Food having a mochi-like texture and method for producing the same

Abstract

To provide a mochi-like food product that maintains its mochi-like elasticity and color even after being heated and softened after freezing, a method for producing the same, a food composition containing the mochi-like food product that allows users to enjoy a mochi-like elastic texture even after being heated and frozen, and a powdered composition for mochi-like food products that allows for the easy preparation of the mochi-like food product. [Solution] A mochi-like food characterized by containing 40-55% by weight of glutinous rice flour, 5-15% by weight of modified starch, 2-13% by weight of vegetable protein, and 30-50% by weight of water; a food composition containing the mochi-like food; a manufacturing method characterized by mixing glutinous rice flour, modified starch, and vegetable protein, then adding water and kneading, and then molding, heating, and freezing; and a powdered composition for mochi-like food containing 57-90% by weight of glutinous rice flour, 7-32% by weight of modified starch, and 2.8-27% by weight of vegetable protein.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a food having a mochi-like texture and a method for producing the same. The present invention also relates to a food composition containing a food having a mochi-like texture and a powdery composition for mochi-like foods.

Background Art

[0002] Mochi has an elastic texture and a whiteness that is not commonly seen in other food ingredients, and has been a food favored by many people since ancient times. Generally, mochi that has been refrigerated or frozen and hardened is softened by heating before being eaten. However, since there is a problem that it easily hardens when left at room temperature for a short time after heating, in order to solve this problem, a mochi composition containing mochi flour and wheat protein has been proposed, which does not harden in the temperature range of 0 to 30°C and has heat resistance (Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, when the present inventors produced the above mochi composition, after mixing vegetable protein with mochi flour and then performing kneading, molding, heating, and freezing, they compared in detail the texture and color tone with mochi made by the traditional method of steaming glutinous rice, kneading (pounding with a mortar), molding, and storing. Although it seems to be constituted as a mochi food at first glance, when it is heated and softened after freezing, although the detailed cause is unknown, it becomes difficult to say that it has a mochi-like texture when eaten as it becomes soft and its elasticity changes, and there is also a problem that yellowing and blackening occur, making it difficult to have a mochi-like appearance.

[0005] Therefore, the object of the present invention, made in view of the above circumstances, is to provide a mochi-like food product and a method for producing the same, which maintains mochi-like elasticity and color even when heated and softened after freezing. Another object of the present invention is to provide a food composition that contains the mochi-like food product, which allows consumers to enjoy a mochi-like elastic texture even after heating it after freezing. Another object of the present invention is to provide a powdered composition for mochi-like foods that can be easily prepared. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The inventors of the present invention have completed the present invention by discovering that a mochi-like food product obtained by blending a predetermined amount of glutinous rice flour, modified starch, and vegetable protein as solid components, and adjusting the moisture content to a predetermined amount, maintains its mochi-like elasticity and color even after being heated after freezing.

