Fish egg–like foodstuff and method for producing fish egg–like foodstuff

Abstract

The present invention provides a fish egg–like foodstuff having an exceptional natural texture as a fish egg–like foodstuff that can be used as a substitute for natural fish eggs.　Provided is a fish egg–like foodstuff characterized by being obtained by adding an aqueous solution containing a thickening-imparting material and a fish egg flavor material to a granular starchy foodstuff that is composed of a starchy ingredient and is formed in a granular shape, and causing the granular starchy foodstuff to swell. The granular starchy foodstuff preferably includes one or more ingredients from among mung beans, potatoes, peas, sweet potatoes, tapioca, wheat, and corn starch. A konjac processed product is preferably included as the thickening-imparting material.

Description

Fish roe-like foodstuff and method for producing the same

[0001] The present invention relates to a fish roe-like food material that can replace natural fish roe and a method for producing the fish roe-like food material.

[0002] In recent years, with the diversification of consumer preferences, fish roe-like food ingredients artificially produced from natural fish roe, such as salmon roe, caviar, and cod roe, have become popular on the market. Artificially produced fish roe-like food ingredients can be provided as food ingredients with reduced purines and cholesterol, can be easily adjusted for low salt content, and can be provided as food ingredients that can be eaten by people with fish roe allergies. Furthermore, amid the rising cost of raw marine resources, they can be produced at low cost. While natural fish roe generally varies in quality, artificially produced fish roe-like food ingredients have various advantages, such as being able to maintain consistent quality without being affected by the quality of natural fish roe and being free of the risk of parasites.

[0003] Regarding the technology of fish roe-like food ingredients, for example, Patent Document 1 (JP 2018-7642 A) discloses a cod roe preparation characterized by adding starch granules, the main component of which is starch, as a bulking agent to cod roe.

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 (JP 2001-218570 A) discloses artificial cod roe, characterized in that artificial granules are produced by adding fresh water to a gel-forming substance and processed into spherical shapes with particle sizes of 0.1 mm to 10 mm, preferably 0.4 mm to 5 mm, and are then infiltrated with the residual pickling liquid that is generated when natural cod roe is produced by pickling the roes of Alaska pollack or the like in a pickling liquid, and the artificial granules are expanded with the residual pickling liquid.

[0005] Patent Document 3 (JP 2021-3096 A) discloses a seafood egg-like ingredient in which 100 parts by weight of α-starch granules are impregnated with 100 to 500 parts by weight of a seasoning liquid having a salt concentration of 1.0 to 30% by weight.

[0006] JP 2018-7642 A JP 2001-218570 A JP 2021-3096 A

[0007] However, conventional techniques often result in artificially produced preparations that have an unnatural fish roe-like texture.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a fish roe-like food material that can replace natural fish roe and has an excellent natural texture.

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, the present inventors conducted extensive research and found that by adopting the following configuration, a fish roe-like food material having excellent flavor and texture can be obtained, thereby completing the present invention.

[0010] That is, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a fish roe-like food material, characterized in that a granular starch food material made from a starch raw material and formed into granules is given an aqueous solution containing a thickener and a fish roe flavor material, causing the food material to swell.

[0011] In the fish roe-like food product, the granular starch food product is preferably made from one or more of mung beans, potatoes, peas, sweet potatoes, tapioca, wheat, and cornstarch as a raw material.

[0012] In the fish roe-like food product, the thickening agent preferably includes a processed konjac product.

[0013] The fish roe-like food material preferably has a water content of 50 to 90% by mass.

[0014] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a method for producing a fish roe-like food material, comprising: a raw material mixing and sealing step of mixing a granular starchy food material made from a starchy raw material and formed into granules with an aqueous solution containing a thickener and a fish roe flavor material and sealing the mixture in a bag; a maturation step of maturing the granular starchy food material for 6 hours or more after the sealing; and a heat swelling step of heating the matured granular starchy food material to cause it to swell.

[0015] In the above-mentioned method for producing a fish roe-like food material, the granular starch food material is preferably made from one or more of mung beans, potatoes, peas, sweet potatoes, tapioca, wheat, and cornstarch as a raw material.

[0016] In the above method for producing a fish roe-like food material, it is preferable that the pressure be reduced when the granular starch food material and the aqueous solution are sealed in the bag to reduce the amount of air inside.

[0017] In the above-mentioned method for producing a fish roe-like food material, the thickening agent preferably includes a processed konjac product.

