Frozen Cooked Rice Grain Separation via Steam Loosening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing frozen cooked rice often result in crushed and tattered grains, compromising texture and flavor, and rely on additives or oils that degrade rice quality.
Innovation Solution
A method involving cooking rice, cooling its surface to a specific temperature range, loosening it with steam to attach a controlled amount of water, and freezing, which creates separate, plump grains without using additives or oils.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If physical force is applied to break and separate rice grains after freezing, then the rice grains are separated, but the grains are crushed and cracked to be tattered, compromising appearance and texture
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary action by coating the rice grains with a specific liquid composition before freezing. This coating creates a protective layer that prevents grain damage during the freezing process, eliminating the need for subsequent mechanical breaking and separation. The grains remain intact and plump throughout the freezing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid coating acts as an intermediary substance between the rice grains and the freezing environment. This intermediary layer prevents direct contact between the grains and the cold air, reducing thermal stress and mechanical damage during freezing, thereby maintaining grain integrity without requiring post-freezing mechanical separation.
2Ease of manufacture
If additives and oils/fats are used to make rice easily separable during freezing, then the rice grains are easier to separate, but the taste and flavor of rice are affected and quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the parameters of the coating liquid to achieve both ease of separation and quality preservation. By optimizing the composition (water-soluble polymer, sugar, amino acid in specific proportions) and controlling the coating amount, the rice grains become easily separable during freezing while maintaining excellent taste and flavor without requiring harmful additives or oils.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method achieves satisfactory separate freezing of cooked rice, maintaining flavor and texture quality, with the rice forming multiple-grain agglomerates that can be neatly served without additives or oils.
Implementation Method 1
a step of loosening the cooked rice while bringing steam into contact with the cooked rice cooled in step (B) to attach water to the cooked rice
Implementation Method 2
a step of cooling the surface of the cooked rice cooked in step (A) to a temperature in the range of −1 to 45° C.
Implementation Method 3
a step of freezing the cooked rice obtained in step (C)
Data Source
AI summary
A method for producing a frozen cooked rice food is disclosed. This method includes:(A) a step of cooking raw material rice to obtain cooked rice;(B) a step of cooling the surface of the rice cooked in step (A) to a temperature in the range of −1 to 45° C.;(C) a step of loosening the cooked rice while bringing steam into contact with the cooked rice cooled in step (B) to attach water to the cooked rice in an amount of 2 to 11 mass % with respect to the mass of the cooked rice; and(D) a step of freezing the cooked rice obtained in step (C). This method is useful as a method for satisfactory separate freezing of frozen cooked rice in the production of frozen cooked rice.