Method for producing rice flour noodles and rice flour noodles

Abstract

To provide a method for easily producing rice flour noodles which have better texture and flavor than conventional rice flour noodles, have stronger consistency, and exhibit physical properties similar to wheat flour noodles, and exhibit the inherently good flavor of rice, and to provide high-quality rice flour noodles obtained by the method for producing rice flour noodles. [Solution] The process involves adding 75% or more of the total amount of water used to produce rice flour noodles to a portion of the whole rice flour raw material used to produce rice flour noodles, heating the mixture to a certain temperature or higher while stirring to produce a rice flour gel, and then cooling it to a predetermined temperature; adding the remaining rice flour to the cooled rice flour gel and mixing to make rice flour dough; and making noodles using the rice flour dough to produce noodle strands.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing rice flour noodles and rice flour noodles. [Background technology]

[0002] Rice flour, which is made by milling rice to a certain particle size or smaller, does not contain proteins like gluten found in wheat flour, which binds the noodle dough uniformly and forms its structure. This makes it difficult to produce noodle sheets or noodle strands using rice flour that has simply been milled. For this reason, many innovative noodle-making methods have been proposed for producing noodles using rice flour (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 11).

[0003] Specifically, well-known methods that are simple and can utilize wheat flour noodle production techniques include the method shown in Patent Document 1, in which rice flour is mixed with an appropriate amount of wheat flour to produce udon-like noodles, and the method in which gluten extracted from wheat flour is added to rice flour as a binder to make noodles. Patent Documents 2 and 3 disclose methods for making noodles using gelatinized (gelatinized) starch as a binder, and Patent Document 4 discloses a method for making noodles using a thickening polysaccharide (a mixture of guar gum and xanthan gum) as a binder. Patent Document 5 also discloses a method for making noodles by adding an enzyme (transglutaminase) to strengthen the bonds of proteins in rice flour.

[0004] Additionally, methods have been proposed for making noodles using 100% rice flour, without using any binders whatsoever. For example, Patent Document 6 discloses a method in which rice flour that has been steamed with water and raw rice flour is mixed into a dough, which is then kneaded and rolled, and then moistened with cooling water, and the dough is cut with a noodle-strand slitting roller to produce noodles. Patent Document 7 discloses a method in which raw materials are gelatinized in a screw extruder equipped with a heating device and extruded into a noodle shape. Furthermore, Patent Document 8 discloses a method for producing semi-fresh noodles using 100% rice flour from high-amylose rice through the steps of adding water, kneading, and heating. Furthermore, Patent Document 9 discloses a method for producing rice flour for rice flour noodles that has been moderately gelatinized, and a method for producing rice flour noodles that uses this rice flour and uncooked rice flour. Furthermore, Patent Document 10 discloses a method for producing rice noodle dough using 100% rice flour and no additives, in which japonica rice flour and glutinous rice flour are added with lukewarm water and stirred at 35°C, the rice flour temperature is raised to 70-80°C and stirred and dried for 60 minutes, the temperature of the rice flour is then raised to 90°C and stirred and dried for 10 minutes, and then hot water is poured in while stirring to gelatinize the rice starch. Additionally, Patent Document 11 discloses a method for producing fresh noodles in which a starch gelatinization product is prepared using high amylopectin starch, to which cereal flour and water or saline are added, and the resulting noodle dough is mixed and made into noodles in the usual manner, with the amount of high amylopectin starch used being 5 to 50% of the total amount of high amylopectin starch and cereal flour. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 53-130448 [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 60-41579 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-122000 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-166724 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-154512 [Patent Document 6] Special Publication No. 5-8657 [Patent Document 7] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-315526 [Patent Document 8] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-301769 [Patent Document 9] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-10617 [Patent Document 10] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-135574 [Patent Document 11] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 61-031054 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, among the rice flour noodles made using the various binders disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 5 mentioned above, while noodles using wheat flour as a binder produce fairly good noodles, there are problems with them being inedible to consumers with wheat allergies, and also with the physical properties (firmness) of the boiled noodles being weaker than noodles made only with wheat flour. Furthermore, with rice flour noodles made using various other binders other than wheat flour, while it is possible to produce noodle strands, the noodle structure is fragile, causing problems such as the noodle strands sticking together and forming clumps during the boiling process, or components dissolving from the surface of the noodle strands in the boiling water used for boiling, causing the noodle surface to become rough and the entire noodle to become sticky. Furthermore, the noodles stretch too much when boiled, lacking sufficient firmness, and having significantly inferior physical properties compared to noodles made using wheat flour as a binder, and therefore not being sufficiently palatable as a noodle food. Furthermore, in the noodles of Patent Documents 1 to 5 that use the above-mentioned various binders other than wheat flour, the addition of binders that are not normally used in noodles reduces the flavor of the noodles and also goes against the recent consumer needs for safe and secure food.

[0007] Furthermore, when producing noodles using the methods of Patent Documents 6 to 9, specialized and expensive equipment is required, such as noodle string slitting rollers that form noodle strings while wetting the noodles with cooling water, and screw extruders equipped with heating devices, which require large capital investments and therefore very high production costs. In addition, it is extremely difficult to set the conditions for producing optimal rice flour noodles using these methods, and there are many difficulties and problems in producing noodles of consistent quality. Furthermore, producing rice flour noodles using the method of Patent Document 9 requires the preparation of dried gelatinized rice flour, which is a complicated process, and the use of this rice flour causes problems such as high costs and a deterioration in the flavor of the rice flour noodles.

[0008] Furthermore, in the method described in Patent Document 10, non-glutinous rice flour and glutinous rice flour are added with a small amount of water, stirred, and dried, and then hot water is poured over the dried rice flour while stirring to gelatinize the entire rice starch. This makes the production process complicated, and when made into noodle strands, there are problems such as the noodles not having a firm texture and not being able to achieve a chewy texture, or the noodles being weakly bonded and easily falling apart.

