Frozen sauce

Abstract

To provide frozen sauces that allow for easy preparation of cold noodle dishes, and frozen foods for preparing cold noodle dishes that include said frozen sauces. [Solution] The present invention provides a frozen sauce for preparing chilled flavored noodles, which includes a plurality of lumpy frozen sauces, and a frozen food kit for preparing chilled flavored noodles, which includes the frozen sauce and frozen noodles.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technology of frozen sauces. Specifically, the present invention relates to a frozen sauce for preparing cold-flavored noodles.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, as frozen foods of cold noodles that can be easily cooked, frozen foods of cold noodles that can be cooked in a microwave oven have been put on the market. For example, Patent Document 1 states that a frozen food including a frozen sauce, frozen noodles, and a plurality of small ice cubes can impart a desired cold feeling while thawing the frozen noodles by a microwave oven. However, in the technology of Patent Document 1, it was necessary to devise the arrangement in the container of the frozen sauce, frozen noodles, and a plurality of small ice cubes. Further, in the technology of Patent Document 1, it was necessary to control the amount of small ice cubes. There were problems such that the amount of small ice cubes became too large to give a cold feeling and the sauce became watery, or conversely, the amount of small ice cubes was insufficient and a sufficient cold feeling could not be provided. Furthermore, since ice was used, it was not suitable for cold pasta based on oil such as Aglio e Olio. There are also technologies described in Patent Documents 2 and 3, but all are technologies using ice and have the same problems as Patent Document 1 above.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The inventors of this invention conducted diligent research to solve the above problems and achieve the above objectives, and as a result found that the above requirements could be met by providing a frozen sauce for preparing chilled flavored noodles using multiple block-shaped frozen sauces, thus completing the present invention. Specifically, embodiments of the present invention may be as follows. [1] A frozen sauce for preparing chilled seasoned noodles, containing multiple chunks of frozen sauce. [2] The frozen sauce for chilled flavored noodles according to [1], wherein the total mass of the multiple chunks of frozen sauce is 1 to 90% by mass of the total mass of the chilled flavored noodles. [3] A frozen sauce for chilled seasoned noodles according to [1] or [2], wherein the mass ratio of the plurality of frozen chunk sauces to the noodles alone before seasoning is [multiple frozen chunk sauces]:[noodles alone]=1:10 to 10:1. [4] The frozen sauce for chilled flavored noodles according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the shape of the block-shaped frozen sauce is selected from the group consisting of polyhedra, spheres, hemispheres, cylinders, cones, and pyramids having 4 to 20 faces. [5] A frozen sauce for chilled flavored noodles according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the volume of one of the block-shaped frozen sauces at room temperature before freezing is 1 to 1000 ml. [6] A frozen sauce for chilled flavored noodles according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the noodles are selected from the group consisting of udon, soba, somen, hiyamugi, kishimen, pasta, ramen, vermicelli, vermicelli, cold noodles, pho, and tokoroten. [7] A frozen food kit for preparing chilled flavored noodles, comprising a frozen sauce as described in any of [1] to [5] above and frozen noodles. [8] The frozen food kit for preparing chilled flavored noodles according to [6], wherein the noodles of the frozen noodles are selected from the group consisting of udon, soba, somen, hiyamugi, kishimen, pasta, ramen, vermicelli, vermicelli, cold noodles, pho, and tokoroten. [9] A chilled flavored noodle dish made by mixing a frozen sauce described in any of [1] to [5] above with noodles that have been heated or kept at room temperature.

[10] The chilled flavored noodles according to [9], wherein the noodles are selected from the group consisting of udon, soba, somen, hiyamugi, kishimen, pasta, ramen, vermicelli, cold noodles, pho, glass noodles, and tokoroten.

[11] (1) A process of adjusting the temperature of noodles to room temperature or higher, (2) A step of mixing the frozen sauce described in any of [1] to [5] above with the noodles whose temperature has been adjusted in (1) to obtain flavored noodles having a temperature of less than 40°C, and (3) Optionally, a step of cooling the flavored noodles obtained in (2) to 0-35°C. A method for manufacturing chilled, flavored noodles, including [the specified ingredient].