[0018] In the above method for producing a fish roe-like food product, the heat swelling step is preferably carried out at 60 to 90° C. for 10 to 120 minutes.

[0019] In the above-mentioned method for producing a fish roe-like food material, it is preferable to adjust the amount of the aqueous solution added so that the water content of the fish roe-like food material is 50 to 90 mass %.

[0020] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a fish roe-like food material that can replace natural fish roe and has an excellent natural texture.

[0021] [Granular Starch Food Material] The granular starch food material used in the present invention may be any food material made from a starch raw material that has been gelatinized to become edible. For example, vermicelli is produced by adding hot water to starch, kneading the mixture, forming it into threads, boiling it to gelatinize (gelatinize), then cooling it in water, freezing it, thawing it, drying it with hot air, and cutting it to a specified size. Thus, without limitation, the granular starch food material used in the present invention may be prepared by forming vermicelli produced in this manner into granules. Forming into granules may be accomplished by pulverizing the vermicelli using an appropriate pulverizer, and the pulverized vermicelli may be sieved to achieve a uniform particle size. Although not limited thereto, for example, the starch raw material may be passed through a 25 mesh sieve (ASTM standard mesh size: 0.707 mm / millimeter) and then passed through a 60 mesh sieve (ASTM standard mesh size: 0.25 mm / millimeter) to obtain the material that does not pass through this sieve, i.e., adjusted to a particle size of 25 mesh pass, 60 mesh on. Examples of the starch raw material may include mung beans, potatoes, peas, sweet potatoes, tapioca, wheat, corn starch, etc., and although not particularly limited, it is preferable to use mung beans, potatoes, peas, etc. These starch raw materials may be used alone or in combination of two or more types.

[0022] [Fish Roe Flavor Material] The fish roe flavor material used in the present invention may be any edible material capable of imparting a fish roe flavor. For example, the fish roe flavor can be produced using flavoring materials such as salt, fermented seasonings, kelp extract, protein hydrolysates, yeast extracts, amino acid seasonings, nucleic acid seasonings, fructose-glucose liquid, sake, chili peppers, flavorings, seafood extracts such as scallop extract and oyster extract, fish roe extracts such as caviar extract and sea urchin extract, and seaweed flavors. The flavoring material may also be a soaked extract derived from natural fish roe. These flavoring materials may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0023] [Thickening agent] The thickening agent used in the present invention may be any edible material that can impart a certain viscosity when prepared in the form of an aqueous solution. Examples include pregelatinized starch, phosphate cross-linked starch, okra extract, seaweed cellulose, thickening polysaccharides, carrageenan, carob bean gum, xanthan gum, psyllium seed gum, tamarind, pullulan, etc. As the thickening agent, a processed konjac product, as described below, may also be used. These thickening agents may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0024] [Konjac processed product] The konjac processed product used in the present invention is made by adding dietary fiber, fats and oils, processed starch, coloring agents, etc., and the above-mentioned edible materials that can be used as thickeners to a konjac raw material containing mannan, a water-soluble polysaccharide derived from konjac root, as needed, and then adding an alkalizing agent, and then heating and solidifying it to form an irreversible gel, which is then dried and powdered. Since this konjac processed product is a dry powder of the irreversible gel mainly composed of the mannan, when it is reconstituted in water, the liquid that is formed while absorbing a certain amount of water is given viscosity.

[0025] The konjac raw material may be any material whose mannan can be gelatinized in the presence of water to form konjac paste. Examples include grated raw konjac potatoes, thinly sliced ​​and dried corms with the skin removed, and optionally pulverized (commonly referred to as "coarse flour"); coarse flour pulverized into fine flour with the lighter starch removed (commonly referred to as "refined flour"); and refined flour treated with alcohol or the like to remove impurities other than glucomannan. Konjac paste is usually in the form of a jelly or paste, and when heated in the presence of an alkalizing agent, an irreversible gel is formed from the mannan derived from the konjac potato, which then solidifies. Refined flour is the predominant konjac raw material used in industrial konjac production, and can also be preferably used in the present invention.

[0026] The alkalizing agent may be any agent capable of forming an irreversible gel from the mannan derived from the konjac root and solidifying the konjac paste. Examples include calcined shell calcium, calcined eggshell calcium, calcium hydroxide, calcium carbonate, calcium bicarbonate, calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, magnesium carbonate, sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, etc. The main raw materials for konjac used in industrial konjac production are calcined shell calcium powder and edible calcium hydroxide powder, which can also be preferably used in the present invention.