[0009] Additionally, the method described in Patent Document 11 is a special example in which a high-amylopectin starch containing 100% amylopectin is used, and the amount of water used when refining the starch gelatinization product is approximately the same as the amount of water used when the starch and water are subsequently added. Under these conditions, if the total amount of water is small, it can be difficult to properly mix the grain flour that is added later, and if the total amount of water is large, the noodle strings can become weak in texture and the binding properties can be weak.

[0010] In response to the above-mentioned problems, the present invention aims to provide a method for easily producing rice flour noodles that have a good texture and flavor, are highly cohesive, and exhibit physical properties similar to those of wheat flour noodles, while retaining the good flavor inherent to rice, as well as rice flour noodles produced by this method. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The present invention provides the following (1) to ( 9 The gist of the present invention is a method for producing rice flour noodles as described in any one of the above. (1) A method for making rice flour noodles, comprising the steps of: adding 75% or more of the total amount of water used to make the rice flour noodles to a portion of whole rice flour ingredients used in the production of said rice flour noodles; heating the mixture to a certain temperature or higher while stirring to produce a rice flour gel; adding the remaining raw rice flour to the cooled rice flour gel and mixing to make rice flour dough; and making noodles using the rice flour dough to produce noodle strings. The weight ratio of rice flour used in producing the rice flour gel to the rice flour raw material is 10 to 30%. A method for producing rice flour noodles. (2) The weight of water used in producing the rice flour gel is 1 to 5.4 times the weight of the rice flour raw material used in producing the rice flour gel. A method for producing rice flour noodles as described in (1) above. ( 3) The method for producing rice flour noodles according to (1) above, wherein the weight ratio of the damaged starch content to the total starch content in the rice flour gel is 70 to 100%. ( 4 ) The method for producing rice flour noodles according to (1) above, wherein when the remaining raw rice flour is added to the cooled rice flour gel and mixed, the temperature of the cooled rice flour gel is 20 to 60°C. ( 5 ) The method for producing rice flour noodles according to (1) above, wherein when noodles are made using the rice flour dough, the noodles are made under conditions of a relative humidity of 30 to 85% and a temperature of 15 to 35°C. ( 6 ) The method for producing rice flour noodles according to (1) above, wherein the rice flour used to produce the rice flour noodles has an amylose content of 17% or more and 33% or less by weight. ( 7 ) The rice flour used to produce the rice flour noodles has an average particle size of 70 μm or less, as described in (1) above. rice How to make flour noodles Law. ( 8 ) The method for producing rice flour noodles according to (1) above, wherein the damaged starch content of the rice flour used to produce the rice flour noodles is 10% or less by weight relative to the total weight of the rice flour. ( 9 ) The rice flour used to make rice flour noodles is made from rice harvested within one year and milled within one month, as specified in (1) above. or (3) The method for producing rice flour noodles according to claim 1. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, 75% or more of the total amount of water used to produce rice flour noodles is added to a portion of the whole rice flour raw material used to produce the rice flour noodles, and the mixture is heated and stirred to produce a rice flour gel.The remaining raw rice flour is then added to the cooled rice flour gel and mixed to produce rice flour dough.This makes it possible to easily produce rice flour noodles that have a good texture and flavor, are highly cohesive, and exhibit physical properties similar to those of wheat flour noodles, and retain the original, pleasant flavor of rice. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] In the present invention, at least 75% of the total amount of water used in producing rice flour noodles is added to a portion of the whole rice flour raw material used to produce the noodles, and the mixture is heated to a certain temperature or higher while stirring to produce a rice flour gel. This is then cooled to a predetermined temperature, and the remaining raw rice flour is added to this gel and mixed uniformly to produce rice flour dough. This dough is then used to make noodles and produce noodle strands in order to further strengthen the bonds between the rice flour dough and produce high-quality rice flour noodles.

[0014] The weight proportion of water used in the production of the rice flour noodles of the present invention is preferably 40 to 54%, more preferably 42 to 52%, and even more preferably 43 to 51%, based on the weight of the whole rice flour ingredient. If the weight proportion is below this range, the rice flour noodle dough will become hard and poorly bonded, hindering the production of uniform rice flour noodles. On the other hand, if the weight proportion exceeds this range, the rice flour noodle dough will become too soft and sticky, reducing workability in noodle production, and the resulting rice flour noodles will have poor firmness and be too soft, resulting in quality problems. When producing a rice flour gel, the water used in the production of the rice flour noodles of the present invention can be 75% or more, preferably 80% or more, or 90% or more, or all of the water can be used.

[0015] In the production of rice flour noodles of the present invention, the weight ratio of rice flour used in producing the rice flour gel to the total rice flour ingredient is preferably 10 to 30%, and more preferably 13 to 27%. If the ratio of rice flour used in the rice flour gel is below this range, the rice flour noodles tend to be weakly bonded and easily broken, resulting in noodles that are too hard. On the other hand, if the ratio is above this range, it becomes difficult to produce a uniform rice flour gel, and the rice flour dough also tends to be difficult to make uniform, which tends to hinder the production of high-quality rice flour noodles.

[0016] Next, a condition that affects the production of the rice flour noodles of the present invention is the weight percentage of damaged starch content, which corresponds to the degree of gelatinization of the rice flour gel (hereinafter referred to as damaged starch content (%)). The gelatinization state of rice flour gel is usually expressed in terms of the degree of gelatinization measured by the BAP method. However, as a result of extensive research conducted in the present invention, it has been found that the excellent rice flour noodle dough of the present invention can be prepared by adjusting the damaged starch content (%), which is also correlated with the degree of gelatinization measured by the BAP method, to an appropriate range. The damaged starch content (%) is defined as a value calculated from values ​​measured using a damaged starch content measurement kit manufactured by Megazyme Co., Ltd.

