Potato starch and potato starch compositions

Abstract

Provided is a potato starch that can be used as a thickening agent without dissolving in water and is also suitable as a coating material for deep-fried foods. Potato starch having a difference angle of 8 to 35 degrees. A potato starch composition containing 50% by mass or more of the potato starch and having a difference angle of 8 to 35 degrees.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a potato starch and a potato starch composition that can be used as a thickening agent for cooking or as a coating material for deep-fried foods. [Background technology]

[0002] Potato starch is widely used in cooking and food manufacturing to thicken liquid foods such as soups and sauces, as a coating material for fried foods such as fried chicken, and to impart viscosity to noodles and pastes. However, potato starch is difficult to handle because it tends to scatter and disperse around, and the particles tend to aggregate together. For example, when potato starch is added directly to heated food, the starch powder does not disperse evenly in the food but aggregates, resulting in so-called lumps. Therefore, in the past, when potato starch was used as a thickening agent for liquid foods, it was necessary to first disperse it in a small amount of water (so-called "water-dissolved") and then add it to the liquid food, which required a lot of work.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes that granular potato starch produced by dehydrating, granulating, sieving, drying and sieving potato starch dissolves quickly in water and does not form lumps, and can be used to thicken dishes by directly adding it to them, and that a particle size with a high ratio of 35 to 60 mesh is expected to be more effective. Patent Document 2 describes that a smooth paste-like sauce that is less likely to form lumps can be obtained by pouring hot water into a mixture containing a specified ratio of granular pregelatinized starch and powdered pregelatinized starch.

[0004] On the other hand, even when potato starch is used as a coating for deep-fried foods, it is difficult to adhere evenly to the ingredients due to its scattering and cohesiveness, and as a result, the resulting deep-fried foods tend to have an unattractive appearance with uneven color. In addition, when coating ingredients with a coating, the potato starch often scatters around the kitchen, soiling the kitchen and resulting in waste. Furthermore, deep-fried foods obtained by coating ingredients with potato starch are preferred to have a white, powdery surface (so-called "powdery" appearance). However, it was not necessarily easy to obtain such attractively powdery deep-fried foods with conventional potato starch.

[0005] Patent Document 3 describes that fried foods with crispy texture and good melt-in-the-mouth texture can be obtained by using fried food flour mainly made of potato starch with a particle size of 20 μm or more, which is 95% by weight or more. Patent Document 4 describes that fried foods with crispy batter and juicy ingredients can be obtained by using a dusting powder or batter containing pulverized grain flour or starch with an average particle size of 20 μm or less. Patent Document 5 describes that fried foods with transparent batter can be obtained by using a batter material containing potato starch with a particle size of 50 μm or less. Patent Document 6 describes that potato starch treated with mineral acid has low hygroscopicity and is suitable as a powdered base material for seasonings. On the other hand, these documents do not pay attention to the operability of the batter material or the powdering of fried foods. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-97901 [Patent Document 2] JP 2014-57530 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2000-350561 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2003-265130 A [Patent Document 5] JP 2004-329093 A [Patent Document 6] JP 2011-223897 A DISCLOSURE OF THEINVENTION [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The present invention provides potato starch and a potato starch composition suitable as a thickening agent for food and a coating material for deep-fried foods. More specifically, the present invention provides a potato starch and a potato starch composition which, when used as a thickening agent, can thicken food without forming lumps by directly adding the potato starch and the potato starch composition to liquid food without being dissolved in water in advance, and can produce deep-fried foods having a good appearance with a clearly powdered surface and a good balance between the color of the powdered part and the surrounding deep-fried food, when used as a coating material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present inventors have found that by adjusting the angle of difference of potato starch within a specific range, potato starch having the above-mentioned properties and suitable for use as a thickening agent or a coating material for deep-fried foods can be obtained. Furthermore, the present inventors have found that this potato starch is also suitable for use by shaking it out of a shaking container, and that shaking it out of a shaking container for use makes cooking operations using potato starch even easier.

