Kaoru Sakamoto

[Objective] Various confections such as fondant and whiskey bonbons are made by utilizing the phenomenon of sugar recrystallization. One of these confections, glaze, is made by adding water and liqueur to powdered sugar and is used to coat baumkuchen and donuts. The cause of the stickiness of glaze during storage has not been clarified, and there have been no studies that have investigated the crystalline state of glaze in detail. Therefore, in order to clarify the cause of the stickiness of glaze, we focused on the amount of reducing sugar and the crystalline state of sugar. [Method] Glazes were prepared using three types of powdered sugar from different sugar refiners. X-ray diffraction, reducing sugar, viscosity, and weight change under low and high humidity conditions were measured for the powdered sugar and glaze, and observations were performed using a polarizing microscope and SEM, and HPLC analysis was performed. [Results and Discussion] The three types of powdered sugar showed similar XRD waveforms. Microscopic observation revealed that the glaze was in a state where amorphous and crystalline substances coexisted. It was confirmed that powdered sugar contains trace amounts of reducing sugar, so the effect of reducing sugar on glaze quality was examined. Glazes without added reducing sugar were less affected by humidity even under high humidity conditions, but glazes with added reducing sugar were prone to drying out in low humidity environments and absorbing moisture in high humidity environments. The crystals in the glaze with added reducing sugar were small, and the reducing sugar hindered the recrystallization of sugar. When the glaze with added reducing sugar was separated into aqueous and solid portions and analyzed by HPLC, the proportion of reducing sugar was higher in the aqueous portion, making it clear that reducing sugar is involved in hygroscopicity. It was found that reducing sugar hinders sugar recrystallization and promotes moisture absorption reactions under high humidity conditions, thereby reducing the quality of the glaze.

[Purpose] Previous studies have shown that sake lees are rich in ingredients derived from raw materials and their metabolites, which are by-products of the sake brewing process, a traditional Japanese technique. Additionally, studies have indicated that sake lees possess health benefits. However, the disposal of sake lees has recently become a challenge due to their limited applications and shelf life, as well as shifting food preference, particularly among the younger generation. Hence, this study focused on mature lees, which can be stored for a long time and have a unique flavor, and the microorganisms in them. The study also reported changes in nutrients and functional ingredients produced by aminocarbonyl reactions and microbial activities during storage. This study further explores cooking methods that utilize the unique ingredients and flavors of sake lees to expand their applications. [Method] The samples were provided by a sake brewer in Hyogo Prefecture who brews using the traditional natural fermentation inherited from the Edo period (1603-1868). They were obtained during the sake brewing process using Yamada Nishiki rice from Hyogo. Previously, we reported on sake lees stored for 50, 100, and 200 days at room temperature, along with a separate sample of 3-year lees. We compared six types of sake lees including 1000-day lees with an extended storage period. In addition, we isolated and cultured bacteria in the sake lees and 200-day lees, and identified the species by the 16SrRNA gene analysis. Based on these results, we analyzed the cooked products made from sake lees and stored lees. [Results and Discussion] The genetic analysis identified two bacterial species in both sake lees and 200-day lees. One is B. subtilis which includes natto bacteria, and the other is P. megaterium, commonly found in fermented foods and wine. The latter produces vitamin B12, which explains its abundance in sake lees, despite its low concentration in raw rice. To promote broader use of sake lees, we explored cooking methods such as heating or pairing them with cheese or citrus fruits to balance their characteristic flavor and improve their appeal.

Purpose: According to the survey of recipes for Akashiyaki in the previous report, the proportions of flour, egg, and dashi soup in Akashiyaki varied depending on the recipe, and for flour, there were recipes using only wheat flour and recipes using wheat flour and wheat starch (Ukiko, Jinko). Since there are different kinds of wheat starches with different particle sizes, we prepared Akashiyaki using four kinds of wheat starches with different particle sizes from wheat flour and compared the effect of flour on the properties of Akashiyaki. Methods: Four kinds of wheat starches with different particle sizes were used as wheat flour. The ratio of powder: egg: dashi stock =0. 8:1:3 was used and baked in a takoyaki pan. At a measurement temperature of 20°C., the following were measured: height, mass, breaking load, breaking strain, stress at 10% and 20% strain, color difference, salinity, and sensory evaluation. Results: Wheat flour was slightly higher in Akashiyaki than wheat starch, lighter in mass, higher in breaking strain and breaking load, higher in a* and b* values of color difference, and was evaluated as having a darker yellow color, being the toughest, and being easier to chew. Among wheat starches, the higher the particle size, the higher the Akashiyaki, the lower the b* value, and the paler, firmer, and stickier yellow color in the sensory evaluation. These results suggest that the gluten content of wheat flour and the viscosity of wheat starch are higher than those of wheat starch. There was no difference in the salt content of Akashiyaki depending on the type of flour, but in the sensory evaluation, the taste of dashi soup was stronger in wheat starch than in wheat flour. This may be due to the fact that wheat starch contains less protein than wheat flour, and Akashiyaki made with wheat starch seems to be softer. The characteristics of the powder affected the taste of Akashiyaki.