[0017] When preparing the rice flour gel, it is important to create a uniform rice flour gel by appropriately stirring the rice flour additive liquid, and it is important to adjust the weight percentage of damaged starch in the rice flour gel to preferably 70 to 100%, more preferably 80 to 100%. If the damaged starch content (%) is below this range, it will be difficult to produce a uniform rice flour dough, and the noodles will not bond well together and will tend to break easily.

[0018] Furthermore, it is preferable to cool the prepared rice flour gel to an appropriate temperature in a refrigerator or the like before use. The preferred temperature after cooling the rice flour gel is 20 to 60°C, and more preferably 30 to 50°C. Below this temperature, the gelatinized starch in the rice flour gel retrogrades too much, reducing the dough-binding effect of the rice flour gel, making it difficult to produce a good, uniform, and tightly bound rice flour dough. On the other hand, above this range, the rice flour gel becomes too viscous and sticky, making handling difficult, and it also tends to form large lumps during the mixing stage of the rice flour noodle dough, creating problems in producing a uniform dough.

[0019] Furthermore, the temperature and humidity requirements during noodle production for the rice flour noodles of the present invention are much more stringent than those for wheat flour noodles. Specifically, preferred conditions for noodle production are a relative humidity of 35 to 85% and a temperature of 15 to 35°C, with a relative humidity of 45 to 70% and a temperature of 20 to 30°C being even more preferred. If the humidity and temperature are lower than these conditions, the noodle sheet and noodle strands tend to dry out and become brittle during noodle production, resulting in noodle strands that break easily. On the other hand, if the humidity and temperature are higher than these conditions, the noodle sheet and noodle strands tend to soften, become sticky, and become less easy to work with. The main reason for the severe manufacturing environment (humidity and temperature) for rice flour noodles is thought to be that, compared to wheat flour noodles, rice flour noodles do not contain protein components such as gluten that strengthen the bond between noodles. This tendency is even more pronounced in the production of rice flour noodles such as those of the present invention, which are made from 100% rice flour and do not contain any binding additives other than rice flour (wheat flour, gluten, polysaccharides, etc.).

[0020] The amylose content (% by weight) of the rice flour used in producing the rice flour noodles of the present invention is preferably 17% to 33%, more preferably 18% to 27%, from the viewpoint of ensuring that the resulting rice flour noodles have a balanced and good texture. If rice flour with an amylose content below this value is used, even if uniform, well-bound rice flour noodles are produced, the boiled noodles tend to have a soft, stiff texture. If the amylose content is above this range, the noodles will not bind well during dough production, and the resulting rice flour noodles tend to have an unnecessarily hard texture. The amylose content of rice flour here is defined as the amylose content measured using an amylose content measurement kit manufactured by Megazyme Corporation.

[0021] Furthermore, typical rice varieties for producing rice flour with an amylose content of preferably 20% or more, and more preferably 30% or more, include "Konadamon," "Kitamizuho," "Yumeaoba," "Amichanmai," "Hoshiaoba," "Echi no Kaori," "Momiroman," "Fukunoko," "Mizuho Chikara," and "Ajia no Kaori." However, any rice flour variety with an amylose content of 17% to 33% can be used, and this also includes rice flour prepared from foreign-produced high-amylose rice.

[0022] In particular, in order to produce rice flour noodles of the present invention that have a well-balanced and good texture, it is preferable to use "Mizuho Chikara" rice flour, which has a moderately high amylose content, for noodle production.

[0023] The average particle size of the rice flour used in producing the rice flour noodles of the present invention is preferably 70 μm or less, and more preferably 50 μm or less. If the average particle size of the rice flour used in producing rice flour noodles exceeds this value, water absorption will not proceed smoothly when producing the rice flour gel of the present invention, and it will tend to take longer than necessary to produce a uniform rice flour gel. The average particle size of the rice flour is defined as the average particle size measured using a dry laser diffraction particle size distribution analyzer (HELO&RODOS, manufactured by Sympatic GmbH).

[0024] The damaged starch content (% by weight) of the rice flour used in producing the rice flour noodles of the present invention is preferably 10% or less, and more preferably 9.5% or less, from the perspective of producing uniform noodles with strong bonds. If the rice flour contains more than this amount of damaged starch, the damaged starch will absorb more water than necessary during noodle production, making the dough harder and the noodles less bonded to each other and more likely to break. The damaged starch content (% by weight) here is measured using the same damaged starch content measurement kit manufactured by Megazyme Co., Ltd. as above, and is defined as the ratio (%) of the weight of damaged starch to the weight of whole rice flour.

[0025] It is more preferable that the rice flour used in producing the rice flour noodles of the present invention is produced from rice harvested within one year. It is also preferable that the storage temperature of harvested rice (husks) be kept as low as possible. Furthermore, it is more preferable that the produced rice flour be stored at as low a temperature as possible after production, in an oxygen-free state, and under conditions that prevent moisture absorption. Generally, in the production of rice flour noodles, the effect of the freshness of the rice used as the raw material is not often taken into consideration. However, as a result of extensive research into this point in the present invention, it has become clear that, just like cooked rice, the freshness of the rice and the storage conditions of the rice flour have a significant impact on the flavor of rice flour noodles.

[0026] Specifically, it was found that by producing the rice flour noodles of the present invention using a rice flour ingredient that is stored at a lower temperature and in an oxygen-free state, preventing moisture absorption, after rice (husks) harvested within one year after harvest is milled from the rice, and then stored at a lower temperature and in an oxygen-free state, preventing moisture absorption, the rice flour noodles produced from the rice are produced. The rice flour noodles produced using this rice flour ingredient have a significantly better new-rice flavor than conventional rice flour noodles. While the exact reasons for the production of rice flour noodles with such a significantly better new-rice flavor are unclear, a key factor is thought to be the dramatic suppression of oxidation and hydrolysis degradation of the raw rice (husks and milled rice) and rice flour by storing these raw materials under optimal conditions. Furthermore, the rice flour noodles of the present invention can be produced using either various extrusion-type noodle machines or roll-type noodle machines. However, while the former type tends to produce rice flour noodles with a texture similar to that of hiyashi noodles produced using an extrusion-type noodle machine, the latter type tends to produce rice flour noodles with a texture similar to that of udon produced using a roll-type noodle machine. The noodle making machine can be selected appropriately according to the quality characteristics of the rice flour noodle product desired.

