between the top opening and the bottom) is 20 cm and its width (length in the direction perpendicular to the height direction in a front view) is 24 cm.

[0062] (Packaging bag C) Packaging bag C is a bottom-seal bag made of an airtight packaging material. The packaging material consists of a laminate of a polypropylene film and a nylon film. Packaging bag C is manufactured by forming the packaging material into a cylindrical shape with both ends open in the axial direction, and then heat-sealing one end of the cylindrical packaging material, with the other end of the cylindrical packaging material being the top opening and the heat-sealed end being the bottom. Packaging bag C has a volume of 700 mL, and when laid flat without being folded, its height (length between the top opening and the bottom) is 27 cm and its width (length in the direction perpendicular to the height direction in a front view) is 18 cm.

[0063] As mentioned above, the volume of the packaging bag was measured by determining the maximum amount of water that could be contained inside the packaging bag being measured. In this measurement, a plastic clip was used to close the top opening of the packaging bag, and the volume of water was measured using a graduated cylinder, with the measured value rounded to the nearest 10 mL.

[0064] (Method for preparing the seasoning liquid) Add 40g of soybean oil to a pot and heat it. Once heated, add 200g of ground beef and 50g of minced onion, and stir-fry while breaking up the meat well. Once the ground meat is well broken up, add 300g of fresh water, 250g of tomato paste, and 100g of tomato ketchup, and heat until boiling. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar, and thicken with dissolved cornstarch. Finally, add fresh water to adjust the total volume of the seasoning liquid to 1000g, and prepare a tomato sauce-based seasoning liquid. The seasoning liquid prepared by the above method had an oil content of 1.5% by mass and a water content of 62% by mass. If the oil content and / or water content of the seasoning liquid is changed from the above, the amount of soybean oil and / or fresh water used should also be changed from the above.

[0065] [Evaluation Test] Omurice, that is, "a food product comprising an inner layer consisting of a mixture containing seasoning liquid and rice as the main ingredient, and an outer layer consisting of solid egg mixture that covers the inner layer," was prepared using the cooking sets of the examples and comparative examples. Cooked rice was prepared as the main ingredient and kept warm at 70°C in a warming device until use. In addition, two medium-sized chicken eggs (approximately 100g) and a predetermined amount of clean water were placed in a bowl and stirred well to prepare the egg mixture. After placing 150g of cooked rice (main ingredient) into the packaging bag of the cooking kit, the contents of the packaging bag were kneaded by hand from the outside of the bag to mix the entire contents and form a mixture (Step 1). After the completion of Step 1, a portion of the mixture was taken and the oil content and moisture content were measured using the method described above. The results are shown in Tables 1 to 4 below. The oil content and moisture content of the mixture were adjusted by adjusting one or more of the following: the amount of soybean oil and fresh water in the seasoning liquid, and the degree of cooking of the cooked rice used as the main ingredient. Next, the mixture was formed into a cylindrical mass (Step 2). In Step 2, the mixture was gathered at the bottom of the packaging bag, and the packaging bag was pressed from the bottom towards the top opening to expel the air inside the packaging bag from the top opening, creating a space slightly larger than the mixture around it. The entire packaging bag was then shaken, causing the mixture to repeatedly collide with the inside of the packaging bag, thereby forming the mixture into a cylindrical mass. Next, the egg mixture was poured into the packaging bag through the top opening of the packaging bag. (Step 3) Next, the egg mixture was applied to the entire surface of the mixture inside the packaging bag (step 4). In step 4, method B or method C was used as the method for applying the egg mixture. Next, the top opening of the packaging bag was partially sealed using a plastic clip so that a portion of the top opening functioned as a steam-removal section. The packaging bag was then placed inside the microwave oven with its bottom facing downwards and microwaved at 500W for 4 minutes (Step 5). After the completion of step 5, the omurice was removed from the packaging bag and its appearance and texture were evaluated by a panel of 10 experts according to the following evaluation criteria. The evaluation results (arithmetic mean of the evaluation scores from the 10 people) are shown in Tables 1 to 4 below.

[0066] <Criteria for evaluating appearance> 5 points: The entire surface of the inner layer (mixture containing seasoning liquid and main ingredients) is covered with the outer layer (solid egg mixture), which is excellent. 4 points: The outer layer is thin, and the area where the inner layer is visible through the outer layer is less than 10% of the total surface area of ​​the inner layer, indicating good quality. 3 points: The outer layer is thin, and the defective area where the inner layer is visible through the outer layer accounts for 10% to less than 20% of the total surface area of ​​the inner layer, which is within the acceptable range. 2 points: The outer layer is thin, and the area where the inner layer is visible through the outer layer accounts for 20% to less than 30% of the total surface area of ​​the inner layer, which is considered a defect. 1 point: The outer layer is thin, and the area where the inner layer is visible through the outer layer accounts for more than 30% of the total surface area of ​​the inner layer, which is extremely poor.