[12] The method for producing chilled flavored noodles according to

[11] , wherein the noodles are selected from the group consisting of udon, soba, somen, hiyamugi, kishimen, pasta, ramen, vermicelli, vermicelli, cold noodles, pho, and tokoroten. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] By mixing noodles at room temperature or partially heated with the frozen sauce of the present invention, it is possible to provide cold noodles that can be eaten at a moderately chilled state. By providing a frozen food kit containing the frozen sauce and frozen noodles of the present invention, it is possible to provide a frozen food kit that allows even people unfamiliar with cooking to easily prepare cold noodles using a microwave oven or the like. In particular, by using the frozen sauce of the present invention, ice and a colander for making cold noodles become unnecessary, simplifying the cooking process. Furthermore, by using the frozen food kit of the present invention, it becomes unnecessary to prepare a pot, water, and salt for boiling noodles, thus avoiding the use of unnecessary energy. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] Herein, the embodiments for carrying out the invention will be described in detail, but the preferred and more preferred embodiments exemplified below can be used in appropriate combinations with each other, regardless of expressions such as "preferred" or "more preferred." Furthermore, the numerical ranges are illustrative examples, and ranges obtained by appropriately combining the upper and lower limits of each range and the numerical values ​​of the examples can also be used. In addition, terms such as "contains" or "includes" may be read as "essentially" or "consists only of."

[0008] [Frozen Sauce] One aspect of the present invention relates to a frozen sauce for preparing chilled flavored noodles, comprising a plurality of block-shaped frozen sauces. Multiple frozen block sauces refer to sauce bases that have been frozen in block form, and are suitable for mixing with noodles to produce cold noodles. Examples of sauce bases include tomato base, white cream base, oil base, pesto base, cheese base, Japanese style base, curry base, and mushroom base. Tomato bases include marinara, arrabiata, and bolognese, and include red sauces made primarily from tomatoes and water. White cream bases include carbonara, alfredo, and gorgonzola, and include white sauces made primarily from milk, cream, butter, cheese, and eggs. Oil bases include aglio e olio, peperoncino, and vongole, and include white sauces made primarily from olive oil, salad oil, or vegetable oil. Pesto bases include vegetable sauces made from basil, nuts, and herbs. Cheese bases include cheese fondue, ricotta, mozzarella, and mascarpone, and include sauces made primarily from cheese. Japanese-style bases include sauces based on traditional Japanese seasonings such as soy sauce, mirin, dashi, nori, miso, salt, and sesame paste. Curry-based sauces include sauces based on spices used in curry, such as cumin, coriander, and turmeric. Mushroom-based sauces include sauces using mushrooms such as truffles, porcini, shimeji, button mushrooms, and shiitake, especially those with rich aromas. When the noodles are udon, soba, somen, hiyamugi, kishimen, ramen, vermicelli, pho, vermicelli, and tokoroten, a sauce base suitable for each type of soup may be used. For example, when the noodles are udon, soba, somen, hiyamugi, and kishimen, in addition to the Japanese-style bases mentioned above, a so-called noodle soup base containing dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar may also be used. If the noodles are ramen, the sauce may be sesame sauce, soy sauce, salt sauce, miso sauce, pork bone broth, soy milk, chili bean paste, etc. If the noodles are rice vermicelli, cold noodles, or pho, the soup used in each respective dish may be used. The above sauce base may be used individually or in combination of multiple types.

[0009] The sauce base contains liquids that are solid at freezer temperatures (-18°C) but liquid at room temperature, such as water, milk, fresh cream, oil, vinegar (grain vinegar, rice vinegar, synthetic vinegar, etc.), balsamic vinegar, alcohol (wine, sake, etc.), and mirin. When these liquids melt from a frozen solid state into a liquid, they absorb heat from the noodles, allowing the noodles to be served chilled. The sauce base contains at least one flavor component. Flavor components include all the components found in the sauce base mentioned above (e.g., white cream, cheese, mushrooms, soy sauce, etc.), but may also include solid spices and seasonings at room temperature, such as bouillon powder, salt, sugar, pepper, spices, chili peppers, cinnamon, fish meal, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage, nutmeg, cloves, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, etc., as well as plants such as tomatoes, leeks, garlic, ginger, onions, lemons, oranges, and herbs. Dried tomatoes (sun-dried tomatoes) and dried lemons (dried lemons) may be used as flavor components. Additionally, medium-chain triglyceride oils with approximately 8-12 carbon atoms, grapeseed oil, and safflower oil, which are liquid at refrigerator temperatures (-18°C), may be included in amounts that can be stably contained within the frozen sauce mass.