[0027] Next, an example of a method for producing rice flour noodles of the present invention using an extrusion-type noodle machine is outlined below. 90% of the total amount of water used in producing rice flour noodles is added to a portion of the whole rice flour raw material used to produce the rice flour noodles, and the mixture is heated with stirring to a certain temperature or higher to produce a rice flour gel with an optimal damaged starch content. The rice flour gel is then cooled to an appropriate temperature in a refrigerator or other device. The remaining water and raw rice flour are then added to the cooled rice flour gel, and the mixture is thoroughly mixed in a mixer until homogeneous. This dough is then made into noodles using a standard extrusion-type noodle machine. The noodle-making conditions for the extrusion-type noodle machine are as follows: the dough is extruded through a die (e.g., one with a 1 mm x 1 mm square nozzle hole) using a screw to produce noodles, and the noodles emerging from the die are cut into noodle strands approximately 20 cm long. Because humidity and temperature are important factors in producing the rice flour noodles of the present invention, these conditions are optimized for noodle production. The noodle strands are then boiled in boiling water for approximately 3 minutes to produce boiled noodles. The boiled noodles are cooled appropriately in cold water and packaged to produce boiled noodle products. On the other hand, in the case of frozen noodles, a certain amount of boiled noodles is placed in a tray, flash-frozen in a flash freezer, and then packaged to produce frozen boiled noodles.

[0028] An outline of an example of a noodle-making method using the roll-type noodle-making machine of the present invention is provided below. Note that only the differences from noodle production using an extrusion-type noodle-making machine are described below. The rice flour noodle dough obtained in the same manner as above is roughly stretched once (clearance 3 mm), combined twice (clearance 3 mm), and rolled three times with clearances of 2.5 mm, 2.3 mm, and 2.0 mm using a No. 10 cutting blade to produce noodle strands approximately 20 cm long. The resulting noodle strands are then boiled in boiling water for approximately 12 minutes to produce boiled noodles.

[0029] Next, we will briefly explain the first excellent feature of the rice flour noodles of the present invention and the factors behind this feature. First, the excellent characteristic of the rice flour noodles of the present invention is that they are produced using only rice flour and water. Therefore, the rice flour noodles of the present invention can be safely eaten by people with wheat (containing gluten) or egg allergies, and because they contain no additives such as gluten, emulsifiers, or thickeners, they also meet the needs of consumers seeking additive-free foods. While production techniques for rice flour noodles produced using only rice flour have been disclosed, most of these methods use beta-gelatinized (gelatinized) rice flour. The preparation of beta-gelatinized (gelatinized) rice flour is very costly, and the production process for beta-gelatinized (gelatinized) rice flour also deteriorates the quality (flavor and physical properties) of the rice flour, making it difficult to produce rice flour noodles with sufficient texture and flavor. Furthermore, a manufacturing technology for rice flour noodles has been disclosed that does not use beta-gelatinized rice flour, but instead uses rice flour that has been gelatinized during the rice flour noodle manufacturing process, but this method involves heat-treating and gelatinizing all of the raw rice flour used in the noodle production, which results in the problem of using more water than necessary in the dough and resulting in soft, stiff noodles.The method of the present invention brilliantly solves these problems by using a rice flour gel prepared from a portion of the raw rice flour as a binder, making it possible to produce rice flour noodles of significantly higher quality than conventional methods using only rice flour and water.

[0030] A second advantage of the rice flour noodles of the present invention is that the texture and flavor of the rice flour noodles are significantly superior to conventional noodles. First, the main reasons for the excellent texture of the rice flour noodles of the present invention are explained below. (1) An appropriate amount of rice flour gel is effectively used to bind the rice flour noodles, allowing noodles to be produced with appropriate water absorption, resulting in a texture similar to that of firm wheat flour noodles. (2) To maintain the bond of the raw rice flour noodles as much as possible, the humidity and temperature during the noodle-making process are strictly controlled to optimal conditions, making it possible to produce boiled noodles that maintain the bond of the raw noodles. (3) To improve the texture of the rice flour noodles, rice flour noodles are produced using carefully selected rice flour ingredients that have an appropriately high amylose content, fine particle size, and low damaged starch content.

[0031] Furthermore, a third advantage of the rice flour noodles of the present invention is that they have a significantly superior flavor. The main reasons for this significantly superior flavor are explained below. (1) Beta-phase (gelatinized) rice flour, which deteriorates in flavor and quality during the manufacturing process, is not used in the production of rice flour noodles. (2) The rice flour used is made from polished rice, which has a good flavor, a short shelf life after harvest, and can be stored under good conditions, maintaining the flavor of newly harvested rice. [Example]

[0032] The present invention will be explained in more detail below by showing some examples of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited in any way by the descriptions of these examples.

