JP2024089473A - Curry product and production method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a curry product capable of giving a higher sense of satisfaction to a person who eats it.SOLUTION: A curry product is produced by blending Sichuan pepper powder, glycine and garlic essential oil concentrate.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

The present invention relates to a curry product and a method for producing the same.

Curry products are extremely popular foods that are steadily consumed by people of all ages and genders. However, as health consciousness is growing, there is a demand to reduce the salt content in foods, not just curry products. However, there is an issue that reducing the sodium chloride content results in the flavor being perceived as being less strong and rich.

JP 2004-298054 A Patent No. 5733737 Patent Publication No. 2021-078396 Patent Publication No. 2022-64127 Patent No. 6808392

The objective of the present invention is to provide a curry product that gives a high level of satisfaction to the person who eats it. Typically, the objective of the present invention is to improve the satisfaction of the taste of curry even if the salt content is low.

Under such circumstances, the inventors have tried various combinations of ingredients that can be added to curry products and, through repeated trial and error, have found that adding pepper powder, glycine and garlic essential oil concentrate to curry products can bring high satisfaction to people who eat them. Therefore, the present invention provides the following:
Item 1. A curry product comprising a blend of pepper powder, glycine and garlic essential oil concentrate.

Item 2. The curry product according to Item 1, in which the blending ratio of the Sichuan pepper powder, glycine, and garlic essential oil concentrate is 1 to 10 parts by mass of glycine and 0.1 to 0.5 parts by mass of garlic essential oil concentrate per 1 part by mass of Sichuan pepper powder.

Item 3. The curry product according to item 1 or 2, further comprising a tomato ingredient.

Item 4. The curry product according to any one of items 1 to 3, further comprising potassium chloride, the content of which is blended so that the potassium chloride concentration when consumed is 0.05 to 0.4% by mass.

Item 5. The curry product according to any one of items 1 to 4, which is a heat-treated curry product.

Item 6. A method for producing a curry product, comprising the step of mixing pepper powder, glycine, garlic essential oil concentrate, and other curry ingredients.

Item 7. The method according to Item 6, in which the blending ratio of the Sichuan pepper powder, glycine, and garlic essential oil concentrate is 1 to 10 parts by mass of glycine and 0.1 to 0.5 parts by mass of garlic essential oil concentrate per 1 part by mass of the Sichuan pepper powder.

The present invention aims to provide a curry product that gives a high level of satisfaction to the person who eats it. Typically, the present invention aims to improve the satisfaction of the taste of curry even if the salt content is low. In the present invention, the satisfaction of taste means the strength and intensity of the taste, taking into consideration the initial taste (the taste at the moment of putting it in the mouth), the middle taste (the taste felt while chewing), and the aftertaste (the taste from the moment of swallowing until after swallowing). The satisfaction of taste can be evaluated, for example, by a sensory test as described in the Examples below.

The present invention will now be described in further detail.
The present invention provides a curry product comprising a blend of pepper powder, glycine and garlic essential oil concentrate. In the present specification, examples of the curry product include products that can be eaten by heating, such as curry sauce and curry filling, and products for preparing curry, such as curry roux.

The term "Szechuan pepper" refers to the so-called Chinese pepper. The Szechuan pepper has a unique citrus scent and a unique pungent taste that numbs the tongue. The origin of the Szechuan pepper is not particularly limited, but preferred examples include Shandong Province, China, Shanxi Province, China, Henan Province, China, Hebei Province, China, Xizhou Province, China, Shaanxi Province, China, and Sichuan Province, China. The inclusion of Szechuan pepper powder can enhance the initial taste of curry products.
The amount of Sichuan pepper powder is not limited, but it is preferable that the Sichuan pepper powder is blended in the curry product when it is served to the consumer so as to be 0.1% by weight or less, preferably 0.01% to 0.05% by weight, more preferably 0.015% to 0.04% by weight. More specifically, the Sichuan pepper powder is blended in the curry sauce or curry filling at a ratio of 0.1% by weight or less, preferably 0.01% to 0.05% by weight, more preferably 0.015% to 0.04% by weight. The Sichuan pepper powder is blended in the curry roux at a ratio of 0.5% by weight or less, preferably 0.02 to 0.4% by weight, more preferably 0.05 to 0.2% by weight. The amount of Sichuan pepper powder blended in the curry product other than curry sauce or curry roux can be determined based on the blending amounts. In the present invention, the Sichuan pepper powder is added only as a secret flavor of the curry sauce. By blending the Sichuan pepper powder in the above ratio, the initial taste of the curry product can be appropriately enhanced, and the flavor of the Sichuan pepper powder, combined with the glycine and garlic essential oil concentrate, can enhance the richness and strength of the taste of the curry product and increase the satisfaction, which is preferable. In addition, it is preferable that the Sichuan pepper powder is at a level that does not cause much numbness due to the Sichuan pepper powder.