[0010] Block-frozen sauces may contain ingredients. Examples of ingredients include meats such as chicken, duck, pork, beef, and sausage; seafood such as tuna, bonito, salmon, mackerel, sardines, sea bream, flounder, squid, octopus, clams, mussels, scallops, cockles, oysters, sea urchin, shrimp, crab, lobster, and fish cake; cheeses such as mozzarella, coda, cheddar, and Comté; leafy vegetables such as cabbage, lettuce, spinach, and Chinese cabbage; root vegetables such as radish, turnip, carrot, potato, sweet potato, and ginger; fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes (including sun-dried and semi-dried tomatoes), cucumbers, eggplants, bell peppers, avocados, and zucchini; and even green onions, broccoli, pumpkin, lotus root, bamboo shoots, cod roe, spicy cod roe, tempura batter scraps, and fried tofu. These ingredients can be included in the frozen sauce, or they can be frozen separately and added to the noodles separately when mixing with the sauce. Furthermore, these ingredients may be served at room temperature or warmed without being frozen. In this disclosure, freezing means -18°C ± 2°C, preferably -18°C, unless otherwise specified. In this disclosure, room temperature means 15-25°C, preferably 20°C, as defined in the Japanese Food Additives Standards (9th edition), unless otherwise specified. In this disclosure, heating means 40-150°C, preferably 50-100°C, and more preferably 60-80°C, depending on the type of noodles used and the target temperature of the chilled flavored noodles, unless otherwise specified. In this disclosure, unless otherwise specified, all processes are carried out at atmospheric pressure (1013 hPa).

[0011] Here, "block shape," that is, the shape of the block-shaped frozen sauce, can be a solid, polyhedron, sphere, hemisphere, cylinder, cone, or pyramid with 4 to 20 faces. Examples of polyhedra with 4 to 20 faces include tetrahedrons, hexahedrons, octahedrons, dodecahedrons, and icosahedrons, preferably approximately regular tetrahedrons, approximately regular hexahedrons, approximately regular octahedrons, approximately regular dodecahedrons, or approximately regular icosahedrons, but other shapes such as prisms, bipyramids, stellated polyhedra, etc. The "sphere" in spheres and hemispheres may be a perfect sphere or an approximately sphere with an elliptical cross-section. The size of one block-shaped frozen sauce is preferably such that the longest part has dimensions of, for example, 0.1 to 10 cm, preferably 0.2 to 8 cm, more preferably 0.3 to 5 cm, and even more preferably 1.5 cm ± 0.5 cm. On the other hand, the dimensions of the shortest part may be, for example, 0.01 to 0.9 times, preferably 0.05 to 0.6 times, and more preferably 0.1 to 0.3 times, the dimensions of the longest part. The volume of one block of frozen sauce may be in the range of the cube of the lower limit of the dimensions of the shortest part to the cube of the upper limit of the dimensions of the longest part, or for example, 0.001 to 1000 cm³. 3 Preferably 0.01 to 500 cm 3 More preferably 0.1 to 1000 cm 3 More preferably 1 cm 3 ±0.5cm 3 It is preferable that the volume of one block of frozen sauce at room temperature before freezing is, for example, 1 to 1000 ml, preferably 8 to 500 ml, more preferably 30 to 300 ml, and even more preferably 50 to 200 ml.

[0012] As a method for manufacturing a块状frozen sauce with a suitable shape and capacity, a method of mixing source-based raw materials to prepare a source base, putting it into a mold and cooling it, and a method of creating a large frozen sauce and cutting the obtained block of the large frozen sauce finely with a knife or the like can be used. As the mold, those made of silicone, plastic (such as polycarbonate), metal (such as stainless steel), etc., and capable of creating about 10 to 100, or about 20 to 50块状frozen sauces are preferable. As the large frozen sauce, for example, it may have a size equivalent to 10 to 100, or 20 to 50块状frozen sauces. The number of "plural" referred to in "a plurality of块状frozen sauces" varies depending on the amount of noodles, how many servings, etc., but as one serving, it is preferably 5 to 100, more preferably 10 to 80, still more preferably 15 to 60, and even more preferably 20 to 40.