[0033] [Example 1] In Example 1, rice flours 1 to 7 having the amylose contents and average particle sizes shown in Table 1 below were used to prepare cold noodle-like rice flour noodles according to Test Examples 1 to 7 and Comparative Examples 1 to 6 according to the formulations shown in Table 1 below. [Table 1]

[0034] Specifically, in this Example 1 (Test Examples 1 to 6 and Comparative Examples 1 to 6), rice flour noodles were produced using rice flours 1 to 7 having the following component properties. Rice flour 1: Amylose content 18.2%, average particle size 44.5 μm, air-milled rice flour Rice flour 2: Amylose content 23.0%, average particle size 26.3 μm, wet air-milled rice flour Rice flour 3: Amylose content 29.9%, average particle size 45.0 μm, air-milled rice flour Rice flour 4: Amylose content 32.8%, average particle size 20.1 μm, air-milled rice flour Rice flour 5: Amylose content 9.0%, average particle size 78.0 μm, dry-milled rice flour Rice flour 6: Amylose content 16.7%, average particle size 46.4 μm, dry-milled rice flour Rice flour 7: Amylose content 23.5%, average particle size 130.5 μm, dry-milled rice flour The rice flours 1 to 4 used in Test Examples 1 to 6 were rice flours whose amylose content, average particle size, and damaged starch content were within the acceptable ranges of the present invention. On the other hand, the rice flours 5 to 7 used in Comparative Examples 1 to 6 were rice flours whose amylose content and / or average particle size were outside the acceptable ranges of the present invention.

[0035] In Example 1, rice flours 1 to 7 were divided into rice flour for use in making a rice flour gel and rice flour for addition during dough preparation, in the proportions shown in Table 1. In Example 1, rice flour noodles were produced by adjusting the proportions of water used in producing rice flour noodles and the proportions of rice flour used in producing the rice flour gel to meet the preferred conditions of the present invention.

[0036] Specifically, rice flour for making rice flour gel was placed in a container equipped with a heater, the entire amount of water shown in Table 1 above was added, and the mixture was heated to 70°C or higher while stirring to gelatinize the rice flour appropriately, producing a rice flour gel. The amount of damaged starch (%) in the finished rice flour gel was measured using the damaged starch content measurement kit manufactured by Megazyme Co., Ltd., as described above. The rice flour gel was placed in a polyethylene bag to prevent water evaporation and cooled to approximately 30°C in a refrigerator.

[0037] Next, the cooled rice flour gel was placed in a mixer bowl, followed by the rice flour (raw rice flour) added during dough preparation shown in Table 1 above, and the mixture was mixed in a mixer until the dough was uniform. The dough mixing time is preferably 10 to 40 minutes, and more preferably 20 to 30 minutes. After that, cold rice flour noodles were produced using a standard extrusion noodle machine under the conditions shown below.

[0038] The conditions for making rice flour noodles using the extrusion-type noodle making machine in this Example 1 are as follows. Extrusion noodle making: Dough was placed in the dough input bowl of an extrusion noodle making machine, and then gradually added to the screw extrusion section, where it was extruded using a die (with numerous 1mm x 1mm square nozzle holes). The noodles were cut into approximately 20cm lengths at the exit and formed into noodle strands. Boiling: The noodle strings were placed in boiling water and boiled for about 3 minutes to prepare boiled noodles. Cooling: The boiled noodles were cooled in cold water for about 5 minutes to prepare cooled boiled noodles. Packaging: A fixed amount of cooled boiled noodles was packed in polyethylene bags and stored in the refrigerator. During the rice flour noodle manufacturing process, the manufacturing location was controlled to maintain a constant humidity of approximately 60% and a temperature of approximately 25°C.

[0039] Furthermore, in Example 1, the noodle-making properties of the rice flour noodles (state after mixing, noodle-making properties during rice flour noodle making (handling, uniformity, degree of stickiness), surface state of the boiled noodles, degree of stickiness) were observed by five panelists during the rice flour noodle production process and evaluated on a five-point scale, with the average score being used as the evaluation value. The evaluation criteria are as follows: Condition of rice flour noodle dough after mixing: If the dough was uniformly crumbly, it was given a high rating (5 points); conversely, if the dough was uneven and the size of the dough lumps varied greatly, it was given a low rating (1 point); otherwise, points were given according to the degree of unevenness. Noodle making properties when making rice flour noodles (handling, uniformity, degree of bonding): Dough that was not sticky, produced uniform noodles with good bonding, and produced noodles with a clean surface was given a high rating (5 points). Conversely, dough that was sticky or produced noodles that were uneven and poorly bonded, and produced noodles with a rough surface, was given a low rating (1 point). Others were given a score according to the degree of the problem. Surface condition and degree of connection of boiled noodles: If the surface of the boiled noodles was smooth and the noodles were well connected without breaking, or if the noodles did not stick together easily and were easy to separate, it was given a high rating (5 points). Conversely, if the surface of the boiled noodles was rough and the noodles broke into pieces, or if the noodles stuck together easily and were difficult to separate, it was given a low rating (1 point). For other noodles, a score was given according to the degree of connection. In addition, the sensory evaluation of boiled rice flour noodles (boiled noodle texture and boiled noodle flavor) was carried out by five panelists using noodles immediately after boiling and cooling, and the average score was used as the evaluation value. The evaluation criteria are as follows: Texture of boiled noodles: Noodles that were well-formed, had firmness, and had a moderately chewy texture were given a high rating (5 points), while noodles that were poorly formed, lacked firmness, and lacked a moderately chewy texture, or were harder than necessary, were given a low rating (1 point), and other noodles were given a score according to their degree. Flavor of boiled noodles: If the noodles had the original good aroma and taste of rice and a flavor similar to that of newly harvested rice, they were given a high rating (5 points); conversely, if they did not have the original good aroma and taste of rice and had no flavor at all similar to that of newly harvested rice, they were given a low rating (1 point); otherwise, scores were given according to the degree of flavor. The overall evaluation of rice flour noodle production properties and boiled noodles was calculated by averaging the scores for a total of five items: three items of rice flour noodle production properties (state after mixing, noodle production properties during rice flour noodle production (handling, uniformity, degree of connection), surface state of boiled noodles, degree of connection) and two items of sensory evaluation of boiled rice flour noodles (texture of boiled noodles, flavor of boiled noodles).

