Cotton candy and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

To provide a novel cotton candy and a method for manufacturing the same that can maintain its shape for a long period of time with simple modifications, and also exhibit a softer texture than conventional cotton candy. [Solution] Using a conventional cotton candy manufacturing apparatus, a mixture of sugars and fats is used as the cotton candy material. This results in a novel cotton candy having a continuous thread-like or fibrous body 20 made of sugars, with a coating layer 30 made of fats on its surface. This cotton candy exhibits longer shape retention than conventional cotton candy and also has a softer texture than conventional cotton candy.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to cotton candy and a method for manufacturing the same.

Background Art

[0002] Cotton candy, which is popular not only among children but also among adults, is generally produced by a cotton candy manufacturing apparatus having a structure as shown in FIG. 1. This cotton candy manufacturing apparatus includes a cylindrical metal rotary kettle 11 at the center of a container 10 shaped like a tub, and has a structure including a motor 12 for rotating the rotary kettle 11 at high speed and a heater 13 for heating it.

[0003] Then, while heating the rotary kettle 11 to about 200° C. with the heater 13 and rotating it at high speed with the motor 12, when granular raw sugar as a material is put into the rotary kettle 11, the put-in raw sugar melts and liquefies in the rotary kettle 11 and is continuously ejected into the container 10 through a number of fine holes 14 formed in the rotary kettle 11 by centrifugal force. The ejected raw sugar is immediately cooled by coming into contact with the air in the container 10 and solidifies into a thread-like or fibrous shape while continuously accumulating in the container 10. Therefore, by sequentially winding this around a rod, a cotton candy having an almost spherical shape as a whole can be obtained.

[0004] Since the material of the cotton candy produced in this way is raw sugar, the finished product becomes white or brownish, and the taste and aroma also tend to be monotonous. Therefore, for example, as shown in Patent Documents 1 to 3 below, by adding a synthetic coloring agent or a fragrance to the raw sugar as a material, or further adding a flavoring material such as fruit juice, milk, cocoa, or chocolate, those with various changes in color and flavor have also appeared. Furthermore, since conventional cotton candy combines with moisture in the air and withers and becomes smaller over time, ideas have also been proposed to maintain its form for a long time by immediately putting it into a plastic bag and sealing it after production, or by making devices as shown in Patent Documents 4 and 5 below.

Prior Art Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 51-110292 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 111635 / 1983 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2-174638 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-333696 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2003-339321 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] By the way, as mentioned above, even if the cotton candy is sealed in a plastic bag immediately after production to maintain its shape, the phenomenon of the cotton candy shrinking and hardening over time is unavoidable. Furthermore, the methods shown in Patent Documents 4 and 5 require special materials and processes, which may increase labor and manufacturing costs.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention was devised to solve these problems, and its purpose is to provide a novel cotton candy and a method for producing the same that can maintain its shape for a long period of time with simple modifications and exhibit a softer texture than conventional cotton candy. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the aforementioned problems, the present invention provides cotton candy characterized by having a coating layer made of oils and fats on the surface of a thread-like or fibrous continuous body made of sugars. In cotton candy with such a configuration according to the present invention, as will be described later, it is possible to maintain its shape for a long period of time compared to conventional cotton candy, and it is also possible to achieve a softer texture than conventional cotton candy. That is, even after time has passed since production, it does not immediately deflate and maintains its original shape for a long period of time, and the fluffiness when touched and eaten, as well as the melt-in-the-mouth texture when eaten, are enhanced compared to conventional cotton candy, making it more delicious.

[0009] Here, the sugars that make up the thread-like or fibrous continuous body that forms the main body of the cotton candy are not particularly limited as long as they can be used in conventional cotton candy making equipment, that is, cotton candy making equipment having the structure and operating principle described above. In addition to granulated sugars such as white granulated sugar and medium granulated sugar that have been used conventionally, refined white sugar, brown sugar, caster sugar, cane sugar, and black sugar can also be used.

[0010] On the other hand, the oils and fats that make up the coating layer refer to edible oils derived from animals and plants. For example, vegetable oils that are liquid at room temperature include soybean oil, olive oil, linseed oil, rice oil, rapeseed oil, and sesame oil. Similarly, animal oils that are liquid at room temperature include fish oil and chicken fat. In addition, vegetable fats that are solid at room temperature include coconut oil and palm oil. Similarly, animal fats that are solid at room temperature include butter, beef tallow, and lard.