[0027] Methods for preparing the fish roe-like food material according to the present invention will be described below, although the preparation of the fish roe-like food material according to the present invention is not limited to these methods.

[0028] [Step 1] An aqueous solution containing a fish roe flavor material is prepared, a thickener is added to the aqueous solution, and then a granular starch raw material is mixed therewith. The ratio of the amount of the aqueous solution containing the thickener and fish roe flavor material to the amount of the granular starch raw material is not limited, but may be, for example, 1:5 to 5:1, 2:5 to 5:2, 3:5 to 5:3, or 4:5 to 5:4. By mixing in this manner, the water content of the aqueous solution moistens the granular starch raw material, and the moistened granular starch raw material becomes suspended in the aqueous solution containing the fish roe flavor material. Thus, the respective ingredients can be subjected to subsequent processing in a homogeneous mixture. The mixture is then sealed in a bag made of polyethylene, polypropylene, or the like. This allows a fixed amount of the mixture to be subjected to subsequent processing.

[0029] In any non-limiting embodiment, when the aqueous solution containing the thickener and the fish roe flavor material is mixed with the granular starch raw material and sealed in a bag as described above, the pressure may be reduced appropriately to reduce the amount of air inside. This reduces the opportunity and extent of oxidation due to contact with air during subsequent aging and heating treatments and subsequent storage, thereby improving the quality and shelf life of the resulting product.

[0030] [Step 2] After the above-described raw material mixing and encapsulation step, the mixture is placed in a predetermined environment and aged. This allows the flavor components of the fish roe flavor material to fully permeate the granular starchy raw material. The aging temperature is not limited, but may be, for example, 5 to 30°C or 10 to 20°C. The aging time is also not limited, but may be, for example, 6 to 168 hours or 6 to 24 hours.

[0031] [Step 3] After the aging step described above, the granular starch raw material is subjected to an appropriate heating means. This causes the moistened granular starch raw material to swell due to heating. This, combined with the effect of the flavor components of the fish roe flavoring material, results in a fish roe-like texture. The heating temperature is not limited, but may be, for example, 60 to 90°C, or 65 to 80°C. The heating swelling time is also not limited, but may be, for example, 10 to 120 minutes, or 10 to 60 minutes. A water bath is preferred as the heating means, and this can be performed in parallel with the sterilization treatment, for example, by placing the material in a boiling sterilization device.

[0032] The aqueous solution containing the thickener and roe flavoring material may contain, as appropriate, secondary ingredients such as colorants such as monascus color, tomato color, paprika color, and synthetic colorings, dietary fiber such as dextrin and cellulose, functional ingredients such as GABA and lactic acid bacteria, and spices such as ginger, pepper, and sesame.

[0033] The fish roe-like food product provided by the present invention preferably has a water content of 50 to 90% by mass, more preferably 60 to 80% by mass.

[0034] The salt content is preferably 0.1 to 10% by mass, and more preferably 1 to 5% by mass.

[0035] The viscosity measured with a Brookfield viscometer is preferably 500 to 1500 mPa·s, and more preferably 1100 to 1300 mPa·s.

[0036] The present invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to examples, but these examples are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0037] The fish roe-like food material was prepared as follows.

[0038] [1. Ingredients] A: Granular starchy ingredients Dried glass noodles (ingredients: mung bean starch, potato starch, pea starch) crushed (25 mesh pass, 60 mesh on) B: Fish roe flavoring ingredients Seasoning liquid (ingredients: salt, high fructose corn syrup, sake, fermented seasoning, chili pepper, kelp extract, dextrin, protein hydrolyzate, yeast extract, seasoning (amino acids, etc.), monascus color, flavoring) C: Thickener C1: Pregelatinized processed starch (derived from potato starch) C2: Konjac processed product (ingredients: phosphate cross-linked starch (derived from potato starch), cassava starch, konjac flour)

[0039] [Preparation Example 1-1] 9.5 grams of A was mixed with an aqueous solution containing 84.5 grams of B, 0.6 grams of C1, and 5.4 grams of C2, and the mixture was sealed in a polyethylene bag. After sealing, the mixture was stored in a hot water bath at 65°C for 0.5 hours to mature, and then immersed in a water bath at 80°C for 30 minutes for heat treatment. After immersing in cold water to cool to a product temperature of 15°C, the mixture was placed in a freezer and stored.

