Granules, food products and method for producing granules

Abstract

To provide a granule of cocoa powder which is related to cocoa powder for application of topping on a food product, and improves flavor of chocolate.SOLUTION: A cocoa powder mix containing at least cocoa powder is coated with cacao mass, and thereby it is useful to improve flavor of chocolate of the cocoa powder. Specifically, there is provided a granule having a core layer composed of a cocoa powder mix containing at least cocoa powder, and a surface layer which covers at least a part of the core layer and contains cacao mass.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present technology relates to granules, food products, and methods for producing granules. [Background technology]

[0002] Chocolate and cocoa-flavored foods that use cocoa powder as an ingredient are widely available on the food market. However, cocoa powder is treated with alkali during the manufacturing process, which can result in off-flavors such as astringency and bitterness. There are methods for coating the surface of cocoa powder with other materials to improve its solubility in water or to prevent moisture absorption, and this method has sometimes reduced the off-flavors of cocoa powder.

[0003] On the other hand, coating the surface of cocoa powder with other materials can sometimes reduce the chocolate flavor. For chocolate and cocoa-flavored foods, improving the chocolate flavor is important in terms of commercial value.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses soluble cocoa granules produced by spraying hardened vegetable oil onto cocoa powder. However, the granules are soluble and are not intended for use as a topping for food. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 57-5644 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present technology relates to cocoa powder for use as a topping on foods, and has as its main objective the provision of cocoa powder granules with improved chocolate flavor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] As a result of extensive research, the present inventors have found that coating a cocoa powder mix containing at least cocoa powder with cacao mass is useful for improving the chocolate flavor of the cocoa powder.

[0008] That is, the present technology provides granules having a core layer made of a cocoa powder mix containing at least cocoa powder, and a surface layer covering at least a portion of the core layer and containing cocoa mass. Here, the surface layer may further contain a fat or oil. The fat or oil may be one or more fats selected from cocoa butter and tempering type hard butter. The cocoa powder mix may further contain a sweetener. The granules of the present technology preferably have an L value that is at least 2.0 lower than the L value of granules produced at a temperature lower than 26°C. The granules of the present technology are suitable for use as food toppings. The present technology provides food topped with the granules of the present technology.

[0009] Next, the present technology provides a method for producing granules, which includes a step of feeding a cocoa powder mix containing at least cocoa powder into a stirring chamber, followed by a granulation step of stirring the cocoa powder mix in the stirring chamber by blowing air or using a stirring blade, and spraying a spray liquid containing cocoa mass onto the cocoa powder mix. Here, the stirring may be carried out at a temperature of 26 to 34° C. After the granulation step, a cooling step of cooling to 20 to 25° C. at a rate of 0.5° C. / min or more may be included. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a photograph of granules of the present technology observed under a microscope. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] A preferred embodiment of the present technology will be described below. However, the embodiment described below is an example of a typical embodiment of the present technology, and the present technology is not limited to only the preferred embodiment described below and can be freely modified within the scope of the present technology.

[0012] <Granules> The granules of the present technology have a core layer made of a cocoa powder mix containing at least cocoa powder, and a surface layer covering at least a portion of the core layer and containing cocoa mass.

[0013] Here, "granules" refers to small, round objects, but in the present technology, the shape is not limited to a sphere, and includes granular objects in which raw material particles aggregate together and have an uneven surface.

[0014] A "cocoa powder mix" is a powder containing at least cocoa powder. That is, a cocoa powder mix may be formed only from cocoa powder as an ingredient, but may also contain ingredients other than cocoa powder. When a cocoa powder mix contains ingredients other than cocoa powder, it may contain ingredients such as sweeteners, milk powder, whey powder, flavorings, powdered oils and fats, and emulsifiers. These may be contained as a single ingredient, or two or more ingredients may be combined.

[0015] The cocoa powder contained in the cocoa powder mix used in the present technology is a powder produced by processing cacao beans with alkali treatment, etc. The method for producing the cocoa powder is not particularly limited, and in the present technology, cocoa powder produced by a known method can be suitably used.

[0016] The sweetener contained in the cocoa powder mix used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is a material for sweetening foods, and both sugar-based sweeteners and non-sugar sweeteners can be suitably used. These sweeteners may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

[0017] Examples of carbohydrate sweeteners include sugar, glucose, maltose, fructose, isomerized sugar, isomaltooligosaccharides, trehalose, fructooligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, xylooligosaccharides, lactose oligosaccharides, soybean oligosaccharides, raffinose, lactose, sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, reduced palatinose, xylitol, and erythritol.