[0013] The total mass of a plurality of块状frozen sauces only needs to be sufficient to flavor the entire cold-flavored noodles and to be an amount sufficient to cool the noodles to the target temperature. Specifically, when the total mass of the entire cold-flavored noodles is 100% by mass, the total mass of a plurality of块状frozen sauces is, for example, preferably 1 to 90% by mass, more preferably 5 to 80% by mass, still more preferably 10 to 70% by mass, and even more preferably 15 to 60% by mass. Here, the "total mass" means the mass obtained by summing up the masses of all the plurality of块状frozen sauces used. The mass ratio of a plurality of块状frozen sauces to the noodles alone before flavoring is, for example, preferably [a plurality of块状frozen sauces]:[noodles alone]=1:10 to 10:1, more preferably 1:4 to 4:1, still more preferably 2:5 to 5:2, and even more preferably 1:3 to 3:1. The noodles alone here mean the noodles immediately before mixing with the块状frozen sauce. For example, when boiling noodles and mixing them with the块状frozen sauce, it means the noodles immediately after boiling and with as much of the boiling water adhering to the noodles removed as possible (for example, the boiled noodles are placed in a colander and drained for 3 minutes by their own weight). It should be noted that the term "块状" in the original text seems to be a misspelling or an unclear expression. It might be intended to be "块状" which could be translated as "block-shaped" or "块状的". I've translated it as "块状" for the purpose of maintaining the consistency with the original text. You may want to double-check the accuracy of this term in the original context.The mass ratio of water to oil in the solid frozen sauce is preferably, for example, [water]:[oil] = 50:50 to 99:1, more preferably 55:45 to 90:10, more preferably 60:40 to 80:10, and even more preferably 70:30 to 80:20. The higher the water content in the solid frozen sauce, the greater the cooling effect on the noodles. At the same time, the presence of sufficient oil allows the viscosity of the solid frozen sauce to be maintained at a high level, enabling the sauce to be evenly mixed with the noodles (making it easier for the sauce to coat the noodles).

[0014] Examples of noodle dishes include udon, soba, somen, hiyamugi, kishimen, pasta, ramen, vermicelli, glass noodles, cold noodles, pho, and tokoroten. Pasta here includes long pastas such as spaghetti, cappellini, fedelini, linguine, tagliatelle, fettuccine, pappardelle, and bucatini; short pastas such as penne, rigatoni, farfalle, fusilli, conchiglie, orecchiette, trofie, and cavatappi; stuffed pastas such as ravioli, tortellini, agnolotti, and cannelloni; and gnocchi, lasagna, and maltagliati. Ramen dishes include hiyashi chuka, tsukemen, hiyashi ramen, and hiyashi tantanmen. Thus, the term "noodles" includes not only long, thin noodles but also thicker, more lumpy noodles like short pasta. When the noodles are long and slender stick-shaped noodles, the length in the state of dry noodles is, for example, 10 to 50 cm, preferably 20 to 30 cm, more preferably about 25 cm ± 3 cm, and the thickness in the state of dry noodles is, for example, 0.5 to 5 mm, preferably 1 to 3 mm, more preferably about 1.5 mm ± 0.3 mm. In the state of fresh noodles, it may be 1 to 2 times, 1.1 to 1.8 times, 1.2 to 1.6 times, 1.1 times, 1.2 times, 1.3 times, 1.4 times, 1.5 times, 1.6 times, 1.7 times, or 1.8 times the above length and thickness. The cross-section of the long and slender stick-shaped noodles in the state of dry noodles may be circular, elliptical, (regular) square, (regular) hexagonal, (regular) octagonal, tubular (doughnut-shaped), windmill-shaped, etc. The cross-section of the long and slender stick-shaped noodles in the state of fresh noodles may be circular, elliptical, (regular) square, (regular) hexagonal, (regular) octagonal, etc.