[0007] In other words, the gist of the present invention is, (1) A mochi-like food product characterized by containing 40-55% by weight of glutinous rice flour, 5-15% by weight of modified starch, 2-13% by weight of vegetable protein, and 30-50% by weight of moisture. (2) The mochi-like food described in (1) above, wherein the modified starch is one or more selected from the group consisting of tapioca, kudzu starch, joshinko, katakuriko, and warabi mochi powder. (3) The mochi-like food according to (1) or (2) above, wherein the plant protein is gluten derived from wheat or barley containing glutenin or gliadin. (4) A food composition containing a mochi-like food as described in any of (1) to (3) above, (5) A powdered composition for mochi-like food products, characterized by containing 57-90% by weight of glutinous rice flour, 7-32% by weight of modified starch, and 2.8-27% by weight of vegetable protein. (6) A method for producing a mochi-like food according to any of (1) to (3) above, A manufacturing method characterized by mixing glutinous rice flour, modified starch, and vegetable protein, then shaping the resulting paste and then heating and freezing it, or heating the paste, then shaping and freezing it. Regarding. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The mochi-like food according to the present invention maintains its mochi-like elasticity and color even after being heated after freezing, allowing for long-term frozen storage. When eaten, it offers the texture and color of freshly made mochi. The mochi-like food according to the present invention can be cooked in the same way as conventional mochi, such as by baking, boiling, or deep-frying. Depending on the preference, soy sauce, kinako (roasted soybean flour), red bean paste, sugar, etc. can be applied to the surface of the mochi-like food, flavoring ingredients can be mixed into the mochi-like food, or flavoring ingredients can be wrapped in the mochi-like food. Furthermore, it can be suitably used as a substitute for mochi in various food compositions that use mochi as an ingredient, such as simmered dishes like oden, udon, ramen, zenzai, and zoni; ingredients for soups like chawanmushi, miso soup, clear soup, and other soups; toppings for baked goods like pizza; sweets like mitsumame, fruit punch, mitarashi dango, anko maki, anko mochi, and anpan; and fried foods like mochi katsu and inari mochi. In particular, the mochi-like food according to the present invention maintains its mochi-like elasticity even after being heated after freezing, making it possible to provide various food compositions for freezing using this mochi-like food as a raw material. Furthermore, the mochi-like food according to the present invention can be suitably manufactured by using the manufacturing method according to the present invention. In particular, the mochi-like food according to the present invention can be easily manufactured by mixing the powdered composition for mochi-like food according to the present invention with water, then molding, heating, and freezing, or by adding water to the powdered composition for mochi-like food according to the present invention, mixing, heating, and then molding. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] (Mochi-like food) The mochi-like food of the present invention is a food containing a predetermined amount of glutinous rice flour, modified starch, vegetable protein, and water.

[0010] The glutinous rice flour used in this invention refers to glutinous rice that has been milled, and can be used regardless of the origin, type, or degree of milling of the glutinous rice. Furthermore, the origin of the glutinous rice flour is not limited to Japan; it may also be from other countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, the United States, or China. Regarding the degree of pounding the glutinous rice, there are no particular limitations as long as the resulting mochi-like food product has a mochi-like white color.

[0011] Regarding the type of glutinous rice flour, from the viewpoint of ensuring that the manufactured mochi-like food has a mochi-like elastic texture and preferably easily achieves slow aging, glutinous rice flour prepared from a low-aging mochi variety containing amylopectin with a soft amylopectin gel and a molecular structure that slows aging can be used. Known low-aging mochi varieties include Aichi Mochi No. 126 (Yawa Koi Mochi).

[0012] The amount of glutinous rice flour in the mochi-like food of the present invention is preferably 40-55% by weight, and more preferably 40-50% by weight, from the viewpoint of easily obtaining a mochi-like elastic texture and a mochi-like white color.

[0013] The modified starch used in this invention, when included in the glutinous rice flour together with vegetable protein, prevents changes in elasticity and maintains the glutinous white color of the resulting mochi-like food even after heating. In other words, while the plant protein incorporated into the aforementioned mochi-like food has the effect of delaying the retrogradation of glutinous rice starch, it has a yellowish hue. However, by further incorporating modified starch that possesses both elasticity and a translucent whiteness, it becomes possible to produce a mochi-like food that maintains its elastic texture and white color even after being heated after freezing.

[0014] The aforementioned modified starch refers to starch whose properties have been improved by physical, enzymatic, or chemical treatment, and is also called processed starch. Regarding the above-mentioned treatment, examples of physical treatment include drying, heating, stirring treatment, etc. Examples of enzymatic treatment include enzymatic treatment with α-amylase, etc. Examples of chemical treatment include introducing various functional groups to the hydroxyl groups of glucose chains constituting starch using various modifying substances, cross-linking between and within starch molecules, or combining them to perform a processing treatment with high functionality, etc. Examples of the processed starch subjected to the above-mentioned chemical treatment include chemically treated starches such as acetylated starch, phosphorylated starch, hydroxyethyl starch, hydroxypropyl starch, acetic acid starch, oxidized starch, etc., cross-linked acetylated adipic acid starch, cross-linked acetylated phosphate starch, cross-linked hydroxypropyl phosphate starch, cross-linked phosphate monoesterified phosphate starch, cross-linked phosphate starch, etc., but there is no particular limitation. The processed starch may be only one kind or a mixture of two or more kinds.

