Water-in-oil emulsion for kneading cereals or for cooked rice, and cereal food

Abstract

To provide an oil-in-water type emulsion for kneading cereal food or for cooked rice that can satisfactorily improve workability during mixing in cereal food, texture of cereal food and cooked rice, storage stability, heating resistance, freezing resistance, etc.SOLUTION: Provided is an oil-in-water type emulsion for kneading cereal food or for cooked rice, containing vegetable protein, and in which the viscosity at 20°C is set at less than 800 mPa-s.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an oil-in-water emulsion for kneading cereal foods or for cooked rice, and a cereal food containing the same.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, with the increase in dual-income households and small households, the circulation volume of refrigerated or frozen cereal foods or cooked rice foods has been increasing, and due to the promotion of food loss reduction, it is required to maintain the appearance and taste of cereal foods or cooked rice foods over a long period even under refrigerated or frozen storage. However, when cereal foods or cooked rice foods are refrigerated or frozen, there are problems such as deterioration of appearance and texture. As a technique for modifying cereal foods, conventionally, in the step of mixing the main raw material of cereal foods (noodles, dumplings, Chinese buns, etc.) and water, an oil-in-water emulsion is added and kneaded to modify the cereal foods. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a method for producing an oil-in-water emulsion that does not adhere to noodles and can shorten the boiling time by using an emulsifier containing partially hydrolyzed soy protein and water-soluble hemicellulose. Patent Document 2 describes a method for improving the freeze resistance of noodles and dumplings using a food material having a pH of 4 to 8 in which a W / O emulsion containing an alkaline aqueous solution in the internal phase is uniformly dispersed in an aqueous solution containing glucomannan.

[0003] In addition, in order to improve the looseness of cooked rice products, a cooked rice improver added during cooking is known (Patent Document 3). An additive for cooked rice containing plant sterols that retains the flavor and workability of cooked rice even after refrigeration and frozen storage is known (Patent Document 4).

[0004] On the other hand, as a technology related to an oil-in-water emulsion, the applicant has proposed an oil-in-water emulsion for glazing applied to the surface of baked foods such as bread (Patent Documents 5 and 6).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Patent Document 5

Patent Document 6

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, since the water-in-oil emulsion of Patent Document 1 has a high viscosity, the modification effects such as workability, texture, storage stability, heat resistance, and refrigeration / freeze resistance during mixing in cereal foods are not sufficient. In addition to the above problems, Patent Document 2 also has problems such as a complicated manufacturing process. Also, in the rice improvers of Patent Documents 3 and 4, the modification effects such as the texture, storage stability, heat resistance, and refrigeration / freeze resistance of cooked rice are not sufficient.

[0007] On the other hand, the water-in-oil emulsions of Patent Documents 5 and 6 are applied to the surface for the glazing of baked foods, and no studies have been made on the effects when kneaded into the main raw material of cereal foods or added during the preparation of cooked rice.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a water-in-oil emulsion for kneading into cereal foods or for cooked rice, which can improve workability, texture, storage stability, heat resistance, refrigeration / freeze resistance, etc. during mixing of cereal foods, and cereal foods.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a water-in-oil emulsion for kneading cereal foods, which contains vegetable protein and has a viscosity at 20°C of less than 800 mPa·s.

[0010] The present invention provides a water-in-oil emulsion for cooked rice, which contains vegetable protein and has a viscosity at 20°C of less than 800 mPa·s.

[0011] The cereal food of the present invention is characterized by containing the above water-in-oil emulsion.

Advantages of the Invention

[0012] The water-in-oil emulsion of the present invention can improve the workability during mixing in cereal foods, the appearance, texture, storage stability, heating (range up) resistance, steamer resistance, refrigeration / freeze resistance, etc. of cereal foods and cooked rice. Further, the cereal food of the present invention is excellent in appearance, texture, storage stability, heating resistance, and refrigeration / freeze resistance.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the water-in-oil emulsion of the present invention will be described.

[0014] The water-in-oil emulsion of the present invention is for kneading cereal foods or for cooked rice.

[0015] Cereal foods are foods obtained through a process of adding water to and mixing wheat flour or other cereal flours, starches, and other raw materials, and are not specifically limited. For example, noodles such as udon, Chinese noodles, buckwheat noodles, glass noodles, cold noodles, rice vermicelli, cellophane noodles, pasta, rice noodles, etc., noodle skins such as dumplings, wantons, shumai, spring rolls, etc., processed rice products such as mochi, dumplings, glutinous rice balls, daifuku, chimaki, senbei, arare, etc., Chinese buns, takoyaki, sandwich bread, table rolls, sweet buns, cooked bread, French bread, whole wheat bread, whole grain bread, Danish, croissant, stollen, panettone, kouign-amann, brioche, pizza, etc., breads, sponge cakes, butter cakes, pound cakes, hot cakes, donuts, biscuits, cookies, puffs, waffles, pies, snacks, etc., can be exemplified. The water-in-oil emulsion of the present invention can be added to raw materials such as cereal flours and kneaded into the dough for use.