[0018] Examples of non-sugar sweeteners include natural sweeteners such as stevia and licorice (glycyrrhizin), and artificial sweeteners such as saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame K, and sucralose.

[0019] The lower limit of the cocoa powder content in the cocoa powder mix used in the present technology can be adjusted to, for example, 20% by mass or more, preferably 25% by mass or more, based on 100% by mass of the cocoa powder mix. The upper limit of the cocoa powder content is 100% by mass, and the content can be adjusted appropriately depending on the characteristics of the application.

[0020] The "core layer" refers to the core of the granule of the present technology. The core layer is formed from one or more powders that make up the cocoa powder mix. The core layer may be formed from a single powder, or may be formed by agglomeration of multiple powders.

[0021] In addition, when the cocoa powder mix contains ingredients other than cocoa powder, the cocoa powder mix may have multiple core layers made of a combination of ingredients constituting the cocoa powder mix. For example, the core layer may be formed from cocoa powder alone, from ingredients other than cocoa powder, or from an aggregation of cocoa powder and ingredients other than cocoa powder.

[0022] The "surface layer" is a layer that coats the surface of the core layer. At least a part of the surface layer is exposed on the surface of the granule of the present technology, but may exist between the granules of the present technology as an adhesive layer between the granules.

[0023] The surface layer of the present technology covers all or at least a part of the surface of the core layer. In the granule of the present technology, when the surface layer covers a part of the core layer, the core layer is exposed in the part not covered by the surface layer.

[0024] In the granules of the present technology, the surface layer contains at least cocoa mass. That is, the surface layer may be formed only from cocoa mass as a component, but may also contain components other than cocoa mass. When the surface layer contains components other than cocoa mass, it may contain components such as fats and oils, flavorings, emulsifiers, etc. These may be contained as a single component, or two or more components may be contained in combination.

[0025] The cocoa mass contained in the surface layer is a raw material produced by drying, roasting, and grinding cocoa beans. The method for producing the cocoa mass is not particularly limited, and in the present technology, cocoa mass produced by a known method can be suitably used as a component of the surface layer.

[0026] When the surface layer further contains fats and oils in addition to the cacao mass, examples of the fats and oils include cocoa butter (cacao butter, cacao fat) and tempering type hard butter. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more types of fats and oils. By further containing fats and oils in the surface layer, the viscosity of the spray liquid that becomes the surface layer can be adjusted.

[0027] The above "cocoa butter" refers to fat extracted from cacao beans. In addition, "tempering type hard butter" is a type of fat that has a specific melting point and crystal structure, requires the tempering process of chocolate, and is also used as a chocolate substitute. Tempering type hard butter is a fat in which the total amount of POP, StOSt, and POSt in the triglycerides contained in the fat is 50% or more, and more preferably 60% or more. P: palmitic acid, O: oleic acid, St: stearic acid. POP: A triglyceride with P attached at the 1st and 3rd positions and O attached at the 2nd position. StOSt: Triglyceride with St attached at the 1st and 3rd positions and O attached at the 2nd position. POSt: A triglyceride in which one molecule of P and one molecule of St are bound to the 1st and 3rd positions, and O is bound to the 2nd position.

[0028] The surface layer may contain components other than those mentioned above as necessary, so long as the desired physical properties are not significantly impaired. From the viewpoint of storage stability, however, it is preferable that the water content is low.

[0029] The granules of the present technology have a core layer made of cocoa powder mix that is at least partially covered with a surface layer containing cocoa mass, thereby reducing the unpleasant taste of the cocoa powder and improving the flavor of the chocolate.

[0030] Furthermore, the granules of the present technology have a core layer covered with a surface layer containing cocoa mass, which reduces the so-called "crying" that occurs when the granules are used as a topping for food. As a result, by using the granules of the present technology as a topping for food, it is possible to suitably add a chocolate flavor to the food.

[0031] The lower limit of the content of cocoa mass in the surface layer of the granule of the present technology can be adjusted to, for example, 40% by mass or more, preferably 50% by mass or more, relative to 100% by mass of the surface layer. The upper limit of the content of the cocoa mass is 100% by mass, and the content can be adjusted appropriately depending on the characteristics of the application.

