Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for producing non-fried potato chips that are produced without frying in oil to reduce their oil content but are comparable in flavor and texture to potato chips produced by frying in oil. The method for producing potato chips includes: a first heating step in which potato slices are heated by blowing high-temperature and high-velocity air stream at 100° C. or higher thereonto while moisture is added; and a second heating step in which, after the first heating step, the potato slices are heated by blowing high-temperature and high-velocity air stream at 100° C. or higher thereonto while no or less moisture is added.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method for drying non-fried instant noodles for obtaining non-fried noodles that are easily loosened without sticking of noodle strings and excellent in restorability. The present invention includes, as a step of drying non-fried instant noodles, a step of putting gelatinized noodle strings into a drying retainer, and blowing a high-speed air flow from above the retainer toward a noodle mass of the noodle strings to perform drying. In the drying step, the retainer employed has a shape such that a transition portion from a bottom surface to a side surface (side wall portion) is formed to be a curved surface with a radius of curvature of 5 to 15 mm, and preferably the high-speed air flow is blown at a wind speed of 50 m/s or higher in terms of the speed to which the noodle strings are exposed.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for producing non-fried potato chips that are produced without frying in oil to reduce their oil content but are comparable in flavor and texture to potato chips produced by frying in oil. The method for producing potato chips includes the step of subjecting potato slices to heat treatment with superheated steam and then subjecting the potato slices to heat treatment performed by blowing high-temperature and high-velocity air stream at 100° C. or higher onto the potato slices.

Abstract: A multilayer structure instant noodle which is manufactured through steps in which an inner layer noodle sheet is sandwiched between outer layer noodle sheets such that these noodle sheets are combined to form a single noodle sheet, the single noodle sheet is flat-rolled so as to form noodle lines, and the noodle lines are gelatinized and dried, and a blending amount of salt in the inner layer noodle sheet is higher than a blending amount of salt in the outer layer noodle sheet.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a novel salty taste-enhancing agent and production method therefor, and salty taste-enhancing method for a food and beverage. As means for achieving such object, provided is a salty taste-enhancing agent.

Abstract: The present invention obtains instant noodles which do not cause sticking and are easily loosened. Especially, the present invention provides an instant noodles producing method capable of preventing the sticking of the noodle strings even when the noodle strings are straight-type noodles. In a production process of the instant noodles, powdered oil is applied to the surface of a dough sheet or the surfaces of the noodle strings before steaming. Especially, after the powdered oil is applied to the dough sheet, the dough sheet is rolled out once or more. With this, the powdered oil is firmly fixed to the surfaces of the noodle strings. Thus, an extremely high sticking preventing effect can be obtained by an extremely small amount of the powdered oil.

Abstract: A method for producing instant fried noodles which includes the steps of: reversing a noodle lump upside down within 15 seconds after detaching the noodle lump from oil in a fry tank in a frying treatment of the instant fried noodles; putting gelatinized noodle strings in a plurality of retainers pivotally supported by two endless parallel chains; immersing the plurality of retainers, in which the noodle strings have been put by movements of the two chains, in a fry tank to fry the noodle strings; detaching the retainers from oil in the fry tank by movements of the two chains; reversing the retainers upside down by rotating the pivotally supported retainers within 15 seconds after the detachment; conveying the retainers in a state in which the retainers are reversed upside down by movements of the chains; and separating a plurality of fried noodle lumps from the retainers.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are non-fried potato chips that are produced without frying in oil to reduce an oil content but have a crispy texture and good meltability in the mouth, which cannot be sufficiently achieved by conventional non-fried potato chips, and are therefore comparable to potato chips produced by frying in oil. The inside of the non-fried potato chips is sufficiently puffed, and the non-fried potato chips have a number of pores. More specifically, the non-fried potato chips have 10/mm2 or more holes with a short diameter of 20 ?m or more and a porosity of 35% to 65% when their vertical sections are observed.

Abstract: Instant noodles are produced, which have an excellent reconstitution property, can be reconstituted by pouring of boiling water even if the noodles are thicker than before, and have excellent taste and texture. The instant noodles are produced by: making raw noodle strings each having a multilayer structure including three or more layers; spraying superheated steam to the raw noodle strings; gelatinizing the noodle strings to which the superheated steam has been sprayed; and drying the noodle strings which have been gelatinized. It is preferable to gelatinize the noodle strings by spraying the superheated steam to the noodle strings, supplying moisture in liquid form to the noodle strings, and further heating the noodle strings by using the superheated steam and/or saturated steam.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method for drying non-fried noodles for obtaining non-fried noodles that are easily loosened without sticking of noodle strings and excellent in restorability. The present invention includes, as a step of drying non-fried noodles, a step of putting gelatinized noodle strings into a retainer, the retainer having one or more small holes in a bottom surface thereof so as to give a ratio of the total area of the small holes to the area of the bottom surface of the retainer of 30% or less, or having no small hole in the bottom surface, that is, the retainer having an aperture ratio of 0 to 30% and blowing a high-speed air flow, preferably having a wind speed of 50 m/s or higher, from above the retainer toward the noodle strings in the retainer.

