Granular pasta manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide granular pasta that is easy to eat together with staple food such as rice and barley, and allows easy control of nutrition balance.SOLUTION: A method for producing granular pasta includes subjecting dough, prepared from raw material powder comprising 70-95 mass% of bran and 5-30 mass% of at least one selected from wheat protein and pregelatinized starch, to extrusion-molding for turning it into a granular shape. The extrusion-molding is preferably conducted at a product temperature of 65°C or lower. The resultant granular pasta is particularly suitable for cooking with rice.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing granular pasta containing bran. [Background technology]

[0002] Pasta, typified by spaghetti and macaroni, is a very popular food product that has a firm structure compared to other noodles, and offers a smooth texture and a firm mouthfeel. Pasta is typically produced by extruding dough prepared from wheat flour as the main ingredient into a predetermined shape under normal or reduced pressure. This extruded pasta is called fresh pasta, and dried fresh pasta is called dried pasta. Dried pasta has better storage stability than fresh pasta, and most of the pasta commonly available is dried pasta.

[0003] Pasta is produced by extrusion, and various types of pasta can be produced by changing the shape of the extrusion outlet and the length to which it is cut after extrusion. Round and flat noodle shapes and macaroni straw shapes are well-known, but there are also various other shapes such as shell shapes, ribbon shapes, wheel shapes, and granular shapes. Granular shapes are used as soup ingredients and in risotto and paella.

[0004] On the other hand, when eating grains such as rice or wheat, the threshed grains are boiled or steamed and then eaten as is or mixed with other foods. These grain foods are eaten as staple foods in many regions, but because grains are mostly made up of starch, they pose many nutritional problems. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare side dishes or dishes separately to make up for any missing nutrients, taking into consideration the nutritional balance.

[0005] Bran is the outer layer of grains, which is usually removed when grains are eaten, but because it contains a lot of dietary fiber, it has attracted attention as an ingredient for carbohydrate-restricted diets and diet foods. Patent Document 1 describes a carbohydrate-restricted food material intended for use as a diet food for diabetics and diet foods, containing as essential ingredients low-methoxyl pectin with a methoxyl group content of less than 7% by weight, wheat husk powder, and gluten. However, bran is hard and has a unique bitter taste and odor known as bran odor, which poses challenges in terms of texture and flavor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-57394 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide granular pasta that can be easily eaten with a staple food such as rice or barley, and whose nutritional balance can be easily adjusted. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention is a method for producing granular pasta, which comprises extruding and granulating dough prepared from raw material flour containing 70 to 95% by mass of bran and 5 to 30% by mass of one or more species selected from wheat protein and pregelatinized starch. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide granular pasta that can be easily eaten with staple foods such as rice or barley, and whose nutritional balance can be easily adjusted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The method for producing granular pasta of the present invention comprises a step of extruding dough prepared from raw material flour to form granules. In this invention, "raw material flour" refers to cereal flours that are in a powder form at room temperature and normal pressure among the dough ingredients used to prepare the dough, and ingredients other than cereal flours are not included in the "raw material flour", even if they are in a powder form, let alone liquid ingredients.

[0011] The raw material flour used in the present invention contains bran as a primary component. Any bran can be used as long as it is made by crushing the outer husk of an edible grain. Specific examples include wheat bran, barley bran, and rice bran, and these can be used alone or in combination. Among these, wheat bran is preferred because it contains a large amount of arabinoxylan and resorcinols, which are nutritionally functional components. The bran content in the raw material flour is 70 to 95% by mass, preferably 73 to 92% by mass, and more preferably 76 to 90% by mass, based on the total mass of the raw material flour. If the bran content is less than 70% by mass, the pasta may become hard and have a rough texture with a grainy feel. If the bran content exceeds 95% by mass, the harshness and odor of the bran may become stronger, and the pasta may have a dry, rough texture.

[0012] The raw material flour used in the present invention contains, in addition to bran, one or more selected from wheat protein and pregelatinized starch. As wheat protein, any of glutenin, gliadin, and gluten, which are proteins contained in wheat, can be used, with gluten being preferred. Furthermore, pregelatinized starch may be any edible starch that has been pregelatinized, and specific examples include pregelatinized wheat starch, pregelatinized tapioca starch, and pregelatinized potato starch. In the present invention, one of these wheat proteins and pregelatinized starches can be used alone, or two or more can be used in combination. As shown in the comparative examples below, if a non-pregelatinized starch, such as wheat flour or wheat starch, is used instead of one or more selected from wheat protein and pregelatinized starch, the resulting pasta will have an improved flavor, but will have a poor texture due to reduced shape retention and increased melting after cooking.