[0040] Preparation Example 1-2 A fish roe-like food material was prepared in the same manner as in Preparation Example 1-1, except that the temperature of the water bath was set to 70°C.

[0041] Preparation Example 1-3 A fish roe-like food material was prepared in the same manner as in Preparation Example 1-1, except that the temperature of the water bath was set to 65°C.

[0042] Preparation Example 1-4 A fish roe-like food material was prepared in the same manner as in Preparation Example 1-1, except that the temperature of the water bath was set to 50°C.

[0043] Preparation Example 1-5 A fish roe-like food material was prepared in the same manner as in Preparation Example 1-1, except that the temperature of the water bath was set to 40°C.

[0044] After thawing, the viscosity of the resulting fish roe-like food product was measured using a Brookfield type viscometer (Model: M4-II3, manufactured by AMETEK Brookfield) at a rotation speed of 30 rpm. In addition, a sensory evaluation of the texture was conducted by five panelists, and the evaluation results were obtained by consensus.

[0045]

[0046] As a result, the fish roe-like food materials obtained in Preparation Examples 1-1 to 1-5 were food materials that exhibited a texture similar to that of cod roe (barako). Furthermore, as shown in Table 1, it was revealed that the higher the heat treatment temperature, the more the hardness of the resulting fish roe-like food material changed.

[0047] Separately, the water content of the fish roe-like food material of Preparation Example 1-3 was measured by a heat drying method and found to be 75.44% by mass.

[0048] Preparation Example 2-1 A fish roe-like food material was prepared in the same manner as in Preparation Example 1-3, except that no thickener was added.

[0049] Preparation Example 2-2 A fish roe-like food material was prepared in the same manner as in Preparation Example 1-3, except that the amount of thickener used was halved.

[0050] As a result, the fish roe ingredients obtained in Preparation Examples 2-1 and 2-2 were food ingredients that had a texture similar to that of cod roe (barako).

[0051] After thawing, the resulting fish roe-like food material was measured for viscosity using a Brookfield type viscometer (Model: M4-II3, manufactured by AMETEK Brookfield) at a rotation speed of 30 rpm.

[0052]

[0053] As a result, it was revealed that the addition of a thickener caused changes in the properties of the resulting fish roe-like food material, as shown in Table 2. For example, in Preparation Example 2-1, in which no thickener was added, the resulting fish roe-like food material exhibited an undesirable texture in which the liquid and solid phases were separated, and was of poor quality.

Claims

1. A fish roe-like food product, characterized in that a granular starch food product made from a starch raw material and formed into granules is impregnated with an aqueous solution containing a thickening agent and a fish roe flavoring material, causing the food product to swell.

2. The fish roe-like food material according to claim 1, wherein the granular starch food material is made from one or more of the following raw materials: mung beans, potatoes, peas, sweet potatoes, tapioca, wheat, and cornstarch.

3. The fish roe-like food product according to claim 1, wherein the thickening agent comprises a processed konjac product.

4. The fish roe food product according to claim 1, having a moisture content of 50 to 90 mass %.

5. A method for producing a fish roe-like food ingredient, comprising a raw material mixing and sealing process in which a granular starch food ingredient made from a starch raw material and formed into granules is mixed with an aqueous solution containing a thickening agent and a fish roe flavoring material and sealed in a bag, a maturation process in which the mixture is matured for at least 6 hours after the sealing, and a heat swelling process in which the matured granular starch food ingredient is heated to cause it to swell.

6. A method for producing a fish roe-like food product according to claim 5, wherein the granular starch food product is made from one or more of mung beans, potatoes, peas, sweet potatoes, tapioca, wheat and cornstarch.

7. The method for producing a fish roe-like food product according to claim 5, wherein the air inside the bag is reduced by reducing the pressure when the granular starch food product and the aqueous solution are enclosed in the bag.

8. The method for producing a fish roe-like food product according to claim 5, wherein the thickening agent comprises a processed konjac product.

9. The method for producing a fish roe-like food product according to claim 5, wherein the heat swelling step is carried out at 60 to 90° C. for 10 to 120 minutes.

10. The method for producing a fish roe-like food material according to claim 5, wherein the amount of the aqueous solution added is adjusted so that the water content of the fish roe-like food material is 50 to 90 mass %.

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