HK1222770B - Wheat flour for frying batter - Google Patents

Description

Wheat flour for fried food batter

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a wheat flour for deep-fried food crust useful as a crust material for fried foods such as tempura and karaage. More specifically, it relates to a wheat flour for deep-fried food crust that provides fried foods having good dispersibility in water, excellent workability, and a crispy crust texture.

Background Art

Breaded fried foods are made by heating ingredients coated with a batter material in oil and frying them. By frying the ingredients and batter in a well-balanced manner, the ingredients, while being heated while encased in the batter, condense their flavorful texture. Meanwhile, the batter imparts a tarry flavor and crispy texture, resulting from the evaporation of water in the high-temperature oil. These interactions create the unique flavor and texture of fried foods. However, achieving this unique flavor and texture requires experience in controlling the frying oil temperature, preparing the ingredients, and determining the amount of batter applied, viscosity, and solubility. Frying based on this experience is rarely done in the average household, resulting in thick, hard batters or a lack of crispness.

Furthermore, when making fried foods, a batter (batter liquid) is typically prepared by mixing a batter material primarily composed of wheat flour with water. When this batter is applied to the food, the wheat flour used in previous batters has poor dispersibility in water. Furthermore, the gluten contained in wheat flour forms a lattice structure over time in a solution, making it viscous. Therefore, to improve dispersibility, the batter cannot be stirred continuously for long periods of time, requiring it to be used quickly after preparation. Therefore, a wheat flour more suitable for batter materials has been proposed.

For example, Patent Document 1 describes wheat granules for tempura, composed of wheat flour and 0.01 to 0.5 parts by mass of an emulsifier per 100 parts by mass of wheat flour. The granules have an average particle size of 100 to 180 μm and maintain a good flavor and texture even after reheating. Regarding a method for producing these wheat granules for tempura, Patent Document 1, Part [0012] further describes a method for drying and granulating a mixture of wheat flour and an emulsifier while adding water at a hot air temperature of 120 to 140°C and a drying time of less than 5 seconds. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 describes a deep-frying crust composition containing heat-treated wheat flour, oxidized starch, and a sucrose fatty acid ester. Part [0011] of Patent Document 2 primarily describes producing the heat-treated wheat flour by heating the wheat flour at 80 to 120°C for 20 to 90 minutes.

In addition, Patent Document 3 describes a heat-treated wheat flour for fried foods that contains substantially unalphadized starch, has 90-98% of the gluten activity of untreated wheat flour, and has a gluten swelling degree of 105-155%. The heat-treated wheat flour for fried foods described in Patent Document 3 is produced by introducing wheat flour into a pressurized, sealed high-speed mixer containing saturated steam and subjecting the wheat flour to a wet heat treatment at a product temperature of 65-80°C and a residence time of 2-20 seconds. It does not contain an emulsifier. Furthermore, Patent Document 4 describes a wheat composition for steamed products such as steamed buns and steamed bread, which is produced by mixing wheat flour with 0.1-2.0 parts by mass of an emulsifier per 100 parts by mass of the wheat flour, and then indirectly heating the mixture at a product temperature of 80-150°C and a heating time of 5-120 minutes. The indirect heating treatment uses heated steam as a heat source, and does not allow the heated steam to directly contact the mixture of wheat flour and emulsifier, but rather to contact a container containing the mixture, thereby indirectly heating the mixture in the container.

While the techniques described in Patent Documents 1 to 3 can produce fried foods with a good texture, a crispier texture is desired for the batter of fried foods. Furthermore, the batter material used as the raw material for the batter is required to have good dispersibility in water and excellent workability, such as in batter preparation, to simplify the labor involved in producing the fried foods.

