Frozen cooked noodles

Abstract

To provide a frozen cooked noodle which becomes a cooked noodle excellent in texture and loosening properties, when being thawed by adding hot water to the noodle.SOLUTION: There is provided a frozen cooked noddle which is thawed by hot water, configured so that, a mass ratio of (A) and (B) is 1:0.25-1, in which (A) is a frozen cooked noodle and (B) frozen soup and / or water, a mass ratio of the (A) and (C) hot water used for thawing, is (A):(C)=1:1-3, and the frozen cooked noodle is configured so that, after thawing by the (C), (A) and if necessary, a part of (B), the whole or residual part of the (B) are added to the noodle for eating.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to frozen cooked noodles.

Background Art

[0002] Frozen cooked noodles including a set of cooked noodles, a seasoning liquid, and ingredients are commercially available. Many of these are thawed and eaten by boiling in a pot or heating in a microwave oven. Alternatively, hot water may be poured over the frozen noodles in a container to thaw and then eaten.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a frozen cold noodle in a container in which cooked noodles frozen after boiling and frozen soup are enclosed in a container, and hot water is put into the container to thaw the frozen noodles and soup so that they can be eaten as cold noodles. Patent Document 2 describes a frozen food that is thawed with hot water and eaten, in which concentrated stock and ingredients individually packaged are attached to frozen noodles housed in a container. Patent Document 3 describes a frozen noodle in a container in which frozen noodles, frozen concentrated juice or powdered dashi, and ingredients are stored in a container having convex portions on the inner surface, and the frozen noodles are thawed and eaten by a microwave oven or pouring hot water. Patent Document 4 describes that a frozen noodle in a container is thawed and cooked by opening the container, taking out the attached soup, pouring hot water and draining it, adding the attached soup, and pouring hot water again.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Frozen noodles that are thawed by pouring hot water over them are prone to problems such as difficulty in separating the noodles after thawing and uneven texture. This problem was particularly noticeable when the noodles and soup were thawed together. When noodles and soup are thawed together in hot water, uneven thawing of the noodles is likely to occur, and the soup melts first, causing the water temperature to drop rapidly, which slows down the thawing speed of the noodles. These problems can be alleviated to some extent by increasing the amount of hot water added, but if the amount of hot water is increased too much, the amount of soup becomes too large. Alternatively, it requires the extra step of draining the water, as described in Patent Document 4. The present invention provides frozen cooked noodles that become cooked noodles with excellent separation and texture when thawed by adding hot water. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The inventors have discovered that by thawing the noodles in hot water and then adding the soup, it is possible to provide cooked noodles that separate well after thawing and have less uneven texture. Furthermore, they have discovered that by adding frozen soup or ice after thawing the noodles, the thawed noodles and soup are cooled, making it possible to provide chilled noodles at an appropriate temperature.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention relates to frozen cooked noodles that are thawed in hot water, (A): Frozen pre-cooked noodles, and (B): Frozen soup and / or water, The mass ratio of (A) to (B) is (A):(B)=1:0.25~1, The mass ratio of (A) and (C): hot water used for thawing is (A):(C) = 1:1 to 3. The frozen cooked noodles are consumed after thawing (A) and, if necessary, a portion of (B) in (C), and then adding all or the remainder of (B). The mass of a portion of (B) that is thawed in (C) is less than or equal to 1 / 10 of the mass of (C). We offer frozen cooked noodles. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for producing cooked noodles, 1) Thaw the frozen cooked noodles by adding (A): frozen cooked noodles, and optionally (B): frozen soup and / or a portion of the water, to (C): hot water used for thawing. 2) Add all of (B) to the cooked noodles after thawing, or if part of (B) was added in 1), add the remaining portion. Includes, The mass ratio of (A) to (C) is (A):(C)=1:1~3, The mass of a portion of (B) that is thawed in (C) is less than or equal to 1 / 10 of the mass of (C). Provide a method. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The frozen cooked noodles of the present invention, when thawed by adding hot water while in the container, become cooked noodles with a good texture that separates easily and has little variation in texture. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The frozen cooked noodles of the present invention can be eaten by adding hot water, without the need for direct heat or microwave heating. The frozen cooked noodles of the present invention basically consist of (A): frozen cooked noodles and (B): frozen soup and / or water.

