SYSTEM FOR PREPARING INSTANT RICE WITH TASTE, NUTRITION AND TEXTURE OF CAULDRON RICE

Abstract

The present application relates to a system for preparing an instant rice, an instant rice prepared by using the same, and methods of preparing the instant rice.

Claims

1. A system for preparing instant rice, comprising: a sterilizing unit for sterilizing raw ingredients filled in a container with a pressurized steam in a vacuum state; a filling unit for adding sterilized water or sterilized sauce to the sterilized raw ingredients; a sealing unit for sealing a container added with the water or sauce; and a heating unit for heating the sealed container at a temperature of 90? C. to 125? C.

2. The system for preparing instant rice of claim 1, wherein the sterilizing unit performs a sterilization with steam at 120? C. to 140? C. for 1 minute to 10 minutes.

3. The system for preparing instant rice of claim 1, wherein the sterilizing unit performs the sterilization by repeatedly injecting steam of 140? C. to 155? C. into the sterilized container 5 times to 10 times for 3 seconds to 10 seconds.

4. The system for preparing instant rice of claim 1, wherein the sterilizing unit comprises a RIC sterilization device.

5. The system for preparing instant rice of claim 1, wherein the system does not comprise a cooking unit.

6. The system for preparing instant rice of claim 5, wherein the cooking unit performs heating to a temperature of 90? ? C. to 120? C.

7. The system for preparing instant rice of claim 1, wherein the system is maintained at a temperature of 89? C. or lower from the sterilizing unit to the sealing unit.

8. The system for preparing instant rice of claim 1, wherein the heating unit comprises a retort sterilization device.

9. The system for preparing instant rice of claim 1, wherein the raw ingredients have the number of microorganisms of 10.sup.2 cfu/ml to 10.sup.8 cfu/ml in the raw ingredients before sterilization.

10. The system for preparing instant rice of claim 1, wherein the raw ingredients comprise at least one selected from the group consisting of grains, beans, mushrooms, root and tuber crops, bulbs, seasoned vegetables, fruits/seeds, meat, fish, and eggs.

11. The system for preparing instant rice of claim 1, further comprising a liquid sterilizing unit for sterilizing the water or sauce.

12. The system for preparing instant rice of claim 11, wherein the liquid sterilizing unit performs the sterilization for 6 minutes to 8 minutes by directly spraying steam of 130? C. to 140? C. to the water or sauce.

13. The system for preparing instant rice of claim 11, wherein the liquid sterilizing unit comprises a Direct-Steam Injection (DSI) sterilization device.

14. The system for preparing instant rice of claim 1, further comprising an immersing unit for immersing the raw ingredients in the water.

15. An instant rice prepared by the preparing system according to claim 1.

16. A method of preparing instant rice of claim 1, comprising: sterilizing raw ingredients filled in a container with a pressurized steam in a vacuum state; adding sterilized water or sterilized sauce to the sterilized raw ingredients; sealing a container added with the water or sauce; and heating the sealed container at a temperature of 90? C. to 125? C.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the raw ingredients are sterilized with a pressurized steam at 120? C. to 140? C. for 1 minute to 10 minutes.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the sterilizing raw ingredients filled in a container with a pressurized steam in a vacuum state includes: repeatedly injecting steam of 140? C. to 155? C. into the sterilized container 5 times to 10 times for 3 seconds to 10 seconds.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the raw ingredients have the number of microorganisms of 10.sup.2 cfu/ml to 10.sup.8 cfu/ml in the raw ingredients before sterilization.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein the raw ingredients comprise at least one selected from the group consisting of grains, beans, mushrooms, root and tuber crops, bulbs, seasoned vegetables, fruits/seeds, meat, fish, and eggs.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0090] FIG. 1 is a diagram of comparing the grain appearances in whole grain rice (Example 2) of the present application and whole grain rice of Comparative Examples 2-1 to 2-3, wherein it can be confirmed that in the instant rice of Comparative Example 2-1, many whole grains with burst surfaces are found, but almost no surface bursting phenomenon occur in the instant rice of Example 2.

[0091] FIG. 2 is a diagram of comparing king oyster mushroom appearances in mushroom nutritious rice (Example 3) of the present application and mushroom nutritious rice of Comparative Examples 3-1 to 3-3, wherein it can be confirmed that the king oyster mushroom of Example 3 has a relatively bright color.

BEST MODE

[0092] Hereinafter, the present application will be described in detail by the Examples.

[0093] However, the following Examples specifically illustrate the present application, and the content of the present application is not limited by the following Examples.

EXAMPLES AND COMPARATIVE EXAMPLES

Examples 1-1 and 1-2: White Rice Bap

[0094] A white rice Bap was prepared using white rice as a raw ingredient according to a system for preparing instant rice of the present application. Specifically, 110 g of white rice was first washed with water, immersed in the immersing unit, and then filled into a container. The container filled with 110 g of the immersed rice was moved to an RIC device (manufactured by Hisaka Seisakusho company) corresponding to the sterilizing unit, and a steam pressure sterilization was performed at a temperature of 130? C. for 1 minute and 30 seconds in a vacuum state. The sterilization condition corresponds to a sterilization condition in which an F0 value was 4 or more. After the sterilization was completed, 95 g of sterilized water was added to the container in the filling unit, and then the container was sealed with a lid material to prevent external microorganisms or foreign substances from being introduced into the container. The sealed container was moved to a retort sterilization device corresponding to the heating unit and heated at a temperature of 115? C. for 20 minutes to prepare instant rice of Example 1-1. The temperature and time conditions of the device correspond to relatively less strict conditions compared to conventional retort sterilization conditions.

[0095] In addition, an instant rice of Example 1-2 was prepared through all the same process as Example 1-1, except that in the sterilizing step, instead of sterilizing using an RIC device, a pressure sterilization was performed by repeatedly heating 8 times at a temperature of 148? C. for 6 seconds. The pressure sterilization condition also corresponds to a sterilization condition in which an F0 value is 4 or more.

Comparative Examples 1-1 to 1-4: White Rice Bap

[0096] An instant rice of Comparative Examples 1-1 to 1-4 was prepared using white rice as a raw ingredient. The instant rice of Comparative Examples 1-1 and 1-2 was prepared through the same system as Example 1-1 above, except as prepared by varying heating conditions of the heating unit after sealing the container. The instant rice of Comparative Example 1-3 was prepared in the same manner as Example 1-1, except as prepared by further including a cooking process before the sealing of the container after the sterilization step. The white rice of Comparative Examples 1?4 was prepared using a conventional method of preparing rice at home.

