Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for cooking food products. In particular, cereal grains and rice products may be cooked pursuant to a multi-step process in which rice is first prewashed, presteamed, and then allowed to absorb water in a steeping step for a short time before being cooked in a steam cooker. The rice may be passed along to various dryers, and later dried and packaged for use by the consumer. Further, an apparatus and method are disclosed for using and recirculating water in a more efficient and economical manner in a food processing operation.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 24, 1997
Date of Patent:
July 4, 2000
Assignees:
Riviana Foods, Inc., Satake Corp.
Inventors:
John Hugh Kendall, Banvir B. Mohindra, Duane Stephen Rutherford, Satoru Satake, Sigeharu Kanamoto, Katsuyuki Kumamoto