Mix for liquid batter

Abstract

A mix for liquid batter containing processed starch, 0.1-0.8 mass% of glucomannan, and 0.1-0.8 mass% of xanthan gum.

Description

Batter mix

[0001] The present invention relates to a batter mix used as a coating material for deep-fried foods.

[0002] Battered fried foods are foods obtained by coating ingredients with a coating and frying them in oil. Liquid coatings, commonly known as batters, are sometimes used as coatings. Batters are often made by dissolving flour or starch in an aqueous liquid such as water. Breaded fried foods are a type of fried food made using batter. Breaded fried foods are typically produced by coating the surface of the ingredients with batter, then frying the batter, which is then covered with breadcrumbs. By coating the ingredients with batter, the flavor of the ingredients is sealed in during frying, allowing the ingredients to be cooked in a steaming manner. The batter also acts as an adhesive, binding the breadcrumbs to the ingredients.

[0003] Improvements have been proposed for coating materials for fried foods. Patent Document 1 describes a coating composition for fried foods containing a sparingly soluble granular substance, one or more thickening polysaccharides selected from curdlan, xanthan gum, guar gum, glycoid, pullulan, and carrageenan, and a high-protein powder and granule, and describes that the use of this composition increases the crispiness of the coating after frying and reduces deterioration over time. Patent Document 2 describes a batter mix for fried foods containing a reversible coagulation material selected from gelatin, agarose, carrageenan, gellan gum, xanthan gum, and hyaluronic acid, and an irreversible heat-coagulation material selected from egg white powder, whey protein powder, soy protein powder, and wheat protein powder, and describes that the use of this batter mix enables the production of fried foods with a good texture. Patent Document 3 describes a batter mix containing wheat flour, oil-processed starch, one selected from cellulose and powdered oils and fats, and one selected from glucomannan and konjac flour, and that the mix improves the binding ability of the coating material to the ingredients, suppresses moisture seepage from the ingredients, and provides fried foods with an excellent crispy coating.Patent Document 4 describes the production of a fruit fried food using a batter containing glucomannan, xanthan gum, and soft flour.

[0004] JP 2002-051718 A JP 2018-143244 A JP 2023-074795 A JP 8-280352 A

[0005] The properties of batter affect the quality of fried foods. For example, in the case of breaded fried foods, increasing the batter concentration (powder content) allows the breadcrumbs to adhere better to the ingredients, but the coating becomes thicker and more likely to have a hard or slimy texture. Lowering the batter concentration can improve the aforementioned drawbacks of hardness and sliminess, but lowering the batter concentration also makes the breadcrumbs more likely to peel off from the ingredients. Furthermore, breaded fried foods made with low-concentration batter have a crispier coating and improved texture immediately after frying, but the moisture from the ingredients is more likely to transfer to the breadcrumbs, which can lead to a loss of crispness during storage.

[0006] To provide a deep-fried food with bread crumbs, which does not peel off from the bread crumbs and can maintain the crispy texture of the batter.

[0007] The present inventors have discovered that by using a batter prepared from a mix containing processed starch and specific amounts of glucomannan and xanthan gum, it is possible to prevent the breadcrumbs from peeling off of breaded fried foods and maintain the crispness of the coating.

[0008] The present invention provides the following as representative embodiments: [1] A batter mix containing a modified starch and containing 0.1 to 0.8% by mass of glucomannan and 0.1 to 0.8% by mass of xanthan gum. [2] The batter mix according to [1], wherein the mass ratio of the glucomannan to the xanthan gum is 1:5 to 5:1. [3] The batter mix according to [1] or [2], wherein the modified starch is one or more selected from the group consisting of acetylated starch and phosphate cross-linked starch. [4] The batter mix according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the content of the modified starch is 70 to 99.8% by mass. [5] The batter mix according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the batter is for a breaded fried food. [6] A batter for deep-fried foods, which is a mixture of 100 parts by mass of the batter mix according to any one of [1] to [5] and 200 to 500 parts by mass of an aqueous liquid. [7] The batter according to [6], wherein the deep-fried food is a breaded deep-fried food. [8] A method for producing deep-fried foods, comprising: applying the batter according to [6] to an ingredient; and frying the ingredient with the batter applied. [9] The method according to [8], further comprising applying breadcrumbs to the ingredient with the batter applied before frying.