[0097] The instant rice of Comparative Example 1-1 was completed by performing the same method as Example 1-1 until the sealing of the container, except as prepared by steaming the sealed container at a temperature of 95? C. or lower, specifically, heating at a temperature of 85? C. for 20 minutes, instead of the heating condition of Example 1-1.

[0098] The instant rice of Comparative Example 1-2 was prepared under general retort heat sterilization conditions to prepare instant rice by performing the same method as in Example 1-1 until the sealing of the container, except as prepared by heating the sealed container in a retort sterilization device at a temperature of 123? C. for 18 minutes, instead of the heating condition of Example 1-1.

[0099] In Comparative Example 1-3, after performing a steam pressure sterilization at 130? C. for 1 minute and 30 seconds in the same manner as in Example 1-1, a cooking process was further performed again by adding and heating sterilized water to a temperature of 98? C. for 35 minutes. This corresponds to a process performed in a conventionally known instant rice preparing process. After the cooking step, the instant rice of Comparative Examples 1-3 was prepared through the same heating step as in Example 1 by sealing and heating the container in a retort sterilization device at 115? C. for 20 minutes.

[0100] In Comparative Example 1-4, white rice was prepared according to a conventional preparing method of white rice prepared at home, and specifically, by washing 300 g of white rice with water, removing the water, placing the white rice in a rice cooker, and adding 420 g of cooking water, the rice was cooked and prepared under pressure cooking conditions.

Example 2: Whole Grain Rice

[0101] Whole grain rice of Example 2 was prepared using various whole grains other than white rice as raw ingredients, according to the system for preparing instant rice of the present application. Specifically, non-glutinous brown rice, glutinous brown rice, black rice, whole wheat, and oats were used as raw ingredients, and a mixing ratio of each raw ingredient was listed in Table 1 below. The raw ingredients were washed with water, immersed in the immersing unit, and then filled into a container. The filled container was moved to an RIC device (manufactured by Hisaka Seisakusho Co., Ltd.) corresponding to the sterilizing unit, and a steam pressure sterilization was performed at a temperature of 130? C. for 5 minute and 30 seconds in a vacuum state. The sterilization condition corresponds to a sterilization condition in which an F0 value is 4 or more. After the sterilization of the raw ingredients was completed, sterilized water was added to be finally mixed in a ratio according to Table 1 below.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Raw ingredients Mixing ratio (%) Non-glutinous brown rice 8.05 Glutinous brown rice 14.09 Black rice 6.04 Whole wheat 6.04 Oats 6.04 Water 59.74 Total 100.00

[0102] After adding water to the container, the container was sealed with a lid material to prevent external microorganisms or foreign substances from being introduced into the container. The sealed container was moved to a retort sterilization device corresponding to the heating unit and heated by setting conditions of a temperature of 115? ? C. for 20 minutes to prepare instant rice of Example 2. The temperature and time conditions of the device correspond to relatively less strict conditions compared to conventional retort sterilization conditions.

Comparative Examples 2-1 to 2-3: Whole Grain Rice

[0103] Whole grain rice of Comparative Examples 2-1 to 2-3 was prepared using raw ingredients mixed in the mixing ratio according to Table 1 above. An instant rice was prepared in the same manner as the method for preparing the whole grain rice in Example 2, but some conditions were varied.

[0104] The instant rice of Comparative Example 2-1 was completed by performing the same method as in Example 2 until the sealing of container, except as prepared by steaming the sealed container at a temperature of 95? C. or lower, specifically heating at a temperature of 85? C. for 20 minutes, instead of the heating step of Example 2.

[0105] The instant rice of Comparative Example 2-2 was prepared under a conventional retort heat sterilization condition by performing the same method as in Example 2 until the sealing of the container, except as prepared by heating the sealed container in a retort sterilization device at a temperature of 123? C. for 18 minutes, instead of the heating condition of Example 2.

[0106] In Comparative Example 2-3, after performing a steam pressure sterilization at 130? ? C. for 5 minute and 30 seconds in the same manner as in Example 2, a cooking process was further performed by adding and heating sterilized water to a temperature of 98? C. for 35 minutes again. This corresponds to a process performed in a conventionally known instant rice preparing process. In Comparative Examples 2-3, after the cooking step, by sealing and heating the container in a retort sterilization device at 115? C. for 20 minutes, an instant rice was prepared through the same heating step as in Example 2.

Example 3: Mushroom Nutritious Rice

[0107] Mushroom nutritious rice of Example 3 was prepared using grains other than white rice and various mushrooms as raw ingredients according to the system for preparing instant rice of the present application. Specifically, non-glutinous rice, glutinous rice, black rice, shiitake mushroom, and king oyster mushroom were used as the raw ingredients, and corn oil was added to the raw ingredients washed with water to be filled into the container.

[0108] The mixing ratio of each raw ingredient was listed in Table 2 below. The filled container was moved to an RIC device (manufactured by Hisaka Seisakusho company) corresponding to the sterilizing unit, and a steam pressure sterilization was performed at a temperature of 130? C. for 5 minute and 30 seconds in a vacuum state. The sterilization condition corresponds to a sterilization condition in which an F0 value is 4 or more.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Raw ingredients Mixing ratio (%) Non-glutinous rice 47.6 Glutinous rice 11.9 Black rice 3.9 Shiitake mushroom 17.5 King oyster mushroom 17.5 Corn oil 1.6 Total 100.00

[0109] Then, sterilized shiitake hot water extract, refined salt, and water were added to the raw ingredients sterilized with RIC. In this case, the shiitake hot water extract, refined salt, and water may also be sterilized using a conventional heat sterilization method, but when using a sterilization method (130? C., 6 minutes) using a direct steam injection heater (DSI), a better microbial sterilization effect may be expected. Thereafter, the container was sealed with a lid material to prevent external microorganisms or foreign substances from being introduced into the container. The sealed container was moved to a retort sterilization device and heated by setting conditions of a temperature of 115? C. for 20 minutes to prepare instant rice of Example 3. The temperature and time conditions of the device correspond to a relatively less strict condition compared to conventional retort sterilization conditions.

