Frozen Shumai Wrapper Water Content for Microwave Heating

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Solution Overview

Problem

Frozen shumai heated in a microwave oven often experiences uneven heating, leading to hardening of the wrapper and deterioration of texture, especially in areas not in contact with the filling, without treatments like spraying water or using a food wrap film.

Innovation Solution

Adjusting the water content of the shumai wrapper to 35 wt % to 80 wt % after heating to a core temperature of 50° C. to 90° C., with a preferred range of 37 wt % to 70 wt % before heating, to maintain an 82% to 105% retention ratio, allows for uniform heating without external treatments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If frozen shumai is heated in a microwave oven without spraying water or covering with food wrap film, then heating speed is improved and convenience is enhanced, but the wrapper becomes hard and texture deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheating speedVSAvoidtexture quality
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the water content parameter of the shumai wrapper to a specific range (35-80 wt%) to resolve the contradiction. By controlling the water content in the wrapper, the invention enables the wrapper to maintain softness during microwave heating without requiring external treatments like spraying water or covering with film, thus achieving both fast heating and good texture quality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention makes the shumai wrapper self-sufficient by incorporating sufficient water content within the wrapper structure itself. This eliminates the need for external water application or covering during heating, as the wrapper internally maintains the necessary moisture to prevent hardening while enabling rapid microwave heating

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If the wrapper water content is increased to prevent hardening, then texture quality is improved, but heating uniformity may deteriorate due to uneven moisture distribution

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetexture qualityVSAvoidheating uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The invention optimizes the water content parameter to a balanced range (35-80 wt%) that simultaneously achieves texture quality improvement and heating uniformity. This specific parameter range ensures sufficient moisture to prevent hardening while avoiding excessive moisture that would cause uneven heating, resolving the contradiction between these two requirements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 approach suppresses hardening of the shumai wrapper and improves texture quality during eating, ensuring a soft or slightly hard texture even when heated directly in a microwave oven without additional treatments.

Implementation Method 1

heating the shumai as it is in a microwave oven

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMicrowave heating: Dielectric Heating

Data Source

PatentUS20240023565A1Frozen shumai
Publication Date: 2024.01.25 AJINOMOTO CO INC

AI summary

A frozen shumai in which hardening of a part of a shumai wrapper which is not in contact with a shumai filling is suppressed, and deterioration of texture during eating is improved even when the frozen shumai taken out from a freezer is heated as it is in a microwave oven without a treatment or operation of spraying water on the surface of the frozen shumai or covering the frozen shumai with a food wrap film is provided. Specifically, a frozen shumai containing a shumai wrapper and a shumai filling, wherein a water content of a part of the shumai wrapper which is not in contact with the shumai filling is 35 wt % to 80 wt % after heating the shumai as it is in a microwave oven until a core temperature of the shumai reaches 50° C. to 90° C. is provided.