[0009] Therefore, the present invention provides potato starch having a difference angle of 8 to 35 degrees. The present invention also provides a potato starch composition containing 50% by mass or more of the potato starch and having a difference angle of 8 to 35 degrees. The present invention also provides a method for thickening food, which comprises adding and mixing the potato starch or the potato starch composition directly with the food to be thickened. The present invention also provides a method for producing fried chicken, which comprises coating an ingredient with the potato starch or the potato starch composition to adhere to the ingredient. The present invention also provides use of the potato starch or the potato starch composition as a food thickening agent or a coating material for deep-fried foods. Effect of the Invention

[0010] When the potato starch and potato starch composition of the present invention are used as thickening agents, they can be added directly to liquid foods without dissolving in water in advance, and thicken the foods without forming lumps. Furthermore, when the potato starch and potato starch composition of the present invention are used as a coating material, fried foods can be produced that have a clear powdery surface and a good appearance with a good balance between the color of the powdery part and the surrounding fried food color. Furthermore, the potato starch and potato starch composition of the present invention are suitable for use by shaking small amounts from a shaking container, and are therefore easy to use in cooking and economical. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] The present invention provides potato starch having a difference angle in a specific range. The difference angle of the potato starch of the present invention is 8 to 35 degrees. If the difference angle is out of the above range, the adhesiveness between starch particles in the potato starch changes, resulting in a decrease in operability when used for thickening, or an unsatisfactory color of deep-fried foods when used as a coating material. More specifically, the difference angle of the potato starch of the present invention is 8 degrees or more, preferably 10 degrees or more, more preferably 15 degrees or more, even more preferably 17 degrees or more, and even more preferably 18 degrees or more, while being 35 degrees or less, preferably 30 degrees or less, more preferably 28 degrees or less, and even more preferably 25 degrees or less. The range of the difference angle of the potato starch of the present invention may be, for example, 8 to 35 degrees, 8 to 30 degrees, 8 to 28 degrees, 8 to 25 degrees, 10 to 35 degrees, 10 to 30 degrees, 10 to 28 degrees, 10 to 25 degrees, 15 to 35 degrees, 15 to 30 degrees, 15 to 28 degrees, 15 to 25 degrees, 17 to 35 degrees, 17 to 30 degrees, 17 to 28 degrees, 17 to 25 degrees, 18 to 35 degrees, 18 to 30 degrees, 18 to 28 degrees, or 18 to 25 degrees. The difference angle of the potato starch of the present invention is preferably 10 to 30 degrees, more preferably 15 to 25 degrees, even more preferably 17 to 30 degrees, and even more preferably 18 to 25 degrees. The difference angle of general potato starch is about 6 degrees.

[0012] Suitably, the potato starch of the present invention has a volume mean diameter (MV) of preferably 43 to 300 μm, more preferably 45 to 250 μm, even more preferably 50 to 230 μm, and even more preferably 65 to 200 μm. When the MV is within this range, the ease of use when used in cooking is improved. Most common potato starches have a particle size in the range of 5 to 120 μm and an MV of about 30 to 40 μm, due to the size and characteristics of the starch crystals produced by the potato plant. The potato starch of the present invention has a higher content of particles with a larger particle size than common potato starch.

[0013] The difference angle of a powder in this specification refers to the angle of difference between the angle of repose and the angle of collapse of the powder. The angle of repose of a powder in this specification is a value measured in accordance with JIS R 9301-2-2 (alumina powder - Part 2: Physical property measurement method - 2: angle of repose). The angle of collapse of a powder is the angle of the pile of powder obtained after collapsing when a pile of powder maintaining the angle of repose is collapsed by a certain impact. Even if the powders have the same angle of repose, if their crumbling easiness is different, the collapse angle will be different, and therefore the difference angle will be different. The angle of repose and the angle of collapse of a powder can be measured by the following methods, respectively, and the difference angle of the powder is obtained by the difference between the angle of repose and the angle of collapse of the powder measured by the following method. (Angle of repose) After setting up a circular table (diameter 8 cm), 100 g of sample powder is passed through a mesh with 1.7 mm openings, and while vibrating with an amplitude of 1.5 mm, it is dropped and deposited on the circular table from 7.5 cm above the center of the table surface using a funnel with an opening diameter of 5 mm. At this time, the powder is deposited so that it overflows from the edge of the table. The angle formed between the ridgeline of the powder deposited on the table and the circular table surface at this time is measured with a laser beam and the value is taken as the angle of repose. (collapse angle) After measuring the angle of repose, the vat on which the round table is placed is impacted three times with a shocker. The angle formed between the edge of the powder remaining on the table and the surface of the round table is measured using a laser beam and this value is the angle of collapse. The angle of repose, the angle of collapse and the angle of difference can be measured preferably using a Powder Tester PT-X (manufactured by Hosokawa Micron Co., Ltd.) in accordance with the instruction manual.