Comparative Examples 3-1 to 3-3: Mushroom Nutritious Rice

[0110] Mushroom nutritious rice of Comparative Examples 3-1 to 3-3 was prepared using raw ingredients mixed in the mixing ratio according to Table 2 above. The instant rice was prepared in the same manner as the method for preparing the mushroom nutritious rice in Example 3, except that some conditions were varied.

[0111] The instant rice of Comparative Example 3-1 was completed by performing the same method as in Example 3 until the sealing of container, except as prepared by steaming the sealed container at a temperature of 95? C. or lower, specifically, heating at a temperature of 85? C. for 20 minutes, instead of the heating condition of Example 3.

[0112] The instant rice of Comparative Example 3-2 was prepared under the conventional retort heat sterilization conditions by performing the same method as in Example 3 until the sealing of the container, except as prepared by heating the sealed container in a retort sterilization device at a temperature of 123? C. for 18 minutes, instead of the heating condition of Example 3.

[0113] In Comparative Example 3-3, after performing a steam pressure sterilization at 130? C. for 5 minute and 30 seconds in the same manner as in Example 3, a cooking process was further performed by adding and heating sterilized water to a temperature of 98? ? C. for 35 minutes again. This corresponds to a process performed in a conventionally known instant rice preparing process. After the cooking step, the instant rice of Comparative Examples 3-3 was prepared through the same heating step as in Example 3 by sealing and heating the container in a retort sterilization device at 115? C. for 20 minutes.

Example 4: Honey Glutinous Rice

[0114] Honey glutinous rice of Example 4 was prepared using liquid sauces such as honey, soy sauce and syrup, and various raw ingredients according to the system for preparing instant rice of the present application. Specifically, non-glutinous rice, glutinous rice, sugared chestnuts, pumpkin seeds, raisins, pine nuts and sesame oil were used as the raw ingredients, and corn oil was added to the raw ingredients washed with water to be filled into the container. The mixing ratio of each raw ingredient was listed in Table 3 below. The filled container was moved to an RIC device (manufactured by Hisaka Seisakusho company), and a steam pressure sterilization was performed at a temperature of 130? ? C. for 5 minute and 30 seconds in a vacuum state. The sterilization condition corresponds to a sterilization condition in which an F0 value is 4 or more.

TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Raw ingredients Mixing ratio (%) Non-glutinous rice 15.5 Glutinous rice 62.0 Sugared chestnuts 13.8 Pumpkin seeds 1.9 Raisins 2.9 Pine nuts 1.0 Sesame oil 1.0 Corn oil 1.9 Total 100.00

[0115] After sterilization of the raw ingredients was completed, a liquid sauce with a salt content of 0.9% and a sugar content of 28 brix was prepared by mixing cinnamon concentrate, dark soy sauce, honey, simple syrup, brown sugar, oligosaccharide HF and refined salt, which was sterilized to be added to the container. The liquid sauce was sterilized by directly injecting steam at a temperature of 130? C. into the sauce using a direct steam injection heater (DSI) to raise the sauce temperature to 130? C. and maintain the state for 6 minutes. After adding the liquid sauce, the container was sealed with a lid material to prevent external microorganisms or foreign substances from being introduced into the container. The sealed container was moved to a retort sterilization device and heated by setting conditions of a temperature of 115? C. for 20 minutes to prepare the instant rice of Example 4. The temperature and time conditions of the device correspond to a relatively less strict condition compared to conventional retort sterilization conditions.

Comparative Examples 4-1 and 4-2: Honey Glutinous Rice

[0116] Honey glutinous rice of Comparative Examples 4-1 and 4-2 was prepared using raw ingredients mixed in the mixing ratio according to Table 3 above and a liquid sauce. An instant rice was prepared in the same manner as the method for preparing the honey glutinous rice in Example 4, except that some conditions were varied.

[0117] In Comparative Example 4-1, after performing the same method as in Example 4 until the sealing of container, a liquid sauce was sterilized and added through a general liquid sterilization method by heating at 100? C. for 10 minutes or more. In addition, an instant rice was prepared under the conventional retort heat sterilization conditions by heating the sealed container in a retort sterilization device at a temperature of 123? C. for 18 minutes, instead of the heating condition in Example 4.

[0118] In Comparative Example 4-2, a liquid sauce was sterilized using a direct steam injection heater (DSI) under the same conditions as in Example 4 above, but the raw ingredients were sterilized by heating at 98? ? C. for 20 minutes and then sterilized under the condition where F0 was less than 4. After adding the liquid sauce and then sealing the container, an instant rice was prepared under the conventional retort heat sterilization condition by heating the sealed container in a retort sterilization device at a temperature of 123? C. for 18 minutes, instead of the heating step in Example 4.

Experimental Example 1

[1-1] Comparison of Chromaticity in White Rice

[0119] The lid materials of the instant rice (white rice Bap) of Examples 1-1, Example 1-2, and Comparative Examples 1-1 to Comparative Examples 1-3, which were prepared using white rice as raw ingredients, were removed and their colors were measured and compared. In addition, the color of the white rice of Comparative Examples 1?4 prepared at home using a conventional cooking method was also measured and compared. For the colors, L, a, and b values were measured using an instrument manufactured by Konica Minolta company, and each value was measured three times, and average values thereof were shown in Table 4 below.

TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 Before heating L a b Example 1-1 71.51 ?1.75 9.40 Example 1-2 70.44 ?1.86 8.87 Comparative Example 1-1 71.23 ?2.14 5.87 Comparative Example 1-2 70.28 ?1.47 9.35 Comparative Example 1-3 69.39 ?1.48 9.48

[0120] As a result, as can be seen in Table 4 above, in the instant rice of Example 1-1 of the present application, L value was measured to be the highest, and in the instant rice of Example 1-2, L value was measured to be lower than that of Comparative Example 1-1, but measured to be relatively high. In particular, in the instant rice of Examples 1-1 and 1-2 prepared by the preparing system of the present application, it was confirmed that L value of white rice was high as compared to the instant rice of Comparative Example 1-3. In the case of the instant rice prepared using white rice as raw ingredients, the color of Bap shown immediately after the consumer who eats an instant rice removed the lid material corresponds to the appearance quality that may be immediately perceived by the consumer and thus has an important influence on preference, and among them, the L value related to brightness may act as an important role. In the process of preparing the Bap, the color of white rice is darkened due to heat to have a negative effect on preference. The instant rice of Example 1-1 prepared according to the preparing system of the present application had the highest L value and thus was not darkened greatly in color even during the heating process, and the instant rice of Example 1-2 also showed a relatively high L value. Thus, it could be identified that the system for preparing the instant rice of the present application may provide an instant rice with an appearance that meets the consumer's preference while not damaging the external appearance quality of the instant rice.