[0010] The frozen cooked noodles in (A) are noodles that have been cooked and then frozen to make them edible. Any type of noodle commonly used for cooking, such as fresh noodles, semi-fresh noodles, and dried noodles, can be used. There are no particular restrictions on the type of noodles, and examples include soba, udon, somen, hiyamugi, Chinese noodles, cold noodles, short pasta, long pasta, and noodle wrappers.

[0011] The noodles may be made primarily from flours and / or starches. Examples of flours include those commonly used as noodle ingredients, such as wheat flour, buckwheat flour, corn flour, rye flour, barley flour, oat flour, and rice flour. Examples of wheat flour include weak flour, medium flour, semi-strong flour, strong flour, durum flour, and whole wheat flour. Any one or more of these flours can be used in combination. Examples of starches include unprocessed starches such as potato starch, tapioca starch, corn starch, waxy corn starch, wheat starch, and sweet potato starch, as well as processed starches obtained by crosslinking, esterification, etherification, oxidation, or gelatinization. Any one or more of these starches can be used in combination. Preferably, the starch is tapioca starch. Preferably, the starches are modified starches, and more preferably one or more selected from etherified starches and acetylated starches. Even more preferably, the starches are modified tapioca starches, and more preferably one or more selected from etherified tapioca starches and acetylated tapioca starches.

[0012] The content of the grain flours and starches in the raw material flour for the noodles can be appropriately determined according to the type of noodles to be made. Preferably, the total content of the grain flours and / or starches in the raw material flour is preferably 60% by mass or more, more preferably 80% by mass or more. The raw material flour does not have to contain grain flours but not starches, but preferably it contains grain flours and starches. The content of the starches in the raw material flour is preferably 10 to 85% by mass, more preferably 30 to 70% by mass, of the total amount of grain flours and starches.

[0013] The raw material flour for the noodles may also contain auxiliary materials commonly used in noodle ingredients, such as salt; lye water; egg powder such as egg white powder and whole egg powder; thickeners such as xanthan gum, guar gum, locust bean gum, alginic acid and its salts, agar, gelatin, and pectin; fats and oils such as animal and vegetable oils, emulsified fats and oils, and shortening; emulsifiers such as lecithin, glycerin fatty acid esters, and sucrose fatty acid esters; inorganic salts such as carbonates and phosphates; proteins such as gluten, soy protein, and casein; sorbitol; ethyl alcohol; enzymes, etc. The content of these auxiliary materials in the raw material flour should be appropriately determined according to the type of noodles to be made. Preferably, the raw material flour contains gluten. The gluten content in the raw material flour is preferably 1 to 17% by mass, more preferably 5 to 14% by mass.

[0014] Fresh noodles can be produced by mixing the raw material flour with water in the usual procedure and then shaping it. The shape of the fresh noodles can be appropriately selected depending on the type of noodles to be produced. For example, the thickness of the fresh noodles is typically preferably around 1.0 to 5.0 mm. Furthermore, semi-fresh noodles or dried noodles can be produced by appropriately drying the obtained fresh noodles. As for how to cook the produced noodles to make them edible, the usual method can be followed, such as boiling or steaming. For example, if the noodles are fresh, they should be boiled or steamed so that the yield is 140 to 250% (per noodle).

[0015] By freezing the cooked noodles described above, the frozen cooked noodles of (A) can be produced. Preferably, one to several servings of the cooked noodles, for example, about 50 to 250 g, are set aside and frozen. Freezing of the noodles can be carried out according to conventional methods, and is preferably done by rapid freezing. Examples of rapid freezing methods include the air blast method, liquid method, contact method, and liquefied gas method.

[0016] Examples of the frozen soup in (B) include broth, sauce, and dressing that are eaten with noodles. The soup is preferably a concentrated soup and is diluted with (C): hot water used for thawing to obtain a soup with a flavor suitable for eating. The soup in (B) is preferably liquid at room temperature, but may be gel-like at room temperature.

[0017] Alternatively, the frozen cooked noodles of the present invention may not contain soup as (B) but may contain frozen water (ice). In that case, the frozen cooked noodles of the present invention may contain seasonings. Preferably, the seasonings are in paste or solid (e.g., block or powder) form. The seasonings are added to the hot water (C) used for thawing before or after thawing the noodles to form a soup. Alternatively, the frozen cooked noodles of the present invention may contain both frozen soup and frozen water (ice) as (B). The freezing of the soup and water may be carried out according to a conventional method similar to that for the cooked noodles. For example, the soup and water may be portioned into amounts for 1 to several servings, packaged as necessary, and then frozen according to a conventional method.