[0014] In this specification, the "particle size" and "volume mean diameter" (MV) of a particle refer to values ​​measured by a dry laser diffraction / scattering method. Furthermore, the "volume basis" of the particle content refers to the volume basis measured by a dry laser diffraction / scattering method. The particle size, volume mean diameter, and volume-based content of a given particle can be measured according to standard methods using a commercially available laser diffraction particle size distribution analyzer (e.g., Microtrac MT3000II, manufactured by Nikkiso Co., Ltd.).

[0015] The potato starch of the present invention can be produced by classifying general potato starch while measuring the difference angle by the above method at appropriate times, and separating the fraction of potato starch with a difference angle in a predetermined range. Alternatively, the potato starch of the present invention can be produced by modifying the surface properties of general potato starch to have a difference angle in the above range. Methods for modifying the surface properties of starch include a method of mixing an excipient with starch and a method of granulating starch. Furthermore, the difference angle may be adjusted while classifying the starch with the modified surface properties as described above. For example, the potato starch of the present invention can be produced by granulating general potato starch to prepare starch particles with a large particle size, and classifying the particles as necessary to adjust the difference angle. Alternatively, the potato starch obtained by the above classification or modification may be appropriately mixed, or further mixed with other potato starch to prepare a potato starch having a desired difference angle. For example, granulated potato starch and non-granulated potato starch can be mixed to produce the potato starch of the present invention.

[0016] Preferably, the potato starch of the present invention contains granulated starch. More preferably, the potato starch of the present invention is granulated starch. By containing granulated starch, the dispersibility of the potato starch of the present invention in water is improved.

[0017] Known methods can be used for classification and granulation treatment when producing the potato starch of the present invention. Examples of classification methods include classification using a sieve and classification using an air flow classifier. Examples of granulation methods include a method in which potato starch is mixed with water or a binder together with other components as necessary and then dried; a method in which potato starch is compressed as is together with other components as necessary and then crushed, and the like. In addition, granulation methods that can be used include rolling granulation, fluidized bed granulation, stirring granulation, spray drying granulation, and the like, and are not particularly limited, but stirring granulation is preferred from the viewpoint of simplicity. All of the above-mentioned granulation methods can be carried out using a commercially available granulation device. Furthermore, after granulation, size regulation treatment and drying treatment can be carried out as necessary. Preferred examples of granulation techniques used in producing the potato starch of the present invention include those disclosed in, for example, JP 2015-200207 A and JP 2015-200208 A (the entireties of which are incorporated by reference in this specification).

[0018] The variety of potato (Potato) used as the raw material for the potato starch of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably a variety cultivated for starch production. Examples of such potato varieties include Benimaru, Konayutaka, Konafubuki, Natsufubuki, Sakurafubuki, Astarte, Early Starch, Eniwa, etc. Any one or more of the above potato varieties can be used as the raw material for the potato starch of the present invention. The potato starch of the present invention may be unprocessed starch, processed starch, or a combination thereof. Examples of processed starch include pregelatinized starch, etherified starch, esterified starch, acetylated starch, cross-linked starch, etc., and any combination thereof.

[0019] The potato starch of the present invention may be provided in the form of a potato starch composition. The potato starch composition of the present invention contains the potato starch of the present invention and other components, such as starch derived from a source other than potatoes, flour, or other raw materials. Examples of starches derived from sources other than potatoes include starches such as tapioca starch, corn starch, waxy corn starch, and wheat starch, and processed starches such as pregelatinized starch, etherified starch, esterified starch, acetylated starch, and cross-linked starch. Examples of the flour include wheat flour, barley flour, rye flour, rice flour, corn flour, sorghum flour, and soy flour. Examples of the other raw materials include proteins such as activated gluten; sugars such as dextrin, starch syrup, and sugar alcohol; seasonings such as salt; thickeners; emulsifiers; leavening agents; and enzymes. The potato starch composition of the present invention may contain one or more of the components selected from the starches, flours and other raw materials derived from sources other than potatoes listed above.

