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

Abstract

For example, to provide a technique for producing fried oyster food of a desired size regardless of the size of the individual oysters. [Solution] For example, a frozen oyster collection in which multiple oysters are frozen together; cut pieces of a frozen oyster collection; a fried oyster food product containing two or more oyster individuals, at least one of which is a cut piece; a method for producing a fried oyster food product comprising a freezing step in which multiple oysters are gathered together and frozen to form a frozen oyster collection, and a cutting step in which the frozen oyster collection is cut while still frozen.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates, for example, to frozen oyster masses, pieces of frozen oyster masses, fried oyster food products, and methods of making fried oyster food products. [Background technology]

[0002] Fried oyster foods (fried oysters, oyster tempura, etc.) are particularly popular among fried seafood foods, due to the unique flavor and texture of oysters. Generally, fried oyster foods are produced by processing one oyster into one fried oyster food. On the other hand, a technique is also known for obtaining large fried oysters by stacking and frying multiple oysters (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Once oysters attach to rocks, they become immobile, so they have few muscles, and the majority of their body is made up of internal organs, which are tissues derived from the mesoderm. The remaining tissues are the adductor muscle and the mantle, which includes the gills. Oysters are shellfish that are eaten with their internal organs, and much of the unique flavor of oysters comes from their internal organs. While this unique oyster flavor is widely accepted, there are also consumers who do not like it.

[0004] In addition, oysters vary in size, and excessively large or small oysters may not be suitable for processing into fried oyster foods. Small oysters in particular are often processed into oyster extracts, etc., because they are not suitable for fried oyster foods. However, in light of the recent increase in raw material costs and weather conditions, the price of oysters is on the rise, and consumer tastes are becoming more diverse, there is a demand for small oysters, which have not been used in fried oyster foods in the past, to be used in fried oyster foods. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-188178 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present disclosure provides, for example, a technique for producing fried oyster food products of a desired size regardless of the size of individual oysters. The present disclosure also provides, for example, a technique for producing fried oyster food products that allow easy perception of the oyster-specific flavor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present disclosure discloses, for example, a frozen oyster collection in which multiple oysters are frozen together; cut pieces of a frozen oyster collection; a fried oyster food product containing two or more oyster individuals, at least one of which is a cut piece; and a method for producing a fried oyster food product having a freezing step of gathering and freezing multiple oysters to form a frozen oyster collection, and a cutting step of cutting the frozen oyster collection while it is still frozen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

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

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

[0010] Typically, the frozen oyster aggregate is flat. In this specification, "flat" refers to a shape having two parallel or nearly parallel surfaces. Typically, such a shape makes it easier to obtain uniform cut pieces, and the shape of the finally obtained fried oyster food tends to be consistent. The frozen oyster aggregate may be a rectangular parallelepiped or nearly rectangular parallelepiped. Typically, when the frozen oyster aggregate is a rectangular parallelepiped or nearly rectangular parallelepiped, loss is less likely to occur during cutting.

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

[0012] The frozen oyster aggregate of the present disclosure can be cut into blocks and used as a filler for fried foods, to produce fried oyster foods of a desired size, regardless of the size of the individual oysters. In addition, the frozen oyster aggregate of the present disclosure can use not only normal-sized individual oysters, but also small-sized individual oysters that have not been used in fried oyster foods in the past. When small-sized individual oysters are used, the size of the internal organs present in one place in the fried oyster food becomes small, and the internal organs are distributed, so the flavor unique to oysters tends to be mild.

[0013] (oyster) The oyster may be any edible shellfish belonging to the order Ostrich. The oyster may belong to the family Ostrichidae, or may belong to the genus Ostrich or Crassida, or may belong to the genus Crassida. Typically, the oyster is Crassida or Crassida. More typically, the oyster is Crassida.

