Method for manufacturing cooked noodles

Abstract

To provide frozen Chinese noodles that have excellent flavor and texture typical of Chinese noodles and have good soup adhesion even after thawing.SOLUTION: A method for producing frozen Chinese noodles includes steps of steaming the raw Chinese noodles, obtaining steamed noodles with a water content of 40.5-60 mass%, and freezing the noodles. The Chinese noodle is a multilayer noodle having a laminated structure in which a B layer is arranged between two A layers, and the pH of the A layer dough is 3.5-6.2, and the pH of the B layer dough is 8.7-11.0.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing cooked noodles.

Background Art

[0002] Techniques for improving the quality of boiled noodles by adjusting the pH of noodle dough have been disclosed. Patent Document 1 describes a multilayer noodle including a weakly acidic A layer with a pH of 4.0 to 5.5 and a weakly alkaline B layer with a pH of 8.5 to 11.5, and the A layer forms the outermost layer. Patent Document 2 describes a multilayer noodle composed of an inner layer containing kansui in an amount such that the pH becomes 7.2 to 9.4 and an outer layer with a pH of 4.0 to 7.0, and subjecting it to boiling treatment so that the moisture content becomes 55 to 70% by weight and then subjecting it to pressure heating sterilization treatment to produce pressure heating sterilized ramen. Patent Document 3 states that for Chinese noodles, when the pH of the noodles is high, the surface is likely to become overcooked, and the cooked noodles may be inferior in smoothness and texture. Also, it is described that a multilayer noodle in which the noodle dough for the outer layer is prepared from raw material powder and an aqueous solution with a pH of 5.6 to 6.0, and the noodle dough for the inner layer has a pH of 7.0 or higher has a smooth and good texture.

[0003] Frozen noodles are produced by freezing gelatinized noodles. Frozen noodles can be easily eaten by microwave heating or short-time boiling cooking. However, on the other hand, they are inferior in flavor and texture compared to freshly boiled noodles. Furthermore, frozen Chinese noodles have a problem that the flavor characteristic of Chinese noodles (so-called kansui smell) is easily impaired, and the soup adhesion also deteriorates. Patent Document 4 describes that a three-layer frozen noodle produced by subjecting a three-layer noodle with different contents of kansui powder or salt in the inner noodle part and the outer noodle part to gelatinization treatment and then freezing has a good texture after thawing.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

[0005] This invention provides frozen Chinese noodles that retain their characteristic flavor and texture even after thawing, and that also have good soup absorption. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is a method for producing frozen Chinese noodles, The fresh noodles of the Chinese noodle are steamed to obtain steamed noodles with a moisture content of 40.5 to 60% by mass. Freeze the steamed noodles. Includes, The Chinese noodles are multilayer noodles having a laminated structure in which layer B is arranged between two layers A, The pH of the dough in layer A is 3.5 to 6.2, and the pH of the dough in layer B is 8.7 to 11.0. Provide a method. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to manufacture frozen Chinese noodles that retain their characteristic flavor and texture even after thawing, and that also have good soup absorption. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] This invention provides a method for producing frozen Chinese noodles. In this invention, Chinese noodles having a multilayer structure in which the inner layer is alkaline and the outer layer is neutral to acidic are steamed to a lower yield than conventionally prepared noodles, and then frozen. This allows for the production of frozen Chinese noodles that retain their characteristic flavor and texture even after thawing, and that also have good soup absorption. Furthermore, freezing the noodles with water can further improve the texture when thawed using a microwave oven.

[0009] The Chinese noodles provided in this invention are multilayer noodles having a laminated structure in which a B layer is arranged between two A layers. The multilayer noodles have a multilayer structure consisting of three or more layers. Preferably, the multilayer noodles are three-layer noodles having a three-layer structure consisting of an A layer as the outer layer and a B layer as the inner layer, i.e., an A layer / B layer / A layer. Alternatively, the inner layer sandwiched between the two A layers in the multilayer noodles may have multiple layers.

[0010] The raw materials for layers A and B of the multilayer noodles used in the present invention preferably contain grain flours. Examples of such grain flours include wheat flour, rice flour, barley flour, glutinous barley flour, buckwheat flour, soybean flour, corn flour, oat flour, rye flour, and bran flour, with wheat flour, rice flour, barley flour, glutinous barley flour, and buckwheat flour being preferred. These grain flours can be used individually or in combination of two or more. The raw materials for layers A and B preferably contain 50% by mass or more, more preferably 60% by mass or more, even more preferably 70% by mass or more, even more preferably 80% by mass or more, and even more preferably 90% by mass or more of these grain flours in their total amount.