[0016] In addition, in the case of the form for cooked rice, in addition to adding the water-in-oil emulsion of the present invention during rice cooking, it can be added when cooking onigiri, sushi, pilaf, fried rice, paella, etc.

[0017] The water-in-oil emulsion of the present invention contains oil and fat, water, and vegetable protein.

[0018] Any edible oil and fat can be used as the oil and fat contained in the water-in-oil emulsion. For example, palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil, rice bran oil, safflower oil, corn oil, olive oil, sesame oil, shea butter, sal fat, cocoa butter, lard, beef tallow, milk fat, their fractionated oils, and their processed oils (oils subjected to one or more treatments among hardening and transesterification reaction), etc., one or more of various oils and fats are contained in the water-in-oil emulsion. As the oil and fat contained in the water-in-oil emulsion, liquid oil and fat is preferable.

[0019] Liquid oils and fats are those that are liquid at 20°C. Examples include liquid vegetable oils and fats such as rapeseed oil, soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, rice oil, rice bran oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil, high-oleic sunflower oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, olive oil, and super olein obtained by fractionating palm oil; fractionated soft parts of animal fats and oils such as milk fat, beef tallow, lard, and fish oil. Furthermore, these liquid oils and fats may be winterized to remove solid fat and wax components.

[0020] The blending ratio of the liquid oil and fat in the oil-in-water emulsion is not particularly limited. For example, it is preferably 5 to 35% by mass, more preferably 10 to 30% by mass, and even more preferably 15 to 25% by mass. When the blending ratio of the liquid oil and fat is within this range, a preferable viscosity is obtained, and thus the workability during mixing in cereal foods, the texture of cereal foods and cooked rice, storage stability, heat resistance, and refrigeration / freeze resistance can be improved.

[0021] The blending ratio of water in the oil-in-water emulsion is not particularly limited. For example, it is preferably 58 to 93% by mass, more preferably 65 to 75% by mass. When the blending ratio of water is within this range, a preferable viscosity is obtained, and thus the workability during mixing in cereal foods, the texture of cereal foods and cooked rice, storage stability, heat resistance, and refrigeration / freeze resistance can be improved.

[0022] Vegetable proteins can include, for example, one or more of soybean-derived proteins, seed-derived proteins, and grain-derived proteins, and among them, soybean-derived proteins are preferred.

[0023] The protein derived from beans can include, for example, soybean protein, soy protein isolate, pea protein, broad bean protein, mung bean protein, kidney bean protein, lentil protein, chickpea protein, lupin protein, peanut protein, and cowpea protein. Among them, the protein derived from beans is preferably at least one of soy protein isolate, pea protein, and broad bean protein, and particularly preferably soy protein isolate. Also, for example, in the case of soy protein isolate, it can be exemplified by partially hydrolyzing acid-precipitated soy protein with an enzyme, solubilizing and neutralizing it, and then spray-drying the resulting product.

[0024] The protein derived from seeds can include, for example, proteins derived from sesame, canola, coconut, olive, sunflower, peanut, beet, cotton, almond, etc.

[0025] The protein derived from cereals can include, for example, proteins derived from corn, buckwheat, wheat, oat, rice, etc.

[0026] The blending amount of the plant protein in the water-in-oil emulsion is preferably, for example, 2 to 11% by mass, and more preferably 5 to 8% by mass. By containing the plant protein, the water-in-oil emulsion can surely improve the workability during mixing in cereal foods, the texture of cereal foods and cooked rice, storage stability, heat resistance, and refrigeration / freezing resistance.

[0027] Furthermore, the oil-in-water emulsion has a viscosity at 20 °C of less than 800 mPa·s, preferably 5 mPa·s to 750 mPa·s, and more preferably 10 mPa·s to 650 mPa·s. When the viscosity is less than 800 mPa·s, the workability during mixing in cereal foods, the appearance, texture, storage stability, heat resistance, and refrigeration / freeze resistance of cereal foods and cooked rice can be reliably improved. The viscosity can be adjusted to the above range by adjusting the mixing ratio of the materials of the oil-in-water emulsion. Also, the viscosity of the oil-in-water emulsion can be measured by a conventionally known method.