Prior art literature

Patent Literature

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-69925

Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-125794

Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-84568

Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-117002

Summary of the Invention

The wheat flour for fried food crusts of the present invention is obtained by heating a mixture of wheat flour and 0.05 to 0.5 parts by mass of an emulsifier per 100 parts by mass of the wheat flour at a temperature of 65 to 99°C for 1 to 20 seconds. The emulsifier is one or more selected from sucrose fatty acid esters and lecithin. The present invention also provides a fried food crust material or tempura flour containing the wheat flour for fried food crusts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to wheat flour for fried food crusts, which has good dispersibility in water, is excellent in workability, and can provide fried foods having a crust with a crispy texture, and to a fried food crust material and tempura flour using the same.

The wheat flour for fried food crusts of the present invention contains at least wheat flour and an emulsifier. The raw wheat flour used in the present invention may be any of light wheat flour, medium wheat flour, strong wheat flour, or durum wheat flour, and any of these may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Light wheat flour and medium wheat flour are particularly preferred.

The emulsifier used in the present invention is one or more selected from sucrose fatty acid esters and lecithin. Emulsifiers other than those listed above may reduce dispersibility in water. The emulsifier used in the present invention may be in the form of a powder or a liquid.

The ratio of wheat flour to emulsifier in the wheat flour for fried food crusts of the present invention is 0.05 to 0.5 parts by mass of the emulsifier per 100 parts by mass of the wheat flour, preferably 0.1 to 0.45 parts by mass, and more preferably 0.1 to 0.35 parts by mass. If the emulsifier is less than 0.05 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the wheat flour, dispersibility in water deteriorates, and the crust obtained by frying becomes sticky. If the emulsifier exceeds 0.5 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the wheat flour, the oil absorption of the crust obtained by frying increases, resulting in a tough texture.

The wheat flour for fried food crusts of the present invention is obtained by heat-treating a mixture of wheat flour and an emulsifier in the aforementioned proportions for 1 to 20 seconds under conditions where the mixture reaches a temperature (product temperature) of 65 to 99°C. If the product temperature of the mixture during the heat treatment is lower than 65°C, the crispy texture of the crust obtained by frying is reduced. If the product temperature is higher than 100°C, there is a concern that the production process becomes complicated and excessive granulation of the wheat flour for fried food crust particles occurs. If excessive granulation of the wheat flour for fried food crust particles occurs, the average particle size of the wheat flour for fried food crust increases, resulting in increased oil absorption of the crust obtained by frying the wheat flour for fried food crust, resulting in a hard texture. In addition, if the heating time is less than 1 second or exceeds 20 seconds, the crispy texture of the crust is reduced. During the heat treatment of the mixture of wheat flour and an emulsifier, the product temperature of the mixture is preferably 70 to 95°C, more preferably 70 to 90°C. In addition, the heating time of the mixture (the time during which the product temperature is maintained) is preferably 1 to 15 seconds, more preferably 1 to 13 seconds.

As described above, the heat treatment for obtaining the wheat flour for fried food crusts of the present invention is a gentle process with a relatively low heating temperature (product temperature) and a relatively short treatment time. Therefore, superheated steam or saturated steam can be preferably used as the heat medium for this heat treatment. Specifically, a preferred example of a method (the method for producing wheat flour for fried food crusts of the present invention) in which a mixture of wheat flour and an emulsifier in the aforementioned proportions is heated to 65-99°C for 1-20 seconds is a method in which superheated steam or saturated steam is directly brought into contact with the mixture to heat it. More specifically, a method in which wheat flour and an emulsifier in the aforementioned proportions are mixed, the mixture is placed in a sealed container heated by a heating means such as a heating jacket, and superheated steam or saturated steam is blown into the sealed container while stirring the mixture to heat it. In addition, as another preferred example of the method for producing wheat flour for fried food crusts of the present invention, there is a method in which wheat flour and an emulsifier are continuously introduced in the aforementioned mixing ratio into a continuous powder transfer device (sealed high-speed mixer) equipped with a stirring and transferring mechanism and heated by a heating means such as a heating jacket, saturated water vapor is introduced into the device at high pressure while stirring and transferring, and the mixture is heated and stirred in such a manner as to achieve the desired heating temperature and heating time.