[0013] The content of one or more selected from wheat protein and pregelatinized starch in the raw material flour is 5 to 30% by mass, preferably 8 to 27% by mass, and more preferably 10 to 24% by mass, relative to the total mass of the raw material flour. If it is less than 5% by mass, the harshness and odor of the bran may become stronger, and the pasta may become more dry and rough, while if it exceeds 30% by mass, the pasta may become hard and have a more grainy texture.

[0014] In addition to the bran, wheat protein, and pregelatinized starch described above, the raw material flour used in the present invention may contain other cereal flours that can be used as raw material flours in conventional pasta production. Examples of other cereal flours include cereal flours such as wheat flour; starches (unprocessed starches) such as tapioca starch and potato starch; and processed starches obtained by subjecting these starches to one or more chemical modifications other than pregelatinization, such as acetylation, hydroxypropylation, etherification, cross-linking, and oxidation. These can be used alone or in combination of two or more. The content of other cereal flours in the raw material flour is preferably 5% by mass or less, more preferably 3% by mass or less, and even more preferably 2% by mass or less, based on the total mass of the raw material flour. It is most preferable to not use other cereal flours.

[0015] In the present invention, dough preparation may be performed according to conventional methods, and typically, dough is prepared by adding kneading water to the above-mentioned raw material flour and kneading the mixture. Any kneading water typically used in noodle production can be used without any particular restrictions, and examples include clear water, acidic water, alkaline water, and kansui (water brine). The amount of kneading water added may be the amount typically used in pasta production, typically 20 to 40 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of raw material flour.

[0016] When preparing the dough, in addition to the raw material flour and kneading water, other ingredients may be added, such as sugars, thickeners, proteins (other than wheat protein), emulsifiers, oils and fats, seasonings, etc. The amounts of other ingredients added may be, for example, amounts normally used in pasta production, but from the perspective of not impairing the effects of the present invention, the total amount of all other ingredients is preferably 10 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of raw material flour, and it is more preferable that no other ingredients be used.

[0017] In the extrusion molding method of the present invention, dough prepared from the above-mentioned raw material flour is extruded through small holes at a predetermined pressure, and the extruded portion is sequentially cut to obtain granular pasta. Dough extrusion can be carried out in a conventional manner using a molding machine (pasta manufacturing machine) commonly used for producing this type of pasta. The molding machine typically comprises a cylinder, a screw arranged within the cylinder so as to be movable along the axial direction of the cylinder, and a die (extrusion mold) arranged at one end of the axial direction of the cylinder. In a molding machine configured in this way, when dough is fed into the cylinder while the screw is rotating around its axis within the cylinder, the dough is compressed under high pressure between the inner wall of the cylinder and the screw, and as the screw rotates, it advances within the cylinder towards the die and is continuously extruded from the die holes. The material extruded from the die holes is cut to predetermined lengths with a cutter at the outlet to obtain raw granular pasta.

[0018] Another feature of the present invention is that the extruded pasta has a granular shape. In the present invention, "granular" preferably refers to a shape having a maximum diameter of 10 mm or less and a ratio of the maximum diameter to the minimum diameter (aspect ratio, maximum diameter / minimum diameter) of 4 or less. From the viewpoints of texture and ease of production, the maximum diameter is preferably 3 mm or more and the aspect ratio is preferably 1.2 or more. For example, known granular pasta shapes such as rice grain shapes like melone and semeticoria, star shapes like stelline, and heart shapes like cuoletti can be used. Among these, rice grain shapes are preferred because they do not have a foreign body feel when eaten with the grains and can provide a good texture. The rice grain shape preferably refers to a shape having a maximum diameter of 4 to 8 mm and an aspect ratio of 1.8 to 3.5. The shape, maximum diameter length, and minimum diameter length of the pasta can be adjusted by appropriately selecting an extrusion mold such as a die in the molding machine and by appropriately adjusting the cutting speed of the cutter. When drying is performed as described below, it is desirable that the granular pasta after drying satisfy the above-mentioned maximum diameter length and aspect ratio.

[0019] In the extrusion molding of the present invention, the degree of vacuum in the apparatus is -80 kPa to -101.3 kPa, and the pressure (extrusion pressure) is 60 to 160 kgf / cm. 2 It is preferable to extrude the dough at a reduced pressure. The degree of reduced pressure can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of gas in the extrusion machine using a degassing means such as a pump. The degree of reduced pressure and the extrusion pressure can be measured using a pressure gauge attached to the extrusion machine.

[0020] Furthermore, in the extrusion process, it is preferable to keep the product temperature low, specifically 65°C or lower, and even more preferably 30 to 60°C. If the product temperature is too high, the pasta may expand excessively after shaping, resulting in a rough texture.