[0028] The oil-in-water emulsion preferably contains an alkaline agent. Examples of the alkaline agent can include one or more of sodium carbonate, sodium hydrogen carbonate, disodium hydrogen phosphate, sodium citrate, sodium polyphosphate, sodium dihydrogen pyrophosphate, etc. Among them, sodium carbonate, sodium hydrogen carbonate, and disodium hydrogen phosphate are preferred, and sodium carbonate is more preferred. By blending an alkaline agent into the oil-in-water emulsion, the boiling time of cereal foods can be shortened, and the texture of cereal foods and cooked rice can be reliably improved.

[0029] The content of the alkaline agent in the oil-in-water emulsion is not particularly limited and can be appropriately adjusted, for example, in consideration of the pH of the oil-in-water emulsion. Although it depends on the type of alkaline substance, as a rough guide for the blending ratio of the alkaline agent in the oil-in-water emulsion, for example, a range of 0.05 to 5.00% by mass can be exemplified with respect to the emulsion.

[0030] The water-in-oil emulsion preferably contains a thickening polysaccharide. Examples thereof include LM pectin, HM pectin, pullulan, guar gum, hydrolyzed guar gum, xanthan gum, gum arabic, ghatti gum, native gellan gum, deacylated gellan gum, locust bean gum, tara gum, galactomannan, glucomannan, konjac mannan, curdlan, carrageenan, karaya gum, kathia gum, tamarind seed gum, tragacanth gum, fenugreek gum, psyllium seed gum, succinoglycan, rhamzan gum, alginic acid, sodium alginate, PGA (propylene glycol alginate), soybean polysaccharide, methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, agar, gelatin, fucoidan, porphyran, laminaran, and the like. By blending a thickening polysaccharide into the water-in-oil emulsion, the viscosity can be easily adjusted to the above-described range, so that the workability during mixing in cereal foods, the texture of cereal foods and cooked rice, storage stability, heat resistance, and refrigeration / freezing resistance can be surely improved. From such a viewpoint, the content of the thickening polysaccharide in the water-in-oil emulsion is preferably, for example, 0.001 to 2.0% by mass, more preferably 0.005 to 1.0% by mass, still more preferably 0.01 to 0.5% by mass, and particularly preferably 0.02 to 0.2% by mass.

[0031] The water-in-oil emulsion preferably contains an emulsifier. Specifically, the emulsifier may be either an oil-soluble emulsifier or a water-soluble emulsifier. For example, it can be one or more of monoglyceride, glycerin organic acid fatty acid ester, polyglycerin ester (polyglycerin fatty acid ester, polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid ester), sorbitan fatty acid ester, sucrose fatty acid ester, propylene glycol fatty acid ester, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester, lecithin (soybean lecithin, egg yolk lecithin, sunflower lecithin), enzyme-decomposed lecithin (soybean lysophosphatidylcholine, egg yolk lysophosphatidylcholine), saponin, calcium stearoyl lactate, sodium stearoyl lactate, modified starch (etherified carboxymethyl starch, hydroxypropyl starch, esterified phosphate starch, sodium octenyl succinate starch, acetic acid starch, heat-moisture treated starch, acid-treated starch, cross-linked starch, gelatinized starch, resistant starch, etc.), sphingolipid, plant sterols, bile powder, tomato glycolipid, etc.

[0032] Examples of the oil-soluble emulsifier include monoglyceride, glycerin organic acid fatty acid ester, polyglycerin ester (polyglycerin fatty acid ester, polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid ester), propylene glycol fatty acid ester, lecithin (soybean lecithin, egg yolk lecithin), sucrose fatty acid ester, sorbitan fatty acid ester, etc. It is particularly preferable to use one or more of monoglyceride, glycerin organic acid fatty acid ester, and lecithin.

[0033] Examples of the water-soluble emulsifier include glycerin organic acid fatty acid ester, polyglycerin fatty acid ester, enzyme-decomposed lecithin (soybean lysophosphatidylcholine, egg yolk lysophosphatidylcholine), saponin, sucrose fatty acid ester, sorbitan fatty acid ester, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester, calcium stearoyl lactate, sodium stearoyl lactate, etc. It is particularly preferable to use one or two of polyglycerin fatty acid ester and sucrose fatty acid ester.

[0034] As the emulsifier, it is preferable to use an oil-soluble emulsifier and a water-soluble emulsifier in combination.