[0015] Examples of the material of the processed starch include tapioca, kudzu, new flour, katakuri starch, bracken starch cake flour, etc., but there is no particular limitation. For example, tapioca starch powder has a low amylose content compared to other processed starches, so it is rich in adhesiveness and also has heat resistance. Therefore, with appropriate addition, elasticity is likely to appear in the dough of cake-like foods. Furthermore, there are advantages such as the appearance of the cake-like food presenting a transparent "whiteness" after heating and cooling.

[0016] Regarding the size of the processed starch, there is no particular limitation. However, for example, from the viewpoint of excellent production suitability, those with an average particle size of 5 to 35 μm are preferable.

[0017] The content of the processed starch in the cake-like food of the present invention is 5 to 15% by weight, preferably 7 to 12% by weight, from the viewpoint of easily obtaining a cake-like elastic texture and a cake-like white color tone.

[0018] The vegetable protein used in the present invention can be used without particular limitation as long as it is a protein extracted from powders obtained by grinding seeds such as wheat, durum wheat (tetraploid species of wheat), rye wheat, emmer wheat, barley, buckwheat, soybeans, etc. Among these vegetable proteins, from the viewpoint of being suitable for the production of the mochi-like food of the present invention, proteins extracted from wheat, durum wheat, rye wheat, barley, and rye are preferred. Furthermore, in order to prevent the hardening of the mochi-like food of the present invention after heating, gluten derived from wheat or barley containing glutenin or gliadin is more preferred. Regarding the mechanism by which the gluten prevents the hardening of the mochi-like food, the details are unclear. However, since the protein and water are bound and have a network structure, the factor causing the hardening of the elastic mochi is the aging phenomenon due to the evaporation of moisture from the starch. It is presumed that the network structure of gluten entangles with the mochi flour starch, making it possible to delay the hardening by preventing the evaporation of moisture.

[0019] When using the gluten derived from wheat or barley, its form is not particularly limited, and any of powder-type gluten, wet-type gluten, etc. can be used. However, in preparing the powdery composition for the mochi-like food of the present invention, the former form is more preferred. Also, when preparing the mochi-like food from the powdery composition, the use of reduced gluten with good dispersibility, weak gluten strength, and softening gives better results. Furthermore, in order to improve the flavor of the prepared mochi-like food, it is more preferable to use freeze-dried gluten and minimize its addition amount. As a specific product of freeze-dried gluten, the inner wheat active wheat protein manufactured by Hokuriku Foods Co., Ltd. can be mentioned.

[0020] The content of the vegetable protein in the mochi-like food of the present invention is 2 to 13% by weight, preferably 2 to 10% by weight, from the viewpoint of easily obtaining an elastic texture of the mochi and a white color tone of the mochi.

[0021] In the mochi-like food of the present invention, various sugars can be used as auxiliary agents to improve texture, particularly at refrigerated temperatures, as long as they do not affect the texture and color. There are no particular limitations on the types of sugars that can be used, and they can be added as appropriate depending on the purpose. Specifically, examples include sugar, powdered sugar, liquid sugar, starch syrup, reduced starch syrup, sorbitol, oligosaccharides, trehalose, and the like. Furthermore, the mochi-like food of the present invention can be given various flavors as needed. By adding a reducing agent when mixing plant proteins, the viscosity of the plant proteins can be reduced, and by adding various flavoring ingredients, a mochi-like food with a desired flavor can be produced. The reducing agent can be any substance permitted for use in food, such as sodium sulfite, cystine, or glutathione. The amount of reducing agent used depends on the type of reducing agent, but generally, adding approximately 0.001 to 1 part by weight per 100 parts by weight of plant protein will achieve the desired effect. The aforementioned flavoring ingredients are not particularly limited, and various ingredients that can be used to provide sweetness, saltiness, sourness, bitterness, umami, etc. can be used, such as fruits like oranges, strawberries, blueberries, apples, and plums; vegetables like carrots, spinach, pumpkins, and mugwort; jams and pastes made from seaweed like nori and wakame; grains and flours like millet, foxtail millet, and horse chestnut; fish and seafood like shrimp and crab, or their dried or ground products; cheese, chocolate, cocoa powder, gochujang, etc. There are no specific limits on the amount of flavoring ingredients; you can choose them as needed to match the desired intensity of flavor. Furthermore, according to the present invention, flavoring ingredients may be added, or flavoring ingredients may be added in such a way that their distribution is uneven in order to characterize the mochi-like food. Furthermore, optional ingredients such as fragrances may be included as needed. The amount of the aforementioned optional component in the mochi-like food of the present invention is not limited as long as it does not affect the physical properties of the mochi-like food.