[0009] By using the batter mix of the present invention, it is possible to produce breaded fried foods that have a good appearance with less peeling of breadcrumbs and that can maintain the crispness of the coating not only immediately after cooking but also after storage.

[0010] The batter mix provided by the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as the "mix of the present invention") is used as an ingredient for batter for deep-fried foods. The mix of the present invention is mixed with an aqueous liquid to prepare a batter.

[0011] The mix of the present invention contains a processed starch. The type of raw starch for the processed starch is not particularly limited, and examples include corn starch, waxy corn starch, tapioca starch, potato starch, wheat starch, and rice starch. Any one or a combination of two or more of these starches can be used as the raw starch. Among these, corn starch or tapioca starch is preferred, with tapioca starch being more preferred. The processing applied to the raw starch is not particularly limited as long as it is acceptable for food use, and includes esterification such as acetylation, etherification, cross-linking, oxidation, oil processing, and the like, as well as combinations of one or more of these. Of these, acetylation, cross-linking, oil processing, or a combination of these is preferred. Preferably, the processed starch is one or more selected from the group consisting of acetylated starch and phosphate cross-linked starch. The processed starch may be prepared from unprocessed raw starch according to a standard method, or a commercially available product may be used.

[0012] The content of the modified starch in the mix of the present invention is preferably 70% by mass or more, more preferably 80% by mass or more, and even more preferably 85% by mass or more, based on the total amount of the mix. If the content of the modified starch in the mix of the present invention is low, the appearance (i.e., peeling of the breadcrumbs) or texture (i.e., hardness or sliminess of the coating, and loss of crispness over time) of the breadcrumb-covered fried food may not be sufficiently improved. On the other hand, if the content of the modified starch in the mix of the present invention is too high, the content of glucomannan and xanthan gum described below may be insufficient, which may also result in the quality of the breadcrumb-covered fried food not being sufficiently improved. Therefore, the content of the modified starch in the mix of the present invention is preferably 99.8% by mass or less, more preferably 99.5% by mass or less, and even more preferably 99% by mass or less, based on the total amount of the mix.

[0013] The mix of the present invention further contains glucomannan. Glucomannan is a water-soluble polysaccharide contained in the tubers of konjac. The glucomannan solution has the property of gelling upon heating or the addition of a coagulant. The glucomannan used in the present invention can be any edible glucomannan without any particular limitations, and commercially available products can also be used.

[0014] The mix of the present invention further contains xanthan gum. Xanthan gum is a water-soluble polysaccharide produced by microorganisms. A xanthan gum solution has the property of gelling when cooled after heating or when a coagulant is added. The xanthan gum used in the present invention can be any xanthan gum available for consumption without particular limitation, and commercially available products can also be used.

[0015] The content of the glucomannan in the mix of the present invention is preferably 0.1 to 0.8% by mass, more preferably 0.2 to 0.6% by mass, based on the total amount of the mix. The content of the xanthan gum in the mix of the present invention is preferably 0.1 to 0.8% by mass, more preferably 0.2 to 0.6% by mass, based on the total amount of the mix. By containing glucomannan and xanthan gum in the above-described amounts, the mix of the present invention can improve the appearance (i.e., peeling of breadcrumbs) and texture (i.e., hardness and sliminess of the coating, and loss of crispness over time) of breaded fried foods. Furthermore, the content ratio of the glucomannan to xanthan gum in the mix of the present invention (glucomannan:xanthan gum) is preferably 1:5 to 5:1, more preferably 1:3 to 3:1, and even more preferably 1:2 to 2:1, by mass. When the mix of the present invention contains glucomannan and xanthan gum in the above-described content ratio, the effect of improving the appearance and texture of breaded fried foods is further enhanced.

[0016] The mix of the present invention may further contain other ingredients used in coating materials for ordinary fried foods in addition to the above-mentioned modified starch, glucomannan, and xanthan gum. Such other ingredients include, for example, cereal flours such as wheat flour; unmodified starch; sugars; proteins; oils and fats; leavening agents; thickeners other than glucomannan and xanthan gum; seasonings such as salt, soy sauce, fermented seasonings, and amino acids; spices; flavorings; nutritional components such as vitamins; coloring agents, etc. These other ingredients can be used alone or in combination of two or more depending on the type of fried food. The content of such other ingredients is preferably 30% by mass or less, more preferably 20% by mass or less, and even more preferably 15% by mass or less.