[0020] The type and content of the other components in the potato starch composition of the present invention can be appropriately set depending on the application of the composition. In addition, in the potato starch composition of the present invention, the other components may be contained as a powder separate from the potato starch of the present invention, or may be granulated together with the potato starch of the present invention. The content of the other components in the potato starch composition of the present invention is preferably 50% by mass or less, more preferably 40% by mass or less, and even more preferably 30% by mass or less, based on the total amount of the composition. When the potato starch composition is a coating material, preferably 50% by mass to 100% by mass of the other components are starches derived from other than the above-mentioned cereal flour or potatoes. Therefore, the content of potato starch in the potato starch composition of the present invention is preferably 50% by mass or more, more preferably 60% by mass or more, and even more preferably 70% by mass or more, based on the total amount of the composition.

[0021] The potato starch composition of the present invention has a difference angle of 8 to 35 degrees. If the difference angle is outside the above range, the adhesion between particles in the composition will change, resulting in reduced operability when used for thickening, or poor coloring of fried foods when used as a coating material. More specifically, the difference angle of the potato starch composition of the present invention is 8 degrees or more, preferably 10 degrees or more, more preferably 15 degrees or more, even more preferably 17 degrees or more, and even more preferably 18 degrees or more, while being 35 degrees or less, preferably 30 degrees or less, more preferably 28 degrees or less, and even more preferably 25 degrees or less. The range of the difference angle of the potato starch composition of the present invention may be, for example, 8 to 35 degrees, 8 to 30 degrees, 8 to 28 degrees, 8 to 25 degrees, 10 to 35 degrees, 10 to 30 degrees, 10 to 28 degrees, 10 to 25 degrees, 15 to 35 degrees, 15 to 30 degrees, 15 to 28 degrees, 15 to 25 degrees, 17 to 35 degrees, 17 to 30 degrees, 17 to 28 degrees, 17 to 25 degrees, 18 to 35 degrees, 18 to 30 degrees, 18 to 28 degrees, or 18 to 25 degrees. The difference angle of the potato starch composition of the present invention is preferably 10 to 30 degrees, more preferably 15 to 25 degrees, even more preferably 17 to 30 degrees, and even more preferably 18 to 25 degrees. The potato starch composition of the present invention has a volume mean diameter (MV) of preferably 43 to 300 μm, more preferably 45 to 250 μm, even more preferably 50 to 230 μm, and still more preferably 65 to 200 μm.

[0022] The potato starch of the present invention or a potato starch composition containing the same (collectively referred to as the potato starch or composition of the present invention) can be used as a cooking starch. For example, the potato starch or composition of the present invention can be used as a food thickening agent, for example, in the production of soups and sauces. The potato starch or composition of the present invention can also be used as a coating material for baked foods such as meuniere or fried foods such as deep-fried foods and fries, as a dusting powder for deep-fried food ingredients, or as a coating material for food ingredients before cooking. However, without being limited to these uses, the potato starch or composition of the present invention can be used for general uses of cooking starch. Preferably, the potato starch or composition of the present invention is used as a food thickening agent or a coating material for fried foods (preferably deep-fried foods).

[0023] When thickening food using the potato starch or composition of the present invention, the potato starch or composition of the present invention may be added directly to the food to be thickened and mixed. The amount of the potato starch or composition added to the food to be thickened is preferably about 0.5 to 10 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the food. When thickening, it is not necessary to disperse the potato starch or composition of the present invention in water (dissolve in water) beforehand. Examples of the food to be thickened include, but are not limited to, liquid foods such as soups and sauces. Preferably, the food is heated before adding the potato starch or composition of the present invention. If the potato starch or composition of the present invention is added directly to the heated food and mixed, the food can be thickened without forming lumps.