[0032] In the granules of the present technology, the lower limit of the ratio of the surface layer to the entire granule (100% by mass) can be adjusted as appropriate depending on the characteristics of the application, for example, to 15% by mass or more, 20% by mass or more, 25% by mass or more, etc. In addition, the upper limit of the ratio of the surface layer to the entire granule (100% by mass) can be adjusted to 70% by mass or less, 60% by mass or less, 55% by mass or less, etc.

[0033] <Granule manufacturing method> The granules of the present technology can be suitably produced by a feeding process in which a cocoa powder mix containing at least cocoa powder is fed into a stirring chamber, followed by a granulation process in which the cocoa powder mix is ​​stirred in the stirring chamber by air or a stirring blade, and a spray liquid containing cacao mass is sprayed onto the cocoa powder mix.

[0034] Here, "agitation" means stirring, and in the method for producing granules of the present technology, the powder of the cocoa powder mix is ​​agitated by blowing air or by rotating an agitating blade, or by a combination of these. When the powder is agitated by blowing air, the powder of the cocoa powder mix is ​​separated from each other and the powder is rolled, making it easier to spray the spray liquid described below on the surface of the powder.

[0035] The means for blowing air at this time is not particularly limited, and any known blowing means can be suitably used. The strength of the blowing air is also not particularly limited as long as it is strong enough to stir up the powder particles of the cocoa powder mix and separate the powder particles from each other.

[0036] The stirring means using the stirring blade is not particularly limited, and any known stirring means using the stirring blade can be suitably used. The rotation strength of the stirring blade is also not particularly limited, as long as it is strong enough to rotate the powder of the cocoa powder mix and spray the spray liquid over the entire surface of the powder. Even when the stirring means using the stirring blade is used in the present technology, it may be used in combination with air blowing for the purpose of temperature control, etc.

[0037] The "agitation chamber" is a section for performing the above-mentioned agitation. The agitation chamber used in the present technology has at least an air outlet for the above-mentioned air blowing, an exhaust port, and a spray port for the spray liquid described later. The agitation chamber may have other configurations other than the above-mentioned configurations as necessary, as long as the desired function is not significantly impaired. Examples of other configurations include an agitation blade when agitation is performed by an agitation blade.

[0038] In the method for producing granules of the present technology, "spraying" refers to spraying the spray liquid in a mist form. The means of spraying are not particularly limited, and known spraying means can be suitably used. The spray liquid used in the present technology contains at least the components of the surface layer of the granules of the present technology, such as cocoa mass. In addition to the components of the surface layer of the granules of the present technology, the spray liquid used in the present technology may contain the aforementioned components such as fats and oils in order to adjust the viscosity of the spray liquid for the spraying. It is preferable that the spray liquid does not contain any additional moisture in addition to the moisture contained in the raw material of the surface layer.

[0039] The content of the cocoa mass contained in the spray liquid used in the granule manufacturing method of the present technology is substantially the same as the content of the cocoa mass contained in the surface layer of the granule of the present technology described above. Note that the content of the cocoa mass contained in the spray liquid used in the granule manufacturing method of the present technology can be appropriately adjusted according to the characteristics and applications of the raw materials of the granule of the present technology.

[0040] The amount of the spray liquid used in the granule manufacturing method of the present technology is substantially the same as the ratio of the surface layer to the entire granule (100% by mass) described above. The amount of the spray liquid used in the granule manufacturing method of the present technology can be appropriately adjusted depending on the characteristics and application of the raw material of the core layer.

[0041] In the granule manufacturing method of the present technology, the powder particles are stirred up in a stirring chamber by blowing air to separate them from each other, and the spray liquid is sprayed onto the cocoa powder mix in a rolling state, so that the spray liquid is efficiently sprayed onto the powder surface of the cocoa powder mix that will become the core layer, forming a surface layer. This allows the granules of the present technology to be suitably granulated.

[0042] In the method for producing granules of the present technology, the stirring temperature is set to, for example, 26°C or higher, preferably 27°C or higher, and more preferably 28.5°C or higher, so that the sprayed liquid spreads easily over the powder surface of the cocoa powder mix, and the proportion of the sprayed liquid that forms the surface layer that covers the entire powder surface of the cocoa powder mix that forms the core layer can be increased. This reduces the L value of the surface layer of the granulated granules, and can result in a black color that is characteristic of chocolate. Since the temperature during stirring gradually increases due to air blowing, etc., the stirring temperature here is defined as the product temperature at the end of spraying. This can be adjusted by the air blowing temperature, etc.

