Freeze-dried salt koji and salt-containing seasonings

Abstract

To provide a solid freeze-dried salt koji that has a chewy texture and retains the flavor of the salt koji itself. [Solution] Freeze-dried salt koji is obtained by blending salt koji with dietary fiber and freeze-drying it, and has a salt content of 38% by mass or less and a dietary fiber content of 1.7% by mass to 9.0% by mass after freeze-drying. Since foaming and swelling during freeze-drying is suppressed, it becomes a solid freeze-dried salt koji with a chewy texture. In addition, since it is difficult to turn into powder when crushed and becomes granular, it can be sprinkled on food as it is or mixed with seasoning ingredients and edible oil to produce a salt koji-containing seasoning containing freeze-dried salt koji that maintains a chewy texture.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to freeze-dried salt-koji and a seasoning containing freeze-dried salt-koji.

[0002] Shio koji is a cloudy, thick, porridge-like seasoning made by mixing rice koji, salt, and water and saccharifying the rice koji with the enzymes contained in the rice koji. It is a versatile seasoning characterized by a complex flavor with a good balance of umami, sweetness, and saltiness, and is used by applying a thin layer to the entire surface of ingredients before cooking, or by rubbing ingredients together or soaking them in it. In addition to the sweetness and umami of the shio koji itself, the enzymes contained in it break down the ingredients, bringing out their unique flavors.

[0003] Since salt koji is a fluid seasoning with a high water content and its shelf life can decrease if the salt concentration is reduced, Patent Document 1 describes powdered salt koji produced by drying and pulverizing salt koji. Commercially available powdered salt koji is used for pre-treatment of food ingredients, such as sprinkling it all over meat, just like fluid salt koji. On the other hand, in addition to powdered soy sauce and granulated soy sauce, freeze-dried soy sauce, which is produced by mixing soy sauce and soy sauce moromi with excipients and freeze-drying them (Patent Documents 2 and 3), is known as a seasoning with a crunchy texture when made into a solid form of liquid soy sauce. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-106598 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2013-17424 A [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 5864580 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] To provide freeze-dried salt koji having a new texture that can be eaten as it is by converting salt koji, which is used as a fluid seasoning or powder seasoning, into a solid seasoning other than a powder. Another object of the present invention is to provide a salt-koji-containing seasoning that retains the flavor and texture of freeze-dried salt-koji. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The inventors have discovered that by blending a specified amount of dietary fiber with a salt koji raw material, the salt content of which has been adjusted so that the salt content after freeze-drying is a specified mass percent or less, and then freeze-drying, freeze-dried salt koji in which foaming and swelling during freeze-drying is suppressed can be obtained, and have thus completed the present invention.

[0007] The present invention relates to the freeze-dried Shio-koji described in the following (1) to (3), or the Shio-koji-containing seasoning described in (4) or (5). (1) Freeze-dried salt koji, characterized in that the salt content after freeze-drying is 38% by mass or less and the dietary fiber content is 1.7% by mass or more and 9.0% by mass or less. (2) The freeze-dried salt koji described in (1) above, having a salt content of 24% by mass or more after freeze-drying. (3) The freeze-dried salt koji described in (1) or (2) above, which contains an excipient. (4) A powdered and / or granular salt-containing seasoning containing the freeze-dried salt-koji described in (1) or (2) above and a seasoning ingredient. (5) A salt-koji-containing seasoning comprising the freeze-dried salt-koji described in (1) or (2) above and edible oil. Effect of the Invention

[0008] The freeze-dried salted koji of the present invention has a chewy texture when eaten because foaming and swelling during freeze-drying is suppressed and brittleness is reduced, and the flavor of the salted koji itself is also maintained. Although foamed and swollen freeze-dried products tend to turn into powder when crushed, the freeze-dried product of the present invention is less likely to turn into powder even when crushed and turns into granular products, so that granular freeze-dried salted koji that has a chewy texture when eaten can be obtained by crushing. In this way, the salt koji is a solid salt koji that has a chewy texture and the flavor of salt koji itself, and the granules obtained by crushing it can be sprinkled on various dishes, so salt koji can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Furthermore, by mixing it with seasoning ingredients and edible oil, a salt koji-containing seasoning containing freeze-dried salt koji that maintains a chewy texture can be produced. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the relationship between salt concentration, dietary fiber concentration, and processing suitability (foaming) for the freeze-dried salt koji of the examples from test plots 1 to 39. The vertical axis is salt concentration (% by mass), and the horizontal axis is dietary fiber concentration (% by mass). Processing suitability is plotted with ● for no foaming, ▲ for slight foaming, and × for foaming. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] The present invention relates to a solid freeze-dried salt koji obtained by freeze-drying (lyophilizing) salt koji, which has a chewy texture and the flavor of salt koji itself. In the present invention, "%" means "mass %" even if the unit is not specified, and "to" between numerical values ​​means a value that includes the numerical values ​​before and after it, and means a value that is equal to or greater than the preceding numerical value and equal to or less than the following numerical value.