[0011] These oils and fats are used in different ways depending on the desired flavor and color. When using food additives such as colorants, flavors, and sweeteners, it is preferable to use vegetable oils that do not easily affect them, and among these, rice bran oil, which is basically colorless, tasteless, and odorless, is particularly preferable. On the other hand, it is also possible to actively utilize the unique flavor, aroma, and effects of the oil. For example, by using animal fat with a strong buttery aroma, it is possible to obtain cotton candy with the characteristic flavor and aroma of butter.

[0012] The cotton candy according to the present invention can be manufactured using conventional cotton candy manufacturing equipment. Specifically, the method for manufacturing cotton candy according to the present invention is to produce cotton candy consisting of thread-like or fibrous continuous material by putting cotton candy material into a rotating kettle, heating and melting it, and then ejecting the material from pores formed in the rotating kettle by centrifugal force, characterized in that the cotton candy material is a mixture of sugars and fats.

[0013] Furthermore, it is desirable to use a mixture of 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of oils and fats per 100 parts by weight of sugars, as described above, for the cotton candy ingredients. In other words, if the amount of oils and fats is less than 0.1 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of sugars, a coating layer will not form on the surface of the thread-like or fibrous continuous material, resulting in shape retention being almost the same as before, and no change in texture will be observed. When using rice oil, an amount in the range of 0.1 to 2.0 parts by weight is desirable. Conversely, if the amount of oils and fats exceeds 10 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of sugars, shape retention will deteriorate, and a sticky feeling will appear, negatively affecting the texture and color.

[0014] The optimal amount of fats and oils used will vary depending on the type of sugars and fats used. For example, when using granulated sugar as the sugar and rice oil (a type of vegetable oil) as the fat, approximately 0.1g to 2.0g of rice oil should be mixed with 100g of granulated sugar. The mixture should be uniformly stirred and then added to the rotating kettle of the cotton candy making machine in quantities of approximately 15 to 50g at a time, where it will be heated and melted sequentially. If using fats that are solid at room temperature, it is desirable to heat and melt them beforehand and then mix them uniformly with the sugars. Additionally, colorants, flavorings, antioxidants, etc., may be added to these ingredients as needed.

[0015] As shown in Figure 2, the cotton candy 100 of the present invention obtained in this way has a surface covered with a coating layer 30 made of oils and fats, on the surface of numerous thread-like or fibrous continuous bodies 20 made of sugars that constitute it. This coating layer 30 prevents adjacent continuous bodies 20 from directly contacting and fusing with each other, and also prevents moisture from the air from being absorbed into the continuous bodies 20. This allows the shape immediately after production to be maintained for a long period of time. The diameter of the thread-like or fibrous continuous bodies 20 is determined by the size of the pores 15 formed in the rotating kettle 12 and the rotation speed of the rotating kettle 12, and is not particularly limited, but if you want to achieve both excellent shape retention and a softer texture than conventional cotton candy, it is not desirable for them to be too thin or too thick, for example, about 10 to 30 μm is desirable. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] The cotton candy of the present invention has a coating layer made of oils and fats on the surface of a thread-like or fibrous continuous body made of sugars. As a result, it does not deflate immediately even after time has passed since production, and can maintain its original shape for a long period of time. Furthermore, it has a fluffier texture when touched and eaten, and a melt-in-your-mouth texture when eaten, making it more delicious than conventional cotton candy. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] It is an explanatory diagram showing a basic configuration example of a conventional cotton candy manufacturing apparatus. [Figure 2] It is a partially enlarged view showing the configuration of the cotton candy 100 according to the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a photographic view showing the shape retention property (immediately after manufacture) of the cotton candy 100 according to the present invention. [Figure 4] It is a photographic view showing the shape retention property (30 minutes after manufacture) of the cotton candy 100 according to the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a photographic view showing the shape retention property (60 minutes after manufacture) of the cotton candy 100 according to the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a photographic view showing the shape retention property (120 minutes after manufacture) of the cotton candy 100 according to the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a photographic view showing the shape retention property (180 minutes after manufacture) of the cotton candy 100 according to the present invention. [Figure 8] It is a graph showing the relationship between the blending amount of fats and oils and the shape retention property. [Figure 9] It is a graph showing the relationship between the blending amount of fats and oils and the hardness. [Figure 10] It is a table showing the physical property evaluation of the product of the present invention and the conventional product. [Figure 11] It is a typical chart obtained by TPA measurement. [Figure 12] It is a table showing the evaluation items and evaluation results of the sensory test. [Figure 13] It is a radar chart showing the sensory evaluation. [Figure 14] It is a table showing the evaluation comments of six evaluators who conducted the sensory test.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. First, cotton candy was manufactured using a conventional cotton candy manufacturing apparatus as shown in FIG. 1, and the shape retention property of the completed cotton candy over time was evaluated. (Shape Retention Property) Figures 3 to 7 compare the shape retention of cotton candy according to the present invention (product of the present invention) and conventional cotton candy (conventional product), as shown in Figure 2. Both types of cotton candy were produced using the same manufacturing apparatus as shown in Figure 1, under the same conditions except for the cotton candy ingredients, with a diameter of approximately 20 cm. They were then left in a room at room temperature of 25°C and humidity of 60%, and the changes in their shape over time were observed. In this case, the cotton candy 100 according to the present invention used 35 g of a mixture of 100 g of granulated sugar and 1.0 g of rice oil, while the conventional cotton candy used 35 g of the same granulated sugar alone.