In such a heat treatment method, the "temperature of the mixture of wheat flour and emulsifier in the aforementioned proportion" of the present invention may be "the product temperature of the wheat flour or emulsifier during heating" or "the product temperature of at least one of the wheat flour and emulsifier when discharged from the outlet of the sealed container or the continuous powder transfer device" (outlet temperature). Furthermore, the "heating time of the mixture" (the time during which the product temperature of the mixture is maintained) of the present invention may be "the time during which the mixture (wheat flour and emulsifier) is in contact with superheated water vapor or saturated water vapor" or "the time during which the mixture is subjected to convection within the device."

Furthermore, it is preferred not to add water to the mixture of wheat flour and emulsifier before or during the heat treatment. If water is added to the system containing the mixture at this point, the resulting wheat flour for fried food crusts may be excessively granulated, making it difficult to adjust the average particle size of the wheat flour for fried food crusts to the desired range.

The average particle size of the wheat flour for fried food crusts of the present invention, obtained through the heat treatment, is preferably less than 100 μm, more preferably 50 to 95 μm, and particularly preferably 55 to 90 μm, from the perspective of enhancing the crispy texture of the crust obtained by frying the wheat flour for fried food crusts. The average particle size of wheat flour herein refers to the volume average particle size measured by a laser diffraction-scattering method using a particle size distribution analyzer.

Furthermore, as the average particle size used in the present invention, a median diameter may also be used. In this case, the average particle size of the wheat flour for fried food crusts of the present invention is preferably 30 to 85 μm, more preferably 35 to 80 μm.

As a particle size distribution measuring apparatus, Microtrac MT3000II (Nikkiso Co., Ltd.) can be used.

In order to set the average particle size of the wheat flour for fried food crusts of the present invention within the preferred range, wheat flour having an average particle size preferably in the range of 35 to 80 μm, more preferably 40 to 70 μm, can be used as the raw wheat flour. For example, when using raw wheat flour with an average particle size of about 40 μm, even if the particle size of the wheat flour (wheat flour for fried food crusts of the present invention) that has undergone the above-mentioned heat treatment is not particularly adjusted, the average particle size of the wheat flour can be set within the preferred range. In addition, for example, when using raw wheat flour with an average particle size of about 90 μm, the average particle size of the wheat flour can be set within the preferred range by adjusting the particle size after pulverizing the wheat flour that has undergone the above-mentioned heat treatment as needed. The particle size can be adjusted using a known method such as a sieve or a classifier. In addition, the average particle size of the raw wheat flour refers to the volume average particle size using the particle size distribution measuring device described above.

The fried food crust material of the present invention contains the fried food crust wheat flour of the present invention. The fried food crust material of the present invention may contain only the fried food crust wheat flour of the present invention, or may contain other ingredients in addition to the fried food crust wheat flour. These other ingredients may be any of those commonly used in such fried food crust materials without particular limitation, and examples thereof include sugars, cereal flour, starch, oils and fats, seasonings, spices, eggs, thickeners, emulsifiers, and salt. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The deep-fried food crust material of the present invention is used as a crust material in the production of fried foods (crusted fried foods) such as tempura, karaage, fritters, croquettes, and cutlets. That is, the deep-fried food crust material of the present invention includes tempura flour, karaage flour, etc. containing the wheat flour for deep-fried food crust of the present invention. When using the deep-fried food crust material of the present invention to produce fried foods, the deep-fried foods can be made by attaching the deep-fried food crust material to the food material and then frying or grilling the food material attached with the deep-fried food crust material in oil. Alternatively, the food material attached with the deep-fried food crust material of the present invention may not be cooked, but may be stored or circulated by refrigeration, chilling, or freezing, and then cooked when appropriate. The fried food obtained using the deep-fried food crust of the present invention can be eaten directly, or can be stored or circulated by refrigeration, chilling, or freezing, and then reheated and eaten when appropriate.