The amount of glycine is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.5% by weight or less, preferably 0.01% to 0.5% by weight, more preferably 0.02% to 0.3% by weight, in the curry product when it is served. More specifically, for example, glycine is added to curry sauce or curry filling at a ratio of 0.5% by weight or less, preferably 0.01% to 0.5% by weight, more preferably 0.02% to 0.3% by weight. For curry roux, glycine is added at a ratio of 2% by weight or less, preferably 0.05 to 1.5% by weight, more preferably 0.1% to 1% by weight. For curry products other than curry sauce and curry roux, the amount of glycine added can be determined according to these amounts. By adding glycine at the above ratio, the flavor of the glycine combined with the Sichuan pepper powder and garlic essential oil concentrate can enhance the richness and intensity of the flavor of the curry product, thereby increasing satisfaction, which is preferable.

In the present invention, the garlic essential oil concentrate refers to a product obtained by heating garlic to extract its aroma components and then absorbing them into oil. By adding the garlic essential oil concentrate, the flavor of curry products can be enhanced.
The amount of the garlic essential oil concentrate to be blended is not particularly limited, but is preferably blended in a curry product when it is eaten so that the amount is 0.05% by weight or less, preferably 0.001% to 0.05% by weight, and more preferably 0.002% to 0.03% by weight. More specifically, for example, the amount is blended in a curry sauce or curry filling at a ratio of 0.05% by weight or less, preferably 0.001% to 0.05% by weight, and more preferably 0.002% to 0.03% by weight. For example, the amount is blended in a curry roux at a ratio of 0.3% by weight or less, preferably 0.005 to 0.2% by weight, more preferably 0.01 to 0.15% by weight, and particularly preferably 0.02 to 0.1% by weight. For curry products other than curry sauce and curry roux, the amount can be determined according to the blending amounts. By blending the garlic essential oil concentrate in the above ratio, the flavor of the curry product can be moderately enhanced, and the flavor of the garlic essential oil concentrate, combined with the Sichuan pepper powder and glycine, can enhance the richness and intensity of the flavor of the curry product and increase satisfaction, which is preferable.

The blending ratio of the Sichuan pepper powder and glycine in the curry product of the present invention is not limited, but for example, 5 to 20 parts by mass of glycine per 1 part by mass of Sichuan pepper powder is preferable, and 7 to 18 parts by mass is more preferable. The blending ratio of the Sichuan pepper powder and garlic essential oil concentrate in the curry product of the present invention is also not limited, but for example, 0.1 to 1 part by mass of garlic essential oil concentrate per 1 part by mass of Sichuan pepper powder is preferable, and 0.2 to 0.8 parts by mass is more preferable. The blending ratio of glycine and garlic essential oil concentrate in the curry product of the present invention is also not limited, but for example, 0.01 to 0.1 parts by mass of garlic essential oil concentrate per 1 part by mass of glycine is preferable, and 0.02 to 0.08 parts by mass is more preferable.