[1-2] Analysis of Cooked Rice Taste of White Rice Bap

[0121] With respect to the instant rice (white rice Bap) of Examples 1-1 and 1-2, and Comparative Examples 1-1 to 1-3 heated using a microwave and white rice of Comparative Example 1-4, the cooked rice taste values of each instant rice are shown in Table 5 below by measuring the appearance, hardness, glutinousness, balance, and palatability of rice grains using a taste meter (Tensipresser My Boy 2 system, Taketomo Electric company, Japan).

TABLE-US-00005 TABLE 5 Appearance Hardness Glutinousness Balance Palatability Example 1-1 5.7 6.8 5.8 5.7 64 Example 1-2 4.8 7.3 5.0 4.8 59 Comparative 3.3 8.0 3.6 3.3 49 Example 1-1 Comparative 5.2 7.3 5.3 5.0 60 Example 1-2 Comparative 6.1 6.8 6.2 6.0 66 Example 1-3 Comparative 5.2 7.1 5.5 5.2 61 Example 1-4

[0122] As a result, the instant rice of Example 1-1 prepared by the preparing system of the present application generally exhibited higher or similar levels of taste values of each cooked rice compared to other instant rice, and the instant rice of Example 1-2 was also measured to have excellent hardness and glutinousness values.

[1-3] Analysis of Physical Properties of White Rice

[0123] With respect to the instant rice (white rice Bap) of Examples 1-1 and 1-2 and Comparative Examples 1-1 to 1-3 heated using a microwave and the white rice of Comparative Example 1-4, the hardness, elasticity, adhesiveness and glutinousness thereof were measured using a physical property analyzer (Tensipresser Analyzer, MyBoy, TAKETOMO Electric Incorporated).

[0124] Specifically, to measure the physical properties, texture profile analysis (TPA) was performed using a physical property analyzer, and a TPA curve obtained after 6 bites was used. Specifically, the load applied to the plunger was measured by placing each sample in a holder of a physical property analyzer, moving a 30 mm-high plunger at a constant force and speed of 2.0 mm/s to apply the force to the sample surface, and applying 24% compression of the sample thickness two times, 46% compression two times and 92% compression two time continuously and vertically. The hardness was measured by a peak value when the plunger applies 92% compression of the sample thickness, which represents the force required to chew and crush the Bap. The elasticity was measured by dividing a curve area at 92% compression by a curve area at 24% compression, and means that the higher the elasticity value, the higher the chewed elasticity of the Bap. The adhesiveness may be measured by a negative peak value when the plunger applies 92% compression to the sample, which represents the force at the moment of removing the plunger stuck to the sample, and means that the larger the measured value, the higher the adhesiveness. The glutinousness may be measured by a negative area when the plunger applies 92% compression to the sample, which represents a sustained sticking force. Each value was repeatedly measured 5 times, and then the average values thereof are calculated.

TABLE-US-00006 TABLE 6 Hardness Elasticity Adhesiveness Glutinousness Example 1-1 36.89 44.54 48.89 51.19 Example 1-2 22.54 33.85 49.59 52.63 Comparative 56.59 47.19 30.67 33.39 Example 1-1 Comparative 25.48 36.53 49.91 51.89 Example 1-2 Comparative 26.69 38.00 56.88 65.85 Example 1-3 Comparative 38.46 43.88 30.26 38.62 Example 1-4

[0125] As a result, as can be seen in Table 6, in the case of the instant rice of Comparative Example 1-1, it was measured to show an excessively high hardness and elasticity due to insufficient heat treatment required for sufficient gelatinization. In addition, the instant rice of Example 1-1 was measured to have hardness and elasticity values similar to those of the white rice of Comparative Example 1-4 prepared by a conventional cooking method. The hardness and elasticity of Bap tend to decrease when heat treatment is too excessive, and conversely, tend to increase when heat treatment is insufficient. In the instant rice of Comparative Examples 1-2 and 1-3, the hardness and elasticity were greatly reduced due to excessive heat treatment, but the instant rice of Example 1-1 prepared by the preparing system of the present application was measured to have higher hardness and elasticity and exhibited appropriate physical properties, and although the instant rice, it was confirmed that it has similar level of physical properties to those of the white rice of Comparative Examples 1-4 prepared by a conventional cooking method.

[1-4] Sensory Evaluation of White Rice

[0126] The instant rice (white rice Bap) of Examples 1-1 and 1-2, and Comparative Examples 1-1 to 1-3 was heated using a microwave, and then an evaluation on various kinds of sensory qualities was performed by trained professional panels. The sensory quality was evaluated by color preference, taste/flavor strength, overall taste preference, texture preference, and glutinousness preference of the instant rice, and the result is shown in Table 7 below. The evaluation criteria for the sensory quality are as follows.

[Evaluation Criteria]

[0127] Color preference: Provided that 1 point is a minimum value and 5 points are a maximum value, the higher the color preference, the higher the score.

[0128] Taste/flavor strength: Provided that 1 point is a minimum value and 5 points are a maximum value, it means that the higher the taste/flavor strength, the higher the score.

[0129] Overall taste preference: As it is an item to evaluate the overall taste, provided that 1 point is a minimum value and 5 points are a maximum value, it means that the better the overall taste preference, the higher the score.

[0130] Texture preference: Provided that 1 point is a minimum value and 5 points are a maximum value, it means that the higher the texture preference, the higher the score.

[0131] Glutinousness preference: Provided that 1 point is a minimum value and 5 points are a maximum value, it means that the higher the glutinousness preference, the higher the score.