[0011] Preferably, the raw materials for layers A and B contain wheat flour. Preferably, the raw materials for layers A and B contain 50% by mass or more, more preferably 60% by mass or more, even more preferably 70% by mass or more, even more preferably 80% by mass or more, and even more preferably 90% by mass or more of wheat flour in their total amount. Also preferably, 80% by mass or more, more preferably 90% by mass or more, even more preferably 95% by mass or more, and even more preferably 100% by mass of the grain flours used in the raw materials for layers A and B are wheat flour. The wheat flour can be any type commonly used in the manufacture of noodles, such as strong flour, semi-strong flour, medium flour, weak flour, durum flour, whole wheat flour, and heat-treated wheat flour (e.g., pregelatinized wheat flour, partially pregelatinized wheat flour, roasted wheat flour). These wheat flours can be used individually or in combination of two or more types. However, it is preferable that the amount of heat-treated wheat flour in the raw materials for layers A and B be 20% by mass or less.

[0012] The raw material powders for layers A and B may contain starches as needed. Preferably, at least layer A contains starches. Examples of starches are not particularly limited and include unprocessed starches such as potato starch, tapioca starch, wheat starch, corn starch, waxy corn starch, and rice starch, and processed starches obtained by processing them (e.g., crosslinking, phosphorylation, acetylation, etherification, oxidation, α-gelatinization, etc.). In the present invention, these unprocessed starches and processed starches can be used individually or in combination of two or more. Preferably, the starches are tapioca starch. Also preferably, the starches are processed starches. More preferably, the starches are processed tapioca starch, and even more preferably, processed tapioca starch that has undergone one or more processing selected from the group consisting of acetylation, etherification, and crosslinking. If the raw materials for layers A and B contain starches, the starch content is preferably 40% by mass or less, more preferably 30% by mass or less, and even more preferably 10 to 30% by mass of the total amount of raw materials.

[0013] The raw materials for layers A and B may contain, in addition to grain flours and starches, other components conventionally used in the production of noodles. These other components include protein materials such as wheat protein (gluten), soy protein, milk protein, egg yolk powder, egg white powder, whole egg powder, and skim milk powder, as well as oils and fats, lye water, calcined calcium, dietary fiber, salt, sugars, sweeteners, spices, seasonings, vitamins, minerals, nutritional fortifiers, pigments, flavorings, dextrin (including indigestible dextrin), leavening agents, thickeners, emulsifiers, water-retaining agents, preservatives, enzymes, pH adjusters, and oxidation-reduction agents. The content of these other components in the raw materials for layers A and B is preferably 15% by mass or less, more preferably 0 to 10% by mass.

[0014] The composition of the raw materials for layers A and B may be the same or different. For example, the types and amounts of grain flours, starches, and other materials contained in the raw materials for layers A and B may be the same or different.

[0015] The dough for layer A and the dough for layer B can be prepared by adding water to the raw material flours for layer A and layer B respectively according to a conventional method and kneading them. The water used to prepare the dough for layer A and the dough for layer B can be the kneading water normally used in the production of noodle dough, such as water, brine, lye water, or an acidic solution. Multilayer noodles are produced from the dough for layer A and the dough for layer B. More specifically, the multilayer noodles are made of the dough for layer A on both sides of the outermost layer, and the inner layer of the outermost layer is made of the dough for layer B. Preferably, the dough for layer A and the dough for layer B contain lye water, which can impart a flavor characteristic of Chinese noodles to the multilayer noodles.

[0016] The dough for layer A used in this invention is a noodle dough with a pH of 3.5 to 6.2, preferably 3.5 to 6.0, and more preferably 3.5 to 5.8. If the pH of the dough for layer A is too low, the noodle-making properties tend to be poor, while if the pH of the dough for layer A is too high, the soup adheres poorly to the multilayer noodles. As described above, the dough for layer A can be prepared by kneading raw material flour with water, brine, acidic solution, or other kneading water. The pH of the dough for layer A can be adjusted using pH adjusters such as organic acids, organic acid salts, phosphoric acid, and phosphates.