[0035] The content of the emulsifier in the oil-in-water emulsion is preferably, for example, 0.01 to 4.0% by mass, more preferably 0.05 to 2.0% by mass, still more preferably 0.1 to 1.0% by mass, and particularly preferably 0.2 to 0.8% by mass. By containing an emulsifier, the oil-in-water emulsion can further improve the workability during mixing in cereal foods, the appearance, texture, storage stability, heat resistance, and refrigeration / freeze resistance of cereal foods and cooked rice.

[0036] The oil-in-water emulsion preferably has a median diameter of oil droplets of 0.2 to 2.0 μm, more preferably 0.3 to 1.5 μm, still more preferably 0.5 to 1.0 μm, and particularly preferably 0.7 to 0.9 μm. If the median diameter of the oil droplets is within this range, the viscosity can be easily adjusted to the above-mentioned range, so that the workability during mixing in cereal foods, the texture of cereal foods and cooked rice, storage stability, heat resistance, and refrigeration / freeze resistance can be reliably improved.

[0037] In addition, various materials such as amino acids, flavor oils, yeast extracts, and carbohydrates other than thickening polysaccharides may be blended in the oil-in-water emulsion.

[0038] Examples of the carbohydrates include one or more of monosaccharides (such as glucose, fructose, galactose, mannose, etc.), disaccharides (such as lactose, sucrose, maltose, trehalose, etc.), oligosaccharides, sugar alcohols, starch, starch degradation products, and polysaccharides.

[0039] The cereal food of the present invention contains the above-described oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention. Various cereal foods can be obtained from the dough obtained by adding the oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention in the step of adding water to wheat flour or flour other than wheat flour, starch, and other raw materials and kneading them.

[0040] Cereal foods can include, for example, noodles such as udon, Chinese noodles, buckwheat noodles, glass noodles, cold noodles, vermicelli, cellophane noodles, pasta, rice noodles, etc.; noodle skins such as dumplings, wantons, shumai, spring rolls, etc.; rice processed products such as mochi, dumplings, rice balls, daifuku, chimaki, senbei, arare, etc.; breads such as Chinese buns, takoyaki, sandwich bread, table rolls, sweet buns, cooked bread, French bread, wholemeal bread, rye bread, whole grain bread, Danish, croissant, stollen, panettone, kouign amann, brioche, pizza, etc.; confectioneries such as sponge cake, butter cake, pound cake, hot cake, donut, biscuit, cookie, brownie, waffle, pie, snack, etc.; and rice balls, sushi, pilaf, fried rice, paella, etc.

[0041] When heating the cereal food of the present invention, the method is not particularly limited, and it can be carried out by a known method (for example, microwave heating, oven heating, superheated steam heating, boiling heating, steaming heating, baking heating, retort heating, etc.) or a method equivalent thereto. The heating temperature is adjusted according to the heating method, heating time, etc., but is usually 40 to 120°C, preferably 60 to 90°C. The heating time is adjusted according to the heating method, heating temperature, etc., but is usually 5 seconds to 60 minutes.

[0042] Also, the cereal food of the present invention may be a refrigerated or frozen food. The method for freezing the cereal food is not particularly limited and can be carried out by a known method or a method equivalent thereto. The freezing temperature is usually -15°C or lower, preferably -18°C or lower. The thawing method for the frozen cereal food is not particularly limited and can be carried out by a known method (for example, microwave heating, oven heating, superheated steam heating, natural thawing, etc.) or a method equivalent thereto.

[0043] The method for producing the water-in-oil emulsion of the present invention is not particularly limited, but includes the following steps: (1) A preliminary emulsification step of mixing vegetable protein, oil and fat, and water to obtain an emulsion; and (2) A homogenization step of the said emulsion can be included.

[0044] In the preliminary emulsification step, a plant protein, an oil or fat, and water are blended to obtain an emulsion. Specifically, for example, the plant protein is gradually added to water and uniformly dispersed, heated to about 60 to 75 °C, and then the oil or fat is added and stirred with a homomixer or the like to obtain an emulsion. In addition, various additives and materials can be added to the aqueous phase or the oil phase before preliminary emulsification, but it is preferable to add an alkaline agent after the preliminary emulsification step. Furthermore, when emulsifying the oil or fat and the plant protein dispersion / dissolution solution, the temperature of the oil or fat is preferably in the range of 20 °C to 70 °C, and more preferably in the range of 40 °C to 70 °C.

[0045] The method of homogenization in the homogenization step is not specifically limited, but for example, a method of refining the emulsion with a homogenizer or the like and then cooling it can be exemplified.