[0021] In the manufacturing method of the present invention, the fresh granular pasta obtained by extrusion molding may be dried. Drying enables the pasta to be stored for a long period of time, similar to general dried pasta. As a method for drying pasta, any drying method normally employed in the manufacture of this type of dried pasta can be used as appropriate. Note that although the dried granular pasta shrinks compared to the fresh granular pasta before drying, the degree of shrinkage is extremely small. Therefore, if the fresh granular pasta before drying satisfies the aforementioned maximum diameter length and aspect ratio, it can be considered that the dried granular pasta will also generally satisfy the aforementioned maximum diameter length and aspect ratio.

[0022] Granular pasta produced by the production method of the present invention may be cooked alone or together with other ingredients. Examples of cooking methods include cooking it together with grains such as rice or wheat, or cooking it together with soup or sauce to make risotto. The granular pasta of the present invention is rich in dietary fiber and nutritional functional components derived from the bran of the raw material flour, and can be added to various foods to increase the dietary fiber content and improve the nutritional balance of the food.

[0023] In particular, when the granular pasta of the present invention is cooked together with rice, i.e., when part of the rice is replaced with the granular pasta of the present invention during normal rice cooking, the effects of increasing the dietary fiber content of the resulting cooked rice and improving its nutritional balance can be easily achieved. The rice cooking method can be the same as that used for normal rice cooking, and rice can be cooked using, for example, a general electric rice cooker. When cooking rice, regardless of whether the granular pasta is fresh or dried, the granular pasta of the present invention is considered to be rice, and water is added in an amount equal to the total amount (combined number) of the granular pasta and rice. Furthermore, the mixing ratio of the granular pasta and rice of the present invention can be any ratio depending on the desired level of effect and taste, but from the perspective of the balance between texture and flavor, a mass ratio (granular pasta:rice) of 1:1 to 1:5 is preferred. [Example]

[0024] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0025] [Examples 1 to 7 and Comparative Examples 1 to 6] Wheat bran and wheat gluten or pregelatinized wheat starch were mixed in the amounts shown in Tables 1 and 2 below to prepare raw material flours, and 100 parts by mass of each raw material flour was mixed with 28 parts by mass of water and kneaded to prepare dough. Next, this dough was extruded into pieces 6 mm high and 3 mm wide using a molding machine (pasta maker) equipped with a die with rice-grain-shaped extrusion holes, and then cut into 3 mm length pieces to produce rice-grain-shaped fresh pasta. During extrusion, a cooling jacket was used on the pasta maker to maintain the product temperature at 55°C. Next, this raw granular pasta was dried in the usual way to produce dried granular pasta.

[0026] [Test Example 1] The dried granular pasta of each Example and Comparative Example was mixed with raw rice (Koshihikari) in a 50:50 mass ratio. This mixture was weighed three times and cooked using a standard rice cooking program in an electric rice cooker. Ten expert panelists tasted the cooked rice and evaluated its texture and flavor according to the following evaluation criteria. The results, expressed as the average scores of the 10 panelists, are shown in Tables 1 and 2 below.

[0027] (Evaluation criteria for texture) 5 points: A very smooth feel is felt, and it is extremely good. 4 points: Smooth feel, good. 3 points: Slightly rough, but also smooth to the touch, average. 2 points: Roughness is felt and it is poor quality. 1 point: Very rough, extremely poor. (Flavor evaluation criteria) 5 points: No bitterness or odor of bran is detected at all, very good. 4 points: No bitterness or odor of bran, good. 3 points: There is a slight bitterness and odor of bran, but it is at an acceptable level and is normal. 2 points: The bran has a bitter taste and smells bad. 1 point: The astringency and odor of the bran was strong, and it was extremely poor.

[0028] [Table 1]

[0029] [Table 2]

[0030] Examples 15 to 20 Dried granular pasta was produced in the same manner as in Example 3, except that the temperature of the cooling jacket during extrusion was changed so that the product temperature was as shown in Table 3. This was cooked and evaluated in the same manner as in Test Example 1. The results are shown in Table 3.

[0031] [Table 3]

[0032] [Test Examples 2 to 9 and Reference Example] The dried granular pasta obtained in Example 4 was cooked and evaluated in the same manner as in Test Example 1, except that the mass ratio of the dried granular pasta to raw rice was changed as shown in Table 4. The results are shown in Table 4.

[0033] [Table 4]

Claims

1. The method for producing granular pasta to be cooked in the presence of grains, soup, or sauce comprises extruding dough prepared from raw material flour containing 70 to 95% by mass of wheat bran and 5 to 30% by mass of one or more selected from wheat protein and pregelatinized starch into granules.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the extrusion is carried out at a product temperature of 65°C or less.

3. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the granules are in the shape of rice grains.

4. A cooking method comprising cooking granular pasta produced by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 together with rice.

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