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

[0015] The mass of the oyster individual is not particularly limited. For example, 1g to 30g of oyster individual may be used. Typically, a typical oyster individual used in oyster fried foods is 10g or more, and more typically 20g or more. However, from the viewpoint of effectively utilizing small oyster individuals, the frozen oyster aggregate may contain oyster individuals less than 20g, 18g or less, 16g or less, 14g or less, 12g or less, 10g or less, 8g or less, or 5g or less. The oyster may be 1g or more. Typically, by making the frozen oyster aggregate containing small oyster individuals, when processed into oyster fried foods, the internal organs are distributed and arranged, and the size of the internal organs present in one place is reduced, so that the flavor derived from the internal organs tends to be mild.

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

[0017] In this specification, the mass of an oyster refers to the mass of the shucked meat (including the internal organs, adductor muscle, and gills). The mass of an oyster also includes the mass of water, minerals, and the like contained in the oyster. The edible parts of an oyster are mainly the internal organs (esophagus, stomach, intestines, midgut gland), adductor muscle, and gills. The proportion of each part in the edible parts is about 53% to 57% by mass for the internal organs, 7% to 11% by mass for the adductor muscle, and 32% to 35% by mass for the gills in the case of oysters with eggs, and about 45% to 50% by mass for the internal organs, 7% to 11% by mass for the adductor muscle, and 38% to 33% by mass for the gills in the case of oysters without eggs. Individual oysters that are partially missing the internal organs, adductor muscle, or gills may be used.

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

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

[0020] (Connecting) The frozen oyster aggregate may or may not contain a binder. A fried oyster food made from a frozen oyster aggregate that does not contain a binder is less affected by ingredients other than the oysters in terms of taste and flavor, so that when eaten, the food tends to have a taste and flavor similar to that of a single fried oyster food made from a single oyster. On the other hand, a frozen oyster aggregate that contains a binder is less likely to crack or chip when cut, and also tends to have improved shape retention when battered and fried.

[0021] The frozen oyster aggregate may use various binders as a binder. The frozen oyster aggregate may contain methylcellulose. Methylcellulose is a polysaccharide having a structure in which a methyl group is bonded to a cellulose skeleton. Methylcellulose is obtained, for example, by extracting cellulose from plant fibers, treating it with alkali, and then reacting it with methyl chloride or the like. Methylcellulose may be partially modified, for example, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose having a hydroxypropyl group. Methylcellulose may be dissolved in vegetable oil and used. The vegetable oil and fat used is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, palm oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, olive oil, coconut oil, corn oil, sesame oil, castor oil, linseed oil, etc. From the viewpoint of cost, rapeseed oil, particularly canola oil, may be used as the vegetable oil and fat. Typically, the binding property may be improved by the frozen oyster aggregate containing methylcellulose as a binder. Typically, the frozen oyster aggregates contain methylcellulose as a binder, which may improve the texture of the fried oyster food. Typically, the frozen oyster aggregates contain methylcellulose as a binder, which may easily suppress bursting during frying.

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

[0023] The frozen oyster aggregate may contain oyster paste. The oyster paste may be prepared by grinding and mixing a part or all of the edible parts of the oyster (innards, adductor muscle, and gills) into a paste using a food processor or the like. The oyster paste may further contain at least one selected from the group consisting of methylcellulose, pregelatinized starch, and oil-processed starch. Typically, the frozen oyster aggregate contains oyster paste as a binder, so that the resulting fried oyster food product has a uniform oyster flavor no matter where it is eaten. Also, typically, when the pasty oyster contains oyster innards, the resulting fried oyster food product has an enhanced oyster flavor.

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

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

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

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

[0028] [Cut pieces of frozen oyster clusters] The present disclosure also provides slices of frozen oyster aggregates. The slices of frozen oyster aggregates are obtained by cutting an object in which a plurality of oysters are frozen together. Typically, the slices of frozen oyster aggregates are obtained by cutting an object in which a plurality of oysters are frozen after being bound to each other by some means. The process of cutting oysters while still frozen has not been performed in the past, and frozen oysters are usually thawed as is, and are used by separating each oyster while maintaining their individual shape. Therefore, the slices of frozen oyster aggregates are themselves novel.

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

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

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

[0032] Typically, the cut pieces of frozen oyster masses are for use in fried oyster food products. The fried oyster food products can be obtained by applying a batter to the cut pieces of frozen oyster masses and frying them in oil.

