Rice cracker, dough, dough production method, and rice cracker production method

Abstract

In the production process of a rice cracker, depending on the variety of rice used as a raw material of the rice cracker, rice may be difficult to gather together and stretch as dough.　The main purpose of the present technique is to improve the processing characteristics, such as ease of gathering and ease of stretching as dough, in order to appropriately mold the dough using die cutting or the like.　As a result of intensive studies, the present inventors have found that the processing characteristics, such as ease of gathering and ease of stretching as dough, can be improved by adding an alkali metal salt of an organic acid or the like to a raw material containing a rice-derived component in a step before molding the dough.

Description

Rice crackers, dough, method for producing dough, and method for producing rice crackers

[0001] The present technology relates to rice crackers, dough, a method for producing dough, and a method for producing rice crackers.

[0002] Conventionally, development has been carried out on methods for improving methods for producing rice crackers and prepared raw materials for rice cracker production.

[0003] For example, the following Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for preventing cracking, breakage, and the like from occurring in a drying step by adding an alkali salt of an organic acid to rice flour.

[0004] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 3-216155

[0005] In the production process of rice crackers, depending on the variety of rice used as the raw material for rice crackers, it may be difficult to form the dough into a cohesive mass and be difficult to roll out.

[0006] The main object of the present technology is to improve processing characteristics such as ease of cohesion as dough and ease of rolling out, in order to appropriately perform dough molding using die cutting or the like.

[0007] This technology provides a rice cracker containing rice-derived components, wherein the proportion of indica rice in the rice is 30% by mass or more, and at least the central portion of the rice cracker contains an alkali metal salt of an organic acid. Furthermore, this technology provides a rice cracker containing rice-derived components, wherein the proportion of indica rice in the rice is 50% by mass or more, and at least the central portion of the rice cracker contains an alkali metal salt of an organic acid. In the rice cracker of this technology, the organic acid may be one or more organic acids selected from citric acid, tartaric acid, gluconic acid, succinic acid, adipic acid, ascorbic acid, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. Furthermore, the alkali metal of the alkali metal salt may be one or more selected from potassium and sodium. The rice cracker of this technology may be manufactured by heating a dough whose processing characteristics have been improved by adding an alkali metal salt of the organic acid or a combination of the organic acid and the alkali metal to a raw material containing rice-derived components. Next, this technology provides a dough for making rice crackers, comprising rice-derived components and an alkali metal salt of an organic acid, wherein the proportion of Indica rice in the rice is 30% by mass or more. Furthermore, this technology provides a dough for making rice crackers, comprising rice-derived components and an alkali metal salt of an organic acid, wherein the proportion of Indica rice in the rice is 50% by mass or more. In the dough of this technology, the organic acid may be one or more organic acids selected from citric acid, tartaric acid, gluconic acid, succinic acid, adipic acid, ascorbic acid, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. Moreover, the alkali metal of the alkali metal salt may be one or more selected from potassium and sodium.

[0008] Next, the present technology provides a method for producing dough containing rice-derived components, wherein the proportion of indica rice in the rice is 30% by mass or more, and in any step of the production method, an alkali metal salt of an organic acid or a combination of the organic acid and the alkali metal is added to the raw material containing rice-derived components. Furthermore, the present technology provides a method for producing dough containing rice-derived components, wherein the proportion of indica rice in the rice is 50% by mass or more, and in any step of the production method, an alkali metal salt of an organic acid or a combination of the organic acid and the alkali metal is added to the raw material containing rice-derived components. In the dough production method of the present technology, the organic acid may be one or more organic acids selected from citric acid, tartaric acid, gluconic acid, succinic acid, adipic acid, ascorbic acid, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. Furthermore, the alkali metal of the alkali metal salt may be one or more selected from potassium and sodium. In the dough manufacturing method of this technology, the amount of alkali metal salt of the organic acid or a combination of the organic acid and the alkali metal compound added may be 0.05% by mass or more and 10.00% by mass or less, calculated as alkali metal salt of the organic acid based on the dry content of the rice-derived components. Furthermore, this technology provides a method for producing rice crackers obtained by heating dough manufactured by the manufacturing method of this technology.

[0009] This shows a flowchart of a typical method for manufacturing dough containing rice-derived ingredients. This also shows a flowchart of a typical method for manufacturing rice crackers using dough containing rice-derived ingredients.

[0010] Preferred embodiments of the present technology are described below. However, the embodiments shown below are merely examples of typical embodiments of the present technology, and the present technology is not limited to these preferred embodiments, but can be freely modified within the scope of the present technology.

[0011] In numerical ranges described in stages within this specification, the upper or lower limit of one numerical range may be replaced with the upper or lower limit of another numerical range described in stages. Furthermore, in numerical ranges described within this specification, the upper or lower limit of that range may be replaced with the values ​​shown in the examples. In this specification, the term "process" includes not only independent processes but also processes that are not clearly distinguishable from other processes, provided that the intended purpose of the process is achieved.

[0012] [Method for manufacturing dough] This technology allows for the improvement of the processing characteristics of the resulting dough, such as its ease of handling and ease of rolling, by adding an alkali metal salt of an organic acid or a compound containing the alkali metal to the raw material containing the rice-derived component in any step of the method for manufacturing dough containing the rice-derived component.

[0013] The "dough" produced by this technology is suitable for use in the manufacture of rice crackers, and refers to a product made by kneading rice-derived ingredients through processes such as pounding and kneading, and is in a state prior to the drying process.

[0014] The raw materials for the dough produced by this technology include rice-derived components. In addition to rice-derived components, these raw materials may also contain any components appropriate to the characteristics of the rice crackers being produced. Examples of such optional components include starches such as starch, modified starch, and gelatinized starch; grain flour; seafood such as shrimp and seaweed; legumes such as soybeans; seeds such as sesame seeds; seasonings; dairy products; and the like.

[0015] The rice-derived components used as raw materials for the dough produced by this technology are components obtained from rice (rice seeds) and include all substances derived from rice.

[0016] This technology addresses the problem that some rice varieties used as raw materials for rice crackers are difficult to handle and roll out as dough, making it difficult to properly shape the dough using molds or other methods before the drying process. Therefore, this technology is particularly effective in improving the processing characteristics of dough when using rice varieties that are difficult to shape as dough when used as raw materials. There are no particular restrictions on the rice varieties that fall under this category, but varieties with a high amylose content (for example, varieties with an amylose content of about 25% to 40%) tend to fit this description. Examples of such rice are not limited to these, but generally, Indica rice varieties often fall under this category.

[0017] In other words, even if the rice-derived components in the raw materials include rice varieties that are difficult to mold into dough, or consist solely of rice varieties that are difficult to mold into dough, the processing characteristics of the dough can be improved using this technology. That is, by using this technology, even rice varieties that conventionally tend to have poor dough processing characteristics can be used as raw materials for rice crackers. Furthermore, it is also possible to use blended raw materials that mix such rice varieties. This makes it possible to provide rice crackers that are prepared to meet customer needs.