[0019] Figure 3 shows the state immediately after manufacturing, Figure 4 shows the state 30 minutes after manufacturing, Figure 5 shows the state 60 minutes after manufacturing, Figure 6 shows the state 120 minutes after manufacturing, and Figure 7 shows the state 180 minutes after manufacturing. As can be seen from Figure 3, immediately after manufacturing, the conventional product was slightly (about 10-20%) larger than the product of the present invention. However, as shown in Figure 4, approximately 30 minutes after manufacturing, the size of the product of the present invention remained almost unchanged from immediately after manufacturing, while the conventional product had shrunk to almost the same size as the product of the present invention.

[0020] After approximately 60 minutes, as shown in Figure 5, the product of the present invention had become slightly smaller than its size immediately after manufacture, but the conventional product had shrunk even further, and its height had become significantly lower than that of the product of the present invention. Then, after approximately 120 minutes, as shown in Figure 6, the product of the present invention also began to shrunk, but the conventional product shrunk even more, and its height had decreased to about one-third of its height immediately after manufacture.

[0021] After approximately 180 minutes, as shown in Figure 7, the conventional product had almost completely deflated and lost its shape, whereas the product of the present invention still retained its original spherical shape. As is clear from these experimental results, the cotton candy according to the present invention retains its original shape (sphere) for a longer period of time compared to conventional cotton candy, demonstrating superior shape retention.

[0022] Next, the relationship between the amount of fats and oils added to the sugars and their shape retention was evaluated. As with the previous method, granulated sugar and rice oil were used as materials. Ten samples of cotton candy of the same size (approximately 20 cm in height) were prepared from 10 different materials, each containing 10g of granulated sugar and 20.0g of rice oil in a range from 0 (none) to 20.0g. These samples were then placed on a table, and the time it took for their size to be reduced to half of their original size (approximately 10 cm in height) was measured.

[0023] Figure 8 is a graph showing the relationship between the amount of oils and fats used and the morphological retention (the time it takes for the height to be reduced by half). As can be seen from this graph, the sample with no rice oil added shrunk the fastest, but the time increased as the amount of rice oil added increased. The amount of rice oil added peaked at around 1.0g and then gradually decreased, with the change becoming less pronounced at around 15g.

[0024] As can be seen from this evaluation test, it was found that excellent shape retention can be achieved by blending 0.1 to 2.0 g of rice oil with 100 g of granulated sugar. Although the shape retention was higher than the sample with no rice oil even when the amount of rice oil exceeded 10 g, the oily stickiness characteristic of rice oil appeared when the amount of rice oil exceeded 10 g, negatively affecting the quality. Furthermore, the same evaluation test was conducted on the other oils and fats mentioned above, and the results were generally similar.

[0025] (Texture) As mentioned above, the cotton candy according to the present invention not only exhibits excellent shape retention, but also provides a fluffier feel when touched and eaten, and a melt-in-your-mouth texture that is enhanced compared to conventional cotton candy, resulting in a more delicious taste. This is thought to be due to the hardness (hardness) of the cotton candy itself, which consists of a continuous thread-like or fibrous material, and its hardness was evaluated using a texture analyzer.