As a step of attaching the fried food coating material of the present invention to the food material, a common method can be used. For example, the fried food coating material of the present invention can be directly pressed or spread on the food material to attach it, or the fried food coating material of the present invention can be pressed or spread on the food material to which seasonings, puff pastry, egg liquid, coating liquid (which may or may not contain the fried food coating material of the present invention) and the like have been previously attached to it to attach it. Alternatively, after preparing a batter containing the fried food coating material of the present invention, the food material can be immersed in the coating liquid or the coating liquid can be sprayed onto the food material to attach the fried food coating material to the food material. The batter containing the fried food coating material of the present invention can be prepared by mixing the fried food coating material with a liquid such as water or egg liquid. For example, 50 to 200 parts by mass of water can be added to 100 parts by mass of the fried food coating material to mix them. The fried food crust material of the present invention has very good dispersibility in water, so even if it is directly attached to food, it can be attached cleanly and evenly. In addition, it will become a moderately dispersed batter even without continuous stirring, so that fried foods can be cooked very simply.

The ingredients of fried foods produced using the fried food crust material of the present invention are not particularly limited, and examples thereof include meats such as beef, pork, chicken, and mutton; fish and shellfish such as squid, octopus, shrimp, salmon, mackerel, flounder, and shellfish; cereals such as soybeans, rice, carrots, onions, pumpkins, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and mushrooms; vegetables or root vegetables; and processed products thereof.

Example

The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2]

As wheat flour, Flour (manufactured by Nissin Flour Mills: Flour) and as an emulsifier, sucrose fatty acid ester (manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Foods: Ryoto Sugar Ester S-770) were used. These substances were added in the amounts shown in Table 1 below and mixed uniformly to obtain a mixture. The mixture was introduced into a sealed high-speed mixer and heated for 5 seconds at a heating temperature (outlet temperature) of 80°C while introducing saturated steam into the mixer. After the heating treatment, the mixture was dried to obtain the wheat flour for fried food coatings of Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Examples 1 to 2. The average particle size of each wheat flour for fried food coating obtained in this manner was within the range of 61 to 77 μm.

[Examples 6 to 11 and Comparative Examples 3 and 4]

The same procedures as in Example 5 were followed, except that the product temperature of the mixture during the heat treatment was appropriately changed, to obtain wheat flour for fried food crusts of Examples 6 to 11 and Comparative Examples 3 and 4. The average particle size of each wheat flour for fried food crust obtained in this manner was within the range of 61 to 77 μm.

[Examples 12 to 16 and Comparative Examples 5 to 7]

The same procedures as in Example 5 were followed, except that the heating time during the heat treatment was appropriately changed, to obtain wheat flour for fried food crusts of Examples 12 to 16 and Comparative Examples 5 to 7. Separately, the wheat flour for fried food crusts of Example 15 was ground using a coffee grinder to obtain wheat flour for fried food crusts of Example 16.

[Examples 17 to 19, Comparative Examples 8 to 9, and Reference Examples 1 to 2]

The same procedures as in Example 5 were followed, except that lecithin (Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.: Lecion LP-1) was used as an emulsifier instead of sucrose fatty acid ester, to obtain wheat flour for fried food crusts of Examples 17 to 19 and Comparative Examples 8 and 9. Furthermore, the same procedures as in Example 5 were followed, except that sorbitan fatty acid ester (Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.: Poem O-80V) was used as an emulsifier instead of sucrose fatty acid ester, to obtain wheat flour for fried food crusts of Reference Examples 1 and 2. The average particle size of each of the wheat flours for fried food crusts obtained in this manner was within the range of 58 to 91 μm.