[0018] Furthermore, dough processed using this technology exhibits improved processing characteristics, which allows it to hold together well and, when manufactured as rice crackers through processes such as heating, the resulting rice crackers are more easily softened by the heating process. In addition, dough obtained using this manufacturing method exhibits minimal changes in taste, such as sourness and saltiness, and is easy to prepare.

[0019] Here, "Indica rice" refers to a group of rice varieties (Oryza sativa) that possess specific genetic characteristics and are mainly cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions. Genetically, it can be classified as Japonica rice (Oryza sativa ssp. japonica) based on specific genetic differences in the genome.

[0020] Genetic differences that are thought to contribute to the identification of rice varieties such as Indica and Japonica include, for example, base sequences related to starch debranching enzymes and base sequences related to the composition of the protein glutelin. In addition, various other genes are known to be used as genetic markers for classification. Indica rice can be identified based on any of these genetic markers that have been confirmed to be used for classification.

[0021] In the method of this technology, the rice used as an ingredient for rice crackers may include rice varieties that are difficult to mold into dough, for example, it may include indica rice, or it may be indica rice. Here, "including indica rice" means that the rice used as an ingredient includes one or more indica rice varieties, and other types of rice may be used in combination (so-called "blended rice"). Also, "being indica rice" means that the rice used as an ingredient consists only of indica rice. In this case, it includes cases where the rice contains multiple types of indica rice.

[0022] Examples of indica rice varieties include jasmine rice, white rice, and basmati rice.

[0023] In the method of this technology, the rice used as a raw material for rice crackers may be non-glutinous rice or glutinous rice, but non-glutinous rice is preferred from the viewpoint of the processing characteristics of the dough. That is, in the method of this technology, non-glutinous jasmine rice, non-glutinous white rice, non-glutinous basmati rice, glutinous jasmine rice, glutinous white rice, glutinous basmati rice, etc. may be used as the rice used as a raw material for rice crackers. In the method of this technology, even if at least one type of rice selected from the group consisting of non-glutinous jasmine rice, non-glutinous white rice, and non-glutinous basmati rice is used as the rice used as the raw material for rice crackers, the dough will hold together well and a dough that can be suitably produced to be made into rice crackers after processes such as heating can be produced.

[0024] As mentioned above, this technology can improve the processing characteristics of the dough even when the rice used as an ingredient for rice crackers contains Indica rice to such an extent that it is generally difficult to mold into dough (i.e., when it is a blend of rice). In this case, there are no particular restrictions on the proportion of Indica rice in the rice used as an ingredient for rice crackers, but from the perspective of making it difficult to mold into dough, for example, even if the proportion of Indica rice in the rice used as an ingredient for rice crackers is 30% by mass or more, 40% by mass or more, or 50% by mass or more, the processing characteristics of the dough can be improved by the method of this technology.

[0025] When the rice used as an ingredient for rice crackers is a blended rice, there is no particular upper limit on the proportion of Indica rice in the blend. For example, the proportion of Indica rice in the rice used as an ingredient for rice crackers may be 90% by mass or less, 85% by mass or less, 80% by mass or less, 75% by mass or less, 70% by mass or less, 65% by mass or less, or 60% by mass or less.

[0026] As stated above, when the rice used as an ingredient for rice crackers is a blended rice, there are no particular restrictions on the proportion of Indica rice used as an ingredient for rice crackers, but for example, it may be 30% to 90% by mass, 35% to 85% by mass, 40% to 80% by mass, 45% to 75% by mass, or 50% to 70% by mass.

[0027] In this specification, "processing of dough" refers to making the dough easy to shape through methods such as pounding and kneading. Specifically, this includes gathering and rolling out the dough. "Processing characteristics of dough" refers to how easily the dough gathers and how easily it can be rolled out. In other words, in this specification, "improvement of processing characteristics of dough" refers to an improvement in how easily dough made from raw materials containing rice-derived components gathers and how easily it can be rolled out.

[0028] Furthermore, "rice crackers" manufactured using dough produced by this technology refer to food products made by shaping dough, which is primarily made from rice-derived ingredients, and then subjecting it to processes such as heating. Examples of heating methods for manufacturing such food products include baking, deep-frying, and heating followed by heating and pressurizing with an extruder or the like.

[0029] Examples of rice crackers obtained by baking dough produced using the method of this technology include baked rice crackers such as senbei, arare, okaki, nure senbei, and nure okaki.

[0030] Rice crackers produced using the method of this technology and then deep-fried include, for example, deep-fried rice crackers such as deep-fried senbei, deep-fried mochi, deep-fried arare, and deep-fried okaki.

[0031] Examples of rice crackers produced using the method of this technology, which involves heating the dough and then applying heat and pressure using an extruder or the like, include rice snacks, puff snacks, puffed rice crackers, and rice cookies.

[0032] The dough produced using this technology exhibits improved processing characteristics such as ease of handling and ease of rolling, making it particularly suitable for use in shaping processes that require such processing characteristics, such as die cutting. From this perspective, the dough produced using this technology is particularly suitable for use in baked rice crackers and fried rice crackers among the rice crackers mentioned above.

[0033] In the method of this technology, "organic acid" refers to a compound having at least one carboxyl group (-COOH). Examples of such compounds include citric acid, tartaric acid, gluconic acid, succinic acid, adipic acid, ascorbic acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, and acetic acid. These may be used individually or in combination. Among these organic acids, citric acid, tartaric acid, gluconic acid, succinic acid, adipic acid, ascorbic acid, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid are preferred from the viewpoint of improving the processing characteristics of the dough, citric acid, tartaric acid, gluconic acid, and succinic acid are more preferred, and citric acid is particularly preferred.

[0034] The organic acids exemplified above include isomers if they exist, such as erythorbic acid (isoascorbic acid) in the case of ascorbic acid.

[0035] Furthermore, "alkali metal salts of organic acids" refer to compounds formed from carboxylate anions derived from organic acids (i.e., anions produced when an organic acid releases a proton from at least one carboxyl group) and alkali metal cations. Alkali metals are elements of Group 1 of the periodic table, excluding hydrogen. Examples of such alkali metals include potassium and sodium. These may be used individually or in combination.

[0036] In the method of this technology, in one of the steps of the method for producing dough containing rice-derived components, the raw material containing rice-derived components is made to contain an alkali metal salt of an organic acid. As a way to achieve this state, for example, an alkali metal salt of an organic acid or a combination of an organic acid and an alkali metal compound can be added.

[0037] Of the above, "adding an alkali metal salt of an organic acid" refers to directly adding an alkali metal salt of an organic acid to a raw material containing rice-derived components. In this case, the dough contains the alkali metal salt of the organic acid, which is a compound formed by the integration of an organic acid and an alkali metal.