TABLE-US-00007 TABLE 7 Overall Color Taste/flavor taste Texture Glutinousness preference strength preference preference preference Example 1-1 4.5 1.5 3.5 3.2 3.7 Example 1-2 4.5 1.4 3.5 3.2 3.7 Comparative 4.6 1.3 3.6 3.6 3.3 Example 1-1 Comparative 3.5 2.3 2.7 2.3 3.0 Example 1-2 Comparative 2.7 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.6 Example 1-3

[0132] As a result, the instant rice of Examples 1-1 and 1-2 was evaluated to have high preference in all of color, texture, glutinousness, and overall taste, and was also evaluated to have low taste and flavor strengths. The instant rice of Comparative Example 1-1 also received high evaluation in sensory evaluation, but was shown to have a similar level to the instant rice of Examples 1-1 and 1-2 prepared according to the preparing system of the present application.

Experimental Example 2

[2-1] Comparison of Chromaticity and Appearance of Whole Grain Rice

[0133] The instant rice (whole grain rice) of Example 2 and Comparative Examples 2-1 to 2-3, which were prepared with whole grains such as brown rice, black rice, whole wheat, and oats as raw ingredients, was heated for 2 minutes using a microwave (700 W), and then the lid material was removed, and the colors thereof were measured, and the appearances thereof were compared. For the colors, L, a, and b values were measured using an instrument manufactured by Konica Minolta company, and each value was measured three times, and average values thereof were shown in Table 8 below.

TABLE-US-00008 TABLE 8 L a b Example 2 22.62 5.42 4.34 Comparative Example 2-1 22.16 5.28 3.97 Comparative Example 2-2 22.67 5.92 5.03 Comparative Example 2-3 22.76 6.21 5.46

[0134] As a result, as can be seen in Table 8, the instant rice of Example 2 of the present application was measured to have a color similar to that of the instant rice of other Comparative Examples 2-1 to 2-3. Unlike the experimental results of white rice Bap, the whole grain rice did not show significant difference in color, including L value. However, as a result of observing the appearance, in the instant rice of Comparative Example 2-1, more grains, whose surfaces were burst and thus appeared white, were shown (FIG. 1). This is expected to be a result that the temperature conditions were too low in the method for preparing the instant rice in Comparative Example 2-1, and thus the outer skin of the grain is not softened, but only the interior absorbed moisture and swelled. In contrast, in the instant rice of Example 2 prepared according to the system for preparing the instant rice of the present application, since the same phenomenon as in Comparative Example 2-1 was not observed, it was indirectly confirmed that superior features in appearance quality were shown and the whole grain rice was sufficiently cooked.

[2-2] Analysis of Cooked Rice Taste of Whole Grain Rice

[0135] With respect to instant rice (whole grain rice) of Example 2 and Comparative Examples 2-1 to 2-3 heated using a microwave, the cooked grain taste values of each instant rice are shown in Table 9 below by measuring the appearance, hardness, glutinousness, balance, and palatability of the rice grains using a taste meter (Tensipresser My Boy 2 system, Taketomo Electric Company, Japan).

TABLE-US-00009 TABLE 9 Appearance Hardness Glutinousness Balance Palatability Example 2 4.4 9.8 4.8 2 43 Comparative 3.5 9.8 4.7 1.2 39 Example 2-1 Comparative 3.7 9.8 4.7 1.4 40 Example 2-2 Comparative 3.8 9.8 4.7 1.4 40 Example 2-3

[0136] As a result, it was confirmed that the instant rice of Example 2 prepared by the preparing system of the present application was measured to have the highest values in all of appearance, hardness, glutinousness, and balance, compared with the instant rice of the Comparative Examples prepared by other methods, and thus it has the highest palatability value.

[2-3] Analysis of Physical Properties of Whole Grain Rice

[0137] With respect to the instant rice (whole grain rice) of Example 2 and Comparative Examples 2-1 to 2-3 heated using a microwave, the hardness, elasticity, adhesiveness, and glutinousness thereof were measured using a physical property analyzer (Tensipresser Analyzer, MyBoy, TAKETOMO Electric Incorporated) in the same method as Experimental Example 1-3, and are shown in Table 10 below.

TABLE-US-00010 TABLE 10 Hardness Elasticity Adhesiveness Glutinousness Example 2 26.32 34.17 29.77 23.49 Comparative 23.95 39.14 26.36 22.70 Example 2-1 Comparative 14.22 27.30 32.25 23.25 Example 2-2 Comparative 20.06 32.99 29.49 21.40 Example 2-3

[0138] As a result, as can be seen in Table 10 above, the instant rice of Example 2 was measured to have a hardness value higher than that of the instant rice of Comparative Examples 2-1 to 2-3. The hardness is an important physical property in determining the texture of Bap, and the instant rice of Comparative Examples 2-2 and 2-3 was measured to have low hardness by applying excessive heat, and the instant rice of Comparative Example 2-1 was observed that low level of heat was applied thereto, but the burst phenomenon of rice grain occurs as confirmed in Experimental Example 2-1 and FIG. 1, so it is expected to have lowered hardness. In contrast, in the case of Example 2 prepared according to the system for preparing the instant rice of the present application, it was confirmed that although the sterilization was performed through sufficient heating, the hardness was not lowered and the quality was maintained by maintaining the inact state of rice grains.

[2-4] Sensory Evaluation of Whole Grain Rice

[0139] The instant rice (whole grain rice) of Example 2 and Comparative Examples 2-1 to 2-3 was heated using a microwave, and then an evaluation on various kinds of sensory qualities was performed by trained professional panels. The sensory quality was evaluated by color preference, taste/flavor strength, overall taste preference, texture preference, and glutinousness preference of the instant rice in the same manner as in Experimental Example 1-4, and the result is shown in Table 11 below.

TABLE-US-00011 TABLE 11 Color Taste/flavor Overall taste Texture Glutinousness preference strength preference preference preference Example 2 4.3 1.3 4.0 4.0 4.0 Comparative 3.0 1.3 2.7 2.7 2.7 Example 2-1 Comparative 4.1 1.3 4.0 4.0 3.7 Example 2-2 Comparative 3.9 1.3 3.3 3.2 3.7 Example 2-3

[0140] As a result, when compared with the whole grain rice of the Comparative Examples, the whole grain rice of Example 2 was measured to have the highest level in color preference, texture preference, and glutinousness preference, and even in the taste/flavor strength, the whole grain rice of Example 2 and Comparative Examples was also measured to have similar level and have no difference. Accordingly, it was confirmed that the whole grain rice of Example 2 prepared according to the preparing system of the present application exhibited superior sensory quality compared to Bap prepared through other methods.