The sodium chloride concentration in the curry product of the present invention is not limited, but it is preferable that, for example, the sodium chloride concentration in the curry product when it is served is 1% by weight or less, preferably 0.005 to 0.8% by weight, and more preferably 0.01 to 0.3% by weight. More specifically, for example, the sodium chloride concentration in the curry product is 1% by weight or less, preferably 0.005 to 0.8% by weight, and more preferably 0.01 to 0.3% by weight, in the curry sauce or curry filling, and 6% by weight or less, preferably 0.1 to 5% by weight, more preferably 0.2 to 4% by weight, and particularly preferably 0.3 to 3% by weight, in the curry roux. For curry products other than curry sauce and curry roux, the amount of sodium chloride added can be determined based on these amounts. When the sodium chloride concentration of a curry product is reduced, the strength and richness of the flavor of the curry product as a whole decreases, but according to the present invention, by blending Sichuan pepper powder, glycine and garlic essential oil concentrate, the decrease in the strength and richness of the flavor felt by the person eating the curry product can be suppressed, and therefore a curry product with high satisfaction can be provided even with a relatively low sodium chloride concentration, which is preferable. On the other hand, even in curry products with a high sodium chloride concentration, the effect of improving satisfaction by Sichuan pepper powder, glycine and garlic essential oil concentrate is produced, so the technical significance of blending Sichuan pepper powder, glycine and garlic essential oil concentrate exists even in curry products with a high sodium chloride concentration.
In addition to the above ingredients, the curry product of the present invention preferably further contains a tomato raw material. The tomato raw material means a food raw material mainly made of tomatoes, and examples thereof include tomato paste, tomato puree, tomato juice, and tomato powder. From the viewpoint of the strength of sourness and umami, tomato paste is preferred. The tomato raw material is a raw material with strong sourness and umami, and can enhance the flavor and aftertaste of the curry product. In addition, the garlic essential oil concentrate contained in the curry product of the present invention enhances the flavor of the curry product while moderately suppressing the sourness of the tomato raw material, thereby maintaining a curry-like flavor, so it is preferable to combine the garlic essential oil concentrate with the tomato raw material. When using a tomato raw material, the amount of the tomato raw material is not particularly limited, but it is preferably blended in the curry product when it is served to food so that it is 10% by weight or less, preferably 0.1% to 9% by weight, and more preferably 0.3 to 8% by weight. More specifically, for example, the tomato raw material is blended in a ratio of 10% by weight or less, preferably 0.1% to 9% by weight, and more preferably 0.3 to 8% by weight with respect to the curry sauce or curry filling. For curry roux, the tomato raw material is blended in a ratio of, for example, 10% by weight or less, preferably 0.2 to 9% by weight, more preferably 0.3 to 8% by weight, and particularly preferably 0.4 to 6% by weight. For curry products other than curry sauce and curry roux, the blending amounts can be determined based on these blending amounts. Blending the tomato raw material in the above ratio is preferable because it appropriately enhances the middle taste and aftertaste, and the flavor of the tomato raw material, combined with the Sichuan pepper powder, glycine and garlic essential oil concentrate, enhances the richness and intensity of the flavor of the curry product, further increasing satisfaction.

In addition to the above ingredients, it is preferable to further add potassium chloride to the curry product of the present invention. The addition of potassium chloride can enhance the initial taste and aftertaste of the curry product. The concentration of potassium chloride in the curry product of the present invention is not limited, but it is preferable that the concentration of potassium chloride is 0.5% by weight or less, preferably 0.05 to 0.4% by weight, and more preferably 0.1 to 0.3% by weight, when the curry product is served for consumption. More specifically, for example, it is added to the curry sauce or curry filling at a ratio of 0.5% by weight or less, preferably 0.05 to 0.4% by weight, and more preferably 0.1 to 0.3% by weight, and to the curry roux at a ratio of 3% by weight or less, preferably 0.1 to 2.5% by weight, more preferably 0.2 to 2% by weight, and particularly preferably 0.3 to 1.5% by weight. For curry products other than curry sauce and curry roux, the amount of addition can be determined according to the above amounts. The addition of potassium chloride is preferred because it moderately enhances the initial and aftertaste of curry products, and the flavor of potassium chloride combined with the Sichuan pepper powder, glycine, and garlic essential oil concentrate enhances the richness and intensity of the flavor of curry products, further increasing satisfaction.

Examples of preferred spices that can be incorporated into the curry product of the present invention include turmeric, coriander, cumin, and the like. Turmeric colors curry yellow and has a unique earthy aroma and a slightly bitter flavor. Turmeric can be used in an amount of preferably 3 to 20 parts by weight, more preferably 4 to 16 parts by weight, per 1 part by weight of pepper powder. Coriander has a refreshing citrus-like aroma. Coriander can be used in an amount of preferably 2 to 15 parts by weight, more preferably 3 to 13 parts by weight, per 1 part by weight of pepper powder. Cumin has a unique strong aroma, spiciness, and bitterness. Cumin can be used in an amount of preferably 1 to 10 parts by weight, more preferably 2 to 9 parts by weight, per 1 part by weight of pepper powder. These spices can be used alone or in combination of two or more (two or three). By using these spices, it becomes easier to obtain a satisfactory taste as a curry by adding pepper powder. Fennel, cardamom, and the like may be incorporated into the curry product of the present invention. Cardamom has a strong, gorgeous fragrance and is slightly pungent. Fennel has a sweet aroma. Combining one or both of these with Sichuan pepper powder enhances the effect of increasing the sharpness of curry. Cardamom can be used preferably at 0.1 to 6 parts by weight, more preferably at 0.3 to 5 parts by weight, per 1 part by weight of Sichuan pepper powder. Fennel can be used preferably at 0.2 to 10 parts by weight, more preferably at 0.3 to 3 parts by weight, per 1 part by weight of Sichuan pepper powder.