[0043] Specifically, according to the granule manufacturing method of the present technology, the L value of the surface layer of a granule when stirring is performed at a temperature of 26°C or higher can be at least 2.0 lower, preferably at least 2.5 lower, and more preferably at least 3.0 lower than the L value of the surface layer of a granule when stirring is performed at a temperature of less than 26°C under the same conditions except for temperature.

[0044] The L value is an index of color brightness (luminosity), and the lower the L value, the darker the color is, closer to black. In this specification, the L value refers to a value measured in accordance with the JIS Z 8781 standard.

[0045] In addition, by setting the upper limit of the stirring temperature to, for example, 34°C or less, preferably 33°C or less, and more preferably 32.5°C or less, the surface layer can be suitably solidified in the process of cooling the granules after granulation, such as the cooling step described below, making it easier to turn the granules into a powder.

[0046] The method for producing granules of the present technology further preferably includes a cooling step after the granulation step. In the cooling step, the temperature is lowered at 0.5°C / min or more, preferably 0.6°C / min or more, and more preferably 0.7°C / min or more, thereby shortening the time it takes for the spray liquid to solidify and become a surface layer, and preventing the granules from colliding with each other and peeling off the spray liquid before the spray liquid solidifies after spraying. This reduces the L value of the surface layer of the granules after granulation, and can result in a chocolate-like black color tone.

[0047] The upper limit of the temperature to be reached in the cooling step is 25° C. or lower, and preferably 24° C. or lower, so that the surface layer of the granules after granulation can be suitably solidified and the granules can be made into a powder form.

[0048] Furthermore, the lower limit of the temperature to be reached in the cooling step is not particularly limited as long as it is a temperature at which the surface layer of the granules after granulation can be suitably solidified, and any condition can be set as appropriate, for example, 20°C or higher, 21°C or higher, etc.

[0049] The cooling step may be carried out in the stirring chamber, or may be carried out by transferring the granules after granulation to a compartment other than the stirring chamber.

[0050] In particular, in the granule manufacturing method of the present technology, by combining the stirring temperature described above with the temperature lowering conditions of the cooling step, the L value of the surface layer of the granules after granulation can be further reduced, resulting in a more chocolate-like color tone.

[0051] In the granule manufacturing method of the present technology, in the charging step, the cocoa powder mix is ​​charged into the stirring chamber at a temperature lower than the stirring temperature, so that the cocoa mass contained in the spray liquid sprayed onto the powder of the cocoa powder mix is ​​cooled on the surface of the powder, and then, as the temperature of the cocoa mass rises, crystal nuclei of V-shaped crystals are generated, and V-shaped crystals grow around the crystal nuclei, which is thought to be the realization of so-called tempering. This can result in a chocolate-like color tone.

[0052] In addition, by setting the temperature lower than the stirring temperature to, for example, less than 27°C, preferably less than 26°C, and more preferably less than 25°C, after spraying the spray liquid onto the cocoa powder mix, the cocoa mass in the spray liquid can effectively form crystal nuclei of V-type crystals.

[0053] The apparatus for implementing the granule manufacturing method of the present technology is not particularly limited as long as it can implement the above steps, and a known fluidized bed granulation apparatus can be used.

[0054] <Food> Foods that can be topped with the granules of the present technology are not particularly limited. By topping with the granules, it is possible to add a chocolate flavor to any food, such as ice cream, whipped cream, bread (white bread, table roll, sweet bread, cooked bread, French bread, rye bread, etc.), yeast confectionery (stollen, panettone, kougelhopf, brioche, donut, etc.), pastry (Danish, croissant, pie, etc.), cake (butter cake, sponge, biscuit, cookie, donut, bouillon, hotcake, waffle, etc.), and Japanese confectionery (bun, dairy confectionery, steamed bread, castella bun, dorayaki, etc.). EXAMPLES

[0055] The present technology will be described in detail below based on specific examples. Note that the present technology is not limited to the contents of the examples shown below.