[0046] The oil-in-water emulsion and the cereal food of the present invention are not limited to the above embodiments.

Examples

[0047] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples at all.

[0048] <1> Preparation of oil-in-water emulsion An oil-in-water emulsion containing an oil or fat, water, and a plant protein was prepared with the formulations shown in Tables 1 to 3.

[0049] Specifically, when formulating an oil-soluble emulsifier and a flavor oil, the oil-soluble emulsifier and the flavor oil were added to the oil or fat to form an oil phase. (Interesterified oil 1) 58% by mass of palm kernel oil and 42% by mass of palm oil were mixed, heated to 110 °C, and sufficiently dehydrated. Then, 0.08% by mass of sodium methylate as a chemical catalyst was added to the oil or fat, and an interesterification reaction was carried out while stirring at 100 °C under reduced pressure for 0.5 hour. After the interesterification reaction, it was washed with water to remove the catalyst, decolorized using activated clay, and further deodorized to obtain interesterified oil 1. Note that interesterified oil 1 is in a solid state at 20 °C. (Transesterified oil and fat 2) For the palm fractionated soft part (iodine value 56), transesterification reaction and the like were carried out according to the production method of transesterified oil and fat 1 to obtain transesterified oil and fat 2. Note that the transesterified oil and fat 2 is solid at 20°C.

[0050] On the other hand, when a water-soluble emulsifier, a thickening polysaccharide, and a yeast extract were blended, the water-soluble emulsifier, vegetable protein, thickening polysaccharide, and yeast extract were added to water to form an aqueous phase.

[0051] The aqueous phase and the oil phase were heated to 65°C, the oil phase was added to the aqueous phase, stirred for emulsification, and then homogenized with a high-pressure homogenizer to adjust the median diameter to 0.5 μm or more, and then cooled to obtain an oil-in-water emulsion. Note that the balance was water and the total was 100 parts by mass. When an alkaline agent was blended, the oil phase was added to the aqueous phase, stirred for emulsification, and then added.

[0052] <2>Measurement of viscosity The viscosity of the oil-in-water emulsion was measured using a B-type viscometer (manufactured by Tokyo Keiki) under the conditions of 5°C and 20°C, 20 rpm, and 30 seconds. However, when the viscosity was less than 500 mPa·s, the No. 1 rotor was used; when it was 500 mPa·s or more and less than 1000 mPa·s, the No. 2 rotor was used; and when it was 1000 mPa·s or more, the No. 3 rotor was used.

[0053] <3>Evaluation method Production examples of udon, dumpling wrappers, Chinese steamed bun wrappers, and cooked rice added with the oil-in-water emulsion are shown below. (1) Production example 1 Udon 500 g of strong flour and 500 g of weak flour were put into a bowl and mixed well, and 450 g of salt water (420 g of water and 30 g of salt) was gradually added while stirring with a mixer. When adding the oil-in-water emulsion, 20 g of the oil-in-water emulsion was added to the salt water. When adding vegetable protein (Comparative example 1), 20 g of vegetable protein was well mixed and charged into the strong flour and weak flour. After mixing until an appropriate hardness was obtained, it was put together and left in the refrigerator overnight, molded and noodle-making was carried out, and it was boiled in boiling water until an appropriate hardness was obtained to obtain udon. (2) Production Example 2: Dumplings Put 700 g of strong flour and 300 g of weak flour well mixed in a bowl, and while stirring with a mixer, gradually add 420 g of salt water (400 g of water and 20 g of salt). When adding an oil-in-water type emulsion, add 50 g of the oil-in-water type emulsion to the salt water. When adding vegetable protein (Comparative Example 1), mix 50 g of vegetable protein well with the strong flour and weak flour and charge it. After mixing until an appropriate hardness is achieved, gather it into one mass and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, then shape and stuff it to obtain raw dumplings. For pan-fried dumplings, put oil in a well-heated frying pan and let it spread evenly, arrange the above-mentioned raw dumplings in the frying pan and heat them over medium heat until they turn lightly browned, pour hot water to about one-third of the dumplings and quickly cover the lid, steam until the moisture disappears, then open the lid and fry until it turns fox-colored to obtain them. For boiled dumplings, boil the above-mentioned raw dumplings in boiling water until the dough becomes semi-transparent to obtain them. (3) Production Example 3: Chinese Steamed Buns First, put in a bowl the thing obtained by dissolving 20 g of yeast in 200 g of water, then add 300 g of strong flour, 700 g of weak flour, and 10 g of baking powder that are well mixed, and finally add the thing obtained by dissolving 80 g of granulated sugar and 5 g of salt in 310 g of water and stir with a mixer. When adding an oil-in-water type emulsion, add 60 g of the oil-in-water type emulsion to the water in which the granulated sugar and salt are dissolved. When adding vegetable protein (Comparative Example 1), mix 60 g of vegetable protein well with the strong flour, weak flour, and baking powder and charge it. After mixing until an appropriate hardness is achieved, divide, shape, and stuff it, let it rest at 35 °C and 75% humidity for 40 minutes, then steam it in a steamer at 90 °C for 15 minutes to obtain Chinese steamed buns. (4) Production Example 4: Cooked Rice Add 450 g of pre-washed rice, 720 g of water, 4.5 g of an oil-in-water type emulsion or 4.5 g of vegetable protein to a 3-cup rice cooker, mix well, let it absorb water for 30 minutes, then cook the rice in the rice cooker to obtain cooked rice. The cereal foods obtained in Production Examples 1 to 3 and the cooked rice obtained in Production Example 4 were evaluated for the following items. Note that the following sensory evaluation was carried out through the selection of the panel shown below and discussions among the panelists. Performed discrimination tests for the five flavors (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami), discrimination tests for taste concentration differences, discrimination tests for the taste of foods, and a reference olfactory test, and selected 12 panelists (5 men and 7 women in their 20s to 40s) who were judged to be qualified in each test. Next, when conducting the sensory evaluation, the entire panel discussed beforehand to give each panelist a common understanding of the characteristics of each evaluation item. Also, in order to eliminate the bias of the panel in the sensory evaluation and improve the accuracy of the evaluation, the test plot numbers and contents of the samples were not disclosed to the panel and were presented randomly. Regarding the scores of the sensory evaluation, the average value of the scores evaluated by the 12 panelists on a scale of 0 to 3 according to the following criteria was rounded off.

