Provided is a powdery breader including a starch at a proportion of 75% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, in which the powdery breader includes, as the starch, a lowered molecular weight starch having an amylose content of 5% by mass or more and a peak molecular weight of 310.sup.3 or more and 510.sup.4 or less, at a proportion of 3% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less with respect to the total amount of the powdery breader, in which a content of oversized particles retained on a sieve with openings of 0.1 mm in the powdery breader is 20% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, and in which the powdery breader is used for one or two or more deep-fried (-like) food products selected from the group consisting of hot showcase storage, room temperature storage, chilled storage, frozen storage, and microwave cooking.

An object of the present invention is to provide an food additive capable of improving quality and physical properties such as water retention, shape retention, and dispersion stability at the time of adding to foods such as processed foods and scarcely impairing characteristics such as original texture and flavor of food, and also to provide foods comprising the food additive. That is, the present invention provides a food additive comprising an anion-modified cellulose nanofibers and food including the food additive.

Provided is a mix for fried food which cab be shaken out in a small amount from a shaker container and has components that are hardly separated each other in the container. A packaged mix for fried food which is a mix for fried food filled in a container, the mix for fried food being a powder mixture comprising wheat flour and at least one selected from the group consisting of other cereal flour and starch at a mass ratio of 99:1 to 20:80, having an angle of repose of 33 to 54 degrees, the container being a shaker container including one or more shaker holes having a maximum width of 2 to 20 mm.

A mix for fried food enables production of a fried food having favorable appearance and texture with less oil splattering during cooking even when using little oil with a shallow cooking utensil. The mix for fried food contains a wheat flour, a cereal flour that is not a wheat flour in an amount of 0.5-50 mass %, an emulsifier in an amount of 0.3-10 mass %, and a leavening agent in an amount of 0.05 to 5 mass %. The cereal flour that is not a wheat flour is preferably at least one selected from rice flour, barley flour, rye flour, and sorghum flour. An example of a method for producing a fried food using the mix for fried food is a method including mixing the mix for fried food with water to obtain a batter liquid and cooking in oil an ingredient to which the batter liquid is attached.

A mix for fried food enables production of a fried food having favorable appearance and texture with less oil splattering during cooking even when using little oil with a shallow cooking utensil. The mix for fried food contains a wheat flour, a cereal flour that is not a wheat flour in an amount of 0.5-50 mass %, an emulsifier in an amount of 0.3-10 mass %, and a leavening agent in an amount of 0.05 to 5 mass %. The cereal flour that is not a wheat flour is preferably at least one selected from rice flour, barley flour, rye flour, and sorghum flour. An example of a method for producing a fried food using the mix for fried food is a method including mixing the mix for fried food with water to obtain a batter liquid and cooking in oil an ingredient to which the batter liquid is attached.

A composition containing a starch at a content of equal to or higher than 75% by mass, wherein the composition contains a low molecular weight starch as the starch at a content of equal to or higher than 3% by mass and equal to or lower than 45% by mass, the low molecular weight starch being obtainable from a starch containing amylose at a content of equal to or higher than 5% by mass as a raw material, wherein a peak molecular weight of the low molecular weight starch is equal to or higher than 310.sup.3 and equal to or lower than 510.sup.4, wherein a degree of swelling in cold water of the composition at 25 degrees C. is equal to or higher than 7 and equal to or lower than 20, and wherein a content of an oversieve fraction of a granulated material in the composition on 0.5 mm mesh is equal to or lower than 50% by mass.

A composition containing a starch at a content of equal to or higher than 75% by mass, wherein the composition contains a low molecular weight starch as the starch at a content of equal to or higher than 3% by mass and equal to or lower than 45% by mass, the low molecular weight starch being obtainable from a starch containing amylose at a content of equal to or higher than 5% by mass as a raw material, wherein a peak molecular weight of the low molecular weight starch is equal to or higher than 310.sup.3 and equal to or lower than 510.sup.4, wherein a degree of swelling in cold water of the composition at 25 degrees C. is equal to or higher than 7 and equal to or lower than 20, and wherein a content of an oversieve fraction of a granulated material in the composition on 0.5 mm mesh is equal to or lower than 50% by mass.

Modified wheat flour for use in the preparation of coated fried food includes a heat treated product of unmodified wheat flour and having an RVA peak viscosity of 3500 to 7000 mPa.Math.s and a gelatinization onset temperature lower than that of the unmodified wheat flour by at least 10 C. The unmodified wheat flour preferably has a gelatinization onset temperature of 70 to 86 C. The unmodified wheat flour preferably has an RVA peak viscosity of 3000 to 5000 mPa.Math.s. The modified wheat flour has good water dispersibility and provides coated fried foods having a crispy coating.

Modified wheat flour for use in the preparation of coated fried food includes a heat treated product of unmodified wheat flour and having an RVA peak viscosity of 3500 to 7000 mPa.Math.s and a gelatinization onset temperature lower than that of the unmodified wheat flour by at least 10 C. The unmodified wheat flour preferably has a gelatinization onset temperature of 70 to 86 C. The unmodified wheat flour preferably has an RVA peak viscosity of 3000 to 5000 mPa.Math.s. The modified wheat flour has good water dispersibility and provides coated fried foods having a crispy coating.

Spice or herb-containing bread crumbs that are baked and crushed products of a bread dough containing at least one kind of spice or herb. A bread crumb mix or a batter for fried food containing the spice or herb-containing bread crumbs. A method for producing a fried food product, the method comprising frying a food ingredient to which the spice or herb-containing bread crumbs adhere.