[0017] Examples of the aforementioned organic acids include monovalent to trivalent organic acids, such as at least one selected from the group consisting of citric acid, malic acid, fumaric acid, gluconic acid, succinic acid, adipic acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, itaconic acid, phytic acid, and tartaric acid. Preferred examples include at least one selected from the group consisting of citric acid, malic acid, gluconic acid, lactic acid, itaconic acid, phytic acid, and tartaric acid. More preferred examples include at least one selected from the group consisting of citric acid, malic acid, gluconic acid, lactic acid, and tartaric acid. Even more preferred examples are citric acid, malic acid, gluconic acid, lactic acid, or tartaric acid. Examples of the organic acid salts include salts of the organic acids exemplified above. Preferred examples include at least one selected from the group consisting of citrate, malate, gluconate, lactate, and tartrate. More preferred examples are citrate, malate, gluconate, lactate, or tartrate. Even more preferred examples are citrate, malate, gluconate, or lactate. Examples of the type of the salt include sodium salt, potassium salt, magnesium salt, calcium salt, etc., and sodium salt and potassium salt are preferred. The phosphoric acid and phosphates may be those used for food. Examples of the phosphates include monophosphates such as trisodium phosphate and monosodium hydrogen phosphate, and polymerized or condensed phosphates such as pyrophosphates, polyphosphates, and metaphosphates.

[0018] The pH adjuster may be used in any form such as powder or aqueous solution for the preparation of the fabric for the A layer. The amount of the pH adjuster used may be appropriately adjusted so that the obtained fabric for the A layer reaches the desired pH. The amount of the sizing water used for the preparation of the fabric for the A layer is preferably 32 to 45 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the raw material powder as the water content of the sizing water.

[0019] On the other hand, the dough for layer B used in the present invention is a noodle dough with a pH of 8.7 to 11.0, preferably 9.0 to 11.0, more preferably 9.5 to 11.0, and even more preferably 10.0 to 11.0. If the pH of the dough for layer B is too low, the flavor and texture of the multilayer noodles tend to deteriorate, while if the pH of the dough for layer B is too high, the alkaline effect may cause the multilayer noodles to develop a bitter taste. The pH of the dough for layer B can be adjusted using an alkaline agent. That is, an alkaline agent can be added to the raw material flour or kneading water of the dough for layer B. Examples of the alkaline agent include lye water, potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, tetrapotassium pyrophosphate, disodium dihydrogen pyrophosphate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, potassium polyphosphate, sodium polyphosphate, potassium metaphosphate, sodium metaphosphate, tripotassium phosphate, dipotassium hydrogen phosphate, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, disodium hydrogen phosphate, sodium dihydrogen phosphate, trisodium phosphate, etc., and one of these can be used alone or in combination of two or more. The alkaline agent may be used in any form, such as powder or aqueous solution, for the preparation of the B layer dough. Preferably, the B layer dough is prepared by adding an aqueous solution containing the alkaline agent as kneading water to the B layer raw material flour and kneading it. The amount of the alkaline agent used may be adjusted as appropriate so that the resulting B layer dough has the desired pH. The amount of kneading water used in the preparation of the B layer dough is preferably 30 to 42 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of raw material flour, as the water content of the kneading water.

[0020] In this specification, the pH of noodle dough refers to the pH (at 25°C) of a suspension obtained by suspending 1 g of noodle dough (not heated or dried after preparation) in 10 mL of water. Also in this specification, the pH of raw material flour refers to the pH (at 25°C) of a suspension obtained by suspending 1 g of raw material flour in 10 mL of water.

[0021] Next, by rolling the obtained dough for the A layer and the dough for the B layer respectively, a noodle sheet for the A layer and a noodle sheet for the B layer can be obtained. By sandwiching the noodle sheet for the B layer between two noodle sheets for the A layer from both sides to produce a multi-layer noodle sheet, rolling it, and making noodles, multi-layer noodles can be manufactured. The multi-layer noodles used in the present invention can be manufactured by the same procedure as the conventional method for manufacturing multi-layer noodles, except that both sides of the outermost layer are made from the dough for the A layer and the layer inside the outermost layer is made from the dough for the B layer. For example, as means for rolling and making noodles, extrusion, rolling by rolls and cutting, etc. can be mentioned, but it is not particularly limited.