[0038] In the method of this technology, when adding an alkali metal salt of an organic acid to a raw material containing rice-derived components so that it contains an alkali metal salt of an organic acid, a salt combining the organic acid listed above with an alkali metal can be suitably used as the alkali metal salt of the organic acid. Examples include monosodium citrate, disodium citrate, trisodium citrate, monopotassium citrate, dipotassium citrate, tripotassium citrate, monosodium tartrate, disodium tartrate, monopotassium tartrate, dipotassium tartrate, potassium bitartrate, sodium gluconate, potassium gluconate, monosodium succinate, disodium succinate, monopotassium succinate, dipotassium succinate, monosodium adipate, disodium adipate, monopotassium adipate, dipotassium adipate, sodium ascorbate, potassium ascorbate, monosodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, trisodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, tetrasodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, monopotassium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, dipotassium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, tripotassium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, tetrapotassium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, sodium lactate, potassium lactate, monosodium malate, disodium malate, monopotassium malate, dipotassium malate, sodium acetate, potassium acetate, etc. As mentioned above, if the organic acid constituting the alkali metal salt of an organic acid has isomers, salts of those isomers with the alkali metal can also be used. These may be used individually or in combination of multiple types.

[0039] Furthermore, among the alkali metal salts of organic acids listed above, from the perspective of improving the processing characteristics of the dough, monosodium citrate, disodium citrate, trisodium citrate, monopotassium citrate, dipotassium citrate, tripotassium citrate, monosodium tartrate, disodium tartrate, monopotassium tartrate, dipotassium tartrate, potassium bitartrate, sodium gluconate, potassium gluconate, monosodium succinate, disodium succinate, monopotassium succinate, dipotassium succinate, monosodium adipic acid, disodium adipic acid, monopotassium adipic acid, dipotassium adipic acid, sodium ascorbate, potassium ascorbate, monosodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, trisodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, tetrasodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate Plum, monopotassium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, dipotassium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, tripotassium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, and tetrapotassium ethylenediaminetetraacetate are preferred, monosodium citrate, disodium citrate, trisodium citrate, monopotassium citrate, dipotassium citrate, tripotassium citrate, monosodium tartrate, disodium tartrate, monopotassium tartrate, dipotassium tartrate, potassium bitartrate, sodium gluconate, potassium gluconate, monosodium succinate, disodium succinate, monopotassium succinate, and dipotassium succinate are more preferred, monosodium citrate, disodium citrate, trisodium citrate, monopotassium citrate, dipotassium citrate, and tripotassium citrate are particularly preferred, and trisodium citrate and tripotassium citrate are most preferred.

[0040] On the other hand, "adding a combination of organic acids and alkali metal compounds" means adding the organic acids and alkali metal compounds separately. It is presumed that this causes the organic acids to dissociate in the dough and react with alkali metal-derived ions, thereby generating alkali metal salts of the organic acids in the dough.

[0041] In the method of the present technology, when a combination of an organic acid and an alkali metal-containing compound is added to allow a raw material containing a rice-derived component to be in a state containing an alkali metal salt of the organic acid, any compound can be used as the alkali metal-containing compound to be added together with the organic acid. For example, when generating a salt of citric acid and sodium in dough, it is conceivable that citric acid and baking soda (sodium hydrogen carbonate) are separately added to the raw material.

[0042] In the method of the present technology, in any step of the method for producing a dough containing a rice-derived component, in order to allow a raw material containing a rice-derived component to be in a state containing an alkali metal salt of an organic acid, the addition amount of the alkali metal salt of the organic acid or the combination of the organic acid and the alkali metal-containing compound, when converted to the alkali metal salt of the organic acid based on the dry content of the rice-derived component, may be added in a range of, for example, 0.05 mass% or more, 0.10 mass% or more, 0.13 mass% or more, 0.15 mass% or more, 0.20 mass% or more, 0.23 mass% or more, 0.25 mass% or more, 0.30 mass% or more, 0.23 mass% or more, 0.25 mass% or more, 0.30 mass% or more, 0.33 mass% or more, 0.35 mass% or more, 0.40 mass% or more, 0.43 mass% or more, 0.50 mass% or more, which can improve processing properties such as ease of forming into a cohesive mass and ease of rolling of the obtained dough.

[0043] Further, the upper limit of the addition amount of the alkali metal salt of the organic acid or the combination of the organic acid and the alkali metal-containing compound can be arbitrarily set within a range that does not impair desired physical properties of rice crackers. When converted to the alkali metal salt of the organic acid based on the dry content of the rice-derived component, the upper limit may be set to, for example, a range of 10.00 mass% or less, 9.50 mass% or less, 9.00 mass% or less, 8.50 mass% or less, 8.00 mass% or less, 7.50 mass% or less, 7.00 mass% or less, 6.50 mass% or less, 6.00 mass% or less, 5.50 mass% or less, 5.00 mass% or less.

[0044] In the present disclosure, the term "dry content of the rice-derived component" refers to the mass of the residue obtained after removing moisture from the rice-derived component. The dry content of the rice-derived component can be specified by any method such as, for example, a heat drying method in which the mass of the rice-derived component is measured after the rice-derived component is left to dry in a constant temperature bath at 135°C for 3 hours or more, or a vacuum drying method in which the mass of the rice-derived component is measured after the rice-derived component is dried under a low-pressure (reduced-pressure) environment.

[0045] In addition, in the present disclosure, the added amount of the alkali metal salt of an organic acid based on the dry content of the rice-derived component is the added amount when the alkali metal salt of the organic acid is an anhydride.

[0046] Next, a specific implementation method of the method of the present technology will be described with reference to the flow diagram of a representative example of the method for producing dough containing a rice-derived component shown in FIG. 1.

[0047] Generally, as shown in FIG. 1, the production of the dough containing the rice-derived component is performed in the order of a rice washing / immersing step S101, a milling step S102, a steaming step S103, a pounding / kneading step S104, and a forming step S105.

[0048] Here, the rice washing / immersing step S101 is a step for washing raw material rice with water to remove surface dirt and unnecessary components, then immersing the rice in water under appropriate time and conditions to allow the rice to absorb sufficient moisture, thereby making it easy to steam and improving processability in the subsequent step.

[0049] The milling step S102 is a step of, after drying or adjusting the rice that has completed the aforementioned rice washing and immersing to an appropriate state, pulverizing the rice into rice flour until the particle size matches the texture and production method of the rice cracker to be produced, so as to make the rice easy to steam. Note that the milling step S102 may be omitted depending on the rice cracker to be produced, and the subsequent steaming step S103 may be performed using the raw material grains as they are after the rice washing / immersing step S101. In addition, there is no particular limitation on the method for pulverizing rice in the milling step S102, and any method such as dry milling or wet milling can be used. For example, jet milling, impact milling, roller milling and the like can be used.