[0011] Shio-koji is produced by fermenting and maturing a mixture of rice koji, salt, and water while stirring appropriately. The rice koji used in the production of Shio-Koji can be one produced by a normal rice koji production method or one that is commercially available. For example, seed koji is sprinkled on steamed rice and cultured at 25-40°C for 2-4 days to allow the koji mold to grow. The rice used for making rice koji is not particularly limited, and the seed koji is also not particularly limited as long as it is one used in normal koji making. For example, Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus sojae, and other Aspergillus species are included. A preferred koji mold is one that has a high production capacity for starch and protein digestive enzymes.

[0012] Shio-koji is produced, for example, by adding and mixing 20 to 50 parts by mass of salt per 100 parts by mass of rice koji, adding and mixing 100 to 200 parts by mass of water or hot water, and fermenting the mixture for about 7 to 14 days at about 25° C. By mixing once a day during fermentation, the fermentation becomes uniform and a salty koji with good flavor can be obtained. Shio-koji can be easily made at home. For example, rice koji and about 30-40% of its mass of salt are placed in a container, and water is added so that the rice koji is completely submerged, and it is left to mature and ferment at room temperature. By stirring once a day during the maturation process, it will be completed in about one week to ten days. Once completed, it can be stored in the refrigerator for several months. Alternatively, a simpler method is to ferment the mixture at about 55-60°C for 6-12 hours using a yogurt maker, which also produces shio-koji.

[0013] The salt koji used in the present invention is selected from raw salt koji so that the salt content of the freeze-dried salt koji after freeze-drying is 38% by mass or less, or the salt content is adjusted to produce the salt koji. A predetermined amount of dietary fiber is added to such salt koji, and salt and water are added as necessary, followed by freeze-drying, to produce a solid freeze-dried salt koji that has a chewy texture and the flavor of salt koji itself.

[0014] The salt content of the freeze-dried salt koji of the present invention is 38% by mass or less, preferably 36% by mass or less, and preferably 24% by mass or more. If the salt content after freeze-drying exceeds 38% by mass, the addition of dietary fiber does not suppress foaming and swelling during freeze-drying, so a chewy texture cannot be obtained. If the salt content after freeze-drying is less than 24% by mass, the flavor and umami of the salt koji may be weakened depending on the amount of dietary fiber added.

[0015] The dietary fiber content of the freeze-dried salted koji of the present invention is 1.7% by mass or more and 9.0% by mass or less. If the dietary fiber content after freeze-drying is less than 1.7% by mass, foaming and swelling during freeze-drying is not sufficiently suppressed, the tissue becomes brittle, and it is difficult to obtain freeze-dried salted koji with a chewy texture. On the other hand, if the dietary fiber content after freeze-drying exceeds 9.0% by mass, foaming is likely to occur during freeze-drying, and the flavor and umami of the salted koji itself are weakened.

[0016] Dietary fiber according to the present invention means carbohydrates that are not digested or are poorly digested by human digestive enzymes. The dietary fiber may be any of water-soluble dietary fiber, insoluble dietary fiber, or a combination thereof, as a raw material for freeze-dried salt koji, in addition to dietary fiber derived from salt koji. Examples of water-soluble dietary fiber include resistant dextrin, pectin, guar gum, guar gum hydrolyzate, agarose, glucomannan, polydextrose, alginic acid and its salts, β-glucan, inulin, carrageenan, fucoidan, and derivatives thereof. Examples of insoluble dietary fiber include insoluble glucomannan, chitin, chitosan, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, agar, and the like.