[0026] As samples, we used 10 different cotton candy samples with varying amounts of oils and fats, the same samples used in the test to evaluate the relationship between the amount of oils and fats and shape retention mentioned above. As a result, as shown in Figure 9, the sample with no oils or fats added had the highest hardness, and the hardness gradually decreased as the amount of oils and fats increased. This is thought to be because, in conventional cotton candy that does not contain oils and fats, adjacent thread-like or fibrous continuum fuse together immediately after manufacturing, causing their diameter to gradually increase and thus increasing hardness, whereas the cotton candy of the present invention prevents this phenomenon by having a coating layer 30 covering the continuum 20, which causes adjacent continuum 20 to fuse together and thicken.

[0027] As a result, the cotton candy of the present invention does not harden over time, and it is believed that the fluffy texture when touched or eaten, and the melt-in-your-mouth texture when eaten, can be maintained for a long period of time without being compromised. Furthermore, in the case of the cotton candy of the present invention, the presence of the coating layer 30 covering the continuous body 20 makes the diameter of the continuous body 20 smaller (thinner) than that of conventional products. Therefore, even when using the same manufacturing equipment (the same size of pores 14 in the rotary kettle 11), it is believed that it can exhibit a softer texture and mouthfeel than conventional products.

[0028] (Evaluation of physical properties) Figures 10 and 11 show the results of TPA (Texture Profile Analysis) measurement (fluffy texture) using a texture property measuring instrument (TENSIPRESSER My Boy II SYSTEM (manufactured by Taketomo Electric Co., Ltd.)). As can be seen from the figures, a t-test (significance level 5%, two-tailed test) was performed and a significant difference in texture was found between the present invention product and the conventional product. This objectively proves that the present invention product has a stronger fluffy texture than the conventional product.

[0029] (Sensory evaluation) Figures 12 to 14 show the results of sensory evaluations conducted by six evaluators qualified in sensory evaluation. The specific evaluation items, as shown in Figure 12, are six items: "ease of dissolving," "smoothness of touch," "softness of touch," "softness of mouthfeel," "melt-in-mouth quality," and "overall evaluation." For the sake of relative evaluation, the conventional product was given a score of "0" for all items. Figure 12 is a table showing the evaluation criteria and results for each evaluation item, and Figure 13 is a radar chart showing the numerically determined evaluation results.

[0030] As can be seen from the figures, the present invention showed superior results compared to conventional products in all evaluation items except for "meltability." In other words, the present invention was evaluated as having a much softer texture than conventional products. Furthermore, the present invention is easier to dissolve than conventional products, has a smoother texture, and a softer mouthfeel, and received a favorable overall evaluation.

[0031] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 14, many of the six evaluators gave favorable comments about the present invention compared to conventional products, such as "fluffier," "softer," and "longer-lasting sweetness." In addition, many evaluated the present invention as being "less likely to tear in two and clinging to the fibers for a long time" compared to conventional products. From this, it can be concluded that the present invention has superior shape stability compared to conventional products, does not shrink quickly, and can maintain its shape for a long time. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 10…Container 11... Rotating kettle 12… Heater 13…motor 20...continuum 30…Coating layer

Claims

1. Cotton candy characterized by having a coating layer made of oils and fats on the surface of a thread-like or fibrous continuous body made of sugars.

2. The cotton candy according to claim 1, characterized in that the sugars are granulated sugar.

3. The cotton candy according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the oils and fats are vegetable oils and fats.

4. The cotton candy according to claim 3, characterized in that the vegetable oil is rice oil.

5. A method for producing cotton candy consisting of thread-like or fibrous continuous material by putting cotton candy ingredients into a rotating pot, heating and melting them, and then using centrifugal force to eject the ingredients from pores formed in the rotating pot, A method for producing cotton candy, characterized in that a mixture of sugars and fats is used as the ingredients for the cotton candy.

6. In the method for producing cotton candy according to claim 5, A method for producing cotton candy, characterized in that the cotton candy ingredients are a mixture of 100 parts by weight of sugars and oils in an amount of 0.1 to 10 parts by weight.

7. The method for producing cotton candy according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the sugars are granulated sugar.

8. The method for producing cotton candy according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the oils and fats are vegetable oils and fats.

9. The method for producing cotton candy according to claim 8, characterized in that the vegetable oil is rice oil.

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