[0024] When the potato starch or composition of the present invention is used to produce fried chicken, the potato starch or composition of the present invention is applied directly to an ingredient or coated with flour to adhere to the ingredient, and then the ingredient to which the potato starch or composition of the present invention is applied is fried in oil. The amount of the potato starch or composition of the present invention applied to the ingredient is preferably about 3 to 30 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the ingredient. The potato starch or composition of the present invention is used as a coating material (fried chicken flour) for coating. By using the potato starch or composition of the present invention as a coating material, fried chicken can be produced that has a clear powdery surface and a good appearance with a good balance between the powdery part and the color of the surrounding fried food. In this specification, the term "powdered" refers to a state in which there is a part on the surface of the fried chicken that looks like white powder. In this specification, "clearly powdered" refers to a clear boundary between the powdered part and the part with normal deep-frying color (dark gray, golden brown, deep brown, brown, black, etc.) on the surface of the fried chicken, and "good balance of color between the powdered part and the surrounding deep-frying color" refers to a moderate distribution of the powdered part (for example, about 30 to 70% by area, preferably about 40 to 60%) on the surface of the batter with normal deep-frying color. Such fried chicken looks more three-dimensional due to the contrast between the whitish color of the powdered part on the surface and the color of the other parts, and therefore has a more appetizing appearance.

[0025] The potato starch or composition of the present invention can be taken out of a container such as a packaging bag and used in the same manner as conventional starches. Furthermore, when the potato starch or composition of the present invention is filled into a shaker container and shaken out of the container for use, the required amount can be easily taken out of the container and applied to food, further improving operability in cooking. The potato starch or composition of the present invention is suitable for use by shaking out a small amount at a time from the shaker container, since there is little scattering of powder when taken out of the container and the shaker hole of the shaker container is not clogged.

[0026] An example of the shaking container filled with the potato starch or composition of the present invention is a shaking container having one or more shaking holes. The shaking container may be a container of a size and shape that allows the potato starch inside to be shaken by lifting it with one hand, and is preferably a container of a size and shape similar to that of a general seasoning container or spice container. More specifically, it is preferable that the shaking container is a free-standing container having a diameter or side length of about 20 to 100 mm, a height of about 80 to 200 mm, a cylindrical shape, an elliptical cylindrical shape, a rectangular cylindrical shape, or a combination thereof, and a size that allows about 50 to 500 g of the potato starch or composition of the present invention to be filled therein. The material of the container is not particularly limited as long as it is a material that can store powder and does not deform during shaking, and examples of the material include plastic, metal, and paper.

[0027] The shape of one or more shaking holes of the shaking container is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a circle, a triangle, a rectangle, a polygon, etc. The size of each of the one or more shaking holes is preferably 2 to 20 mm, more preferably 3 to 12 mm, and even more preferably 4 to 8 mm in maximum width, and the number of the shaking holes is preferably 2 to 9, and more preferably 4 to 7. If the size of the shaking holes is too small or the number of holes is small, the shaking amount is likely to be too small or the holes are likely to be clogged with powder, and conversely, if the size of the shaking holes is too large or the number of holes is large, a large amount of powder is shaken out in one shaking operation, and the powder is excessively shaken on the target or used more than necessary, reducing economic efficiency, and the powder is likely to scatter and soil the surrounding area.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment, the shaking container has 2 to 9, preferably 4 to 7, circular holes with a diameter of 2 to 20 mm, more preferably 2 to 9, more preferably 4 to 7, circular holes with a diameter of 3 to 12 mm, and even more preferably 4 to 7, circular holes with a diameter of 4 to 8 mm. In another preferred embodiment, the shaking container used in the present invention has 2 to 9, preferably 4 to 7, approximately square or polygonal holes with a diagonal length of 2 to 20 mm, more preferably 2 to 9, more preferably 4 to 7, approximately square or polygonal holes with a diagonal length of 3 to 12 mm, and even more preferably 4 to 7, approximately square or polygonal holes with a diagonal length of 4 to 8 mm.