[0017] The freeze-dried salted koji of the present invention may also contain an excipient to ensure freeze-drying. The excipient may be, for example, various starches, dextrin, gelatin, etc., but is not particularly limited thereto. By using an excipient, the salted koji mixture before freeze-drying is made viscous, making it easier to fill it into a freeze-drying container. When viscous dietary fiber is used, freeze-drying can be performed without using an excipient or with a small amount of an excipient. In addition, the excipient can reduce the dietary fiber content, but if a large amount of excipient is used, the flavor of the solid freeze-dried salted koji is reduced. Therefore, the content of the excipient after freeze-drying is preferably 25% by mass or less, and the solid state of the freeze-dried salted koji is further reinforced by using an excipient.

[0018] The freeze-dried salt koji of the present invention is a solid seasoning in which the umami components contained in salt koji are attached to dietary fiber and excipients, and contains 5% or less water by mass, has a chewy texture, and is convenient for long-term storage and carrying. It has the original flavor and umami of salt koji, and can be eaten as is or used as a seasoning for various dishes, or it can be crushed into granules of a specified particle size depending on the purpose of use.

[0019] The freeze-dried salted koji of the present invention may be a freeze-dried mixture of salted koji, dietary fiber, excipients, and seasonings such as sugar, salt, vinegar, miso, monosodium glutamate, monosodium inosinate, etc. This makes it possible to obtain freeze-dried salted koji having a flavor appropriate for the intended use.

[0020] The manufacturing method of freeze-dried shio-koji is similar to the usual freeze-drying method, in which the mixture of ingredients is rapidly frozen at about -40°C, and then the pressure is reduced to sublimate the water in a vacuum state, causing it to dry.

[0021] The freeze-dried salted koji of the present invention is produced by mixing salted koji and dietary fiber to form a mixture, and freeze-drying the mixture. For example, salted koji, dietary fiber, and excipients are placed in a container and mixed uniformly. If necessary, the above-mentioned seasonings may be added and mixed. The mixed mixture is heated if necessary, and then freeze-dried. There are no limitations on the equipment and production conditions used for freeze-drying. The freeze-dried salted koji of the present invention is produced by freeze-drying the mixture until the moisture content is, for example, about 5% by mass or less. Thereafter, if necessary, it can be crushed to a predetermined size or used as a raw material for other seasonings or foods.

[0022] When crushing into granules of a predetermined particle size according to the purpose of use, from the viewpoint of enjoying the texture of the freeze-dried salted koji itself, the particle size of the freeze-dried salted koji is, for example, preferably 840 μm or more, and preferably 8 mm or less. By making the particle size in this way, the freeze-dried salted koji can be made to have an even more chewy texture. If the particle size of the freeze-dried salted koji is larger than 8 mm, the particles may be too large and the texture may be poor, and if it is less than 840 μm, the texture may be rough. A general crusher can be used as the crusher.

[0023] In this case, the freeze-dried shio-koji obtained by crushing is placed on a mesh sieve with openings of 840 μm or 8 mm and vibrated. Freeze-dried shio-koji that passes through the 8 mm opening sieve is called "8 mm or less" or "8 mm pass," while freeze-dried shio-koji that does not pass through the 8 mm opening sieve and remains on the sieve is called "8 mm or more" or "8 mm on." The crushed freeze-dried Shio-Koji can also be placed on mesh sieves with openings of 350 μm, 840 μm, and 1.7 mm, vibrated, and classified by particle size into those that pass through each sieve and those that do not pass through the sieve and remain on the sieve. For example, with 350 μm pass, 350 μm on 840 μm pass, 840 μm on 1.7 mm pass, and 1.7 mm on, particle size distributions of 30.7 mass% (hereinafter mass% is omitted), 19.5, 10.8, 39.0, and 22.5, 13.2, 8.2, and 56.2 are obtained.

[0024] The solid freeze-dried salt koji of the present invention thus obtained has umami components contained in the salt koji attached to the dietary fiber and excipients, contains less than 5% water by mass, has a chewy texture, and is convenient for long-term storage and carrying. This freeze-dried salt koji has the original flavor and umami of salt koji and can be used as a substitute for salt as is, so it can be eaten as is or used as a seasoning for various dishes. Furthermore, the freeze-dried salt koji can be mixed with edible oil to produce a liquid salt koji-containing seasoning.