Experimental Example 3

[3-1] Comparison of Chromaticity and Appearance of Mushroom Nutritious Rice

[0141] The instant rice (mushroom nutritious rice) of Example 3 and Comparative Examples 3-1 to 3-3 prepared with mushrooms such as king oyster mushroom and shiitake mushroom as raw ingredients was heated for 2 minutes using a microwave (700 W), and then the lid material was removed, and the colors of the king oyster mushroom were measured, and the appearances thereof were compared. For the colors, L, a, and b values were measured using an instrument manufactured by Konica Minolta company, and each value was measured three times, and average values thereof are shown in Table 12 below.

TABLE-US-00012 TABLE 12 L a b Example 3 59.60 3.39 16.08 Comparative Example 3-1 59.83 2.73 14.97 Comparative Example 3-2 46.35 5.38 15.12 Comparative Example 3-3 46.95 5.84 16.68

[0142] As a result, as can be seen in Table 12 above, the color of the king oyster mushroom contained in the instant rice of Example 3 of the present application was measured to have L value higher than the king oyster mushrooms in the instant rice of Comparative Examples 3-2 and 3-3. In the case of the method of Comparative Examples 3-2 and 3-3, as high-temperature heating process is involved, the color of the mushrooms became excessively dark, but in the instant rice of Example 3 prepared according to the method of the present application, it was confirmed that the colors of king oyster mushrooms remain bright even after heating. It was confirmed that such a color change was shown even in the results of visually observing the appearance of the mushroom, and the king oyster mushrooms of Comparative Examples 3-2 and 3-3 showed excessively dark colors (FIG. 2).

[3-2] Analysis of Cooked Rice Taste of Mushroom Nutritious Rice

[0143] With respect to instant rice (mushroom nutritious rice) of Example 3 and Comparative Examples 3-1 to 3-3 heated using a microwave, a cooked grain taste value of each instant rice was measured in the appearance, hardness, glutinousness, balance, and palatability of the rice grains using a taste meter (Tensipresser My Boy 2 system, Taketomo Electric Co., Japan), and the result is shown in Table 13 below.

TABLE-US-00013 TABLE 13 Appearance Hardness Glutinousness Balance Palatability Example 3 3.8 9.88 4.9 2.3 45 Comparative 1.5 9.8 3.5 0.2 31 Example 3-1 Comparative 2.9 9.8 4.4 1.4 39 Example 3-2 Comparative 3.5 9.8 5.7 1.9 43 Example 3-3

[0144] As a result, the instant rice of Example 3 prepared through the preparing system of the present application was measured to have the highest value in the appearance, hardness, and balance values compared to the instant rice of the Comparative Examples prepared through other methods, and also measured to have the glutinousness higher than the mushroom nutritious rice of Comparative Examples 3-1 and 3-2, so it was confirmed that it has the highest palatability value.

[3-3] Analysis of Physical Properties of Mushroom Nutritious Rice

[0145] With respect to the instant rice (mushroom nutritious rice) of Example 3 and Comparative Examples 3-1 to 3-3 heated using a microwave, the texture strength (max stress), area and thickness of the king oyster mushroom were measured using a physical property analyzer (Tensipresser Analyzer, MyBoy, TAKETOMO Electric company), and the result is shown in Table 14 below. Specifically, a TPA curve obtained after one bite one time on the sample using a 3 cm.sup.2 circular plunger was used. In this case, the distance between the plunger and the sample was set to 30 mm, and the sample was measured by compression at a speed of 2 mm/sec until reaching 5 mm from the bottom. The max stress value was measured as the highest point of the curve when compressed, which means the hardness of a general sample. In addition, the area was measured as the cumulative force until reaching the highest point.

TABLE-US-00014 TABLE 14 Max stress Area Initial Thickness (dyn/cm2) (erg/cm3) thickness (mm) (mm) Example 3 181250 22975 10 7.90275 Comparative 229500 30000 10 8.18375 Example 3-1 Comparative 154000 16175 10 7.34575 Example 3-2 Comparative 122075 15945 10 7.63775 Example 3-3

[0146] As a result, as can be seen in Table 14, the king oyster mushroom included in the instant rice of Example 3 was measured to have the highest thickness compared to the king oyster mushrooms of Comparative Examples 3-2 and 3-3, and it was confirmed that less shrinkage occurred in the king oyster mushroom. In the case of Comparative Example 3-1, it is expected that the applied heat is small, and thus the thickness is maintained relatively better. Even in the max stress value indicating texture strength, it was confirmed that the value of king oyster mushroom included in the instant rice of Example 3 was shown to be the highest, except for Comparative Example 3-1, but the texture of the king oyster mushroom was maintained better than in Comparative Examples 3-2 and 3-3 applied with more heat.

[3-4] Sensory Evaluation of Mushroom Nutritious Rice

[0147] The instant rice (mushroom nutritious rice) of Example 3 and Comparative Examples 3-1 to 3-3 was heated using a microwave, and then various kinds of sensory qualities were evaluated by trained professional panels. The sensory quality was evaluated by color preference, taste/flavor strength, overall taste preference, texture preference, and glutinousness preference of the instant rice in the same manner as in Experimental Example 1-4, and the result is shown in Table 15 below.

TABLE-US-00015 TABLE 15 Mushroom Mushroom color Taste/flavor Overall taste texture Glutinousness preference strength preference preference preference Example 3 4.3 1.0 4.1 4.5 4.3 Comparative 4.8 1.0 3.8 4.5 3.6 Example 3-1 Comparative 3.2 1.3 3.6 3.6 4.0 Example 3-2 Comparative 2.4 1.1 3.5 3.3 4.0 Example 3-3

[0148] As a result, the mushroom nutritious rice of Example 3 was measured to have the highest level in the texture preference, overall taste preference, and glutinousness preference when compared to the mushroom nutritious rice of the Comparative Examples, and was evaluated to be generally high even in the color preference. The taste/favor strength was evaluated as the lowest in the mushroom nutritious rice of Example 3. Accordingly, it was confirmed that the mushroom nutritious rice of Example 3 prepared according to the preparing system of the present application exhibited superior sensory quality to rice prepared through other methods.