[0050] Steaming step S103 is a step in which the milled rice flour is steamed with heated steam or the like to promote the gelatinization (alpha-conjugation) of the starch in the rice flour. The method of steaming the raw material rice flour in steaming step S103 is not particularly limited, and any method can be used. For example, the rice flour raw material and water may be placed in a steaming machine and steamed while stirring.

[0051] The pounding and kneading process S104 is a process in which the steamed rice flour is pounded and kneaded to form dough. This process generates stickiness, making it easier to form a uniform dough. In the pounding and kneading process S104, there are no particular restrictions on the method of pounding and kneading the rice flour, and any method can be used. For example, a screw-type kneader, a mortar and pestle pounder, or a mixer can be used.

[0052] The molding process S105 is a process of shaping the dough formed above by any method such as die cutting, cutting, or extrusion. The method of shaping the dough can be arbitrarily selected according to the shape and texture of the rice cracker to be manufactured. For example, when shaping the dough by die cutting, the dough may be rolled out between rollers and then cut out with a mold. Alternatively, when shaping the dough by cutting, the dough formed in the pounding and kneading process S104 may be hardened by refrigeration, and then the hardened dough may be cut into the desired shape using a cutting machine with blades.

[0053] As mentioned above, the dough produced using this technology has improved processing characteristics such as ease of handling and ease of rolling. Therefore, it is particularly suitable for use as dough for baked rice crackers obtained by baking, or fried rice crackers obtained by deep-frying, where shaping using molds or other methods requiring the above processing characteristics is performed.

[0054] The addition of an alkali metal salt of an organic acid or a combination of the organic acid and the alkali metal to a raw material containing rice-derived components, according to this technology, may be carried out at any step in the method for producing dough containing rice-derived components. Specifically, when producing dough containing rice-derived components according to the flow of a representative example shown in Figure 1, the alkali metal salt of an organic acid or a combination of the organic acid and the alkali metal may be added at any step from S101 to S104. It is preferable that this addition allows the alkali metal salt of the organic acid or the combination of the organic acid and the alkali metal to be distributed throughout the raw material.

[0055] From the above viewpoint, it is particularly efficient and preferable to add an alkali metal salt of an organic acid or a combination of the organic acid and the alkali metal at a stage prior to the steaming process S103. For example, in the preparation stage for the steaming process S103, an alkali metal salt of an organic acid or a combination of the organic acid and the alkali metal may be added to the kneading machine along with the milled rice flour and water, and the mixture may be steamed by stirring while blowing in steam.

[0056] The above describes a specific method of this technology that is particularly suitable for baked rice crackers obtained by baking, and fried rice crackers obtained by deep-frying. However, for example, when manufacturing dough for rice crackers that are heated and pressurized using an extruder, such as rice snacks, the dough may be prepared in the extruder by adding a mixture of an alkali salt of an organic acid or a compound containing an organic acid and an alkali metal to the raw material containing the aforementioned rice-derived components.

[0057] [Method for Manufacturing Rice Crackers] As described above, the desired rice crackers can be manufactured using the dough obtained by this technology. Figure 2 shows a typical flowchart for manufacturing rice crackers using dough containing rice-derived components, specifically for producing baked rice crackers obtained by baking and fried rice crackers obtained by deep-frying. Using this flowchart, the method for manufacturing rice crackers obtained by heating the dough produced by this technology will be explained in detail.

[0058] The manufacturing method for rice crackers using dough containing rice-derived ingredients is generally carried out in the following order, as shown in Figure 2: drying process S201, baking / frying process S202, and flavoring process S203.

[0059] The drying process S201 is a process in which excess moisture is removed from the dough after it has been shaped, and the dough is dried to stabilize its shape. By drying the dough, it expands properly when heated in the subsequent baking / frying process S202. The drying method used in the drying process S201 is not particularly limited, and any method can be used. For example, natural drying, hot air drying, infrared drying, etc., can be used. In addition, the degree of drying and drying conditions (temperature and time) may be adjusted according to the texture and manufacturing method of the rice cracker being produced.

[0060] In the drying process S201, depending on the texture of the rice cracker being manufactured, the dough may be dried once, then left to rest, and then dried again. Here, "first drying" is a drying process to remove an appropriate amount of moisture from the surface and inside of the molded dough, to make the moisture distribution inside the dough uniform, and to stabilize the shape of the dough. "Leaving" is a process in which the dough after the first drying is left for a certain period of time to make the moisture inside uniform. The moisture remaining inside the dough moves to the outside, enabling even moisture removal during the subsequent second drying. "Secondary drying" is a drying process to finish the dough that has gone through the resting process to a state suitable for the baking and frying process S202, and adjusts the moisture content in the dough to an appropriate level.

[0061] Furthermore, the drying process S201 may be followed by a final drying process after the seasoning process S203, which will be described later. By performing this final drying process, for example, fine-tuning of the moisture content after the baking / frying process S202, which will be described later, can be achieved to ensure uniform texture and improve shelf life. In addition, the moisture from the liquid seasonings and flavorings added in the seasoning process S203 can be appropriately removed, which is expected to stabilize the flavor of the rice crackers produced. Moreover, removing excess moisture from the dough can reduce the risk of mold and quality deterioration.

[0062] Here, "liquid seasoning" refers to a liquid seasoning used to coat the surface of rice crackers by methods such as application or dipping. "Seasoning" refers to a powdered or granular seasoning that is sprinkled onto the surface of rice crackers to adhere to them.

[0063] The baking and frying process S202 involves heating the dried dough to create the texture and flavor characteristic of rice crackers.

[0064] When the product being manufactured is a baked confectionery-type rice cracker, the dough is heated using a gas-powered burner or similar device. This heating process allows the starch in the dough to expand appropriately, resulting in a desirable texture.

[0065] The baking methods and conditions in this process are not particularly limited, and any means and conditions that can be used for baking rice crackers may be used. Examples of baking methods include gas-operated ovens, roasters, repetitive roasters, hot air ovens, rotary ovens, etc. Furthermore, baking can be carried out by adjusting the heat and time in accordance with conventional methods, depending on the texture and manufacturing method of the rice crackers being produced.

[0066] When the product being manufactured is a fried rice cracker, the method of heating the dough is deep-frying. This deep-frying process causes the moisture in the dough to evaporate rapidly, resulting in a puffy texture and a savory flavor.

[0067] The frying methods and conditions in this process are not particularly limited, and any methods and conditions that can be used for frying rice crackers may be used. For example, a fryer may be used as a frying method. Furthermore, frying can be carried out by adjusting the oil temperature and time in accordance with conventional methods, depending on the texture and manufacturing method of the rice crackers being produced.