[0054] <Evaluation of Udon> · Cohesion of the dough The cohesion of the dough after kneading in a bowl was evaluated according to the following criteria. 3 points: Very well cohesive, forming one lump. 2 points: Well cohesive, forming 2 to 3 large lumps. 1 point: Poor cohesion, with many small lumps formed. 0 points: Very poor cohesion, with small lumps and a powdery state. · Cooking time The cooking time of the fresh noodles was evaluated according to the following criteria. 3 points: Less than 7 minutes and 30 seconds 2 points: 7 minutes and 30 seconds or more and less than 10 minutes 1 point: 10 minutes or more and less than 12 minutes 0 points: 12 minutes or more · Edge of the noodles The cooked noodles were cut and the cross-section was observed, and the sharpness of the edge (corner) was evaluated according to the following criteria. The better the sharpness of the edge, the better the throat feel. 3 points: The edge is very sharp, almost a right angle. 2 points: The edge is sharp, close to a right angle. 1 point: The edge is poor, with a rounded shape. 0 points: The edge is very poor, and the cross-section is circular. · Texture The texture of the cooked noodles was evaluated according to the following criteria. 3 points: Very good throat feel and chewiness, smooth, springy, firm, and very strong texture. 2 points: Good throat feel and chewiness, smooth, springy, firm, and strong texture. 1 point: Poor throat feel and chewiness, smooth, springy, firm, and weak texture. 0 point: Very poor throat feel and chewiness, smooth, springy, firm, and very weak texture. · Looseness The noodles stored at 5°C for 4 days after cooking were reheated, put into the soup, and gently mixed with chopsticks. The looseness of the noodles was evaluated according to the following criteria. 3 points: Very good 2 points: Good 1 point: Bad 0 point: Very bad · Microwave resistance The appearance (white discoloration, brown discoloration), hardening, and texture of the noodles stored at 5°C for 4 days after cooking were evaluated according to the following criteria after heating in a microwave oven (600W). Here, the appearance refers to checking whether there is white or brown discoloration, and the less discoloration, the higher the evaluation score. 3 points: The appearance and texture are very good, and there is no hardening at all. 2 points: The appearance and texture are good, and there is almost no hardening. 1 point: The appearance and texture are bad, and it is hardened. 0 point: The appearance and texture are very bad, and the hardening is severe. · Freezing resistance The appearance (freezer burn), looseness, edges, and texture of the noodles stored at -20°C for 30 days were evaluated according to the following criteria after boiling in boiling water for 60 seconds. 3 points: Very good 2 points: Good 1 point: Bad 0 point: Very bad · Overall evaluation of udon ◎: The total score of udon is 20 or more ○: The total score of udon is 15 - 19 △: The total score of udon is 11 - 14 ×: The total score of udon is 10 or less or there is one or more 0s