[0025] The liquid salt-koji-containing seasoning of the present invention is obtained by adding the granular freeze-dried salt-koji of the present invention to edible oil, and further adding various ingredients and seasoning ingredients as necessary. The granular freeze-dried salt-koji contained in the salt-koji-containing seasoning of the present invention is preferably 1 to 35% by mass, more preferably 5 to 30% by mass. Even if the freeze-dried salt-koji is mixed with edible oil, the chewy texture of the freeze-dried salt-koji can be maintained. If the granular freeze-dried salt-koji is 40% by mass or more relative to the salt-koji-containing seasoning, the fluidity of the seasoning is deteriorated, and it may be difficult to uniformly mix the granular freeze-dried salt-koji with the various seasoning ingredients described below during production.

[0026] The ingredients are not particularly limited as long as they give the salt-koji-containing seasoning a chewy texture, and examples thereof include nuts, dried vegetables and their processed products, dried fruits and their processed products, beans, etc. Seasoning ingredients include sugars such as sugar, liquid sugar, glucose, brown sugar, and starch syrup, soy sauce, salt, miso paste, brewed vinegar, spices, yeast extract, meat, seafood, vegetable, or fruit extracts and seasonings, alcoholic beverage seasonings such as mirin, sake, wine, and ethanol, and citrus juices such as yuzu and kabosu, but are not limited to these, and various seasoning ingredients can be blended depending on the salt-koji-containing seasoning.

[0027] The edible oil used in the present invention is an edible oil that is liquid at room temperature. Examples of edible oils that can be used include vegetable oils such as rice oil, cottonseed oil, corn germ oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil, peanut oil, soybean oil, and rapeseed oil, and salad oils made from these vegetable oils. In addition, flavor oils in which flavor components and colorants contained in spices and aromatic vegetables have been transferred to vegetable oils can also be used. In addition, only one of these edible oils can be selected, or a mixture of two or more of these can be used.

[0028] Furthermore, the liquid salt-koji-containing seasoning of the present invention may contain water, and the water content is preferably 5% by mass or less. In the salt-koji-containing seasoning to which no water is added, the freeze-dried salt-koji has a relatively heavy, crunchy texture, and when water is added to the salt-koji-containing seasoning, the freeze-dried salt-koji absorbs water and appears to be slightly dissolved. By adding water in this way, the properties of the freeze-dried salt-koji can be changed, and the texture can be changed.

[0029] In addition, the freeze-dried salt koji of the present invention can be used as a substitute for salt as it is, and when it is sprinkled on lettuce instead of salt, the granules that maintain a chewy texture are present on the ingredients, and only that part can have a strong salty taste, so the taste is not unsatisfying and the salt intake can be reduced. The salt content of the freeze-dried salt koji obtained in the examples is 24% or more and 38% or less.

[0030] The powdered and / or granular type salt koji-containing seasoning of the present invention contains freeze-dried salt koji and seasoning ingredients. The seasoning ingredients include the above-mentioned seasoning ingredients in powder or granular form, for example, fried garlic, fried onion, pepper, dried mixed herbs, etc., are mixed to produce a powdered and / or granular type freeze-dried salt koji-containing seasoning (seasoning seasoning, etc.). In this case, the content of the freeze-dried salt koji is not particularly specified. EXAMPLES

[0031] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In the examples, the term "%" simply means "% by mass."

[0032] [Study of suitable dietary fiber content and salt content after freeze-drying] The "salt koji" used in the examples was the commercially available "Plus Koji Nama Shio Koji" (Marukome Co., Ltd.). Since there was a risk that the enzymes contained in the salt koji would decompose starch, the enzymes were inactivated by heating to 80°C. The inactivated salt koji was mixed with salt, dietary fiber (Fibersol 2, resistant dextrin, Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.), water, and potato starch as an excipient (Kawahikari Bussan Co., Ltd.) in the amounts shown in Table 1 below. After heating to 80°C and homogenizing, it was poured into a plastic tray and completely frozen at -40°C. The atmosphere was reduced to 0.1 Torr, and then shelf heating was performed to the extent that the contents would not dissolve, and the mixture was thoroughly dried by freeze-drying.

[0033] [Table 1]

[0034] The freeze-dried finished product was observed to evaluate suitability for processing. Samples that showed almost no expansion in volume and had a chewy texture and salt koji flavor when crushed and eaten were classified as "non-foaming," samples that showed a slight expansion in volume but had the same chewy texture and salt koji flavor when crushed and eaten were classified as "slightly foaming," and samples that had a large expansion in volume with bubbles swelling were classified as "foaming." The salt concentration and dietary fiber concentration of each test group were also calculated. A summary is shown in Table 2.