[0068] The flavoring step S203 is a step in which seasonings are added to the dough after the baking and frying step S202 to finish the final flavor of the rice cracker. In the flavoring step S203, there are no particular restrictions on the means of adding seasonings, and any method can be used. For example, methods include coating, dipping, moistening the surface of the dough with oil or water and then sprinkling the seasonings on to adhere, using a drum mixer or spray device, dropping the seasonings, showering the seasonings, and using a drum spraying machine.

[0069] Furthermore, as mentioned above, depending on the type of rice cracker being manufactured, a final drying process may be carried out after the flavoring process S203.

[0070] The above is a specific example of a method for manufacturing rice crackers that can be suitably implemented for baked rice crackers obtained by baking and fried rice crackers obtained by frying in oil. However, for example, in the case of rice crackers that are heated and pressurized using an extruder, such as rice snacks, instead of the drying step S201 and the baking / frying step S202, the dough prepared based on the raw materials added to the extruder may be heated and pressurized while being extruded, and the extruded dough may be cut to an appropriate size to shape the rice cracker. After that, depending on the rice cracker to be manufactured, subsequent steps such as the flavoring step S203 may be carried out as appropriate, similar to the specific example of the method for manufacturing rice crackers described above.

[0071] [Rice Crackers] In the manufacturing process of the rice crackers of this technology, in one of the steps of the method for manufacturing dough containing rice-derived components, an alkali metal salt of an organic acid or a combination of the organic acid and the alkali metal is added to the raw material containing rice-derived components, so that at least the central part of the rice cracker contains an alkali metal salt of an organic acid.

[0072] As mentioned above, the rice crackers produced using this technology have an alkali metal salt of an organic acid in their core, allowing them to be manufactured as suitable rice crackers even when the rice used as raw material includes varieties that are difficult to mold into dough. Furthermore, by preparing the rice used as raw material, it is possible to provide rice crackers tailored to customer needs.

[0073] Here, "the core of the rice cracker" refers to the part inside the outer layer of the rice cracker. Specifically, if a different outer layer is created due to the application of seasonings or flavorings during the aforementioned flavoring process, the core of the rice cracker will not include that outer layer, but will be the part inside that outer layer.

[0074] The organic acids and alkali metals contained in the rice crackers of this technology are the organic acids and alkali metals described herein. These may be present individually or in combination of multiple types.

[0075] Furthermore, in the rice cracker of this technology, organic acids and alkali metals may exist in ionic form in the central part of the rice cracker. Specifically, the ions of organic acids and alkali metals contained in the rice cracker of this technology may be ions produced by the dissociation of an alkali metal salt of an organic acid when the salt is added to the rice cracker dough, or they may be ions produced from a compound containing organic acids and alkali metals that is added separately to the rice cracker dough.

[0076] The proportion of organic acids and alkali metals in the core of the rice cracker of this technology may be affected by the manufacturing process after these components are added to the raw materials, but it is based on the amount of alkali metal salts of organic acids or combinations of compounds containing the organic acids and alkali metals added to the raw materials containing rice-derived components.

[0077] Furthermore, whether the center of a rice cracker contains an alkali metal salt of an organic acid can be confirmed using any method for detecting organic acids and alkali metal salts. For example, organic acids and alkali metal salts can be confirmed by the method shown below. Based on the organic acid content and alkali metal salt content identified from these measurement results, the content (molar concentration) of the alkali metal salt of the organic acid in the center of the rice cracker can be determined.

[0078] For example, if the alkali metal salt of the organic acid contained in rice crackers is trisodium citrate, the molar concentration of sodium will be three times that of citric acid. Therefore, the concentrations of citric acid and sodium must be determined. Then, the mass obtained by subtracting the water, lipids, and the determined amount of sodium citrate equivalent from the total amount of the sample is taken as the mass of the rice-derived component. By calculating the percentage of the amount of sodium citrate equivalent to this mass, the amount of sodium citrate per 100 units of rice-derived component in the sample can be determined.

[0079] The surface of the sample to be measured (rice cracker) is scraped to obtain the core portion of the rice cracker, which is the part inside the outer layer of the rice cracker. The obtained core portion of the rice cracker is crushed, and the resulting crushed material is used for each analysis.

[0080] If the rice used as an ingredient in the rice cracker of this technology is a blend of rice including Indica rice, or is Indica rice, the proportion of Indica rice in the rice-derived components contained in the rice cracker will be substantially the same as that of the rice used as an ingredient in the rice cracker.

[0081] The proportion of Indica rice in the rice-derived components of the rice crackers produced by this technology can be estimated using a PCR method with genetic markers used to distinguish between Indica and Japonica rice varieties, as mentioned above. More specifically, the DNA extracted from the rice crackers to be measured is amplified using the PCR method to amplify the Indica-specific marker region, while the control marker region common to all rice varieties is similarly amplified. By comparing the amounts of the resulting amplified products and calculating the relative ratio of the Indica-specific marker region to the common marker region, the proportion of Indica rice contained in the rice crackers can be estimated.

[0082] <Determination of Organic Acid Content> 1 g of the pulverized material is subjected to shaking extraction using 30 mL of a 0.1% formic acid solution. The obtained extract is diluted to an arbitrary concentration and used as a measurement sample. The amount of organic acid is measured using LC / MS (1260 Infinity 2, manufactured by Agilent) under the conditions shown below. Based on the obtained measurement results, the organic acid content (mass % concentration) in the target (rice cracker) can be determined. Note that ionization of the MS is performed using ESI Negative, and as the monitor ion (m / z), 191 can be used when determining the content of citric acid. The monitor ion can also be changed depending on the target organic acid.

[0083] Column: Agilent Hi-Plex H250 × 4.6 mm Column temperature: 50°C Mobile phase: 0.01% formic acid aqueous solution / acetonitrile = 80 / 20 (v / v) Flow rate: 0.2 mL / min Additive: 0.025% ammonia aqueous solution / acetonitrile = 50 / 50 (v / v) Additive flow rate: 0.1 mL / min Ionization method: ESI Polarity: Negative Monitor ion: 191 (citric acid)

[0084] <Identification of Alkali Metal Salt Content> 2 g of the pulverized material is subjected to shaking extraction using 200 mL of a 1% hydrochloric acid solution. The amount of alkali metal salt contained in the obtained extract is measured using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer (ZA3000, Hitachi, Ltd.). Based on the obtained measurement results, the alkali metal salt content (mass % concentration) in the sample (rice cracker) can be determined.

[0085] <Determination of Moisture Content> 5 g of the pulverized material is dried in a dryer at 135°C for 3 hours, and the mass percentage concentration of moisture in the sample (rice cracker) is determined based on the change in mass before and after drying.

[0086] <Determination of Lipid Content> Two g of the pulverized material was placed in a cylindrical filter paper and dried in a dryer at 105°C for one hour. Then, the dry mass of the extract obtained using a Soxhlet extractor with diethyl ether as the solvent was measured. Based on the obtained measurement results, the mass % concentration of lipids in the sample (rice cracker) was determined.