[0040] Next, the evaluation results of Example 1 shown in Table 1 above will be described. Test Examples 1 to 6 exhibited uniform and appropriate physical properties, an appropriate amount of damaged starch content, and gelatinization proceeded appropriately, resulting in the preparation of uniform rice flour gels. Furthermore, with rice flour noodle dough using these rice flour gels, a uniform, crumbly dough was produced with appropriate mixing. On the other hand, in Comparative Examples 1, 2, 3, and 6, the rice flour gels exhibited a high damaged starch content, which is the preferred level of the present invention. However, due to the excessive amount of water used relative to the rice flour or the low amylose content of the rice flour, the resulting rice flour gels had very soft physical properties, making it difficult to produce a uniform dough during mixing to prepare the rice flour noodle dough. Furthermore, in Comparative Examples 4 and 5, the amount of water used relative to the rice flour used for the rice flour gel was insufficient, preventing sufficient gelatinization of the rice flour. As a result, the damaged starch content was below the preferred level of the present invention, making it impossible to produce a uniform rice flour gel. This resulted in the production of a non-uniform dough during mixing to prepare the rice flour noodle dough.

[0041] Next, the results of the overall noodle-making properties and the sensory evaluation of the boiled noodles in Example 1 are described. Test Examples 1 to 6, which used the technology of the present invention, generally showed significantly better noodle-making properties and boiled noodle quality evaluation results than Comparative Examples 1 to 6. Specifically, the evaluation of noodle-making properties (state after mixing, noodle-making properties during rice flour noodle making (handling, uniformity, degree of connection), and surface condition and degree of connection of boiled noodles) all received high ratings. This is thought to be due to the uniformity and good connection of the rice flour dough of the present invention. Furthermore, the sensory evaluation of boiled rice flour noodles (boiled noodle texture and boiled noodle flavor) also showed significantly better results in Test Examples 1 to 6 than in Comparative Examples 1 to 6. This result is also thought to be due to the uniformity and good connection of the rice flour dough of the present invention. The rice flour noodles of the present invention produce noodles with a good surface condition and are less likely to break, which ultimately results in the rice flavor of the rice flour remaining in the noodles and a good texture.

[0042] Among the rice flour noodles produced in Test Examples 1 to 6, the noodles produced in Test Example 3 received particularly high ratings overall. The reasons for this are thought to be largely related to the fact that the noodles in Test Example 3 were produced using rice flour with a moderately high amylose content and a fine average particle size, and that an excellent rice flour gel with a moderate damaged starch content was produced using appropriate amounts of rice flour for producing the rice flour gel and brewing water, resulting in a dough and noodle strands that were uniform and strongly bonded together. Furthermore, the reason for the noodles' excellent texture is thought to be related to the use of a rice flour raw material with a moderately high amylose content.

[0043] [Example 2] In Example 2, rice flour noodles according to the present invention were frozen, and the flavor and texture of the thawed noodles were examined when the frozen rice flour noodles were thawed and eaten. Specifically, in Example 2, rice flours 1, 2, 6, 8-9 shown in Table 2 below were used to produce cold noodle-like frozen rice flour noodles according to Test Examples 7-9 and Comparative Examples 7-8, using the same production method as in Example 1 and with the formulations shown in Table 2 below. [Table 2]

[0044] Specifically, in this Example 2 (Examples 7 to 9, Comparative Examples 7 and 8), rice flour noodles were produced using rice flours 1, 2, 6, 8 to 9 having the following component properties. Rice flour 1: Amylose content 18.2%, average particle size 44.5 μm, damaged starch content 9.3%, air-milled rice flour Rice flour 2: Amylose content 23.0%, average particle size 26.3 μm, damaged starch content 8.7%, wet air-milled rice flour Rice flour 8: Amylose content 23.1%, average particle size 34.0 μm, damaged starch content 8.3%, wet air-milled rice flour Rice flour 6: Amylose content 16.7%, average particle size 56.4 μm, damaged starch content 13.3%, dry-milled rice flour Rice flour 9: Amylose content 24.7%, average particle size 122.2 μm, damaged starch content 14.1%, dry-milled rice flour The amylose content, average particle size, and damaged starch content of rice flours 1, 2, and 8 used in Test Examples 7 to 9 were within the acceptable ranges of the present invention. On the other hand, the amylose content, average particle size, and damaged starch content of rice flours 6 and 9 used in Comparative Examples 7 and 8 were outside the acceptable ranges of the present invention.

[0045] In Example 2, rice flours 1, 2, 6, 8 to 9 were also divided into rice flour for use in making the rice flour gel and rice flour added during dough preparation, in the proportions shown in Table 2. In Example 2, rice flour noodles were produced by adjusting the proportion of water used in producing the rice flour noodles, the proportion of rice flour used in producing the rice flour gel, and the damaged starch content of the rice flour gel under the favorable conditions of the present invention, as shown in Table 2.

[0046] Specifically, in Example 2, the steps from preparing the rice flour gel to cooling the boiled noodles in cold water were basically the same as in Example 1, but 95% of the total amount of water shown in Table 2 above was used when preparing the rice flour gel, and the remaining 5% was used when preparing the dough. Furthermore, in Example 2, after cooling the boiled noodles, they were frozen, packaged, and thawed using the following method. Freezing of boiled noodles: A certain amount of boiled noodles was placed in a cooling tray and flash frozen at -30°C for about 1 hour. Packaging: After quick freezing, the noodles were placed in a polyethylene bag, sealed, and stored at -20°C for one week. Thawing of frozen boiled noodles: Frozen boiled noodles stored in a freezer at -20°C were taken out of the bag and thawed by placing them in running water at room temperature for about 10 minutes.

[0047] In Example 2, similarly to Example 1, the noodle-making properties of the rice flour noodles (state after mixing, noodle-making properties during rice flour noodle making (handling, uniformity, degree of connection), surface state of thawed and boiled noodles, degree of connection) were evaluated, and a sensory evaluation of the thawed and boiled rice flour noodles (texture of thawed and boiled noodles, flavor of thawed and boiled noodles) was performed. Note that in Example 2, the sensory evaluation of the thawed and boiled rice flour noodles was performed using boiled noodles after the thawing treatment.