[0022] The moisture content of the mochi-like food of the present invention is 30-50% by weight, preferably 40-50% by weight, from the viewpoint of easily obtaining a mochi-like elastic texture.

[0023] The mochi-like food of the present invention having the above-described composition can be prepared by mixing glutinous rice flour, modified starch, and vegetable protein, adding water and kneading, then shaping the resulting mixture and heating and freezing it, or by heating the mixture, shaping and freezing it.

[0024] As a means of mixing the aforementioned glutinous rice flour, modified starch, and vegetable protein, a general powder mixer can be used instead of a special mixer, and there are no particular limitations. The temperature conditions during the mixing process are preferably in the range of 5 to 30°C, but there are no particular limitations. Furthermore, when incorporating the aforementioned flavoring ingredients or optional components, they should be added during the mixing process.

[0025] When adding water as described above, the required amount of water may be added all at once, or it may be added in multiple stages. The temperature conditions during water addition are preferably in the range of 5 to 30°C, but there are no particular limitations.

[0026] The kneaded product obtained by the aforementioned kneading is After being placed in heat-resistant packaging film, sealed, and molded, the mochi-like food is subjected to heat treatment such as retort heating or hot water heating according to its intended use, and then frozen, or After introducing steam or the like into the mixed material and subjecting it to heat treatment, it is placed in heat-resistant packaging film, sealed and molded, and then subjected to freezing treatment. This allows us to obtain the desired mochi-like food product. The temperature conditions for the aforementioned heat treatment should be between 92 and 97°C. The temperature conditions for the freezing process mentioned above should be -10°C or lower. Furthermore, the means of heat treatment and freezing treatment mentioned above may be any method known in the food industry, and there are no particular limitations.

[0027] The mochi-like food product of the present invention can be stored for a long period of time by freezing it as described above. The mochi-like food product of the present invention, when frozen, can be eaten after thawing. As for thawing methods, the product may be thawed at room temperature or by leaving it undisturbed in a refrigerator. However, since the mochi-like food of the present invention undergoes little change in its mochi-like texture and white color even when heated, it can be actively thawed by heating. The aforementioned heating treatment can be, but is not limited to, leaving the product undisturbed in water heated to 50-95°C for a predetermined time, or using a microwave oven, steam convection oven, etc.

[0028] The mochi-like food of the present invention can be stored for a long period of time in a frozen state, and when eaten, it can be heated and softened to enjoy the elastic texture and color of freshly made mochi.

[0029] (Powdered composition for mochi-like food products) The powdered composition for mochi-like food of the present invention is a powdered composition obtained by mixing glutinous rice flour, modified starch, and vegetable protein used in the aforementioned mochi-like food, and is characterized by containing 57-90% by weight of glutinous rice flour, 7-32% by weight of modified starch, and 2.8-27% by weight of vegetable protein. The powdered composition for mochi-like foods of the present invention contains a pre-mixed mixture of glutinous rice flour, modified starch, and vegetable protein necessary for making mochi-like foods. Therefore, mochi-like foods of the present invention can be easily prepared by adding a predetermined amount of water to the powdered composition for mochi-like foods of the present invention and kneading it, then shaping the resulting mixture and heating and freezing it, or by heating the mixture, shaping and freezing it.

[0030] The glutinous rice flour, modified starch, and vegetable protein mentioned above may be any type used in the mochi-like food of the present invention.

[0031] Furthermore, the powdered composition for mochi-like foods of the present invention may consist only of glutinous rice flour, modified starch, and vegetable protein, or it may contain the various sugars, reducing agents, etc., that are incorporated into mochi-like foods as needed.

[0032] (Food composition) The food composition of the present invention is characterized by containing the aforementioned mochi-like food product. The food composition of the present invention has the advantage that, because it contains the aforementioned mochi-like food, it is easy to maintain a mochi-like texture even when subjected to various cooking methods such as baking, boiling, and stir-frying.