[0087] <pH Identification> The alkali metal salt of an organic acid contained in rice crackers can be identified more efficiently by estimating the alkali metal salt of the target organic acid from its pH. For example, if the alkali metal salt of an organic acid contained in rice crackers is trisodium citrate, the subsequent identification can be made more efficient by confirming that the pH is greater than 5. Specifically, 2 g of the pulverized material is mixed with 10 times its mass of distilled water and the pH of the suspension is measured with a pH meter.

[0088] As mentioned above, the rice-derived components contained in the rice crackers of this technology are components obtained from rice (rice seeds) as a raw material, and include all substances derived from rice. Furthermore, although there are no particular restrictions on the rice, in a manner in which the effects of this technology are more fully realized, it may include rice varieties that are difficult to mold into dough. Examples of such rice are not limited to these, but generally, indica rice is often the case, so as mentioned above, the rice contained in the rice crackers of this technology may include indica rice. Indica rice may be non-glutinous rice or glutinous rice.

[0089] Furthermore, in addition to rice-derived ingredients, the rice crackers produced using this technology may contain any ingredients appropriate to the characteristics of the rice crackers being manufactured.

[0090] Furthermore, this technology can take the following configurations: [1] A rice cracker containing rice-derived components, wherein at least the central portion of the rice cracker contains an alkali metal salt of an organic acid. [2] The rice cracker according to [1], wherein the organic acid is one or more organic acids selected from citric acid, tartaric acid, gluconic acid, succinic acid, adipic acid, ascorbic acid, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. [3] The rice cracker according to [1] or [2], wherein the rice contains indica rice. [4] The rice cracker according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the proportion of indica rice in the rice is 30% by mass or more. [5] The rice cracker according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the proportion of indica rice in the rice is 50% by mass or more. [6] The rice cracker according to [1] or [2], wherein the rice is indica rice. [7] The rice cracker according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein the alkali metal of the alkali metal salt is one or more selected from potassium and sodium. [8] A dough for making rice crackers, comprising a rice-derived component and an alkali metal salt of an organic acid. [9] The dough for making rice crackers according to [8], wherein the organic acid is one or more organic acids selected from citric acid, tartaric acid, gluconic acid, succinic acid, adipic acid, ascorbic acid, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid.

[10] The dough for making rice crackers according to [8] or [9], wherein the rice comprises indica rice.

[11] The dough for making rice crackers according to any one of [8] to

[10] , wherein the proportion of indica rice in the rice is 30% by mass or more.

[12] The dough for making rice crackers according to any one of [8] to

[10] , wherein the proportion of indica rice in the rice is 50% by mass or more.

[13] The dough for making rice crackers according to [8] or [9], wherein the rice is indica rice.

[14] The dough for making rice crackers according to any one of [8] to

[13] , wherein the alkali metal of the alkali metal salt is one or more selected from potassium and sodium.

[15] A rice confectionery according to any one of [1] to [7], which is produced by heating a dough obtained by adding an alkali metal salt of the organic acid or a combination of the organic acid and the alkali metal to a raw material containing the rice-derived component.

[16] A method for producing dough containing rice-derived components, wherein in any step of the method for producing dough containing rice-derived components, an alkali metal salt of an organic acid or a combination of the organic acid and the alkali metal is added to the raw material containing rice-derived components.

[17] The method according to

[16] , wherein the organic acid is one or more organic acids selected from citric acid, tartaric acid, gluconic acid, succinic acid, adipic acid, ascorbic acid, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid.

[18] The method according to

[16] or

[17] , wherein the rice contains indica rice.

[19] The method according to any one of

[16] to

[18] , wherein the proportion of indica rice in the rice is 30% by mass or more.

[20] The method according to any one of

[16] to

[18] , wherein the proportion of indica rice in the rice is 50% by mass or more.

[21] The method according to

[16] or

[17] , wherein the rice is indica rice.

[22] The manufacturing method according to any one of

[16] to

[21] , wherein the alkali metal of the alkali metal salt is one or more selected from potassium and sodium.

[23] The manufacturing method according to any one of

[16] to

[22] , wherein the amount of alkali metal salt of the organic acid or a combination of the organic acid and the alkali metal compound added is 0.05% by mass or more and 10.00% by mass or less, based on the dry content of the rice-derived component, when converted as an alkali metal salt of the organic acid.

[24] A method for producing rice crackers obtained by heating dough produced by the manufacturing method according to any one of

[16] to

[23] .

[25] A method for improving the processing characteristics of dough, wherein in any step of a method for producing dough containing rice-derived components, alkali metal salt of an organic acid or a combination of the organic acid and the alkali metal compound is added to a raw material containing rice-derived components.

[26] The method according to

[25] , wherein the organic acid is one or more organic acids selected from citric acid, tartaric acid, gluconic acid, succinic acid, adipic acid, ascorbic acid, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid.

[27] The method according to

[25] or

[26] , wherein the rice comprises indica rice.

[28] The method according to any one of

[25] to

[27] , wherein the proportion of indica rice in the rice is 30% by mass or more.

[29] The method according to any one of

[25] to

[27] , wherein the proportion of indica rice in the rice is 50% by mass or more.

[30] The method according to

[25] or

[26] , wherein the rice is indica rice.

[31] The method according to any one of

[25] to

[30] , wherein the alkali metal of the alkali metal salt is one or more selected from potassium and sodium.

[32] The method according to any one of

[25] to

[31] , wherein the amount of alkali metal salt of the organic acid or a combination of the organic acid and the alkali metal added is 0.05% by mass or more and 10.00% by mass or less, based on the dry matter content of the rice-derived components, when converted as alkali metal salt of the organic acid.

[33] A method for producing rice crackers obtained by heating dough produced by any one of

[25] to

[32] .

[0091] The technology will be described in detail below based on specific examples. However, this technology is not limited in any way to the examples shown below.

[0092] [Rice Cracker Ingredients] <Rice> ◆Indica variety non-glutinous rice Jasmine (Thailand) Non-glutinous rice White (Thailand) Non-glutinous rice Basmati (India) ◆Japonica variety non-glutinous rice for rice crackers (multiple varieties of rice, Japanese, Fujii Shoten) <Additives, etc. for forming alkali metal salts of organic acids in rice crackers> Trisodium citrate (Fuso Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) Tripotassium citrate (Fuso Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) Disodium tartrate (Fuso Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) Sodium gluconate (Fuso Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) Disodium succinate (Fuso Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) Disodium adipic acid (Tokyo Chemical Industries Co., Ltd.) Sodium ascorbate (Fuso Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) Sodium erythorbate (Fuso Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) Disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate (Kanto Chemical Co., Ltd.) Sodium acetate (Yoneyama Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) Sodium lactate (Fuso Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) Disodium malate (Fuso Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) Citric acid (manufactured by Fuso Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) + baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) (manufactured by Tosoh Corporation) Calcium citrate (manufactured by Fuso Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) Table salt (manufactured by Nippon Kaisui Co., Ltd.)