[0015] Although the amount of noodles varies depending on the type, in terms of the amount of dry noodles, for example, 50 to 500 g per serving, preferably 100 to 400 g per serving, more preferably 150 to 300 g per serving is suitable. Also, in terms of the amount of fresh noodles, it is suitable to be in the range of 1 to 2 times, 1.1 to 1.8 times, 1.2 to 1.6 times, 1.1 times, 1.2 times, 1.3 times, 1.4 times, 1.5 times, 1.6 times, 1.7 times, or 1.8 times the above range. Also, for noodles immediately before mixing with the块状冷冻酱汁 (block-shaped frozen sauce), for example, in the case of boiled noodles, when the noodles are immediately boiled and the hot water adhering to the noodles is removed as much as possible (for example, the boiled noodles are placed in a colander and drained for 3 minutes by their own weight), in this case, for example, 50 to 700 g per serving, preferably 100 to 500 g per serving, more preferably 150 to 300 g per serving is suitable. Noodles may be prepared by appropriately combining other than one serving, two or more servings, three or more servings, four or more servings, eight or less servings, nine or less servings, or ten or less servings. Noodles include all types of noodles, regardless of whether they are cooked or not, and regardless of whether they are dried or fresh. However, it is preferable that the noodles be pre-cooked, ready to eat, or frozen, cooked noodles that have been frozen. For commercially available noodles, it is appropriate to boil them in the amount of water and for the time specified in the instructions for cooking the noodles. However, in the case of cold noodles like those of the present invention, it is preferable to cook them for a longer time than specified in the instructions, for example, 5-80%, preferably 10-60%, and more preferably 30-55% longer than the temperature specified in the instructions. While the firmness of the noodles is a matter of preference, in the case of cold noodles, the firmness is determined immediately after cooling, so it is preferable to boil them for a longer time than specified in the instructions to prevent hard parts from remaining in the center. The surface temperature of the noodles may be frozen or at room temperature, or it may be, for example, 40°C or higher, or 40-150°C, preferably 50-100°C, and more preferably 60-80°C. To prevent noodles from sticking together, anti-adhesion agents such as xanthan gum, acacia gum, guar gum, guar gum hydrolysate, pectin, carrageenan, citric acid, lactic acid, starch, agar, and oil may be added. Examples of commercially available anti-adhesion agents include "Kuttsukanai de" (registered trademark) from Ina Foods Industry Co., Ltd. and "AK#CFD" from Aoba Chemical Co., Ltd., which contain acacia gum, guar gum hydrolysate, and agar.

[0016] [Frozen Food Kit] The frozen food kit for preparing chilled flavored noodles of the present invention comprises the above-mentioned plurality of block-shaped frozen sauces and frozen noodles. Here, "chilled flavored noodles" refers to chilled noodles prepared by mixing the heated noodles with the above-mentioned frozen sauces to flavor the noodles, while simultaneously cooling the noodles to an appropriate temperature. The temperature of the "chilled flavored noodles" is preferably 40°C or lower or less than 40°C, preferably around 0 to 35°C, more preferably 3 to 20°C, and even more preferably 5 to 15°C. Unless otherwise specified, these noodle temperatures refer to the surface temperature of the noodles. The flavoring of the "chilled flavored noodles" is done by the plurality of block-shaped frozen sauces, but other spices and sauces may also be added as desired. The added spices and sauces may appropriately use the flavor components used in the above-mentioned block-shaped frozen sauces. The frozen noodles included in the frozen food kit refer to the noodles described above as frozen in block form. The frozen noodles can preferably be pre-cooked and then frozen, as they can be heated and thawed as needed for immediate consumption. Alternatively, the frozen noodles may be pre-cooked so that they can be reheated by boiling or microwave before being mixed with the block form frozen sauces described above. The frozen food kit may optionally include frozen ingredients. These ingredients can be those described in the section on frozen sauces in block form. The frozen food kit for preparing chilled flavored noodles may include ice made only of water and without flavoring components, but given the intent of the present invention to provide chilled flavored noodles even without ice, it is preferable not to include water or ice as components of the kit. Furthermore, the definitions of "multiple block-shaped frozen sauces" and "noodles" are as described above. The various frozen sauces, frozen noodles, and toppings included in the frozen food kit may be packaged separately, or some may be pre-mixed and packaged together. For example, the frozen noodles may be packaged separately for thawing and heating, while the various frozen sauces and toppings are included in the same package. Alternatively, the noodles and toppings may be frozen together and packaged in the same package, while the various frozen sauces are packaged separately.

[0017] [Chilled seasoned noodles] Chilled flavored noodles refer to cold noodles made by mixing multiple block-shaped frozen sauces with room temperature or heated noodles. Here, "room temperature or heated noodles" means noodles as they are if the noodles are at room temperature, noodles adjusted to room temperature if the noodles are at a temperature other than room temperature, or noodles heated to a temperature of, for example, 40°C or higher, or 40-150°C, preferably 50-100°C, more preferably 60-80°C. The temperature of chilled flavored noodles is preferably, as described above, about 0-35°C, preferably 3-20°C, more preferably 5-15°C. The flavoring of "chilled flavored noodles" is also done by using multiple block-shaped frozen sauces, etc., as described above. Furthermore, "chilled flavored noodles" may optionally contain ingredients and flavorings. The definitions of ingredients and flavorings are as described above. Furthermore, the definitions of "flavored," "multiple frozen sauce blocks," and "noodles" are as described above.