[0022] The obtained multi-layer noodles may have a layer structure of three or more layers having one or more inner layers including a B layer between two outer layers (A layers). For example, the multi-layer noodles may be three-layer noodles including two outer layers and one inner layer, or may be noodles of four or more layers having two outer layers and two or more inner layers. Preferably, the multi-layer noodles are three-layer noodles. When there are two or more inner layers, each layer may be prepared from doughs having different compositions within the range of the composition of the raw material powder of the B layer described above.

[0023] The multi-layer noodles preferably have an overall thickness of 1 to 5 mm in the state of fresh noodles. The thickness of each layer of the multi-layer noodles can be appropriately adjusted according to the number of noodle layers and the texture required. For example, the thickness of the B layer in the multi-layer noodles is preferably 20 to 85%, more preferably 50 to 60% with respect to the total thickness of the multi-layer noodles. If the ratio of the B layer to the total thickness is too low, the flavor and texture similar to Chinese noodles of the multi-layer noodles are likely to deteriorate. On the other hand, if the ratio of the B layer to the total thickness is too high, the soup adhesion of the multi-layer noodles is likely to deteriorate.

[0024] In this invention, the raw multilayer noodles obtained by the procedure described above are steamed. The steaming of the raw noodles can be carried out using the usual procedure, provided that the moisture content of the resulting steamed noodles is 40.5 to 60% by mass, preferably 43 to 55% by mass. The resulting steamed noodles have a lower yield and lower moisture content compared to cooked noodles that have been gelatinized for normal consumption. This suppresses gelatinization of the steamed noodles and prevents a decrease in flavor and texture when frozen Chinese noodles are thawed. In this specification, the moisture content of the noodles refers to the value measured according to the atmospheric pressure heating and drying method (see the Analysis Manual for the 2015 Edition (Seventh Revised) of the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan [www.mext.go.jp / a_menu / syokuhinseibun / 1368931.htm], Chapter 1, 1, 1-1).

[0025] The steamed noodles can be frozen using a standard procedure. Preferably, the steamed noodles are frozen together with separately added water. For example, the steamed noodles can be mixed with separately added water and then frozen. Alternatively, the steamed noodles can be frozen once, and then frozen together with the frozen water. Heating the steamed noodles in a microwave oven with the water results in a better texture after thawing. The amount of water added to the steamed noodles is preferably 10 to 80 parts by mass, more preferably 10 to 67 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the steamed noodles.

[0026] The steamed noodles are frozen in their packaging. For example, the steamed noodles may be frozen first and then packaged, or they may be placed in a packaging container and then frozen. When freezing the steamed noodles with water, the steamed noodles may be mixed with the water, packaged, and then frozen, or the frozen steamed noodles and water may be placed in a packaging container and then frozen. However, the freezing and packaging of the steamed noodles are not limited to the above procedure, and general procedures for freezing and packaging frozen noodles may be used as appropriate.

[0027] The frozen Chinese noodles produced according to the present invention can be thawed and eaten by heating in a microwave oven or in a hot water bath. Preferably, the frozen Chinese noodles are frozen Chinese noodles intended for thawing by heating in a microwave oven. [Examples]

[0028] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0029] Test Example 1: Manufacturing of Chinese Noodles 1) Raw material powder Wheat flour: Special No. 1 (semi-strong flour), Houn (medium-strength flour) Ether-crosslinked tapioca starch: Asagao (Matsutani Chemical) Gluten: A-Glu G (Glico Nutritional Foods) Kansui: Kansui Red (Oriental Yeast Co., Ltd.)

[0030] 2) Manufacturing of noodle dough Layer A (outer layer): A kneading solution containing lye water was prepared according to the formulation shown in Table 1. This kneading solution was added to the raw flour, kneaded under reduced pressure (-0.093 MPa), and rolled to obtain a sheet-like outer layer dough with a thickness of 3-8 mm. Lactic acid was added to the kneading solution to achieve the desired pH of the noodle dough. Layer B (inner layer): A kneading solution containing lye water was prepared according to the formulation shown in Table 1. The amount of lye water in the kneading solution was adjusted so that the noodle dough reached the specified pH. This kneading solution was added to the raw flour, kneaded under reduced pressure (-0.093 MPa), and rolled to obtain a sheet-like inner layer dough with a thickness of 4 to 12 mm.

[0031] 3) Manufacturing of multilayer noodles A three-layer noodle sheet was prepared by laminating one layer of dough for layer B between two layers of dough for layer A and rolling it out. The thickness ratio of layers A to B was as shown in Tables 2 to 7. The resulting noodle sheet was cut with a cutting blade (#20 square) to produce three-layer noodle strands (noodle thickness 1.5 mm).