Experimental Example 4

[4-1] Comparison of Chromaticity of Honey Glutinous Rice

[0149] The lid material of the instant rice (honey glutinous rice) of Example 4, and Comparative Examples 4-1 and 4-2 prepared by adding the liquid sauce such as honey and soy sauce was removed and the colors thereof were measured and compared. In addition, the instant rice of Examples 4, and Comparative Examples 4-1 and 4-2 was heated using a microwave (700 W) for 2 minutes, and then the lid material was removed, and the colors thereof were measured and compared. For the colors, L, a, and b values were measured using an instrument manufactured by Konica Minolta company, and each value was measured three times, and average values thereof are shown in Tables 16 and 17 below, respectively.

TABLE-US-00016 TABLE 16 Before heating L a b Example 4 34.57 5.92 14.03 Comparative Example 4-1 33.13 5.84 13.40 Comparative Example 4-2 36.17 5.92 13.88

TABLE-US-00017 TABLE 17 After heating L a b Example 4 27.91 6.67 10.45 Comparative Example 4-1 26.51 6.47 10.08 Comparative Example 4-2 28.16 6.83 11.02

[0150] As a result, as can be seen in Tables 16 and 17 above, in the case of the honey glutinous rice in Example 4 of the present application, L value was measured to be relatively low and b value was measured to be high. The honey glutinous rice of Example 4 prepared according to the preparing system of the present application may be distinguished from the honey glutinous rice of Comparative Examples 4-1 and 4-2 in terms of color.

[4-2] Analysis of Cooked Rice Taste of Honey Glutinous Rice

[0151] With respect to instant rice (honey glutinous rice) of Example 4 and Comparative Examples 4-1 to 4-2 heated using a microwave, a cooked grain taste value of each instant rice was measured in the appearance, hardness, glutinousness, balance, and palatability of the rice grains using a taste meter (Tensipresser My Boy 2 system, Taketomo Electric Co., Japan), and the result is shown in Table 18 below.

TABLE-US-00018 TABLE 18 Appearance Hardness Glutinousness Balance Palatability Example 4 8.4 9.4 9.8 7.3 74 Comparative 8.7 9.0 9.8 7.5 78 Example 4-1 Comparative 8.7 8.9 9.8 7.4 77 Example 4-2

[0152] As a result, in the instant rice of Example 4 prepared according to the preparing system of the present application, the hardness and glutinousness values were measured to be the highest compared to the instant rice of the Comparative Example prepared through other methods.

[4-3] Analysis of Physical Properties of Honey Glutinous Rice

[0153] With respect to the instant rice (honey glutinous rice) of Example 4 and Comparative Examples 4-1 to 4-2 heated using a microwave, the hardness, elasticity, adhesiveness, and glutinousness of the Bap were measured using a physical property analyzer (Tensipresser Analyzer, MyBoy, TAKETOMO Electric Incorporated) in the same method as Experimental Example 1-3, and the result is shown in Table 19 below.

TABLE-US-00019 TABLE 19 Hardness Elasticity Adhesiveness Glutinousness Example 4 1 32.04 57.30 30.99 92.82 2 27.42 54.17 33.92 70.89 3 18.67 44.36 38.15 103.64 4 26.64 54.59 29.63 96.46 5 20.53 49.50 30.84 69.27 Average 25.06 51.98 32.71 86.62 Deviation 5.43 5.10 3.43 15.60 Comparative 1 35.74 64.95 35.03 153.97 Example 4-1 2 31.98 60.28 29.18 69.40 3 24.23 50.00 37.32 92.12 4 94.55 99.83 23.37 113.30 5 36.48 58.04 27.33 66.25 Average 44.60 66.62 30.45 99.01 Deviation 28.34 19.34 5.69 36.13 Comparative 1 28.87 59.41 37.55 106.77 Example 4-2 2 20.45 48.85 36.58 112.24 3 33.98 66.04 34.97 75.73 4 57.00 105.50 21.57 75.08 5 37.37 57.92 28.52 80.35 Average 35.53 67.54 31.84 90.03 Deviation 13.59 22.09 6.73 17.99

[0154] As a result, in the case of the honey glutinous rice of Example 4 prepared according to the preparing system of the present application, the measured result values of 1 to 5 samples are relatively uniform and a deviation therebetween is not large, but in the case of the honey glutinous rice of Comparative Examples 4-1 to 4-2, it was confirmed that a deviation in the measured values of physical properties for each sample was very large. In particular, the hardness and elasticity measured values of the honey glutinous rice in Comparative Examples 4-1 and 4-2 showed very large deviations, but the reason why the deviation between physical property values of the honey glutinous rice of Comparative Examples 4-1 and 4-2 was shown so large is expected to be due to the deviation in texture that occurs due to strong retort heat sterilization treatment. This property is shown prominently in the honey glutinous rice of Comparative Examples 4-1 and 4-2 having a high content of glutinous rice ingredients, and since the honey glutinous rice according to Example 4 does not have relatively large deviation in physical properties, it was confirmed that when the preparing system of the present application is used, an instant rice having consistent texture and quality can be prepared.

[4-4] Sensory Evaluation of Honey Glutinous Rice

[0155] The instant rice (honey glutinous rice) of Example 4 and Comparative Examples 4-1 to 4-2 was heated using a microwave, and then various kinds of sensory qualities were evaluated by trained professional panels. The sensory quality was evaluated by color preference, taste/flavor strength, overall taste preference, texture preference, and glutinousness preference of instant rice in the same manner as in Experimental Example 1-4, and the result is shown in Table 20 below.

TABLE-US-00020 TABLE 20 Overall Color Taste/flavor taste Texture Glutinousness preference strength preference preference preference Example 4 4.0 1.3 4.0 4.0 4.0 Comparative 3.5 1.3 3.7 3.1 3.8 Example 4-1 Comparative 3.6 1.3 3.0 2.8 3.4 Example 4-2

[0156] As a result, when compared with the honey glutinous rice of the Comparative Examples, since the honey glutinous rice of Example 4 was measured to show the highest level in all of the color preference, overall taste preference, texture preference, and glutinousness preference, it was confirmed that it exhibits superior sensory quality as compared with Bap prepared through other methods.