[0056] <Raw materials> Cocoa mass: Daito Cocoa Co., Ltd. Cocoa butter: Cargill Vegetable oil A: Tempering type hard butter (equivalent to cocoa butter) manufactured by Fuji Oil Co., Ltd. Cocoa powder: Olam Sugar (powdered sugar): Fukutani Co., Ltd. Lactose: FirstT District Association

[0057] <Granule manufacturing> Granules were produced under the production conditions shown below using the raw materials shown in Table 1. For Comparative Examples 1 and 3, which do not have a surface layer, the granule production method shown below was not carried out, and the cocoa powder mix powder containing the raw materials shown in Table 1 was used for the evaluation described below.

[0058] Machine used: Fluidized bed granulator (Freund Corporation / Model number FL-LABO) (1) The raw materials for the spray liquid are melted and mixed at 40 to 55°C to prepare the spray liquid. (2) The cocoa powder mix containing the mixed ingredients is poured into the mixing chamber of the machine. Temperature of cocoa powder mix when added (before heating due to stirring): 24℃ Workplace temperature: 24℃ (3) The cocoa powder mix is ​​agitated by blowing air onto it, while the spray liquid prepared above is sprayed onto the cocoa powder mix to granulate it into particles. Air blowing temperature: 34℃ Product temperature at the end of spraying (mixing temperature): 31℃ (4) The granules are cooled to about 20°C at a rate of 0.8°C / min. (5) After cooling, the granules are passed through a 30 mesh sieve.

[0059] [Table 1]

[0060] 1 is a photograph of the granules of Example 5 observed under a microscope (Hirox, model number KH-1300LED). It can be seen that by spraying the spray liquid onto the powder of the cocoa powder mix in the above-mentioned manufacturing method, a surface layer is formed by the spray liquid containing cacao mass, which covers at least a part of the surface of the cocoa powder mix that constitutes the core layer.

[0061] <Evaluation of Granules> The granules obtained by the production were rated by seven experienced researchers based on the following evaluation criteria for the strength of the cocoa flavor, the lack of bitterness and other unpleasant flavors, and the strength of the cocoa flavor when topped with whipped cream, and the lack of bitterness and other unpleasant flavors. Note that for the strength of the cocoa flavor when topped with whipped cream, and the lack of bitterness and other unpleasant flavors, the granules were topped on the whipped cream and rated according to the evaluation criteria for the strength of the cocoa flavor. Table 2 shows the total scores of the researchers, and Table 3 shows the scores of each researcher.

[0062] ◆ Cacao flavor when topped with whipped cream 5. The cocoa flavor is very strong. 4. Strong cacao flavor 3. The flavor of cacao is fully felt. 2. There is some cacao flavor, but not enough. 1. You can't taste the cocoa (it's the same as whipped cream without any topping)

[0063] ◆Less bitterness and off-flavors when topped with whipped cream 5. Not too bitter or unpleasant taste 4. There is a slight bitterness or off-flavor, but it doesn't bother me. 3. There is a slight bitterness and off-flavor, but it is within the acceptable range. 2. Bitterness or unpleasant taste 1. It has the same bitter, off-putting taste as when you top it with cocoa powder alone.

[0064] ◆Strength of cocoa flavor when granulated alone 5. The cocoa flavor is as strong as that of cocoa powder alone. 4. The cocoa flavor is strong enough 3. You can taste the cacao to some extent. 2. There is some cocoa flavor, but it's not enough. 1. You can't really taste the cocoa.

[0065] ◆ Granules alone have little bitterness or unpleasant taste 5. Not too bitter or unpleasant taste 4. There is a slight bitterness or off-flavor, but it doesn't bother me. 3. There is a slight bitterness and off-flavor, but it is within the acceptable range. 2. Bitterness or unpleasant taste 1. It has the same bitter, off-putting taste as cocoa powder alone.

[0066] Cry resistance The granules obtained by the production were topped on whipped cream, and the condition after storing in a refrigerator for 2 days was evaluated according to the following criteria. The results are shown in Table 2. A. The granules are not damp and remain in a powder form. B. The edges of the granules are partially moist, but overall the powder remains in a generally powdery state, within the acceptable range. C. The granules are moist throughout.

[0067] [Table 2]

[0068] [Table 3]

[0069] It can be confirmed that the granules of Examples 1 to 7 according to the present technology have an improved cacao flavor compared to the powder without a surface layer or the granules of Comparative Example in which the surface layer is formed of vegetable oil. Furthermore, it can be confirmed that the harshness and unpleasant taste derived from the cocoa powder can be reduced by providing a surface layer, and that the harshness and unpleasant taste can be further reduced by making the surface layer contain cacao mass. The above tendency was confirmed more significantly in the evaluation when topped with whipped cream, where the taste contrast is easily felt.