Abstract: A method of steaming a bunch of noodle strings using a noodle strings steaming device including a conveyer on which the bunch of noodle strings is placed after being cut out and that transports the bunch of noodle strings, and a tunnel type of body portion provided so that the bunch of noodle strings passes through the body portion with the transportation of the conveyer includes a process of carrying the cut-out bunch of noodle strings from an entrance portion of the body portion while transporting the cut-out bunch of noodle strings on the conveyer, steaming for a predetermined period of time by supplying steam to the bunch of noodle strings, steaming the bunch of noodle strings without supplying the steam, and then transporting the bunch of noodle strings to an exit portion, and a noodle strings steaming device performs the above method.

Abstract: Provided is a method for producing meat-based dried food that is to be reconstituted by pouring hot or cold water thereto before eating, comprising: a step of processing a meat raw material or meat-based food with superheated steam; a step of freezing the meat raw material or meat-based food processed with superheated steam; and a step of drying the frozen meat material or meat-based food under reduced pressure. It is possible to reconstitute the dried food produced by the production method in a short time of about 3 to 5 minutes even if the dried food is thick.

Abstract: Provided is a bundle of fresh noodles which become less-wavy, straight noodles when the instant noodles are cooked with hot water, while maintaining an existing manufacturing line as much as possible. The noodle strings are stacked on a conveyor such that adjacent noodle strings are in a non-parallel state and each noodle string bends to have a substantially spiral shape. The plurality of noodle strings are arranged to overlap one another and form a substantially flat bundle of noodle strings. Each of the noodle strings forming fresh noodles bends and repeatedly forms loops on the conveyor. The loops are arranged to be sequentially shifted in a direction opposite a conveyance direction of the conveyor.

Abstract: A noodle scraper including a plate body having a bent section extending along a longitudinal direction; a plurality of first scraping tines having a longest tine-length; and a plurality of second scraping tines having a tine-length which is shorter than that of the first scraping tine, wherein the plurality of first and second scraping tines are alternately provided at one of the long sides of the plate body in a comb form; the second scraping tine including a tine-base or tine-middle section; and the tine-base or tine-middle section is formed in a folded or curved shape, a tine-edge section of the first or second scraping tine including a face that is sloped in a vertical cross-section orthogonal to a direction in which the tine-edge section extends.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing instant noodles which have an excellent reconstitution property and excellent taste and texture and can be reconstituted by pouring boiling water even if the noodles are thicker than before. In the method for producing the instant noodles, a noodle belt is extremely strongly rolled out once or more at a rolling rate of 60% or higher in a noodle belt rolling step, raw noodle strings are obtained from the noodle belt, superheated steam is sprayed to the obtained raw noodle strings, moisture is supplied or not supplied to the noodle strings, the noodle strings are steamed by saturated steam or superheated steam or are boiled to realize gelatinization, and the noodle strings are dried after the gelatinization.

Abstract: Disclosed is an extruded noodle having a hole extending therethrough in a longitudinal direction, wherein: the hole closes or contracts during boiling or rehydration in hot water; and the hole in a cross section of the noodle is configured such that a plurality of grooves are formed rotationally symmetrically about a center of the cross section, extending in an outer radial direction from the center of the cross section of the noodle.

Abstract: Fried noodles of excellent quality that are approximately 1 to 7 cm in length can be produced efficiently by a process for production of fried noodles including: a step of preparing raw noodles; a step of gelatinizing the raw noodles; a step of cutting the gelatinized raw noodles into noodles of 1 to 7 cm; and a step of frying the cut noodles by allowing the same to naturally float in frying oil.

Abstract: The present invention obtains instant noodles which do not cause sticking and are easily loosened. Especially, the present invention provides an instant noodles producing method capable of preventing the sticking of the noodle strings even when the noodle strings are straight-type noodles. In a production process of the instant noodles, powdered oil is applied to the surface of a dough sheet or the surfaces of the noodle strings before steaming. Especially, after the powdered oil is applied to the dough sheet. the dough sheet is rolled out once or more. With this, the powdered oil is firmly fixed to the surfaces of the noodle strings. Thus, an extremely high sticking preventing effect can be obtained by an extremely small amount of the powdered oil.

Abstract: Instant noodles are produced, which have an excellent reconstitution property, can be reconstituted by pouring of boiling water even if the noodles are thicker than before, and have excellent taste and texture. The instant noodles are produced by: making raw noodle strings each having a multilayer structure including three or more layers; spraying superheated steam to the raw noodle strings; gelatinizing the noodle strings to which the superheated steam has been sprayed; and drying the noodle strings which have been gelatinized. It is preferable to gelatinize the noodle strings by spraying the superheated steam to the noodle strings, supplying moisture in liquid form to the noodle strings, and further heating the noodle strings by using the superheated steam and/or saturated steam.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing instant noodles which have an excellent reconstitution property and excellent taste and texture and can be reconstituted by pouring boiling water even if the noodles are thicker than before. In the method for producing the instant noodles, a noodle belt is extremely strongly rolled out once or more at a rolling rate of 60% or higher in a noodle belt rolling step, raw noodle strings are obtained from the noodle belt, superheated steam is sprayed to the obtained raw noodle strings, moisture is supplied or not supplied to the noodle strings, the noodle strings are steamed by saturated steam or superheated steam or are boiled to realize gelatinization, and the noodle strings are dried after the gelatinization.