[0032] 4) Manufacturing of single-layer noodles □The kneading water was prepared according to the proportions shown in Table 1. This kneading water was added to the raw flour and kneaded under reduced pressure (-0.093 MPa) to prepare the dough. The dough was rolled out using a noodle-making roller to produce a noodle sheet, and then cut out with a cutting blade (#20 square) to produce single-layer noodle strands (noodle thickness 1.5 mm).

[0033] [Table 1]

[0034] 5) Manufacturing of frozen noodles The obtained noodles were cooked by steaming or boiling. For steaming, the amount of water was adjusted to reach the specified moisture content, and the raw noodles were steamed at 0.04 MPa for 2 minutes. For boiling, the raw noodles were boiled in boiling water until they reached the specified moisture content. After cooking, the noodles were rinsed with water, cooled, drained, and their moisture content was measured. The drained noodles were placed in a tray and rapidly frozen in a -30°C shock freezer. If water was added, the specified amount of water was thoroughly mixed with the noodles, then placed in a tray and rapidly frozen in a -30°C shock freezer. The frozen noodles were stored frozen for 72 hours.

[0035] 6) Evaluation The frozen noodles were heated in a microwave oven until they reached a temperature of 70°C. Alternatively, the frozen noodles were heated in boiling water for 1 minute. The heated noodles were placed in a container with 400 mL of hot water, and their quality was evaluated according to the evaluation criteria below. For reference, single-layer noodles produced using the above procedure were boiled and evaluated without freezing. The evaluation was conducted by 10 trained panelists, and the average score was calculated. The results are shown in Tables 2-7. <Evaluation Criteria> (flavor) 5 points: The lye water flavor, typical of Chinese noodles, is excellent. 4 points: Excellent for its authentic Chinese noodle flavor with lye water. 3 points: Slightly superior to the typical lye water flavor of Chinese noodles. 2 points: Slightly inferior to the characteristic lye water flavor of Chinese noodles. 1 point: It lacks the characteristic lye water flavor of Chinese noodles. (viscoelasticity) 5 points: Excellent viscoelasticity. 4 points: Excellent viscoelasticity 3 points: Slightly superior in viscoelasticity. 2 points: Slightly inferior in viscoelasticity. 1 point: Inferior in viscoelasticity (Noodle soup topping) 5 points: Excellent soup retention. 4 points: Good soup retention. 3 points: The soup adheres fairly well. 2 points: The soup is slightly lacking in flavor. 1 point: The soup is not as flavorful.

[0036] [Table 2]

[0037] [Table 3]

[0038] [Table 4]

[0039] [Table 5]

[0040] [Table 6]

[0041] [Table 7]

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing frozen Chinese noodles, Steaming the fresh noodles of the Chinese noodles to obtain steamed noodles with a moisture content of 40.5 to 60% by mass. The steamed noodles are mixed with 10 to 80 parts by mass of water per 100 parts by mass of the steamed noodles. Freeze the steamed noodles mixed with the water. Includes, The Chinese noodles are multilayer noodles having a laminated structure in which layer B is arranged between two layers A. The pH of the dough in layer A is 3.5 to 6.2, and the pH of the dough in layer B is 8.7 to 11.

0. method.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the multilayer noodles are three-layer noodles.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the thickness of the B layer is 20 to 85% of the total thickness of the multilayer noodles.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the frozen Chinese noodles are frozen Chinese noodles for microwave thawing.

5. A method for producing frozen Chinese noodles, Steaming the fresh noodles of the Chinese noodles to obtain steamed noodles with a moisture content of 40.5 to 60% by mass. Freeze the steamed noodles. The frozen steamed noodles are packaged together with a frozen substance containing 10 to 80 parts by mass of water per 100 parts by mass of the steamed noodles. Includes, The Chinese noodles are multilayer noodles having a laminated structure in which layer B is arranged between two layers A. The pH of the dough in layer A is 3.5 to 6.2, and the pH of the dough in layer B is 8.7 to 11.

0. method.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the multilayer noodles are three-layer noodles.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the thickness of the B layer is 20 to 85% of the total thickness of the multilayer noodles.

8. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the frozen Chinese noodles are frozen Chinese noodles for microwave thawing.

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