Curry products will be described by taking curry roux and curry sauce as examples. In this specification, "curry roux" refers to a cooking base material that is added with water and various ingredients and boiled when cooking curry sauce, and is composed of curry powder as an essential ingredient. The form of the roux may be any form known in the art. Examples of the form of the roux include block (the form of so-called solid roux), flake, granule, and paste. When the roux is in the form of a paste, the roux has fluidity due to low-melting oils and fats, not due to the moisture contained in the roux. Preferably, the roux is solid (block, flake, or granule). More preferably, it is in the form of a block.
In addition to curry powder, such curry roux is composed of ingredients selected from wheat flour, fats and oils, various seasonings such as beef extract and chicken extract, various flavorings, etc., depending on the product form. First, wheat flour and fats and oils are heated and mixed to obtain a wheat flour roux. In this specification, "wheat flour roux" refers to a product obtained by heating a wheat flour roux ingredient containing fats and oils and a starch-based ingredient. In the field, wheat flour roux is sometimes called white roux, white roux, brown roux, etc. In this specification, the term "wheat flour roux" is used according to the convention in the field, but wheat flour roux does not necessarily contain wheat flour. Wheat flour roux ingredients include fats and oils and starch-based ingredients.

As the fats and oils, any vegetable fats and oils and animal fats and oils obtained from them may be used. Examples of vegetable fats and oils include rapeseed oil, soybean oil, sunflower seed oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, corn oil, safflower oil, palm oil and rice oil. Examples of animal fats and oils include beef tallow, ghee, butter, butter oil and lard. The fats and oils are preferably selected from the group consisting of rapeseed oil, corn oil, palm oil, beef tallow, lard and butter, more preferably selected from the group consisting of palm oil, beef tallow, lard and butter. These fats and oils may be used alone or in combination.
Any starch and cereal flour can be used as the starch-based raw material. Examples of starch include underground starches such as potato starch, tapioca starch, sweet potato starch, and kudzu starch; aboveground starches such as corn starch, wheat starch, and rice starch (e.g., glutinous rice starch and non-glutinous rice starch); and modified starches such as crosslinked starch, esterified starch, etherified starch, soluble starch, and bleached starch. Examples of flour include wheat flour, rye flour, buckwheat flour, rice flour, corn flour, millet flour, millet flour, pigeon oat flour, and barnyard millet flour. The starch-based raw material preferably contains wheat flour, and more preferably is wheat flour. The wheat flour may be any of strong flour, medium flour, and weak flour, but weak flour is preferred. One or more starch-based raw materials can be selected and used as necessary.

The proportion of fats and oils in the total amount of wheat flour roux raw materials used is preferably 30% to 80% by weight, more preferably 40% to 55% by weight. The proportion of starch-based raw materials in the total amount of wheat flour roux raw materials used is preferably 10% to 70% by weight, more preferably 45% to 60% by weight. In order to impart an appropriate thickness, bring out the flavor and aroma of the raw materials, and properly obtain the effect of blending the ingredients together, it is preferable to use wheat flour roux so that it contains 40% to 70% by weight in the final roux.

The flour roux raw material may contain seasonings such as curry powder, salt, sugar, etc. in addition to the fat and oil and starch-based raw material. The flour roux raw material may also contain any other raw material as long as it does not impair the effect of the method of the present invention.
To the wheat flour roux thus obtained, flavoring ingredients such as curry powder, spices, sugar, dairy products, dried and ground meat, seafood, vegetables, fruit, etc., paste (ground material) or extract, seasonings, etc. are successively added, while the product temperature of the roux is cooled to 65°C or less and mixed to obtain a curry roux.