[0017] The mix of the present invention can be produced by mixing the modified starch, glucomannan, and xanthan gum, and, if necessary, other ingredients. The mix of the present invention is in powder form. The mix of the present invention is used to prepare batter for fried foods. The mix of the present invention may be used to prepare batter immediately after production, or may be stored and used as needed. The mix of the present invention is in powder form at room temperature (15 to 25°C) and has an equilibrium moisture content in the range of 10 to 15% by mass, similar to conventional batter mixes, and therefore can be stored in powder form for long periods of time.

[0018] A batter is prepared by mixing the mix of the present invention with an aqueous liquid. The aqueous liquid is not particularly limited as long as it can be used as an ingredient for a batter, and examples include clean water, well water, acidic water, and alkaline water. The amount of the aqueous liquid added to the mix of the present invention is 200 to 500 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the mix. Preferably, the mix of the present invention is used to prepare a thin batter (i.e., a batter with a low powder content or a high water content). By preparing a thin batter using the mix of the present invention, the advantage of conventional thin batters, such as improved crispness of the coating, can be achieved, while the disadvantages of conventional thin batters, such as crumb peeling and deterioration in the texture of the coating over time, can be improved by using the mix of the present invention. Therefore, in the present invention, a batter is preferably prepared by mixing 100 parts by weight of the mix of the present invention with 300 to 500 parts by weight, more preferably 330 to 450 parts by weight, of an aqueous liquid.

[0019] The batter liquid prepared using the mix of the present invention has a viscosity measured by a rotational viscometer at a product temperature of 20°C of preferably 500 to 5000 mPa·s, more preferably 1000 to 5000 mPa·s, even more preferably 2000 to 4400 mPa·s, and even more preferably 2500 to 4290 mPa·s. In this specification, the viscosity of the batter liquid is the viscosity measured using a rotational viscometer at a product temperature of 20°C and a rotor rotation speed of 12 rpm. The batter liquid prepared using the mix of the present invention has a relatively high viscosity as described above, even though it is a thin batter liquid.

[0020] The batter of the present invention can be used to produce battered deep-fried foods in the same manner as conventional batters. Thus, the procedure for producing battered deep-fried foods using the batter of the present invention includes applying the batter to ingredients and deep-frying the ingredients with the batter.

[0021] The ingredients used in the production of the battered fried food are not particularly limited, and examples thereof include meats such as chicken, pork, beef, lamb, and goat; processed meat products such as sausage, ham, and bacon; processed seafood products such as squid, shrimp, and horse mackerel, and fish paste; and vegetables. If necessary, the ingredients may be seasoned or coated with flour before the batter of the present invention is applied.

[0022] Preferably, another coating material is applied to the ingredient to which the batter of the present invention has been applied. Preferably, the other coating material is breadcrumbs. For example, by applying the batter of the present invention to an ingredient and then applying breadcrumbs on top of that to produce a fried food, and then frying the fried food, breaded fried foods such as pork cutlet and croquette can be produced. Alternatively, by applying the batter to an ingredient without using breadcrumbs to produce a fried food, and then frying the fried food, breaded fried foods such as tempura, fried chicken, and fried chicken can be produced. The method of applying the batter or breadcrumbs to the ingredient and the procedure for frying the fried food can be performed according to conventional procedures.

[0023] Next, in order to explain the present invention more specifically, examples and comparative examples will be given, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0024] (Test Example 1) (1) Preparation of a batter mix Raw materials were mixed according to the formulation shown in Table 1 below to prepare a batter mix.

[0025] (2) Preparation of Batter 100 parts by mass of the batter mix prepared in (1) above and 350 parts by mass of fresh water were mixed and stirred to prepare a batter. The viscosity of the prepared batter was measured using the following viscosity measurement method. (Viscosity Measurement Method) The batter was kept at a product temperature of 20°C and measured using a B-type viscometer (model BM: manufactured by TOKIMEC) at a rotor rotation speed of 12 rpm.