[0055] <Evaluation of dumplings> · Cohesion of dough The cohesion of the dough after kneading in a bowl was evaluated according to the following criteria. 3 points: Very cohesive, forming a single lump. 2 points: Cohesive, forming 2 - 3 large lumps. 1 point: Poor cohesion, with many small lumps formed. 0 point: Very poor cohesion, becoming small lumps and powdery. · Kneading time 3 points: Less than 1 minute and 30 seconds 2 points: 1 minute and 30 seconds or more and less than 2 minutes and 30 seconds 1 point: 2 minutes and 30 seconds or more and less than 3 minutes and 30 seconds 0 point: 3 minutes and 30 seconds or more · Workability The rollability and stuffing - wrapping property of the dough were evaluated according to the following criteria. 3 points: Very good 2 points: Good 1 point: Bad 0 point: Very bad · Peelability The peelability of raw dumplings from the tray and the peelability of baked dumplings after baking were evaluated according to the following criteria. 3 points: Very good 2 points: Good 1 point: Bad 0 point: Very bad · Texture The texture of baked dumplings (crispness, softness, crunchiness, smoothness, chewiness, juiciness, gravy feel), boiled dumplings (crispness, softness, sliminess, smoothness, throat - clearing, chewiness, juiciness, gravy feel)) was evaluated according to the following criteria. 3 points: Very good 2 points: Good 1 point: Bad 0 point: Very bad · Boiling time of boiled dumplings The boiling time of boiled dumplings was evaluated according to the following criteria. 3 points: Less than 1 minute 2 points: more than 1 minute and less than 1 minute 30 seconds 1 point: 1 minute 30 seconds or more and less than 2 minutes 0 points: 2 minutes or more · Freezing resistance - When making baked and boiled dumplings with raw dumplings stored at -20°C for 30 days, the appearance (freezing burn), peelability after baking of baked dumplings, peelability from the pot of boiled dumplings, and texture were evaluated according to the following criteria. 3 points: Very good 2 points: Good 1 point: Bad 0 points: Very bad · Overall evaluation of dumplings ◎: The total score of dumplings is 21 or more ○: The total score of dumplings is 16 - 20 △: The total score of dumplings is 12 - 15 ×: The total score of dumplings is 11 or less or there is one or more 0s

[0056] <Evaluation of Chinese dumplings> · Appearance after steaming The skin tension of the epidermis immediately after steaming was evaluated according to the following criteria. 3 points: The skin tension is very good, smooth and dome-shaped 2 points: The skin tension is good and dome-shaped 1 point: The skin tension is bad and there are some craters 0 points: The skin tension is very bad and there are many craters · Swelling The swelling immediately after steaming was evaluated according to the following criteria. 3 points: The swelling is very good and puffy 2 points: The swelling is good and fluffy 1 point: The swelling is bad and the texture of the dough is fine 0 points: The swelling is very bad and the texture of the dough is very fine and crushed · Texture The texture of Chinese dumplings after steaming was evaluated according to the following criteria. 3 points: Tooth feel, softness, fluffiness, moistness, springiness, and taste are all very good. 2 points: Tooth feel, softness, fluffiness, moistness, springiness, and taste are good. 1 point: Tooth cutting, softness, fluffiness, tenderness, chewyness, poor palatability, Adhesiveness, strong stickiness. 0 point: Tooth cutting, softness, fluffiness, tenderness, chewyness, extremely poor palatability, Adhesiveness, extremely strong stickiness. · Steamer resistance The appearance (skin tightness, presence or absence of puffiness) and texture of Chinese buns stored at 5°C for 4 days and then steamed at 70°C for 6 hours were evaluated according to the following criteria. 3 points: The skin tightness is maintained in a very good state and there is no puffiness. The texture is very good. 2 points: The skin tightness is maintained in a good state and there is almost no puffiness. The texture is good. 1 point: The skin tightness has deteriorated and there is puffiness. The texture is bad. 0 point: The skin tightness has become quite bad and there is a lot of puffiness. The texture is extremely bad. · Microwave resistance The appearance, texture, and firmness or hardening of the dough of Chinese buns stored at 5°C for 4 days and then reheated in a microwave oven (600 W) were evaluated according to the following criteria. Here, the appearance refers to checking whether there is no white or brown discoloration, and the less discolored, the higher the evaluation score. 3 points: The appearance and texture are very good, and there is no firmness or hardening of the dough at all. 2 points: The appearance and texture are good, and there is almost no firmness or hardening of the dough. 1 point: The appearance and texture are bad, and the dough is firm or hardened. 0 point: The appearance and texture are extremely bad, and the dough is quite firm or severely hardened. · Freezing resistance When reheating Chinese buns that were steamed and then stored at -20°C for 30 days, the appearance (tightness of the skin), swelling, and texture were evaluated according to the following criteria. 3 points: Very good 2 points: Good 1 point: Bad 0 point: Extremely bad · Comprehensive evaluation of Chinese buns ◎: Total score of Chinese steamed buns is 17 or more ○: Total score of Chinese steamed buns is 13 - 16 △: Total score of Chinese steamed buns is 9 - 12 ×: Total score of Chinese steamed buns is 8 or less or there is one or more 0s