[0029] Furthermore, the shaking container may have a spoon removal part in addition to the one or more shaking holes. The spoon removal part can be used as an outlet when removing the powder from the container with a measuring spoon or teaspoon, or when shaking out a large amount of powder from the container. Preferably, in the shaking container, the spoon removal part is located at a position away from the one or more shaking holes. For example, the shaking hole can be located at one end on the top surface of the shaking container, and the spoon removal part can be provided on the side shifted by 90 to 180 degrees from the shaking hole.

[0030] The one or more shaking holes and the spoon take-out part of the shaking container are preferably openable and closable. Preferably, the shaking hole and the spoon take-out part are provided with an openable and closable lid. The lid can prevent the powder filled in the shaking container from absorbing moisture, and can also prevent foreign objects such as insects from entering the container. The type of the lid is not particularly limited, but a lid that can be easily opened and closed with one hand, such as a slide lid or a flap lid, is preferable. Also preferably, the lid of the shaking hole is one lid that can open and close multiple shaking holes at once. The lid of the one or more shaking holes and the lid of the spoon take-out part may be a common lid or separate independent lids, but in either case, it is preferable that the structure is such that the one or more shaking holes and the spoon take-out part are not opened at the same time. For example, the lid of the one or more shaking holes and the lid of the spoon take-out part are two flap lids that can be opened and closed independently. Alternatively, the lid of the one or more casting holes and the lid of the spoon outlet are a common slide lid that moves to close at least one of the casting holes and the spoon outlet.

[0031] Preferably, when the potato starch or composition of the present invention is shaken out of the shaking container, the container is rotated 180 degrees without shaking down, and the surface with the shaking hole is turned from directly above to directly below in a single shaking operation, and an appropriate range and amount for applying the potato starch or composition of the present invention to a food product 15 cm directly below the shaking hole, for example about 1.5 to 4 g within a circle with a diameter of about 10 cm, can be shaken out. When shaking a larger amount of the potato starch or composition of the present invention out of the container over a wider range, the shaking operation can be repeated or the shaking operation can be performed more vigorously. EXAMPLES

[0032] Next, examples are presented to more specifically explain the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples. In the following examples, the difference angle of the powder is a value measured using a Powder Tester PT-X (manufactured by Hosokawa Micron Co., Ltd.), and the volume average diameter (MV) is a value calculated by a dry laser diffraction / scattering method using a Microtrac MT3000II (Nikkiso Co., Ltd.).

[0033] [Production Example] (Preparation of potato starch: Production examples 1 to 15) 1 kg of the raw potato starch (commercially available product; difference angle 5.7 degrees, volume mean diameter (MV) 36.7 μm) was placed in a container and water was added with a spray bottle while stirring with a hand mixer. The mixture was then dried in a thermostatic chamber to produce the following granulated potato starches A to D. _________________________________ Angle of difference (degrees) Volume mean diameter (MV) Granulated potato starch A: 37 287μm Granulated potato starch B: 23 217μm Granulated potato starch C: 18 185μm Granulated potato starch D: 8 113μm These granulated potato starches A to D were mixed with raw potato starch to prepare potato starches having the difference angles shown in Table 1 (Production Examples 1 to 15).

[0034] (Preparation of Potato Starch Composition: Production Examples 16 to 20) The potato starch of Production Example 10 and wheat flour (weak flour: difference angle 12 degrees, volume average diameter (MV) 56.7 μm) were mixed to prepare potato starch compositions having the difference angles shown in Table 2 (Production Examples 16 to 20).

[0035] [Test Example] The potato starches and potato starch compositions of Production Examples 1 to 20 were evaluated in Test Examples 1 and 2 below. (Test Example 1: Performance evaluation in thickening food) 200 mL of water was poured into a 15 cm diameter pot, heated on a gas stove until boiling, and then turned to low heat to maintain a gentle boil. One tablespoon of the potato starch or potato starch composition of Production Examples 1 to 20 was added to the pot so that it was evenly scattered over the entire surface of the water, and immediately stirred with chopsticks at 2 revolutions per second for 20 revolutions. As a reference example, the same operation was performed using the potato starch used as the raw material in Production Examples. The state of the resulting thickening was evaluated according to the following criteria. The production and evaluation of the thickening was performed by 10 expert panelists. The average scores of the evaluation results by the 10 expert panelists are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

[0036] (Evaluation criteria for viscosity state) 5 points: No lumps are formed and the sauce thickens. Very good. 4 points: Almost no lumps are formed and the sauce thickens. Good. 3 points: Some lumps remain undissolved, but the sauce is thick and thick. Fairly good. 2 points: Many undissolved lumps remain, and the consistency is thin. Slightly poor. 1 point: Most of the added starch becomes lumpy or clumpy, and the mixture is barely thick. Poor.