[0018] [Manufacturing method for chilled flavored noodles] A method for producing chilled flavored noodles includes (1) a step of adjusting the temperature of the noodles to room temperature or higher, (2) a step of mixing a plurality of block-shaped frozen sauces with the temperature-adjusted noodles from (1) to obtain flavored noodles having a temperature of less than 40°C, and (3) optionally a step of cooling the flavored noodles obtained from (2) to 0-35°C. (1) In the process of adjusting the temperature of the noodles to room temperature or higher, if the noodles are frozen noodles, they are thawed naturally or heated to adjust the temperature to room temperature or higher. If the noodles are at room temperature, they can be prepared as room temperature noodles. If the noodles have been heated to a temperature higher than room temperature, for example, 30°C or higher, the heated noodles can be cooled or heated further to adjust the temperature to a temperature higher than room temperature, for example, 40°C or higher. Hereinafter, a temperature higher than room temperature means room temperature (15~25°C) and temperatures higher than that, for example, 30°C or higher, 35°C or higher, 40°C or higher, or 40~150°C, preferably 50~100°C, more preferably 60~80°C. Possible methods for heating noodles include boiling them in hot water, blanching them, heating them in soup, stir-frying them, and heating them in a microwave. Possible methods for cooling noodles include cooling them with running water (such as tap water), cooling them with ice or ice water, cooling them with cold air, cooling them with a cold water mist, cooling them in a refrigerator, freezer or chiller, and rapid cooling them in an IQ freezer or tunnel freezer. (2) In the step of mixing multiple frozen sauce chunks with the noodles whose temperature has been adjusted in (1) to obtain flavored noodles having a temperature of less than 40°C, the mixing is carried out using a container such as a plastic or stainless steel bowl so that the multiple frozen sauce chunks adhere uniformly to the noodles. The temperature of the resulting flavored noodles is preferably less than 40°C, preferably around 0 to 35°C, more preferably 3 to 20°C, and even more preferably 5 to 15°C. (3) The optional step of cooling the flavored noodles obtained in (2) to 0-35°C is a step of further cooling the flavored noodles obtained in (2) to a target temperature. The target temperature is preferably, for example, 0-35°C, preferably 3-30°C, more preferably 5-15°C, and even more preferably 10°C ± 3°C. The cooling method can be the cooling method described in step (1) above. When preparing chilled flavored noodles served at 15°C, the ratio of frozen items, such as multiple frozen sauce blocks and frozen toppings, to heated items, such as heated noodles and heated toppings, is as follows: For example, if the frozen items are at -15°C and the heated items are at 48°C, it is preferable to use, for example, 20 to 200g, preferably 30 to 150g, more preferably 40 to 100g, and even more preferably 80g ± 10g of frozen items for every 250g of heated items. [Examples]

[0019] The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. [Example 1] A sauce base was prepared by mixing 250g of tomato sauce (a mixture of 300g tomatoes, 6g olive oil, 40g onion, 3g salt, 8g sugar, and 125g water), 8g olive oil (manufactured by Nisshin Oillio Group, product name: Bosco EXV Olive Oil), 60g salad oil (manufactured by Nisshin Oillio Group, product name: Nisshin Salad Oil), 20g onion, 25g brewed vinegar (manufactured by Marukan Vinegar Co., Ltd., product name: Rice Vinegar), 6g salt, 12g sugar, and 40ml water (enough for 5 servings). The resulting sauce base was placed in an approximately rectangular polypropylene container, FPCO FL-18-13 (manufactured by FPCO Chupa Co., Ltd.), measuring approximately 179mm x 130mm x 35mm, and kept in a tunnel freezer (manufactured by Galileo) at -35°C for 10 minutes, then cooled to -18°C to create a frozen sauce (the mass ratio of water to oil in the frozen sauce was 72:28). The obtained frozen sauce was divided into 60 equal parts, creating 60 roughly hexagonal frozen sauce blocks with sides approximately 15 mm in actual size. The total mass of the 60 frozen sauce blocks was 80 g, and the volume of each frozen sauce block at room temperature before freezing was approximately 1.3 ml.