[0067] <Criteria for evaluating texture> 5 points: The outer layer (solid egg mixture) is fluffy, with no unevenness in firmness, and is extremely good. 4 points: The outer layer is soft and fluffy, and there is a slight unevenness in firmness, but overall it is good. 3 points: The outer layer has a fluffy feel, and there is some inconsistency in firmness, but it is within an acceptable range. 2 points: The outer layer lacks fluffiness and has uneven firmness; it is defective. 1 point: The outer layer is hard overall and extremely poor quality.

[0068] [Table 1]

[0069] As shown in Table 1, in each embodiment, the packaging bag included in the cooking set was a bottom-gusset bag with a gusset at the bottom during microwave heating. As a result, the appearance and texture of the omelet rice were superior to the comparative example that did not meet this requirement. Furthermore, since Example 2, which employed Method C as the method for applying the egg mixture, had a superior appearance and texture to Example 1, which employed Method B as the method for applying the egg mixture, it can be concluded that employing Method C, and after pouring the egg mixture into the packaging bag, pressing the portion of the packaging bag corresponding to the lower half of the mixture from the outside to create a gap between the mixture and the inner surface (especially the bottom) of the packaging bag, is effective in obtaining omurice with superior appearance and texture.

[0070] [Table 2]

[0071] [Table 3]

[0072] [Table 4]

[0073] [Table 5] [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 1 Cooking Set 2 packaging bag 21 The Gazette 22 Bottom 23,23 A pair of opposing surfaces connected by a gusset. 24 Storage compartment (internal space of the packaging bag) 25 Opening and closing means 26 Breakage guide wire 27 Opening 3 Seasoning liquid 4 Main ingredients 5. Mixture of seasoning liquid and main ingredients 10 Omelet rice dishes 11 Inner layer 12 Outer layer

Claims

1. A cooking kit for omelet rice-type foods, obtained by heating a main ingredient containing seasoning liquid with egg mixture using microwaves, It comprises a packaging bag and the seasoning liquid contained inside the packaging bag, The packaging bag has a pair of opposing surfaces connected by a gusset, and the gusset is provided at the bottom of the bag during microwave heating. A cooking set in which the main ingredients and the egg mixture are placed inside the packaging bag, and then the packaging bag is microwaved before use.

2. The cooking set according to claim 1, wherein the packaging bag has an opening for putting the main ingredients and the egg mixture into the packaging bag.

3. The aforementioned opening can be opened and closed, The cooking set according to claim 2, wherein the volume of the packaging bag when the opening is closed is 500 to 1200 mL.

4. The cooking set according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the maximum distance between the pair of surfaces of the portion having the gusset is 3 to 8 cm when the gusset is unfolded.

5. The cooking set according to claim 3, which yields 200 to 500 g of the aforementioned omelet rice-type food product.

6. A method for producing omelet rice-type food products, which involves coating a main ingredient containing seasoning liquid with egg mixture and then heating it with microwaves, Step 1 involves forming a mixture containing seasoning liquid and main ingredients inside the packaging bag, Step 2 involves forming the aforementioned mixture into a mass, Step 3 involves pouring the egg mixture into the packaging bag, Step 4 involves applying the egg liquid to the entire surface of the lump-like mixture inside the packaging bag, The process includes step 5 of microwave heating the packaging bag, A method for manufacturing omelet rice-type food products, wherein the packaging bag has a pair of opposing surfaces connected by a gusset portion, and the gusset portion is provided at the bottom of the bag during microwave heating.

7. The method for producing omelet rice-type food according to claim 6, wherein the mixture has an oil content of 0.5 to 5% by mass and a water content of 40 to 75% by mass.

8. The aforementioned egg mixture is prepared by mixing whole egg mixture with water. A method for producing omelet rice-type food according to claim 6 or 7, wherein 20 to 40 parts by mass of the water is used per 100 parts by mass of the whole egg liquid.

9. In step 4, the method for producing omurice-type food according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the portion of the packaging bag corresponding to the lower half of the lump-like mixture is pressed from the outside to form a gap between the mixture and the bottom surface inside the packaging bag, and the egg liquid is allowed to flow into the gap.

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