[0018] In the frozen cooked noodles of the present invention, the mass ratio of (A): frozen cooked noodles to (B): frozen soup and / or water is preferably (A):(B) = 1:0.25 to 1, more preferably 1:0.5 to 1. If the amount of (B) is too large, thawing is likely to be insufficient. When (B) contains soup, it is preferable to appropriately adjust the concentration of the soup in (B) so that the flavor of the soup in which (B) is dissolved is suitable for eating, taking into account the amount of hot water (C) used for thawing.

[0019] The amounts of (A) and (B) contained in the frozen cooked noodles of the present invention are preferably 1 to several servings from the viewpoint of handling properties. For example, the mass of (A) is 50 to 250 g, and the mass of (B) is preferably 0.25 to 1 times, more preferably 0.5 to 1 times that of (A). Further, the amount of (A) contained in the frozen cooked noodles of the present invention can be determined according to the mass ratio of (C): hot water used for thawing. For example, from the viewpoints of the looseness and texture of the noodles after thawing, and the balance between the soup and the amount of noodles, the mass ratio of (A) to (C) is preferably (A):(C)=1:1 to 3, more preferably 1:1.5 to 2. (C)

[0020] The frozen cooked noodles of the present invention may further contain (D): ingredients. The ingredients may be frozen or dried. The ingredients may be provided in individual packages or may be contained in (B). Alternatively, they may be stored together with (A) in a container for storing (A) described later. When the amount of (D) contained in the frozen cooked noodles of the present invention is thawed with the hot water of (C) together with (A), it is preferably 30% by mass or less with respect to (A). On the other hand, when it is contained in (B), it is preferably 30% by mass or less with respect to (B).

[0021] Preferably, the frozen cooked noodles of the present invention are provided as frozen cooked noodles in a container including a container for storing the above (A). Preferably, the container is made of a material that can withstand the temperature of the hot water for thawing, such as plastic or paper. Preferably, the container is used for thawing (A). Specifically, (C) is poured into the container storing (A) to thaw (A). Examples of the shape of the container include a bowl shape and a donburi shape, and it is preferably large enough to store the entire amount of (C). The container may be sealed with a lid or a sealing material in a state where (A) is stored. Preferably, after storing (A), the container is sealed with a lid or a sealing material as necessary, and further sealed with a wrap film or a packaging bag, etc.

[0022] The container may contain or be attached to (B). (B) may be separately packaged and placed inside the container, or attached separately outside the container, or, if necessary, separately packaged and placed on top of the lid or seal. The container may also contain or be attached to (D). (D) may be stored inside the container together with (A), or contained in (B), or, if necessary, separately packaged and attached on top of the lid or seal, or outside the container.

[0023] When manufacturing frozen cooked noodles in containers, for example, unfrozen cooked noodles may be placed in a container and frozen, or frozen cooked noodles may be placed in a container. The soup and / or water in (B) and the ingredients in (D) may be frozen after being placed in or attached to the container, or frozen before being placed in or attached to the container.

[0024] The frozen cooked noodles of the present invention, once manufactured, may be frozen and stored as is, or they may be frozen and stored after attaching a lid or sealing material to the container, or after wrapping the container with plastic wrap or a packaging bag. The method of freezing and storage can be the same as in the conventional method, and they are preferably stored at -20 to -80°C.

[0025] Cooked noodles are produced by thawing the frozen cooked noodles of the present invention with hot water. Specifically, the frozen cooked noodles of the present invention are thawed by adding (C) to (A) contained in the frozen cooked noodles of the present invention. For example, if the frozen cooked noodles of the present invention are packaged in a container, (C) can be poured into the container containing (A). Alternatively, if the frozen cooked noodles of the present invention are not provided with a container, (A) can be placed in a suitable container such as a dish, and (C) can be poured into it. The frozen cooked noodles of the present invention are thawed to an edible state by adding hot water containing (C) as described above, and there is no need for further active heating for thawing, such as direct flame heating or microwave heating. Furthermore, it is not necessarily required to drain the hot water containing (C) after thawing the frozen cooked noodles of the present invention.