[0020] [Example 2] A sauce base was prepared by mixing 60g of spicy cod roe (manufactured by Narumiya Co., Ltd., product name: Uncolored Cod Roe), 200ml of milk, 50ml of water, 50g of salad oil (manufactured by Nisshin Oillio Group Ltd., product name: Nisshin Salad Oil), 25g of onion, 35g of brewed vinegar (manufactured by Marukan Vinegar Co., Ltd., product name: Rice Vinegar), 4g of salt, and 8g of refined sugar (enough for 5 servings). The resulting sauce base was placed in an approximately rectangular polypropylene container, FPCO FL-18-13 (manufactured by FPCO Chupa Co., Ltd.), measuring approximately 179mm x 130mm x 35mm, and kept at -35°C for 10 minutes in a tunnel freezer (manufactured by Galileo Co., Ltd.) to create a frozen sauce that cooled to -18°C (the mass ratio of water to oil in the frozen sauce was 75:25). The resulting frozen sauce was divided into 60 equal parts to create 60 approximately hexahedral frozen sauce blocks with sides of approximately 15mm in actual size. The total mass of the 60 frozen sauce blocks was 80g, and the volume of each frozen sauce block at room temperature before freezing was approximately 1.3ml.

[0021] [Example of noodle production 1] 500g of dried spaghetti (manufactured by Pietro Co., Ltd., product name: Pietro AGNESI Spaghettini 1.5mm (PT002IT_AGN Pietro Spaghettini 1.5), length 25.5cm, thickness 1.5mm, circular cross-section) was prepared and boiled in 4 liters of boiling water with a salt concentration of 0.8% by mass for 7 minutes and 30 seconds (normal boiling time is 5 minutes). The boiled spaghetti was cooled under running water (tap water) for 2 minutes, drained in a colander for 3 minutes by its own weight, and an aqueous solution of an anti-adhesion agent, prepared by dissolving 7g of "Kuttsukanai de" (registered trademark) from Ina Food Industry Co., Ltd., which contains acacia gum, guar gum enzyme hydrolysate, and agar, in 30g of water, was added to obtain the spaghetti material. To the 160g of spaghetti mixture obtained here, eight mozzarella cheeses (total 8g), three semi-dried tomatoes (total 12g), and four zucchini slices (total 12g) were added as ingredients. The mixture was then placed in the aforementioned polypropylene container FPCO FL-18-13 (manufactured by FPCO Chupa Co., Ltd.) and frozen at -35°C for 10 minutes using a tunnel freezer (manufactured by Galilei). The resulting frozen noodles with ingredients were then transferred to a freezer and maintained at -18°C. The block-shaped frozen sauce from Example 1 and the frozen noodles with ingredients produced here constitute a frozen food kit for preparing chilled flavored noodles.

[0022] [Example of noodle production 2] Frozen noodles with toppings were manufactured in the same manner as in noodle manufacturing example 1, except that an aqueous solution of adhesive inhibitor prepared by dissolving 7g of Ina Food Industry Co., Ltd.'s "Kuttsukanai de" (registered trademark) in 30g of water was replaced with an aqueous solution of adhesive inhibitor prepared by dissolving 4g of Aoba Kasei Co., Ltd.'s "AK#CFD" in 40g of water.

[0023] [Example of noodle production 3] 500g of dried spaghetti (manufactured by Pietro Co., Ltd., product name: Pietro AGNESI Spaghettini 1.5mm (PT002IT_AGN Pietro Spaghettini 1.5), 25cm long, 1.5mm thick, circular cross-section) was prepared and boiled in 4 liters of boiling water with a salt concentration of 0.8% by mass for 7 minutes and 30 seconds (normal boiling time is 5 minutes). The boiled spaghetti was cooled under running water (tap water) for 2 minutes, drained in a colander for 3 minutes by its own weight, and an aqueous solution of an anti-adhesion agent, prepared by dissolving 7g of "Kuttsukanai de" (registered trademark) from Ina Food Industry Co., Ltd., which contains acacia gum, guar gum enzyme hydrolysate, and agar, in 30g of water, was added to obtain the spaghetti material. 160g of the spaghetti mixture obtained here was placed in the aforementioned polypropylene container FPCO FL-18-13 (manufactured by FPCO Chupa Co., Ltd.), and then frozen in a tunnel freezer (manufactured by Galileo) at -35°C for 10 minutes. After deplating, 4 pieces of broccoli (total 15g) and 3 pieces of squid (total 15g) were added as ingredients to the resulting frozen noodles, and the container was transferred to a freezer and maintained at -18°C. The block-shaped frozen sauce from Example 1 and the frozen noodles with ingredients produced here constitute a frozen food kit for preparing chilled flavored noodles.