[0048] Next, the evaluation results of Example 2 shown in Table 2 above will be explained. First, the state of the rice flour gels and damaged starch content of Test Examples 7 to 9 and Comparative Examples 7 and 8, and their effects on the rice flour noodle dough, will be explained. The rice flour gels of Test Examples 7 to 9 and Comparative Example 7 all exhibited uniform and appropriate physical properties, contained appropriate amounts of damaged starch, and gelatinization proceeded appropriately, resulting in the production of uniform rice flour gels. Therefore, with the rice flour noodle dough using the rice flour gels of Test Examples 7 to 9, appropriate mixing resulted in a uniform, crumbly rice flour noodle dough. However, when the rice flour gel of Comparative Example 7 was used, the average particle size of the post-added raw rice flour and the high damaged starch content had a negative effect, resulting in a harder, more non-uniform rice flour noodle dough compared to the rice flour noodle dough of Test Examples 7 to 8. Furthermore, with the rice flour gel of Comparative Example 8, although the amylose content of the rice flour 9 used was appropriate, the resulting rice flour gel tended to be non-uniform and hard. Furthermore, due to the hardening of the rice flour gel and the large average particle size and high damaged starch content of the raw rice flour (rice flour 9) added later, problems arose during mixing to make rice flour noodle dough, as the dough became harder than necessary and a sufficiently uniform dough could not be obtained.

[0049] The results of the overall noodle-making properties and the sensory evaluation of the thawed and boiled noodles in Example 2 are explained below. In Test Examples 7 to 9, which used the technology of the present invention, the rice flour noodle making properties and the quality evaluation results of the thawed and boiled noodles were significantly better overall than in Comparative Examples 7 and 8. Specifically, the evaluation of noodle making properties (state after mixing, noodle-making properties during rice flour noodle making (handling, uniformity, degree of connection), and surface condition and degree of connection of thawed and boiled noodles) were all highly rated. This is thought to be due to the uniformity and good connection of the rice flour dough of the present invention. Furthermore, the sensory evaluation of the thawed and boiled rice flour noodles (texture and flavor of thawed and boiled noodles) also showed better results in Test Examples 7 to 9 than in Comparative Examples 7 and 8. This result is also thought to be due to the uniformity and good connection of the rice flour dough of the present invention. The rice flour noodles of the present invention have a good surface condition and are less likely to break, which ultimately results in the rice flavor of the rice flour remaining in the thawed and boiled noodles, resulting in a good texture.

[0050] Of the thawed boiled rice flour noodles of Test Examples 7 to 9, the noodles of Test Example 9 received the highest overall rating. The reason for this is thought to be largely due to the fact that the noodles of Test Example 9 were made with the appropriate amounts of rice flour and brewing water for preparing the rice flour gel, which produced a good rice flour gel with a moderate damaged starch content, resulting in a dough and noodle strands that were uniform and strongly bonded together. Furthermore, the reason for the best texture is thought to be largely due to the amylose content, average particle size, and damaged starch content of rice flour 8, which are suitable for producing rice flour noodles according to the present invention.

[0051] [Example 3] In Example 3, three types of rice flour 10 to 12 produced from polished rice raw material with amylose contents suitable for producing rice flour noodles of the present invention were used to produce udon-like rice flour noodles according to Test Examples 9 to 10 and Comparative Example 9, according to the formulations shown in Table 3 below. [Table 3]

[0052] Specifically, in Example 3 (Test Examples 9 and 10 and Comparative Example 9), rice flour noodles were produced using rice flours 10 to 12 having the following component properties. Rice flour 10: Amylose content 22.6%, average particle size 35.1 μm, damaged starch content 8.4%, wet air-milled rice flour, rice flour milled from new rice and stored in a paper bag at room temperature for about 3 weeks Rice flour 11: Amylose content 22.6%, average particle size 35.1 μm, damaged starch content 8.4%, wet air-milled rice flour. Rice flour milled from new rice was placed in an aluminum laminated bag with an oxygen absorber, sealed, and stored at -20°C for approximately 3 weeks. Rice flour 12: Amylose content 22.1%, average particle size 36.1 μm, damaged starch content 8.5%, wet air-milled rice flour, rice flour milled from old rice and stored in a paper bag at 30°C or higher for more than one month

[0053] In Example 3, rice flours 10 to 12 were also divided into rice flour for use in making the rice flour gel and rice flour for addition during dough preparation, in the proportions shown in Table 3. In Example 3, as in Example 1, rice flour noodles were produced by adjusting the proportion of water used in producing the rice flour noodles, the proportion of rice flour used in producing the rice flour gel, and the damaged starch content of the rice flour gel under the favorable conditions of the present invention, as shown in Table 3.

[0054] Specifically, in Example 3, rice flour noodles were produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that a roll-type noodle making machine was used to make noodles. Specifically, in Example 3, the prepared rice flour dough was roughly rolled once using the roll-type noodle making machine with a clearance of 3 mm, and the noodle sheet after rough rolling was used to combine twice with a clearance of 3 mm. Using the combined noodle sheet, the noodle sheet was then rolled three times with clearances of 2.5 mm, 2.3 mm, and 2.0 mm, and after the final rolling, the noodle was cut with a No. 10 cutting blade into noodle strands approximately 20 cm long. The noodle strands were then boiled in boiling water for approximately 12 minutes to process into boiled noodles.

[0055] In Example 3, similarly to Example 1, the rice flour noodle production properties (state after mixing, noodle production properties during rice flour noodle production (handling, uniformity, degree of stickiness), surface state of boiled noodles, degree of stickiness) were evaluated, and a sensory evaluation of the boiled rice flour noodles (texture of boiled noodles, flavor of boiled noodles) was also carried out.