[0026] When thawing the frozen cooked noodles of the present invention, (B) does not need to be thawed together with (A) in (C). Therefore, (A) can be thawed in the water of (C) without (B), but (A) may also be thawed together with a portion of (B) added to (C) and thawed in the water of (C). In this case, if too much (B) is thawed, it will negatively affect the looseness and texture of (A) after thawing. Preferably, the mass of (B) thawed together with (A) is 1 / 10 or less of the mass of (C).

[0027] The thawing time for the frozen cooked noodles of the present invention may vary depending on the mass of (A) and the preference for the texture after thawing, but is preferably 2 to 7 minutes. The temperature of (C) used for thawing is preferably 60°C or higher, more preferably 80°C or higher, and even more preferably 90°C or higher. In addition, (D) may be thawed together with (A) during the thawing process. Alternatively, if (D) is a dried ingredient, (D) may be added before or after thawing (A).

[0028] Next, (B) is added to the cooked noodles obtained by thawing. Preferably, (B) is added to (C) and mixed. At this time, if (B) has not yet been added to (C), all of (B) is added to (C). On the other hand, if a portion of (B) has been added to (C) together with (A), the remaining (B) is added to (C). As a result, if (B) contains soup, the soup in (B) is diluted by (C) to form a soup for consumption. Alternatively, if (B) is ice and the frozen cooked noodles of the present invention contain seasonings, the seasonings are added to (C) before or after thawing (A), and together with the water produced from the melting of the ice in (C) and (B), a soup for consumption is formed. Furthermore, in the present invention, (A) and (C) can be cooled by adding (B). In a preferred example, the cooked noodles after thawing are cooled by (B) and can become chilled noodles. Preferably, the temperature of the soup served with the prepared noodles is 35°C or lower. [Examples]

[0029] The effects of the present invention will be specifically explained below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0030] 〔material〕 Flour: All-purpose flour Etherified tapioca starch: Yuri 8 (Matsutani Chemical) Acetylated tapioca starch: Ajisai (Matsutani Chemical) Gluten: A-Glu GB (Glico Nutritional Food)

[0031] [Test Example 1] (Pre-cooked noodles) The raw material flour (medium-strength flour) was mixed with kneading water (water containing salt and lye water) and kneaded under reduced pressure (-0.093 MPa) to prepare the dough. The dough was rolled and compounded using a noodle-making roller to produce a noodle sheet, which was then cut with a cutting blade (#20 square) to produce Chinese noodle strands (noodle thickness 1.5 mm). The obtained strands were boiled to achieve a boiling yield of 180% (per noodle) to produce boiled Chinese noodles. (Ingredients) I used store-bought char siu and menma. (soup) A commercially available concentrated liquid ramen soup base, diluted to twice its original concentration, was used.

[0032] (Manufacturing of frozen prepared noodles) Volume 750cm 3 The noodles and toppings were filled into a polystyrene foam container to a total weight of 100g and rapidly frozen in a shock freezer (-30°C). The soup was weighed to a predetermined weight and frozen. The frozen containers of noodles and toppings (A) and the frozen soup (B) were stored in a freezer at -18°C for 3 days.

[0033] (evaluation) After 3 days of frozen storage, hot water (C) at the temperature and amount shown in Table 1 was added to the container containing (A), and (A) was thawed by letting it stand for 3 or 5 minutes. In the comparative example, the entire amount of frozen soup (B) was added along with the hot water (C). In the production example, the frozen soup (B) was either not added or only partially added when the hot water (C) was added. After thawing, the degree to which the noodles could be separated was evaluated using chopsticks. Next, in the production example, all or the remainder of the frozen soup was added. The soup was stirred with chopsticks to prepare the cooked noodles. The temperature of the soup of the prepared cooked noodles was checked. The unevenness of the texture and the texture of the prepared cooked noodles were also evaluated. The separation of the noodles, the unevenness of the texture, and the texture were evaluated by 10 expert panelists using the following evaluation criteria. For texture, the average score of the 10 judges was calculated. For separation and unevenness of texture, the evaluation with the most frequent selection was adopted. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0034] <Evaluation Criteria> (loosening properties) ◎: Noodles separate easily ○: No problem with loosening. △: Slightly poor loosening ×: Not loosening well (Uneven texture) ◎: The noodles were thawed uniformly, resulting in consistent texture. ○: The noodles were thawed almost uniformly, with virtually no variation in texture. △: Edible, but the texture of the noodles is inconsistent. ×: Contains unmelted (frozen) noodles and is not edible. (Texture) 5 points: Excellent viscoelasticity. 4 points: Good viscoelasticity. 3 points: Viscoelasticity is somewhat good. Point 2: Viscoelasticity is somewhat poor. 1 point: Poor viscoelasticity.