[0033] The aforementioned food composition may be any food composition that contains mochi as an ingredient, and examples include simmered dishes such as oden, udon, ramen, zenzai, and zoni; ingredients for soups such as chawanmushi, miso soup, clear soup, and other soups; toppings for baked goods such as pizza; sweets such as mitsumame, fruit punch, mitarashi dango, anko maki, anko mochi, and anpan; and fried foods such as mochi katsu and inari mochi, but there are no particular limitations.

[0034] The amount of the mochi-like food in the food composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, as long as it does not adversely affect the desired taste and texture of the food.

[0035] The food composition of the present invention, by including the mochi-like food, is more likely to produce a mochi-like texture compared to using ordinary mochi. Furthermore, even in food compositions where it was difficult to achieve an elastic texture due to the mochi becoming hard or soft when heated, it is possible to easily impart the elastic texture characteristic of mochi. Furthermore, the food composition of the present invention maintains the elastic texture characteristic of mochi even after thawing following freezing, making it possible to develop various types of frozen foods containing mochi, which were previously difficult to commercialize. This makes it a groundbreaking invention in this field. [Examples]

[0036] The present invention will be described below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0037] (Example 1) 1000g of glutinous rice flour made from imported rice varieties was mixed with 80g of vegetable protein (wheat-derived gluten; hereinafter also referred to as wheat flour protein) and 170g of modified starch (commercially available modified starch made from tapioca; hereinafter also referred to as tapioca modified starch) in a mixer (commercial mixer) and mixed at room temperature until the powder mixture was uniform to obtain a powdered composition. Next, 900g of water was added to the powdered composition and kneaded at room temperature for 7 minutes. The resulting mixture was shaped into 30g rounds, then heated in a steam convection oven at 96°C for 6 minutes, cooled to room temperature, and then frozen in a freezer at -25°C to produce a mochi-like food product. The composition of the resulting mochi-like food is shown in Table 1.

[0038] (Examples 2 and 3) A mochi-like food product was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the composition was changed as shown in Table 1.

[0039] (Comparative Examples 1 and 2) A mochi-like food product was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that modified starch was not used and the composition was changed as shown in Table 1.

[0040] [Table 1]

[0041] (Test example 1: Color tone evaluation test) The mochi-like foods obtained in Examples 1-3 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 were heated and thawed in a microwave oven, and the appearance and color were visually inspected by 10 panelists. The evaluation was then conducted by consensus of all panelists based on the evaluation criteria described below. The results are shown in Table 1. (Evaluation Criteria) ◎: The color is almost the same as mochi made from 100% domestically produced glutinous rice flour, which is kneaded, shaped, heated, and frozen. 〇: Compared to ◎, there is a slight dullness (yellowish tint), but the color tone is within acceptable limits and does not affect the product's quality. △: Has a dull (yellowish) tint, slightly inferior to the product's quality. ×: The color is a mixture of dull (yellow) and black tones, making it unsuitable for commercial sale. ◎ and 〇 were designated as acceptable products.

[0042] (Test example 2: Elasticity evaluation test) The mochi-like foods obtained in Examples 1-3 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 were heated and thawed in a microwave oven, and their elasticity and stickiness were evaluated by 10 panelists through sensory testing based on the evaluation criteria below, with unanimous agreement among all panelists. The results are shown in Table 1. (Evaluation Criteria) ◎: Made with 100% domestically produced glutinous rice flour, kneaded, shaped, heated, and frozen, resulting in a texture almost identical to that of mochi. 〇: Slightly softer than ◎, but the texture is acceptable and does not affect the product's quality. △: The texture is soft and lacks elasticity, making it slightly inferior in terms of marketability. ×: The texture is soft, completely lacking in elasticity, and cannot be considered marketable. ◎ and 〇 were designated as acceptable products.

[0043] As shown in the evaluation results in Table 1, the mochi-like foods obtained in Examples 1 to 3 had a white color similar to mochi made from 100% glutinous rice flour after heating and thawing, and also had a mochi-like elastic texture. In contrast, the mochi-like foods obtained in Comparative Examples 1 and 2 lacked the whiteness of mochi made from 100% glutinous rice flour after heating and thawing, turned yellow, and became soft and lacked an elastic texture.