[0037] (Test Example 2: Performance evaluation as a coating material for fried foods) Chicken thigh meat was cut into pieces weighing 20 g each and used as the filling. The potato starch or potato starch composition of Production Examples 1 to 20 was sprinkled onto this filling so that the amount of adhesion was 15 g per 100 g of meat, and then deep-fried in salad oil heated to 170°C for 3 minutes to produce fried food. As a reference example, fried food was produced using the same procedure as in Production Examples, using the potato starch used as the raw material. The appearance of the obtained fried food was evaluated by 10 expert panelists according to the following evaluation criteria. The average scores of the evaluation results by the 10 expert panelists are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

[0038] (Evaluation criteria for fried chicken appearance) 5 points: 40-60% of the surface area is covered with white powder, the boundary between the powder and the surrounding area is clear, and the color balance is excellent. Very good appearance. 4 points: 30% to less than 40% or 60% to 70% of the surface area is covered with white powdery areas, the boundary between the powdery areas and the surrounding area is clear, and the color is well balanced. Good appearance. 3 points: 30-70% of the surface area is powdered white, but the boundaries of the powdered areas are somewhat unclear. Fairly good appearance. 2 points: The surface is powdery in spots, and the boundaries are unclear. The appearance is somewhat poor. 1 point: Almost no powdery areas on the surface. Poor appearance.

[0039] [Table 1]

[0040] [Table 2]

[0041] (Test Example 3: Potato starch in a shaker) 100 g of the potato starch of Production Example 6 was packed into a cylindrical container with a diameter of 50 mm and a height of 120 mm and an open top, and then a circular plastic plate with a diameter of 50 mm and a thickness of 0.2 mm, having the diameter and number of shaking holes shown in Table 3, was fitted to the top of the container to produce potato starch in a shaking container. Using this potato starch in a shaking container, a thickening agent was produced in the same manner as in Test Example 1, and the operability at that time was evaluated according to the following criteria. In the production of the thickening agent, instead of putting one tablespoon of potato starch into the pot, the potato starch was put in by performing the shaking operation from the shaking container 15 cm above the pot (rotating the container 180 degrees and facing the shaking hole downward) five times. As a reference example, a similar evaluation was performed using the raw potato starch used in Production Example. The production and evaluation of the thickening agent were performed by 10 expert panelists. The average scores of the evaluation results by 10 expert panelists are shown in Table 3.

[0042] (Evaluation criteria for operability during thickening production) 5 points: The powder is dispersed in an area of ​​about 10 cm in diameter inside the pot, and a thick sauce-like consistency is obtained without any lumps. Very good. 4 points: The powder was dispersed throughout the pot, and a thick, thick sauce-like consistency was obtained with no lumps. Good. 3 points: The powder scatters over a small area or splashes slightly outside the pot. The consistency is slightly thin or thick, or there are some lumps. Fairly good. 2 points: The powder scatters over a small area or splashes outside the pot. The consistency is thin or thick, or lumpy. Slightly poor. 1 point: The powder is concentrated in a small area and forms large lumps, or it scatters widely outside the pot. There is almost no thickening. Poor.

[0043] [Table 3]

Claims

1. A method for thickening food, comprising directly adding potato starch, which is a granulated starch having a difference angle of 8 to 35 degrees, or a potato starch-containing composition containing 50% by mass or more of said potato starch and having a difference angle of 8 to 35 degrees, to a target food and mixing it.

2. The method described in claim 1, wherein the volume average diameter of the potato starch is 43 to 300 μm.

3. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the potato starch or potato starch-containing composition is used after shaking from a shaking container.

4. 4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the shaking container has 2 to 9 shaking holes having a maximum width of 2 to 20 mm.

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