[0035] [Table 1]

[0036] [Test Example 2] Boiled Chinese noodles were prepared using the same procedure as in Test Example 1, except that the composition of the noodle flour and kneading water was changed as shown in Table 2. These were then placed in a container and rapidly frozen using the same procedure as in Test Example 1. The frozen container of noodles (A) and the frozen soup (B) prepared in Test Example 1 were stored in a -18°C freezer for 3 days. After freezing, the noodles were thawed using the same procedure as in Test Example 1, and cooked noodles were prepared. (B) was not added when thawing (A), and the entire amount of (B) was added after thawing (A). The temperature of the soup of the prepared cooked noodles was checked. In addition, the texture of the noodles in the prepared cooked noodles was evaluated by 10 expert panelists according to the following evaluation criteria, and the average score was calculated. The results are shown in Table 2. <Evaluation Criteria> (Texture) 5 points: Better viscoelasticity than the control. 4 points: Viscoelasticity is slightly better than the control. 3. It has the same viscoelasticity as the control. Points 2: Slightly inferior in viscoelasticity compared to the control. 1 point: Inferior to the control in terms of viscoelasticity.

[0037] [Table 2]

Claims

1. These are frozen noodles that can be thawed in boiling water without microwave heating and eaten as chilled noodles. (A): Frozen pre-cooked noodles, and (B): Frozen soup and / or water, The mass ratio of (A) to (B) is (A):(B) = 1:0.25 to 1. The mass ratio of (A) and (C): hot water used for thawing is (A):(C) = 1:1 to 3. The frozen cooked noodles are prepared by thawing (A) and, if necessary, a portion of (B) in (C) without microwave heating, then adding all or the remainder of (B) to the thawed (A) and (C) and cooling, and then consuming them as chilled noodles. The mass of a portion of (B) that is thawed in (C) is 1 / 10 or less of the mass of (C), (C) together with (B) constitutes a soup for consumption. Frozen cooked noodles.

2. The frozen cooked noodles according to claim 1, which are consumed when the soup is at a temperature of 35°C or lower.

3. The frozen cooked noodles according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the mass of (A) is 50 to 250 g.

4. The frozen cooked noodles according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the soup in (B) is a concentrated soup.

5. Frozen cooked noodles according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the temperature of (C) is 60°C or higher.

6. The frozen cooked noodles according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the raw material flour for the cooked noodles in (A) includes grain flours and starches.

7. The frozen cooked noodles according to claim 6, wherein the amount of starch in the total amount of the aforementioned flours and starches is 10 to 85% by mass.

8. The frozen cooked noodles according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein (A) is stored in a container, and by adding (C) to the container, (A) and, if necessary, a portion of (B) are thawed.

9. Furthermore, (D): Frozen cooked noodles according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising frozen ingredients.

10. A method for manufacturing cooked noodles, 1) Thawing without microwave heating by adding (A): frozen cooked noodles, and optionally (B): a portion of frozen soup and / or water, and (C): hot water used for thawing, as contained in any one of claims 1 to 9. 2) After thawing, add all of (B), or the remaining portion if part of (B) was added in 1), to (A) and (C), and cool to obtain chilled noodles. Includes, The mass ratio of (A) to (C) is (A):(C) = 1:1 to 3, The mass of a portion of (B) that is thawed in (C) is 1 / 10 or less of the mass of (C), (C) together with (B) constitutes a soup for consumption. method.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the temperature of the soup for consumption in the prepared cooked noodles is 35°C or lower.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the temperature of (C) is 60°C or higher.

13. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein (A) is stored in a container, and by adding (C) to the container, (A) and, if necessary, a portion of (B) are thawed.

14. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the soup in (B) is a concentrated soup.

15. The frozen cooked noodles according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein (B) is frozen water and (C) further comprises seasonings to be added to constitute the soup for consumption.

16. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein (B) is frozen water, and the frozen cooked noodles further include seasonings to be added to (C) to constitute the soup for consumption.

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