[0057] <Overall evaluation of cereal foods> · The overall evaluation was based on the following criteria. ◎+: Total score of all evaluation items is 57 or more ◎: Total score of all evaluation items is 53 - 56 ○: Total score of all evaluation items is 48 - 52 △: Total score of all evaluation items is 43 - 47 ×: Total score of all evaluation items is 42 or less, or one or more of the overall evaluations of udon, dumplings, Chinese steamed buns, and rice is ×

[0058] <Evaluation of rice> · Adhesiveness When stirring the rice with a rice spatula immediately after cooking, the adhesion of the rice to the pot or rice spatula was evaluated based on the following criteria. 3 points: No adhesion at all 2 points: Almost no adhesion 1 point: Adheres 0 point: Severe adhesion · Looseness The looseness of the rice immediately after cooking and the rice reheated in a microwave oven (600W) after being stored at 5°C for 4 days after cooking was evaluated based on the following criteria. 3 points: Very good 2 points: Good 1 point: Bad 0 point: Very bad · Texture The grain separation, suppression of adhesiveness, chewiness, and sweetness of the rice immediately after cooking were evaluated based on the following criteria. 3 points: Very good 2 points: Good 1 point: Bad 0 point: Very bad · Microwave resistance The appearance, texture, and hardening of rice stored at 5°C for 4 days after cooking and then reheated in a microwave oven (600 W) were evaluated according to the following criteria. The appearance here refers to checking whether there is no white or brown discoloration, and the less discoloration, the higher the evaluation score. 3 points: The appearance and texture are very good, and there is no hardening at all. 2 points: The appearance and texture are good, and there is little hardening. 1 point: The appearance and texture are bad, and it is hardened. 0 point: The appearance and texture are very bad, and the hardening is severe. · Freezing resistance The appearance, looseness, and texture of rice stored at -20°C for 30 days after cooking and then reheated were evaluated according to the following criteria. 3 points: Very good 2 points: Good 1 point: Bad 0 point: Very bad · Overall evaluation of cooked rice ◎: The total score of cooked rice is 14 or more ○: The total score of cooked rice is 11 - 13 △: The total score of cooked rice is 8 - 10 ×: The total score of cooked rice is 7 or less or there is one or more 0s

[0059]

Table 1

[0060]

Table 2

[0061]

Table 3

[0062] Examples 8-24 containing at least one of an emulsifier, an alkaline agent, and a thickening polysaccharide also had better workability during mixing in cereal foods, texture of cereal foods and cooked rice, storage stability, heat (range-up) resistance, steamer resistance, refrigeration / freeze resistance, etc.

[0063] On the other hand, Comparative Example 1 consisting only of vegetable protein had poor evaluations in cereal foods and cooked rice. Also, Comparative Examples 2 that did not contain vegetable protein and Comparative Examples 3 and 4 with high viscosities also had poor evaluations in cereal foods and cooked rice.

Claims

Claim 1 An oil-in-water emulsion for cooked rice, containing vegetable protein and having a viscosity at 20 °C of less than 800 mPa·s, wherein the content of the vegetable protein is 4 to 11% by mass, and the proportion of the liquid oil and fat is 5% by mass or more. An oil-in-water emulsion characterized by the above. Claim 2 The oil-in-water emulsion according to Claim 1, wherein the vegetable protein is a bean-derived protein. Claim 3 The oil-in-water emulsion according to Claim 2, wherein the bean-derived protein is one or more of soy protein isolate, pea protein, and broad bean protein. Claim 4 The oil-in-water emulsion according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized by containing an alkaline agent. Claim 5 The oil-in-water emulsion according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized by containing a thickening polysaccharide. Claim 6 The oil-in-water emulsion according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized by containing an emulsifier. Claim 7 Cooked rice characterized by containing the oil-in-water emulsion according to any one of Claims 1 to 6.

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