This invention provides a cooked-rice improver having flavor sustaining and/or flavor enhancement effects of cooked rice. The improver is obtained by mixing low-decomposition starch having a predetermined molecular weight and dextrin having a predetermined DE value at a predetermined ratio. This invention provides a cooked-rice improver flavor sustaining and/or flavor enhancement actions on cooked rice, and cooked rice produced by using the same. The cooked-rice improver contains low-decomposition starch having the molecular weight of 500,000 to 5,000,000 and dextrin having a DE value greater than one and equal to or lower than fifty at a ratio of 1:9 to 9:1 in a mass ratio.

This invention provides a cooked-rice improver having flavor sustaining and/or flavor enhancement effects of cooked rice. The improver is obtained by mixing low-decomposition starch having a predetermined molecular weight and dextrin having a predetermined DE value at a predetermined ratio. This invention provides a cooked-rice improver flavor sustaining and/or flavor enhancement actions on cooked rice, and cooked rice produced by using the same. The cooked-rice improver contains low-decomposition starch having the molecular weight of 500,000 to 5,000,000 and dextrin having a DE value greater than one and equal to or lower than fifty at a ratio of 1:9 to 9:1 in a mass ratio.

A method of cooking food using a device for cooking the food in a container includes supplying water for cooking the food; generate heat by a heater of the device; and controlling by a controller an operation of the heater to initially supply the container with a first quantity of the water in a form of steam during a first period of time of a cooking process, and to subsequently supply the container with a second quantity of the water in a form of heated water during a second period of time of the cooking process. The second period of time is longer than the first period of time.

A method of cooking food using a device for cooking the food in a container includes supplying water for cooking the food; generate heat by a heater of the device; and controlling by a controller an operation of the heater to initially supply the container with a first quantity of the water in a form of steam during a first period of time of a cooking process, and to subsequently supply the container with a second quantity of the water in a form of heated water during a second period of time of the cooking process. The second period of time is longer than the first period of time.

A method of producing instant rice, includes bringing raw rice to absorb water to obtain water-absorbed rice, including holding a mixture of the raw rice and cooking water at a temperature of 75 C. to 80 C. for 20 to 60 min, and prior thereto, optionally preliminarily immersing the raw rice in water at a temperature of not more than 70 C., wherein a total amount of the cooking water and water absorbed by the raw rice in the preliminary immersion falls within a range of 150 to 190 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the raw rice before the preliminary immersion, cooking the water-absorbed rice to obtain alpharized cooked rice, and drying the cooked rice.

A method of producing retort-sterilized cooked rice including: a heating water-absorption step A for heating uncooked rice having a hardness ratio lower than 1 (one) for causing water to be absorbed therein such that resultant water-absorbed rice grains weigh from 2.0 to 2.6 times as much as the uncooked rice grains; a filling step B for filling the heated, water-absorbed rice grains in a packing container; a sealing step D for sealing the filled packing container; and a retort-sterilization step E for sterilizing the sealed packing container by heating and pressurizing. Also, retort-sterilized container-packed cooked rice comprises rice prepared by retort-sterilizing Indica rice with charging of inert gas in a headspace of the packing container such that the concentration of oxygen gas therein may range 1% or more and less than 2%.

A method of producing retort-sterilized cooked rice including: a heating water-absorption step A for heating uncooked rice having a hardness ratio lower than 1 (one) for causing water to be absorbed therein such that resultant water-absorbed rice grains weigh from 2.0 to 2.6 times as much as the uncooked rice grains; a filling step B for filling the heated, water-absorbed rice grains in a packing container; a sealing step D for sealing the filled packing container; and a retort-sterilization step E for sterilizing the sealed packing container by heating and pressurizing. Also, retort-sterilized container-packed cooked rice comprises rice prepared by retort-sterilizing Indica rice with charging of inert gas in a headspace of the packing container such that the concentration of oxygen gas therein may range 1% or more and less than 2%.

A method and system for removing foreign grains from oat grains to establish gluten-free oats, i.e., oat grains having gluten levels below 20 ppm and, more preferably, below 10 ppm, relies upon performing various mechanical differentiation operations on a combination of grains, including oats and foreign, or gluten containing, grains. The mechanical differentiation operations can be arranged in series or in a combination of series and parallel operations. The various operations preferably include width grading and multiple length grading steps, as well as an aspirating steps, as well as a potential debearding step. The resulting oats can be used to make a wide range of gluten-free oat food products, including cereal and granola products.

A method and system for removing foreign grains from oat grains to establish gluten-free oats, i.e., oat grains having gluten levels below 20 ppm and, more preferably, below 10 ppm, relies upon performing various mechanical differentiation operations on a combination of grains, including oats and foreign, or gluten containing, grains. The mechanical differentiation operations can be arranged in series or in a combination of series and parallel operations. The various operations preferably include width grading and multiple length grading steps, as well as an aspirating steps, as well as a potential debearding step. The resulting oats can be used to make a wide range of gluten-free oat food products, including cereal and granola products.

The present disclosure relates to oat-based peanut butter-flavored compositions and methods of making such compositions. In particular, a method is disclosed of roasting substantially intact groats until CIELAB L*-value change per minute, and CIELAB b*-value change per minute achieve a negative slope to produce roasted oats having a peanut butter flavor. Compositions including roasted oats having a peanut butter flavor are also disclosed.