[Test Example]

Ten expert judges were asked to prepare batter liquids using the wheat flour for fried food coating of each embodiment and comparative example, and the water dispersibility of the wheat flour for fried food coating at this time was evaluated using the following evaluation criteria. The coating liquid was prepared by adding 1.5 parts by mass of baking powder and 170 parts by mass of water to 100 parts by mass of wheat flour for fried food coating and mixing them. In addition, sweet potatoes cut into 1cm×1cm×5cm were immersed in each of the coating liquids thus prepared, and the coating was applied and fried to obtain sweet potato tempura as a coating fried food. The taste of each of the sweet potato tempuras obtained was evaluated by ten expert judges using the following evaluation criteria. The above evaluation results (average scores of the ten expert judges) are shown in Tables 1 to 4 below. Table 1 summarizes the effects of sucrose fatty acid esters (emulsifiers) on various evaluation parameters, Table 2 summarizes the effects of the heated material (a mixture of wheat flour and emulsifiers) on product temperature during the heat treatment, Table 3 summarizes the effects of the heat treatment time, and Table 4 summarizes the effects of lecithin or sorbitan fatty acid esters (emulsifiers) on various evaluation parameters. Furthermore, Tables 2 and 3 re-present the results of Example 5 for ease of comparison.

(Evaluation criteria for water dispersibility)

5 points: Dispersibility in water is extremely good or very good.

4 points: Dispersibility in water is very good.

3 points: The dispersibility in water is neither good nor bad.

2 points: Poor dispersibility in water, with slight lumps.

1 point: The dispersibility in water was very poor, and lumps formed.

(Evaluation criteria for taste)

5 points: The batter is very crispy and flaky.

4 points: The batter is crispy and very flaky.

3 points: The crust is slightly tough and has some firmness.

2 points: The crust is hard and difficult to break.

1 point: The crust is extremely hard, elastic, and very tough.

As can be seen from Table 1, Comparative Examples 1 and 2 were evaluated lower than the Examples in which the emulsifier content was within the specific range (0.05 to 0.5 parts by mass) because the emulsifier content was outside the specific range (0.05 to 0.5 parts by mass) relative to 100 parts by mass of wheat flour.

As can be seen from Table 2, Comparative Examples 3 and 4 were rated lower than the Examples in which the product temperature of the mixture of wheat flour and emulsifier was within the specific range (65-99°C) because the product temperature of the mixture during the heat treatment was outside the specific range (65-99°C).

As shown in Table 3, Comparative Examples 5-7 received lower ratings compared to the Examples, whose heating times fell within the specified range (1-20 seconds), because the heating time for the wheat flour and emulsifier mixture during heat treatment was outside the specified range. Furthermore, a comparison between Examples 15 and 16 demonstrates that adjusting the average particle size of wheat flour for fried food crusts to less than 100 μm improves the crispy texture of the crust while maintaining a high level of water dispersibility.

As shown in Table 4, Examples 17 to 19 and Comparative Examples 8 to 9, in which lecithin was used as an emulsifier, showed the same results as the example (see Table 1) in which sucrose fatty acid ester was used as an emulsifier. Lecithin also demonstrated effectiveness within the specific range (0.05 to 0.5 parts by mass) of its blending amount. On the other hand, Reference Examples 1 to 2, in which sorbitan fatty acid ester was used as an emulsifier, showed no significant effect, even at blending amounts that would have demonstrated an effect with sucrose fatty acid ester and lecithin.

Industrial applicability

According to the present invention, a fried food having good dispersibility in water, excellent handleability, and a crispy crust can be obtained.

Claims (3)

1. A wheat flour for coating fried foods, obtained by heating a mixture of wheat flour and an emulsifier in an amount of 0.1 to 0.5 parts by weight relative to 100 parts by weight of the wheat flour at a temperature of 70 to 99°C for 1 to 20 seconds, wherein the emulsifier is selected from one or more of sucrose fatty acid esters and lecithin, and the heating treatment is a process in which superheated steam or saturated steam is directly contacted with the mixture, and no water is added to the mixture of wheat flour and emulsifier before or during the heating treatment, wherein the average particle size of the wheat flour for coating fried foods is less than 100 μm. 2. A coating material for fried foods, comprising the wheat flour for coating fried foods as described in claim 1. 3. A tempura flour comprising the wheat flour for coating fried foods as described in claim 1.