[0033] The shape of the cut pieces of the frozen oyster aggregate is not particularly limited. The cut pieces of the frozen oyster aggregate may be, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped or an approximately rectangular parallelepiped. Typically, the cut pieces of the frozen oyster aggregate are a rectangular parallelepiped or an approximately rectangular parallelepiped, which makes it easier to manufacture from the frozen oyster aggregate. Also, typically, when the cut pieces of the frozen oyster aggregate are a rectangular parallelepiped or an approximately rectangular parallelepiped, it is easy to obtain a fried oyster food that is close to the shape of a conventional fried oyster food.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0044] The cut pieces of the frozen oyster mass may have a coating material attached thereto. The cut pieces of the frozen oyster mass may be frozen with the coating material attached thereto. The coating material may contain wheat flour, gelatinized grain flour, bread crumbs, dried egg white, etc. The coating material may contain an emulsifier, egg, oil, starch, wheat flour, etc. as a batter.

[0045] According to the cut pieces of the frozen oyster aggregates of the present disclosure, it is possible to produce fried oyster food of a desired size, regardless of the size of the individual oysters. Furthermore, according to the cut pieces of the frozen oyster aggregates of the present disclosure, not only oysters of normal size but also small oysters that have not been used in fried oyster food applications in the past can be used. When small oysters are used, the size of the internal organs present in one place in the fried oyster food becomes small, and the internal organs are distributed, so that the flavor unique to oysters tends to be mild.

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

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

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

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

[0050] The fried oyster food is not particularly limited as long as it is made by coating oysters with a coating material and frying them in oil. The fried oyster food may be, for example, fried oysters, oyster tempura, etc. The coating material may contain wheat flour, gelatinized grain flour, bread crumbs, dried egg white, etc. Furthermore, the coating material may contain, as a batter, an emulsifier, eggs, oils and fats, starch, wheat flour, etc.

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

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

[0053] The content of oysters in the fried oyster food product is not particularly limited. The fried oyster food product may contain, for example, 50% by mass or more, 60% by mass or more, 70% by mass or more, or 80% by mass or more of oysters based on the total mass excluding the coating material. In addition, the fried oyster food product may contain, for example, 100% by mass or less, 96% by mass or less, 92% by mass or less, or 90% by mass or less of oysters based on the total mass excluding the coating material.

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

[0055] When the fried oyster food contains a binder, the content of the binder in the fried oyster food is not particularly limited. The fried oyster food may contain, for example, 1% by mass or more of the binder, 3% by mass or more, 5% by mass or more, or 10% by mass or more, based on the total mass excluding the coating material. In addition, the fried oyster food may contain, for example, 30% by mass or less of the binder, 25% by mass or less, 20% by mass or less, or 15% by mass or less, based on the total mass excluding the coating material.

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

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

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

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

[0060] The fried oyster food of the present disclosure can be produced to a desired size regardless of the size of the oysters used. In addition, the fried oyster food of the present disclosure can be produced using not only normal-sized oysters, but also small-sized oysters that have not been used in fried oyster food applications in the past. When small-sized oysters are used, the size of the internal organs present in one place in the fried oyster food becomes small, and the internal organs are distributed, so the flavor unique to oysters tends to be mild.

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

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

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

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

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

[0066] An example of a method for gathering multiple oysters and freezing them is to mix oysters and binders using a twin-shaft mixer or the like, pour the mixture into a mold, and freeze it in a freezer. However, multiple oysters may also be gathered manually, packed into a mold, and frozen. The freezing temperature may be 0°C or lower, -5°C or lower, -10°C or lower, or -15°C or lower. The freezing temperature may be -35°C or higher, -30°C or higher, or -25°C or higher.

[0067] The resulting frozen oyster aggregate is a plurality of oyster individuals frozen together. The frozen oyster aggregate obtained by the freezing process may be flat. Typically, by forming the frozen oyster aggregate into a flat plate shape in the freezing process, uniform cut pieces are more likely to be obtained in the cutting process, and the shape of the finally obtained fried oyster food product tends to be consistent. The frozen oyster aggregate obtained in the freezing process may be a rectangular prism or a nearly rectangular prism. Typically, by forming the frozen oyster aggregate into a flat plate shape in the freezing process, loss is less likely to occur in the subsequent cutting process.