[0035] [Table 2]

[0036] The results of Table 2 are shown in Figure 1 as the relationship between salt concentration, dietary fiber concentration, and processing suitability (foaming). No foaming is plotted as ●, slight foaming as ▲, and foaming as ×. From these results, it was confirmed that good processing suitability can be obtained with a salt concentration of 38% or less and a dietary fiber range of 1.7 to 9.0%. When the freeze-dried salt koji samples were crushed and classified into 840μm mesh and 1.7mm mesh, the foaming test samples had brittle tissue because foaming and swelling during freeze-drying was not sufficiently suppressed, and the samples quickly dissolved in the mouth. On the other hand, the non-foaming and slightly foaming test samples had a chewy texture and the flavor of salt koji was also noticeable.

[0037] [Consideration of types of dietary fiber] Freeze-dried salt koji was prepared in the same manner as above, but using different types of dietary fiber (Table 3). The cellulose used was manufactured by Nippon Paper Industries, the pectin preparation was "Homemade Pectin" manufactured by Kyoritsu Foods, and the guar gum was manufactured by MP Gokyo Food & Chemical. Each was designed to have a dietary fiber content of 2% and salt content of 30% when freeze-dried (Table 3). The finished product after freeze-drying was observed to evaluate its suitability for processing. As with test area 12, no foaming was observed in either case, and the suitability for processing was good.

[0038] [Table 3]

[0039] [Investigation of the lower limit of salt content after freeze-drying] The freeze-dried salt koji that showed good results in terms of processing suitability was roughly crushed using a metal tool and passed through a mesh with 8 mm openings. The taste of the resulting freeze-dried coarsely crushed material was evaluated. The evaluation criterion was whether or not the flavor could be felt as a strong flavor that was not overpowered by the ingredients when sprinkled on lettuce (Table 4). The results showed that at a salt concentration of 24% or more, the flavor could be felt as a strong flavor that was not overpowered by the ingredients.

[0040] [Table 4]

[0041] [Examination of the presence or absence of excipients (starch)] Freeze-dried shio-koji was prepared in the same manner as above, but without starch, and with different types of dietary fiber (Table 5). Dietary fiber was guar gum (test areas 44-47), agar (test areas 48-51), and mannan (test area 52), and test areas were prepared without starch. Guar gum was manufactured by MAP Gokyo Food & Chemical Co., Ltd., agar was manufactured by Ina Food Industry Co., Ltd., and mannan was manufactured by Shimizu Chemical Co., Ltd. The finished product after freeze-drying was observed to evaluate suitability for processing. As a result, it was found that even in the test area where starch was not added, freeze-dried salt koji with good processing suitability (non-foaming) could be obtained by keeping the salt and dietary fiber content after freeze-drying within the specified range.

[0042] [Table 5]

[0043] [Powdered and / or granular salt-containing seasonings] For test area 12, a mixture of 85% freeze-dried salt koji (840 μm mesh on, 5.66 mm mesh pass), 5% fried garlic, 5% fried onion, 4% dried mixed herbs, and 1% pepper was prepared and sprinkled on meat, which could be eaten without feeling unsatisfied with the taste.

[0044] [Seasoning containing salt and koji] Sterilized 110ml bottles were filled with 25, 30, and 35% freeze-dried salt koji (840μm mesh on, 5.66mm mesh pass) from test plot 12 or test plot 44, respectively, and the remainder was filled with salad oil. The bottles were then covered to create six salt koji-containing seasonings. These were stored in a dark place. The seasonings were taken out on the 0th day and 6 months after storage, and a sensory evaluation was performed. As a result, it was confirmed that no moisture absorption or aggregation had occurred in any of the test plots after 6 months, and the texture and taste of the freeze-dried salt koji were the same as before storage.

Claims

1. This freeze-dried salt koji is characterized in that the salt content after freeze-drying is 38% by mass or less and the dietary fiber content is 1.7% by mass or more and 9.0% by mass or less.

2. The freeze-dried salt koji according to claim 1, having a salt content of 24% by mass or more after freeze-drying.

3. The freeze-dried salt koji according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising an excipient.

4. A powdered and / or granular salt-koji-containing seasoning comprising the freeze-dried salt-koji according to claim 1 or 2 and a seasoning ingredient.

5. A salt-koji-containing seasoning comprising the freeze-dried salt-koji according to claim 1 or 2 and edible oil.

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