[0026] (3) Production of Pork Cutlets Pork cutlets were produced by applying 30 g of the batter prepared in (2) above to the entire surface of pork loin (120 g slice, 1 cm thick), coating with breadcrumbs, and frying in salad oil heated to 175°C for 4 minutes. The produced pork cutlets were cooled to room temperature (approximately 25°C), placed in plastic bags, covered, and stored at room temperature for 5 hours. After storage, the pork cutlets were evaluated for appearance and texture without reheating. Evaluation was performed by 10 trained panelists according to the following evaluation criteria, and the average score of the 10 panelists was calculated. As a reference example, pork cutlets were produced and evaluated using a conventional batter prepared by mixing 100 parts by weight of soft wheat flour and 350 parts by weight of fresh water, following the same procedure as above. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0027] <Evaluation criteria> (Appearance: peeling of breadcrumbs) 5 points: The breadcrumbs are evenly attached to the entire surface, very good. 4 points: The breadcrumbs are peeling in places less than 10% of the surface, but are evenly attached to almost the entire surface, good. 3 points: The breadcrumbs are peeling in places less than 10-25% of the surface, but not a problem. 2 points: The breadcrumbs are peeling in places less than 25-50% of the surface, poor. 1 point: The breadcrumbs are peeling in places less than 50% of the surface, very poor. (Crispness of breadcrumbs) 5 points: Very crisp and very good. 4 points: Very crisp and good. 3 points: Somewhat lacking in crispness, but not a problem. 2 points: Somewhat soft or hard, brittle and not very crispy, poor. 1 point: Very soft or hard, not brittle, extremely poor. (Sliminess of the coating under the breadcrumbs) 5 points: Not slimy at all, extremely good. 4 points: Not very slimy, good. 3 points: Slightly slimy, but not a problem. 2 points: Slimy, poor. 1 point: Strongly slimy, extremely poor. (Hardness of the coating under the breadcrumbs) 5 points: Soft and can be chewed without resistance, extremely good. 4 points: Slight resistance, but easy to chew, good. 3 points: Somewhat hard, but not a problem. 2 points: Hard and somewhat difficult to chew, poor. 1 point: Too hard, or feels hard and sticky, difficult to chew, extremely poor.

[0028]

[0029] (Test Example 2) A batter mix was produced in the same manner as in Test Example 1, except that the blending amounts of glucomannan and santa gum were changed as shown in Table 2. Using the obtained batter mix, pork cutlets were produced and evaluated in the same manner as in Test Example 1. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0030]

[0031] (Test Example 3) A batter mix was produced in the same manner as in Test Example 1, except that the mass ratio of glucomannan and santa gum was changed as shown in Table 3. Using the obtained batter mix, pork cutlets were produced and evaluated in the same manner as in Test Example 1. The results are shown in Table 3.

[0032]

[0033] (Test Example 3) A batter mix was produced using the same procedure as in Test Example 1, except that the content of modified starch was changed as shown in Table 4. Using the resulting batter mix, pork cutlets were produced using the same procedure as in Test Example 1 and evaluated. The results are shown in Table 4. Table 4 also lists the results of Production Example 3.

[0034]

Claims

1. A mix for batter containing modified starch and containing 0.1 to 0.8% by mass of glucomannan and 0.1 to 0.8% by mass of xanthan gum.

2. The batter mix according to claim 1, wherein the mass ratio of glucomannan to xanthan gum is 1:5 to 5:

1.

3. The batter mix according to claim 1, wherein the modified starch is at least one selected from the group consisting of acetylated starch and phosphate cross-linked starch.

4. A batter mix according to claim 1, wherein the content of the modified starch is 70 to 99.8% by mass.

5. The batter mix of claim 1, wherein the batter is a breaded fried food batter.

6. A batter for deep-fried foods, which is a mixture of 100 parts by mass of the batter mix according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and 200 to 500 parts by mass of an aqueous liquid.

7. The batter of claim 6, wherein the fried food is a breaded fried food.

8. A method for producing a fried food product, comprising: applying the batter liquid according to claim 6 to an ingredient; and deep-frying the ingredient with the batter liquid applied thereto.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising applying breadcrumbs to the battered ingredients prior to deep frying.

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