[0024] [Examples of chilled seasoned noodle preparations 1-4] 192g of frozen noodles with ingredients prepared in the above noodle manufacturing example 1 was heated in a 600W microwave for 2 minutes to obtain heated noodles (including heated ingredients) with a surface temperature of 48°C. Separately, 60 pieces (80g) of the multiple frozen sauce blocks prepared in the above example 1 were placed in a stainless steel bowl, and then 160g of the aforementioned heated noodles and 25g of heated ingredients were added to the bowl. The multiple frozen sauce blocks, noodles, and ingredients in the bowl were mixed together to thaw the frozen sauce blocks, and chilled flavored noodles with an overall temperature of 15°C were obtained (Chilled Flavored Noodle Preparation Example 1). Similarly, we performed the following examples: using noodle production example 2 instead of noodle production example 1 (cold flavored noodle preparation example 2), using example 2 instead of example 1 (cold flavored noodle preparation example 3), and using noodle production example 2 and example 2 instead of noodle production example 1 and example 1 (cold flavored noodle preparation example 4).

[0025] [Examples of chilled seasoned noodle preparations 5-6] 190g of frozen noodles with ingredients prepared in the above noodle manufacturing example 3 was heated in a 600W microwave oven for 2 minutes to obtain heated noodles (including heated ingredients) with a surface temperature of 46°C. Separately, 60 pieces (80g) of the multiple frozen sauce blocks prepared in Example 1 were placed in a stainless steel bowl, and then 160g of the aforementioned heated noodles and 27g of heated ingredients were added to the bowl. The multiple frozen sauce blocks, noodles, and frozen ingredients in the bowl were mixed together to thaw the frozen sauce blocks, and chilled flavored noodles with an overall temperature of 11°C were obtained (Chilled Flavored Noodle Preparation Example 5). Similarly, an example was performed using Example 2 instead of Example 1 (Chilled Flavored Noodle Preparation Example 6).

[0026] In summary, using any of the preparation examples 1 to 6, we were able to provide cold noodle dishes that could be enjoyed at a moderately chilled state.

Claims

1. A frozen sauce for preparing chilled flavored noodles, comprising multiple chunks of frozen sauce, wherein the mass ratio of water to oil in the chunks of frozen sauce is [water]:[oil] = 50:50 to 80:

20.

2. The frozen sauce for chilled flavored noodles according to claim 1, wherein the total mass of the multiple chunk-shaped frozen sauces is 1 to 90% by mass of the total mass of the chilled flavored noodles.

3. The frozen sauce for chilled flavored noodles according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the block-shaped frozen sauce is a roughly regular hexahedron with sides of 1.5 cm ± 0.5 cm.

4. The frozen sauce for chilled flavored noodles according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the block-shaped frozen sauce is selected from the group consisting of polyhedra having 4 to 20 faces, spheres, hemispheres, cylinders, cones, and pyramids.

5. The frozen sauce for chilled flavored noodles according to claim 1, wherein the volume of one of the block-shaped frozen sauces at room temperature before freezing is 1 to 1000 ml.

6. The frozen sauce for chilled flavored noodles according to claim 1, wherein the noodles are selected from the group consisting of udon, soba, somen, hiyamugi, kishimen, pasta, ramen, vermicelli, vermicelli, cold noodles, pho, and tokoroten.

7. A frozen food kit for preparing chilled flavored noodles, comprising a frozen sauce according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and frozen noodles, and not containing ice consisting only of water.

8. The frozen food kit for preparing chilled flavored noodles according to claim 7, wherein the noodles of the frozen noodles are selected from the group consisting of udon, soba, somen, hiyamugi, kishimen, pasta, ramen, vermicelli, glass noodles, cold noodles, pho, and tokoroten.

9. A chilled flavored noodle dish, comprising mixing a frozen sauce according to any one of claims 1 to 5 with noodles that have been heated or kept at room temperature.

10. The chilled flavored noodles according to claim 9, wherein the noodles are selected from the group consisting of udon, soba, somen, hiyamugi, kishimen, pasta, ramen, vermicelli, cold noodles, pho, glass noodles, and tokoroten.

11. (1) A process of adjusting the temperature of the noodles to a temperature above room temperature, (2) A step of obtaining flavored noodles having a temperature of less than 40°C by mixing the frozen sauce according to any one of claims 1 to 5 with the noodles whose temperature has been adjusted in (1), without using ice consisting only of water, and (3) Optionally, a step of cooling the flavored noodles obtained in (2) to 0-35°C. A method for manufacturing chilled, flavored noodles, including [the specified ingredient].

12. A method for producing chilled flavored noodles according to claim 11, wherein the noodles are selected from the group consisting of udon, soba, somen, hiyamugi, kishimen, pasta, ramen, vermicelli, vermicelli, cold noodles, pho, and tokoroten.