Curry sauce can be obtained by adding ingredients such as meat, seafood, vegetables, fruit, etc., water, etc. to the above curry roux while heating and mixing. Curry sauce can also be obtained by adding flavor ingredients such as curry powder, spices, sugar, dairy products, dried and pulverized products of meat, seafood, vegetables, fruit, etc., pastes (grinds) or extracts, seasonings, etc., ingredients such as meat, seafood, vegetables, fruit, etc., water, etc. to the wheat flour roux obtained in the above manner while heating and mixing.
The present invention is characterized in that Sichuan pepper powder, glycine, and garlic essential oil concentrate are added in the process of producing curry products such as curry roux and curry sauce. Therefore, in one embodiment, the present invention provides a method for producing a curry product, including a step of mixing Sichuan pepper powder, glycine, garlic essential oil concentrate, and other curry ingredients. The details of Sichuan pepper powder, glycine, garlic essential oil concentrate, and other curry ingredients (wheat flour roux, curry powder, spices, sugar, dairy products, dried and crushed products of meat, seafood, vegetables, fruits, etc., pastes (grinds) or extracts, seasonings, etc.), the amounts used, etc. are as described above. The temperature in the step of mixing Sichuan pepper powder, glycine, garlic essential oil concentrate, and other curry ingredients is not particularly limited, but can be appropriately set, for example, in the range of 50 to 120°C, preferably 60 to 110°C. The time of the above mixing step is not particularly limited, but can be appropriately set, for example, in the range of 40 to 240 minutes, preferably 60 to 180 minutes. The method of the present invention may further include a step of filling the curry product obtained above into a retort pouch and subjecting it to retort sterilization. The temperature in the retort sterilization is not particularly limited, but can be appropriately set within the range of, for example, 120 to 130°C, preferably 120 to 125°C. The time for the retort sterilization is not particularly limited, but can be appropriately set within the range of, for example, 15 to 40 minutes, preferably 20 to 30 minutes. Since retort sterilization makes it possible to maintain the expiration date for a long period of time, it is preferable to carry out the retort sterilization step.

The above explanation has been given using curry roux and curry sauce as examples, but curry products other than curry roux and curry sauce can also be similarly manufactured and used by referring to the above description.

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples in any way.
[Test method]
Example 1
[1] 3 parts by weight of fat was added to a preheated open-type heating kettle to dissolve the fat. At this time, the product temperature of the dissolved fat was about 60° C. Next, 4 parts by weight of wheat flour was added to the dissolved fat, and while mixing, the mixture was heated to reach a product temperature of 110° C. for about 50 minutes to produce a wheat flour roux.
[2] To the flour roux obtained in [1] above, 0.9 parts by weight of curry powder (containing 24% by weight of turmeric, 21% by weight of coriander, and 14% by weight of cumin), 0.02 parts by weight of powdered Sichuan pepper (produced in Shandong Province, China), 3 parts by weight of sugar, 0.3 parts by weight of salt, 0.2 parts by weight of potassium chloride, 0.8 parts by weight of onion paste, 1 part by weight of tomato paste, 0.2 parts by weight of glycine, 0.01 parts by weight of garlic oil concentrate, and 81 parts by weight of water were added in that order, and heated to 90°C to produce curry sauce. The ingredients such as meat and vegetables and the curry sauce were filled into a retort pouch, sealed by heat sealing, and then subjected to retort sterilization treatment (121°C for 25 minutes). The retort-treated product was then boiled in water for 3 to 5 minutes (referred to as the curry sauce of Example 1) and subjected to the sensory test described below.

Furthermore, for the formulation shown in Table 1 below, curry sauce was prepared in the same manner as in the above example, retorted, and boiled in hot water. Hereinafter, "base formulation" refers to a formulation that does not use Sichuan pepper powder, glycine, garlic essential oil concentrate, tomato paste, or potassium chloride, but uses the same ingredients as in the above example.

Using each of the obtained curry sauces, sensory evaluation was carried out by several experienced panelists. The results of the sensory test are shown below. A curry with only the base formulation (curry with only the base formulation may be referred to simply as "base formulation" in this example) was used as a comparison subject for the sensory test.

Example 2
A curry sauce is obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that pepper powder, glycine and garlic essential oil concentrate are added to the base formulation, and the curry sauce is then retort sterilized and boiled in hot water. By adding pepper powder, glycine and garlic essential oil concentrate to the obtained retort sterilized and boiled curry sauce, the flavor and strength of the curry product can be increased, and the satisfaction level can be increased, although not to the same extent as in Example 1.

Claims (7)

A curry product made with a blend of pepper powder, glycine and garlic essential oil concentrate. The curry product according to claim 1, in which the blending ratio of the Sichuan pepper powder, glycine and garlic essential oil concentrate is 1 to 10 parts by mass of glycine and 0.1 to 0.5 parts by mass of garlic essential oil concentrate per 1 part by mass of Sichuan pepper powder. The curry product according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a tomato ingredient. The curry product according to claim 1 or 2 further contains potassium chloride, the content of which is blended so that the potassium chloride concentration when consumed is 0.05 to 0.4% by mass. The curry product according to claim 1 or 2, which is a heat-treated curry product. A method for producing a curry product, comprising mixing pepper powder, glycine, garlic essential oil concentrate and other curry ingredients. The method according to claim 6, wherein the blending ratio of the Sichuan pepper powder, glycine and garlic essential oil concentrate is 1 to 10 parts by mass of glycine and 0.1 to 0.5 parts by mass of garlic essential oil concentrate per 1 part by mass of the Sichuan pepper powder.