[0044] Furthermore, the frozen mochi-like foods obtained in Examples 1-3 could be eaten directly after thawing and cooking by grilling or boiling, just like mochi.

[0045] (Example 4: Preparation of frozen zoni soup) A powdered composition was prepared by mixing 79% by weight of glutinous rice flour made from foreign-produced mochi varieties, 17% by weight of tapioca-processed starch, and 4% by weight of wheat flour protein. Water was added to a total of 44.5% by weight (55.5% by weight of the mixed flour), and the mixture was kneaded in a vertical mixer for 8 minutes. After shaping into 30g portions, the mixture was heated in a steam convection oven at 95°C for 5 minutes, cooled to room temperature, and then frozen in a freezer at -20°C to produce a mochi-like food product. Next, miso was used as the broth for the zoni (rice cake soup), and spinach, carrots, and daikon radish were added as ingredients. Two mochi-like food products, which had been molded into 30g portions and frozen, were placed in the mixture. The mixture was then placed in a heat-resistant bag made of nylon and polyethylene, and frozen to produce a miso-based frozen zoni with mochi (product 1 of the present invention). A comparative frozen zoni (rice cake soup) containing mochi (comparative product 1) was prepared in the same manner as described above, except that commercially available mochi purchased separately was used as a control product. Product 1 of the present invention and comparative product 1 were frozen and stored for one week. After thawing, they were heated in a microwave oven at 500 watts for 4 minutes, and then cooked by boiling or other methods to confirm the difference in physical properties (hardening).

[0046] In comparison product 1, the mochi softened significantly after 3-5 minutes of simmering (microwave), causing the mochi to stick together and the ingredients to adhere to it. After another 5-6 minutes, it became difficult to remove the mochi with chopsticks, and the broth became cloudy due to the starch in the mochi. Furthermore, when left to stand after heating, the mochi began to harden after 20 minutes, and the hardening became significant after 35 minutes. In contrast, with Product 1 of the present invention, even after 10 minutes of simmering (in a microwave) and direct simmering on a stovetop, there was no extreme softening of the mochi-like food, no cloudiness of the broth, and no increase in the viscosity of the broth due to starch. The mochi-like food could be picked up with chopsticks and retained its mochi-like elasticity. Furthermore, even after 2 hours had passed since heating, the mochi-like food maintained its mochi-like elastic texture.

[0047] (Example 5: Preparation of frozen zenzai) Two frozen mochi-like food products prepared in Example 1 were placed in commercially available retort zenzai (sweet red bean soup), and then frozen to produce frozen zenzai (product 2 of the present invention). A comparative frozen zenzai (comparative product 2) was prepared in the same manner as described above, except that commercially available mochi purchased separately was used as a control product. Product 2 of the present invention and comparative product 2 were frozen and stored for one week. After thawing, they were heated in a microwave oven at 500 watts for 4 minutes, and then cooked by boiling or other methods to confirm the difference in physical properties (hardening).

[0048] In comparison product 2, the mochi softened significantly after 3-5 minutes of simmering (microwave), causing the mochi to stick together and the red bean paste to adhere to it. Furthermore, when left to stand after heating, the mochi began to harden after 20 minutes, and the hardening became significant after 35 minutes. In contrast, with product 2 of the present invention, even after 10 minutes of simmering (microwave), there was no extreme softening or increase in viscosity of the mochi-like food, no red beans adhered to the mochi-like food, the mochi-like food could be picked up with chopsticks, and it had a rich mochi-like elasticity. Furthermore, even after 5 hours of heating, the mochi-like food maintained its mochi-like elastic texture.