[0093] Using the above raw materials in the combinations shown in Tables 1 to 7, rice crackers for Examples 1 to 20 and their corresponding Comparative Examples 1 to 6, Examples 21 to 38 and their corresponding Comparative Examples 21 to 26, and Reference Examples 1 and 2 were manufactured according to the following rice cracker manufacturing procedure. Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3 compare the present technology with the conventional technology when the rice used as the raw material is changed. Examples 4 to 15 and Comparative Examples 4 to 6 confirm the effect of the raw materials related to the alkali metal salt of organic acid added during the rice cracker manufacturing process. Examples 16 to 19 confirm the effect of the amount of raw materials related to the alkali metal salt of organic acid added during the rice cracker manufacturing process. Example 20 confirms the effect of the present technology when potato starch is included as another raw material. Examples 21 to 38 and their corresponding Comparative Examples 21 to 26 confirm the effect of the present technology when a blend of rice containing both Indica rice and non-Indica rice (Japonica rice) is used as a raw material containing rice-derived components. Specifically, Examples 21-23 and Comparative Examples 21-23 compare the present technology with the conventional technology when the raw material, indica rice, is changed. Similarly, Examples 24-33 and Comparative Example 24 confirm the effect of the alkali metal salt of organic acid added as a raw material during the rice cracker manufacturing process when blended rice is used. Examples 34, 35 and Comparative Examples 25, 26 compare the present technology with the conventional technology when the proportion of indica rice in the raw material is changed. Examples 36 and 37 confirm the effect of the amount of alkali metal salt of organic acid added as a raw material during the rice cracker manufacturing process when blended rice is used. Example 38 confirms the effect of the present technology when potato starch is included as another raw material when blended rice is used. Reference Examples 1 and 2 confirm the effect of the alkali metal salt of organic acid added as a raw material during the rice cracker manufacturing process when the proportion of indica rice in the rice is less than 30% by mass.

[0094]

[0095]

[0096]

[0097]

[0098]

[0099]

[0100]

[0101] [Rice Cracker Manufacturing Procedure] <Washing and Soaking> The rice to be used as raw material is washed with water to remove surface dirt and unwanted components. Then, in order to make it easier to steam, the washed rice is soaked in water for one hour.

[0102] <Milling> After washing and soaking the rice, the rice is crushed using a flattening roller until it has an average particle size of 400 μm or more and 600 μm or less, in order to make it easier to steam, and then turned into rice flour.

[0103] <Steaming> The rice flour milled as described above, the additives shown in Tables 1 to 7, and water are placed in a steaming machine (manufactured by Kameda Seika) and adjusted to the additive concentrations shown in the tables. Steaming is then performed by stirring while blowing in steam. The specific conditions are as follows: Rice flour (containing 30% moisture): 9 kg (dry weight: 6.3 kg) Water: 2.5 kg (excluding blown-in steam) Steaming time: 15 minutes

[0104] <Pounding and Kneading> The steamed rice flour mentioned above is passed through a screw-type kneading machine (manufactured by Kameda Seika) three times to knead it into a single ball, forming the dough for the rice cracker.

[0105] <Shaping> The ball-shaped dough formed above is rolled out using a roller-type rolling machine to meet the following diameter and mass requirements, and then cut out using a rice cracker mold. Following this procedure, the shape and mass of the rice cracker dough cut out were as follows: Diameter 53 mm, Circular, 4.8 g (Dry weight 2.5 g)

[0106] <Drying> To remove excess moisture from the cut-out dough, the dough used for <Baking> is dried in a hot air dryer (manufactured by Kameda Seika) until the moisture content is 13%, and the dough used for <Frying> is dried until the moisture content is 12%.

[0107] <Baking> The dried dough described above is baked in a gas-powered oven (manufactured by Kameda Seika) to complete the baked rice crackers.

[0108] <Frying> The dried dough described above is fried in a fryer (manufactured by Kameda Seika) at an oil temperature of 230°C for 40 seconds to complete the fried rice cracker.

[0109] [Evaluation of Rice Crackers] <Hardness of Dough During Molding (N)> For each example and comparative example, 20g of a single ball of dough obtained in the pounding and kneading process of the rice cracker manufacturing procedure described above was taken out, kept warm at 50°C for 1 hour, and filled into a stainless steel petri dish with a diameter of 40mm and a depth of 15mm to be used as the measurement sample. Using a creep meter RE2-33005B (manufactured by Yamaden Co., Ltd.), the load measured when the insertion distance reached 9mm was determined with a resin cylindrical plunger with a diameter of 8mm and a compression speed of 1mm / second. The results are shown in Tables 4 to 6.

[0110] <pH of the dough during molding> The pH of the dough samples for each of the above examples and comparative examples was measured by inserting a pH tester (HALO2 / Hanna Instruments). The results are shown in Tables 9 to 15.

[0111] <Ease of processing the dough during molding> For each example and comparative example, a portion of the dough ball obtained during the pounding and kneading process of the rice cracker manufacturing procedure described above was taken out, and five skilled developers evaluated the ease of processing the obtained dough according to the evaluation criteria shown below. The evaluation results shown in Tables 9 to 15 are the average values ​​of the evaluation results of the aforementioned developers.

[0112] The ease of processing the fabric was evaluated based on the following criteria: ease of handling, stretchability, and workability. Based on these evaluation results, a score of 0 to 5 was assigned according to Table 8 below. A higher score indicates easier processing of the fabric.

[0113] <How well the dough holds together> A: The dough holds together easily B: The dough does not hold together easily C: The dough is loose and does not hold together, or is too soft and does not maintain its shape

[0114] <Dough stretchability> A: The dough stretches well B: The dough is prone to tearing while being stretched C: The dough is difficult to stretch

[0115] <Workability> A: The dough is soft and can be continuously rolled out with a constant force. B: Compared to A, the dough is harder, requires more force to roll out, and the increased hardness makes it difficult to work with. C: The dough is hard or fluid, making it difficult to continue rolling it out.

[0116]

[0117] <Volume of rice crackers after heating (cm²) ３ )> For each example and each comparative example, the volume (cm³) of one baked rice cracker and fried rice cracker produced by the above rice cracker manufacturing procedure was measured using a VL series three-dimensional measuring machine (manufactured by Keyence Corporation). ３ The following was calculated. The results are shown in Tables 9-15.