[0056] Next, the evaluation results of Example 3 shown in Table 3 above will be described. First, the state of the rice flour gels and damaged starch content of Test Examples 9 and 10 and Comparative Example 9, and their effect on rice flour noodle dough will be explained. The rice flour gels of Test Examples 9 and 10 and Comparative Example 9 all exhibited uniform and appropriate physical properties, had appropriate amounts of damaged starch, and gelatinization proceeded appropriately, resulting in the production of uniform rice flour gels. Therefore, with the rice flour noodle dough made using these rice flour gels, appropriate mixing allowed the production of uniform, crumbly rice flour noodle dough.

[0057] The results of the evaluation of the overall noodle-making properties and boiled noodles of Example 3 are explained below. The evaluation of the rice flour noodles of Test Examples 9 and 10 of this Example showed no major differences compared to Comparative Example 9, except for the flavor of the boiled noodles, and all results were good. However, with regard to the flavor of the boiled noodles, there was a significant difference between the rice flour noodles of Test Examples 9 and 10 and Comparative Example 9, with the former achieving better results. In particular, the flavor of the rice flour noodles of Test Example 10, which maintained freshness during storage, was good. The reason for this is that maintaining the freshness of the rice flour in good conditions also improves the flavor of rice flour noodles, indicating that the freshness of rice flour, which has not previously received much attention, affects the flavor of rice flour noodles.

[0058] The scope of the present invention includes rice flour noodles produced using this highly fresh rice flour, and this example demonstrates that by using all of the techniques of the present invention, it is possible to produce extremely good rice flour noodles that are revolutionary different from conventional rice flour noodles in all aspects: rice flour noodle production properties (state after mixing, noodle production properties during rice flour noodle production (handling, uniformity, degree of connection), surface state of boiled noodles, degree of connection) and sensory evaluation of boiled rice flour noodles (texture of boiled noodles, flavor of boiled noodles).

[0059] As described above, the method for producing rice flour noodles according to this embodiment comprises the steps of adding 75% or more of the total amount of water used in producing the rice flour noodles to a portion of the whole rice flour raw material used in producing the rice flour noodles, heating the mixture to a certain temperature or higher while stirring to produce a rice flour gel, and then cooling the mixture to a predetermined temperature, adding the remaining raw rice flour to the cooled rice flour gel and mixing them to produce a rice flour dough, and manufacturing noodles using the rice flour dough to produce noodle strands. This method does not require special equipment or operations for the noodle-making process, and can be produced using equipment found in ordinary noodle factories. It is possible to produce rice flour noodles with a good texture and consistency using 100% rice flour, and it is possible to produce excellent rice flour noodles that make use of the original rice flavor. Furthermore, by focusing on the variety and freshness of the rice flour, it is possible to produce rice flour noodles that have a good new-rice flavor and a texture similar to that of wheat flour noodles. From these perspectives, the method is highly high quality, convenient, and versatile.

[0060] The rice flour noodles of the present invention can be prepared using only rice flour, and have a texture and flavor that are significantly better than conventional rice flour noodles. Their greatest feature is that they exhibit a particularly favorable rice flavor. Another major feature is that, compared to conventional noodles prepared only from rice flour, their physical properties are significantly better and the noodles are tightly bound together. These favorable features of the rice flour noodles of the present invention are made possible by using rice flour of optimal quality, rice flour gel of optimal quality and amount as a binder, and by producing them under optimal noodle-making conditions. Furthermore, with regard to the freshness of rice flour used in noodles and bread, little attention has traditionally been paid to the storage period and conditions after harvesting rice and the storage period and conditions after milling. However, in the present invention, by limiting the storage period after harvesting rice to a short period at low temperatures and using rice flour as soon as possible after milling, the flavor of rice flour noodles has been further improved.

[0061] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Various modifications and improvements can be made to the above-described embodiments, and such modifications and improvements are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. The method comprises the steps of adding 75% or more of the total amount of water used to produce rice flour noodles to a portion of whole rice flour raw material used to produce the rice flour noodles, heating the mixture to a certain temperature or higher while stirring to produce a rice flour gel, and then cooling the mixture to a predetermined temperature; adding the remaining raw rice flour to the cooled rice flour gel and mixing to produce rice flour dough; and making noodles using the rice flour dough to produce noodle strands. The method for producing rice flour noodles, wherein the weight ratio of rice flour used to produce the rice flour gel to the weight of the whole rice flour raw material is 10 to 30%.

2. A method for producing rice flour noodles as described in claim 1, wherein the weight of water used in producing the rice flour gel is 1 to 5.4 times the weight of the rice flour raw material used in producing the rice flour gel.

3. 2. The method for producing rice flour noodles according to claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of damaged starch content to total starch content in the rice flour gel is 70 to 100%.

4. 2. The method for producing rice flour noodles according to claim 1, wherein the temperature of the cooled rice flour gel is 20 to 60°C when the remaining raw rice flour is added to the cooled rice flour gel and mixed.

5. 2. The method for producing rice flour noodles according to claim 1, wherein when noodles are made using the rice flour dough, the noodles are made under conditions of a relative humidity of 30 to 85% and a temperature of 15 to 35°C.

6. 2. The method for producing rice flour noodles according to claim 1, wherein the rice flour used to produce the rice flour noodles has an amylose content of 17% or more and 33% or less by weight.

7. 2. The method for producing rice flour noodles according to claim 1, wherein the rice flour used to produce the rice flour noodles has an average particle size of 70 μm or less.

8. 2. The method for producing rice flour noodles according to claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of damaged starch to the total weight of rice flour used in producing the rice flour noodles is 10% or less.

9. 2. The method for producing rice flour noodles according to claim 1, wherein the rice flour used to produce the rice flour noodles is produced from rice harvested within one year and milled within one month.

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