[0049] (Example 6: Preparation of frozen inari mochi) A powdered composition was prepared by mixing 75% by weight of glutinous rice flour made from foreign-produced mochi varieties, 17% by weight of tapioca-modified starch, and 8% by weight of wheat flour protein. Water was added to this mixture to a total of 46.5% by weight (53.5% by weight of the mixed flour), and the mixture was kneaded in a vertical mixer for 8 minutes. The mixture was then molded into 30g portions to produce a mochi-like food. The molded mochi-like food was placed inside commercially available seasoned triangular fried tofu pouches, heated at 95°C for 5 minutes in a steam convection oven, cooled to room temperature, and then frozen in a freezer at -20°C to produce frozen inari mochi (Product 3 of the present invention). A comparative frozen inari mochi (comparative product 3) was prepared in the same manner as described above, except that a commercially available mochi purchased separately was used as a control product. Product 3 of the present invention and comparative product 3 were frozen and stored for one week, then thawed by heating in a microwave oven at 500 watts for 4 minutes, and the difference in physical properties (hardening) was confirmed.

[0050] In comparison product 3, the binding with the inari (fried tofu) was good, and the integration of the fried tofu and mochi was good. However, after 5 minutes of simmering (microwaving), the mochi softened significantly, losing its firmness and losing its integration with the fried tofu. In contrast, with product 3 of the present invention, there was no extreme softening of the mochi-like food even after 10 minutes of simmering (microwave), and even after 5 hours of heating, the mochi-like portion maintained its mochi-like elastic texture.

[0051] (Example 7: Preparation of frozen chawanmushi) A powdered composition was prepared by mixing 77% by weight of glutinous rice flour made from foreign-produced mochi varieties, 15% by weight of tapioca-processed starch, and 8% by weight of wheat flour protein. Water was added to this mixture to a total of 46.5% by weight (53.5% by weight of the powdered composition), and the mixture was kneaded in a vertical mixer for 8 minutes. The mixture was then formed into 10g / piece cylindrical shapes, heated in a steam convection oven at 95°C for 3 minutes, cooled to room temperature, and then frozen in a freezer at -20°C to produce a mochi-like food product. Next, the liquid egg was placed in a strainer, seasoned with soy sauce, mirin, etc., and three pieces of mochi-like food such as kamaboko and ginkgo nuts were added as ingredients. After heating in a steamer, it was frozen to produce frozen chawanmushi (product 4 of the present invention). A comparative frozen chawanmushi (comparative product 4) was prepared in the same manner as described above, except that a commercially available mochi (rice cake) purchased separately was used as a control product. Product 4 of the present invention and comparative product 4 were frozen and stored for one week. After thawing, they were heated in a microwave oven at 500 watts for 4 minutes, and then cooked by steaming or other methods to confirm the difference in physical properties (hardening).

[0052] In comparison product 4, steaming for 5 minutes resulted in mochi that was too hard to eat, and heating it in a microwave caused the mochi to lose its elasticity, making it impossible to pick up with chopsticks. In contrast, with product 4 of the present invention, there was no extreme softening of the mochi-like food even after 10 minutes of heating in a microwave oven, and even after 2 hours of heating, the mochi-like food maintained its mochi-like elastic texture.

[0053] From the above, it can be seen that the mochi-like food of the present invention maintains its mochi-like elastic texture and color even after being heated after freezing, and can be eaten directly after cooking, just like mochi, and can also be included in various food compositions as an ingredient having a mochi-like texture, and furthermore, it can impart an elastic texture to food compositions for freezing, which was difficult to achieve with conventional mochi.

Claims

1. A mochi-like food product characterized by containing 40-55% by weight of glutinous rice flour, 5-15% by weight of modified starch, 2-13% by weight of vegetable protein, and 30-50% by weight of moisture.

2. The mochi-like food according to claim 1, wherein the modified starch is one or more selected from the group consisting of tapioca, kudzu starch, joshinko rice flour, potato starch, and warabi mochi flour.

3. The mochi-like food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plant protein is gluten derived from wheat or barley containing glutenin or gliadin.

4. A food composition comprising the mochi-like food according to claim 1 or 2.

5. A powdered composition for mochi-like food products, characterized by containing 57-90% by weight of glutinous rice flour, 7-32% by weight of modified starch, and 2.8-27% by weight of vegetable protein.

6. A method for producing a mochi-like food according to claim 1, A method for producing glutinous rice flour, modified starch, and vegetable protein, characterized by mixing them, adding water and kneading them, then shaping the resulting mixture and heating and freezing it, or heating the mixture, shaping it, and freezing it.

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