Experimental Example 5

Confirmation of Nutritional Ingredients of Whole Grain Rice

[0157] The nutritional ingredients contained in the whole grain rice prepared in Example 2 were measured and confirmed. Based on the finished products whole grain rice, mushroom nutritious rice and honey glutinous rice, the calories thereof and the contents of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, sugars, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, ash and dietary fibers were measured by a conventional measurement method according to the Food Code. For example, the proteins were measured by a protein analyzer analysis method in the Food Code, and the dietary fibers were measured by a total dietary fiber analysis method in the Food Code. The nutritional ingredients of the instant rice are shown in Table 21 below. Even if the whole grain rice was prepared using only mixed grains without using white rice, sufficient sterilizing force and texture may be maintained, and thus, the protein content and dietary fiber content in the instant rice of the present application were able to be maintained at higher levels than the protein and dietary fiber contents in conventional instant rice.

TABLE-US-00021 TABLE 21 Whole grain rice Instant rice Content per 100 g Calorie kcal/100 g 158.82 carbohydrate g/100 g 32.85 Protein g/100 g 4.35 Fat g/100 g 1.12 Sugars g/100 g 0.32 Saturated fat g/100 g 0.26 Trans fat g/100 g 0.01 Cholesterol g/100 g 0.00 Sodium mg/100 g 0.64 Ash g/100 g 0.59 Dietary fiber g/100 g 3.51

Experimental Example 6

Confirmation of the Number of Microorganisms in Whole Grain Rice

[0158] In order to confirm whether complete sterilization was performed in the whole grain rice product prepared by the preparing system of the present application, the number of microorganisms contained in the raw ingredients or product was measured for each step.

[0159] With respect to the whole grain rice according to Example 2, the number of general bacteria and the number of heat-resistant bacteria for each of the raw ingredients were first measured. The number of each bacterium was measured in non-glutinous brown rice, glutinous brown rice, black rice, whole wheat, and oats, and the number of microorganisms was measured in a mixed solid material sample mixed with them.

[0160] As a result, as shown in Table 22 below, it was measured that general bacteria were present above a certain level in the raw ingredients before going through the sterilization step, and at least 550,000 cfu/ml of general bacteria were present in the mixed solid material of the raw ingredients for preparing the instant rice.

TABLE-US-00022 TABLE 22 General bacteria Heat-resistant Measuring sample (cfu/ml) bacteria (cfu/ml) Non-glutinous brown rice 4,200,000 0 Glutinous brown rice 420,000 0 Black rice 1,600,000 0 Whole wheat 1,800 0 Oats 11,000 0 Mixed solid Sample 1 550,000 0 material Sample 2 1,100,000 0 Sample 3 1,400,000 0

[0161] After the raw ingredients were filled into the container, a steam pressure sterilization was performed at a temperature of 130? C. for 5 minutes and 30 seconds in an RIC device according to the method of preparing the whole grain rice of Example 2, and then a sterilizing effect was confirmed through a microbiology challenge test (MCT). The MCT is a method of determining whether a product has process and distribution stability by artificially inoculating microorganisms and observing changes in order to check whether to control target bacteria during the actual process of the product. As general bacteria, an orange capsule (MesaLabs SASU-302) containing 106 CFU/ml of Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 5230) which died under F0 condition of about 4 or less, was used, and as heat-resistant bacteria, a purple capsule (MesaLabs SA-608) containing 106 CFU/ml of Geobacillus stearotrhermophilus (ATCC 7953) which died at an F0 of about 21 or less, was used. The raw ingredients sterilized with the RIC device using the capsules were cultured for up to 48 hours at a temperature of 35? C. for the orange capsule and 55 to 60? C. for the purple capsule, respectively, and then color changes were confirmed. If there was no color change, it is determined to be negative, and if the color was changed to yellow, it was determined to be positive (Table 23). As a result, it was confirmed that all microorganisms that existed in the raw ingredients before sterilization were killed as a result of a steam pressure sterilization using the RIC device, showing a sufficient sterilization effect.

TABLE-US-00023 TABLE 23 Measuring sample Sample name MCT RIC sterilized sample 1 4-carriage 1-stage 35? C. Negative RIC sterilized sample 2 4-carriage 1-stage 55? C. Negative RIC sterilized sample 3 4-carriage 7-stage 35? C. Negative RIC sterilized sample 4 4-carriage 7-stage 55? C. Negative RIC sterilized sample 5 4-carriage 12-stage 35? C. Negative RIC sterilized sample 6 4-carriage 12-stage 55? C. Negative

[0162] Furthermore, after the steam pressure sterilization, a finished instant rice product was prepared through water addition, sealing and additional heating processes, and bacterial growth experiments were conducted on the finished product. In the bacterial growth experiments, the instant rice product was stored at 35? ? C. for 10 days, and then sampled to determine the growth of general bacteria and heat-resistant bacteria according to a common measurement method in the art (based on the bacterial growth experiments according to the general test method of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety), each finished product sample was preserved in an incubator at a temperature of 35 to 37? C. for at least 10 days, and then a specimen obtained from the sample was homogenized with a diluent and cultured in a culture medium at 35 to 37? C. for 45 to 51 hours, and then bacterial growth was measured. As a result, as shown in Table 24 below, since no bacterial growth was observed in all 12 instant rice samples, which were shown as negative, despite the presence of a large amount of microorganisms in the raw ingredients, it was confirmed that all microorganisms were killed in the instant rice prepared through the preparing system of the present application through sufficient sterilization.

TABLE-US-00024 TABLE 24 Sample name Bacterial Measuring sample (carriage-stage-number) growth Finished product sample 1 3-2-1 Negative Finished product sample 2 3-2-1 Negative Finished product sample 3 3-2-1 Negative Finished product sample 4 3-2-7 Negative Finished product sample 5 3-2-7 Negative Finished product sample 6 3-2-7 Negative Finished product sample 7 3-2-14 Negative Finished product sample 8 3-2-14 Negative Finished product sample 9 3-2-14 Negative Finished product sample 10 3-3-1 Negative Finished product sample 11 3-3-1 Negative Finished product sample 12 3-3-1 Negative

[0163] Hereinabove, representative Examples of the present application have been exemplarily described, but the scope of the present application is not limited to the specific Examples as described above, and can be changed appropriately by those skilled in the art within the scope described in the appended claims of the present application.