[0118] <Hardness of rice crackers after heating (N)> For each example and comparative example, the hardness of baked and fried rice crackers produced according to the above rice cracker manufacturing procedure was measured using a creep meter RE2-33005B (manufactured by Yamaden Co., Ltd.). Specifically, the breaking strength (maximum load) of the center portion of the baked or fried rice cracker was determined using a 3 mm diameter stainless steel cylindrical plunger under measurement conditions of a compression speed of 1 mm / second and a measurement strain of 70%. The results are shown in Tables 9 to 15.

[0119] <Taste of rice crackers after heating> For each example and comparative example, the taste of baked and fried rice crackers made using the rice cracker manufacturing procedure described above was evaluated by five experienced developers. The researchers who conducted the evaluation discussed and decided that if no taste was clearly different from that of a typical rice cracker, it would be rated as "no off-flavor." If there was a taste that was unusual for a typical rice cracker, that taste was specifically described. The results are shown in Tables 9-15.

[0120]

[0121]

[0122]

[0123]

[0124]

[0125]

[0126]

[0127] The evaluation results obtained confirm that, in the process before shaping the dough, adding an alkali metal salt of an organic acid or a combination of an organic acid and an alkali metal compound to the raw material containing rice-derived components can improve the processing characteristics of the dough, such as its ease of handling and ease of rolling.

[0128] From the evaluation results of Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3, it can be confirmed that even when the rice used as the raw material is changed, this technology can improve processing characteristics such as ease of handling and ease of rolling out the dough.

[0129] Similarly, a comparison of the evaluation results of Examples 21-23 and Comparative Examples 21-23 confirms that even when the raw materials contain indica rice to such an extent that the dough is prone to tearing or difficult to roll out, and the dough is so hard that it is difficult to continue rolling it, adding an alkali metal salt of an organic acid to the raw materials containing rice-derived components during the dough manufacturing process can improve the processing characteristics of the dough, such as its cohesiveness and ease of rolling.

[0130] Furthermore, the evaluation results from Examples 4 to 15 confirm that the effects of this technology can be obtained even when the raw materials related to the alkali metal salt of the organic acid added in the rice cracker manufacturing process are changed. In addition, the evaluation results from Examples 16 to 19 confirm that the effects of this technology can be obtained even when the amount of raw materials related to the alkali metal salt of the organic acid added in the rice cracker manufacturing process is changed, and the evaluation results from Example 20 confirm that the effects of this technology can be obtained even when other raw materials are included.

[0131] Similarly, the evaluation results from Examples 24 to 33 confirm that the effects of this technology can be obtained even when blended rice is used as a raw material, and even when the alkali metal salt of the organic acid added during the rice cracker manufacturing process is changed. Furthermore, the evaluation results from Examples 34, 35 and Comparative Examples 25, 26 confirm that even when the proportion of Indica rice in the raw material is changed, the processing characteristics of the resulting dough, such as its ease of stretching, are improved by this technology. Moreover, the evaluation results from Examples 36 and 37 confirm that the effects of this technology can be obtained even when blended rice is used, and even when the amount of alkali metal salt of the organic acid added during the rice cracker manufacturing process is changed. The evaluation results from Example 38 confirm that the effects of this technology can be obtained even when other raw materials are included in the blended rice.

[0132] From the volume measurement results of the rice crackers after heating in the examples, it can be confirmed that the rice crackers obtained by heating (baking or frying) the dough produced by the method of this technology have expanded appropriately upon heating. Furthermore, from the hardness measurement results of the rice crackers after heating in the examples, it can be determined that the rice crackers obtained by heating the dough produced by the method of this technology have a suitable texture for rice crackers. Based on these results, it is considered that the dough produced by the method of this technology can be suitably used in the manufacture of rice crackers.

[0133] Based on the evaluation results above, it is believed that by using this technology, even rice varieties that were not previously used as ingredients for rice crackers can be used as ingredients, making it possible to provide rice crackers tailored to the diverse needs of customers.

Claims

1. A rice cracker containing rice-derived ingredients, wherein at least the central portion of the rice cracker contains an alkali metal salt of an organic acid.

2. The rice cracker according to claim 1, wherein the organic acid is one or more organic acids selected from citric acid, tartaric acid, gluconic acid, succinic acid, adipic acid, ascorbic acid, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid.

3. The rice cracker according to claim 1, wherein the rice includes indica rice.

4. The rice cracker according to claim 3, wherein the proportion of the indica variety in the rice is 30% by mass or more.

5. The rice confectionery according to claim 3, wherein the proportion of the indica variety in the rice is 50% by mass or more.

6. The rice cracker according to claim 1, wherein the rice is of the Indica variety.

7. The rice cracker according to claim 1, wherein the alkali metal of the alkali metal salt is one or more selected from potassium and sodium.

8. A dough for making rice crackers containing rice-derived ingredients and alkali metal salts of organic acids.

9. The dough for making rice crackers according to claim 8, wherein the organic acid is one or more organic acids selected from citric acid, tartaric acid, gluconic acid, succinic acid, adipic acid, ascorbic acid, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid.

10. The dough for making rice crackers according to claim 8, wherein the rice includes indica rice.

11. The dough for making rice crackers according to claim 10, wherein the proportion of the indica variety in the rice is 30% by mass or more.

12. The dough for making rice crackers according to claim 10, wherein the proportion of the indica variety in the rice is 50% by mass or more.

13. The dough for making rice crackers according to claim 8, wherein the rice is of the Indica variety.

14. The dough for making rice crackers according to claim 8, wherein the alkali metal of the alkali metal salt is one or more selected from potassium and sodium.

15. The rice confectionery according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which is produced by heating a dough obtained by adding an alkali metal salt of the organic acid or a combination of the organic acid and the alkali metal to a raw material containing the rice-derived component.

16. A method for producing dough containing rice-derived components, wherein in any step of the method, an alkali metal salt of an organic acid or a combination of the organic acid and the alkali metal is added to the raw material containing rice-derived components.

17. The method for producing an organic acid according to claim 16, wherein the organic acid is one or more organic acids selected from citric acid, tartaric acid, gluconic acid, succinic acid, adipic acid, ascorbic acid, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid.

18. The manufacturing method according to claim 16, wherein the rice comprises an indica variety.

19. The manufacturing method according to claim 18, wherein the proportion of the indica variety in the rice is 30% by mass or more.

20. The manufacturing method according to claim 18, wherein the proportion of the indica variety in the rice is 50% by mass or more.

21. The manufacturing method according to claim 16, wherein the rice is of the Indica variety.

22. The manufacturing method according to claim 16, wherein the alkali metal of the alkali metal salt is one or more selected from potassium and sodium.

23. The manufacturing method according to claim 16, wherein the amount of alkali metal salt of the organic acid or a combination of the organic acid and the alkali metal compound added is 0.05% by mass or more and 10.00% by mass or less, calculated based on the dry content of the rice-derived component as alkali metal salt of the organic acid.

24. A method for producing rice crackers obtained by heating dough produced by the manufacturing method described in any one of claims 16 to 23.

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