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0074] When the cuttings obtained by the cutting process contain two or more oyster individuals, the combination of oysters contained in one cutting may be, for example, as follows. However, the combination of oysters contained in one cutting is not limited to those listed below.

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

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

[0077] The shape of the cut product obtained by the cutting step is not particularly limited. In the cutting step, the frozen oyster aggregate may be cut into, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped or an approximately rectangular parallelepiped. Typically, by cutting the frozen oyster aggregate into a rectangular parallelepiped or an approximately rectangular parallelepiped, the cutting step is less likely to become complicated. Also, typically, by cutting the frozen oyster aggregate into a rectangular parallelepiped or an approximately rectangular parallelepiped, in the subsequent frying step, a fried oyster food having a shape similar to that of a conventional fried oyster food is easily obtained.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0090] [Table 1]

[0091] The ingredients shown in Table 2, except for paste A, were mixed in a bag, and then put into a two-shaft mixer for meat paste (Hanagi Seisakusho Co., Ltd., mixer (40 kg), inverter frequency 20.0-30.0 Hz) together with the paste A prepared above, and mixed for a total of 90 seconds, 45 seconds in forward rotation and 45 seconds in reverse rotation. Even after mixing, each of the multiple oysters generally retained its shape. Then, the mixture was poured into a stainless steel plate (external dimensions: 453 x 223 x 40 mm) on which a Harville-processed mount (445 x 214 x 20 mm) was set, and a stainless steel lid (443 x 215 x 20 mm) was placed, and the mixture was frozen in a freezer at -18 ° C. to produce a frozen oyster aggregate. The oysters used included oysters weighing 5 g or less, and oysters weighing 10 g or less accounted for 50% or more by number.

[0092] [Table 2]

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

[0094] [Table 3]

[0095] [Table 4]

[0096] The cut pieces that had been coated with batter and frozen again were fried in vegetable oil at 170° C. to 180° C. for 3 minutes 30 seconds to 4 minutes. Regardless of whether the coating material was 50 mass%, 55 mass%, or 60 mass%, the fried oyster food did not decompose during frying.

[0097] When the obtained fried oyster foods were eaten, the flavor characteristic of oyster innards was felt to be mild in all of the fried oyster foods.

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

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

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

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

[10] for use as fried oyster food.

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

[11] containing methylcellulose.

[13] Cut pieces of a frozen oyster mass of any of [8] to

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

[14] Cut pieces of frozen oysters from any of [8] to

[13] , including oyster paste.

[15] A cut piece of frozen oyster mass of any of [8] to

[14] with coating material attached to the surface.

[0100]

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

[17] The fried oyster food product of

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

[18] Fried oysters,

[16] or

[17] , including oyster paste.

[0101]

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

[20] The manufacturing method of

[19] , further comprising a mixing step of mixing the binder and the oysters prior to the freezing step.

[21] The manufacturing method of

[20] , wherein the binder contains oyster paste.

[22] The method according to

[20] or

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

Claims

1. A frozen oyster aggregate in which a plurality of oysters are frozen together into a flat plate, For fried oyster food products, A collection of frozen oysters, including oyster paste.

2. A frozen oyster mass as described in claim 1, containing methylcellulose.

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

4. A frozen oyster aggregate as described in claim 1 or 2, having two surfaces that are parallel or approximately parallel to each other.

5. A cut piece of a frozen oyster aggregate in which multiple oysters are frozen together into a flat plate, the cut piece being for use in fried oyster food.

6. A cut piece of the frozen oyster aggregate described in claim 5, comprising oysters in a paste form.

7. 7. Cut pieces of frozen oyster mass according to claim 5 or 6, comprising cut pieces of oyster.

8. A cut piece of frozen oyster mass described in claim 5 or 6, which is a rectangular prism or an approximately rectangular prism.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

16. A fried oyster food obtained by the manufacturing method described in claim 12 or 13.

17. A fried oyster food product as described in claim 16, comprising two or more oyster individuals, at least one oyster individual being a cut fragment.

Images