[0070] <Evaluation of color changes due to manufacturing conditions> Granules were produced using the raw materials of Example 5, while changing only the stirring temperature and cooling rate shown in Table 4 among the above-mentioned production conditions.

[0071] The L value of the surface layer of the granules obtained by the production was measured using a tabletop colorimeter (manufactured by Paparab Co., Ltd. / model number PPLB-400A) in accordance with the standard of JIS Z 8781. Furthermore, Example A was set as BLANK, and the difference in L value from BLANK was calculated. The results are shown in Table 4.

[0072] [Table 4]

[0073] In the granule manufacturing method of the present technology, by setting the stirring temperature to 26°C or higher and further performing a cooling process in which the granulation process is followed by cooling at a predetermined cooling rate, it has been confirmed that the L value of the surface layer of the granules of the present technology is lower, enabling a darker color tone to be achieved.

[0074] In addition, the present technology can have the following configurations. (1) a core layer comprising a cocoa powder mix containing at least cocoa powder; A granule having a surface layer covering at least a portion of the core layer and containing cocoa mass. (2) The granule according to (1), wherein the surface layer further contains an oil or fat. (3) The granules according to (2), wherein the fat or oil is one or more fats or oils selected from cocoa butter and tempering type hard butter. (4) Granules according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the cocoa powder mix further contains a sweetener. (5) A granule according to any one of (1) to (4), in which the L value is 2.0 or more lower than the L value of the surface layer of the granule when granulation is carried out at a temperature lower than 26°C. (6) Granules described in any one of (1) to (5) for use as a topping for food or beverages. (7) A food topped with the granules described in any one of (1) to (5). (8) After the step of adding a cocoa powder mix containing at least cocoa powder into the mixing chamber, The method for producing granules includes a granulation step of stirring the cocoa powder mix in the stirring chamber by blowing air or using a stirring blade, and spraying a spray liquid containing cocoa mass onto the cocoa powder mix. (9) The method for producing granules according to (8), wherein the stirring is carried out at a temperature of 26 to 34°C. (10) The method for producing granules according to (9), further comprising a cooling step of cooling to 20 to 25° C. at a rate of 0.5° C. / min or more after the granulation step. (11) The method for producing granules according to (9) or (10), wherein in the charging step, the cocoa powder mix is ​​charged into the stirring chamber at a temperature lower than the stirring temperature. (12) The method for producing granules described in (11), wherein the cocoa powder mix is ​​charged into the stirring chamber at a temperature lower than the stirring temperature, and the spray liquid is sprayed before the cocoa powder mix is ​​heated to the stirring temperature. (13) A method for producing granules according to (11) or (12), wherein the temperature lower than the stirring temperature is less than 27°C.

Claims

1. A core layer made of a cocoa powder mix containing at least cocoa powder; A surface layer covering at least a portion of the core layer and containing cocoa mass; The content of cocoa mass contained in the surface layer is 40% by mass or more relative to 100% by mass of the surface layer, Granules used as a food topping.

2. The granule of claim 1 , wherein the surface layer further comprises an oil or fat.

3. The fat or oil is one or more oils selected from cocoa butter and tempering type hard butter. The granules according to claim 2, which consist of fat.

4. The granules of claim 1 , wherein the cocoa powder mix further contains a sweetener.

5. 2. The granule according to claim 1, wherein the L value is at least 2.0 lower than the L value of the surface layer of the granule when granulation is carried out at a temperature lower than 26°C.

6. A food topped with the granules according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A step of adding a cocoa powder mix containing at least cocoa powder into the mixing chamber. rear, In the stirring chamber, the cocoa powder mix is ​​stirred by air blowing or agitating blades. The method includes a granulation step of mixing the cocoa powder mix with a cocoa mass-containing spray liquid and spraying the cocoa powder mix with the cocoa mass-containing spray liquid. A method for producing granules.

8. The method for producing granules according to claim 7, wherein the stirring is carried out at a temperature of 26 to 34°C.

9. After the granulation step, a cooling step is performed to cool the mixture to 20 to 25° C. at a rate of 0.5° C. / min or more. A method for producing the granules according to claim 8.

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