Objective: We believe that germ-sprouted rice aims to combine the good taste of polished rice with the nutritional value of brown rice. Although embryo bud milled rice containing 80% or more embryo buds is distributed as rice whose nutritional value is guaranteed, its consumption does not account for a large percentage of the total rice consumption. Therefore, with the aim of expanding the use of germ rice, we examined the rice characteristics of easy-to-eat germ rice that are different from those of conventional germ-polished rice. Methods: Two types of germ rice with different germ retention rates and polished white rice were pounded at Touban Co. The water absorption rate, color difference, texture, reducing sugar content, and GABA content were measured and sensory evaluation was conducted for the germinated rice. Results and Discussion: The germ retention rates of the two types of germ rice were 52.8% and 43.5%, respectively. When the water absorption was measured at 5°C and 40°C, the germ rice had a higher water absorption rate at both temperatures. In addition, water absorption at 5°C was higher than at 40°C. The higher water absorption of the germ rice was thought to be due to the difference in the method of pounding. The color difference ΔE between germinated rice A and B was found to be 1.41, which was enough to visually recognize the difference, and there were significant differences in L* and a* values. In the texture measurement, no difference in hardness was observed in comparison with polished rice. The reducing sugar content indicated that the sweetness of the germinated rice increased after prolonged soaking, and the GABA content of the germinated rice was lower than that of the brown rice but higher than that of the polished rice, and the amount varied depending on the cooking method. In the sensory evaluation, significant differences in whiteness, gloss, aroma, and overall evaluation were observed between the two types of germ rice, indicating that even a 9.3% difference in germ retention rate significantly affected the evaluation.

<p> This study was made to clarify how the program, in which elderly women donated the local event foods to high school students, affected the psychosocial functions of elderly women.</p><p> The participants were 58 elderly women who lived in Hyogo Prefecture. They were divided into the experimental group of 19 people who took part in the cooking program and the control group of 39 people who did not take part in the cooking program. The experimental group of the elderly women took part in the cooking program twice and they worked with the high school students in each program. Questionnaire surveys were conducted with the experimental group and the control group before and after the cooking programs.</p><p> The questionnaire included the following items: Instrumental ADL; IADL, self-assessment for their health, short version of Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Type A behavior, participation in social activities, the frequency of meeting their friends, grandchildren or great-grandchildren, awareness of coexistence with local communities, frequency of going out, short version of Generativity scale, and their interest in local event foods and their spread.</p><p> Variations in each item of the questionnaire surveys before and after the cooking programs were compared between the experimental group and the control group using a two-way repeated measures analysis of variance.</p><p> The results showed that the score of the experimental group of their desire to take care of elderly persons who live alone on the item of awareness of coexistence with, local communities and the score of their desire to serve as a role model for a young person on the short version of the generativity scale significantly increased.</p><p> After the elderly women participated in the cooking programs, their awareness of coexistence with the local communities and consciousness of generativity increased. It suggests that the cooking programs to donate the local event foods is expected to raise the consciousness of the elderly women on generativity and awareness of the coexistence with local communities even if the program is over a short period of time.</p>

Aim With an aim to make a better quality of dietary life for elderly people, we studied about the way to cook tasty and easy-to-eat rice for elderly people, and developed a new rice cooker. Rice cooked with our newly developed rice cooker was esteemed to be soft, unsticky, and easy to swallow because rice does not remain in mouth and throat. In this study, components of starchy solution removed during rice cooking was examined. Then, from the perspective of nutrition, the cooked rice was compared with rice cooked with an ordinary cooker.<br>Method A newly developed rice cooker produced by Tiger Corporation was used. Rice was cooked in "saratto gohan" mode, meaning "smooth rice" mode, which uses a tray having a function of removing starchy solution. Then the rice was compared with rice cooked in a usual mode without the tray. General nutritive ingredients and the amylose/amylopectin ratio of the starchy solution, retrieved during cooking in the rice cooker, was measured. The texture was measured by using creep meter (YAMADEN RE2-3305) with an improved method of sample preparation.<br>Result Through measuring texture, uniform preparation sample was obtained by adding fixed weight with a plate. The results showed that rice cooked in "saratto gohan" mode was esteemed to be softer and unsticky, compared with rice cooked in a usual mode without the tray. The result of component analysis showed that decrease rate of carbohydrate was about 0.35 %, meaning no significant loss of nutrition.

【目的】兵庫県における通過儀礼食の手作り状況や経験時期、認知・経験について、学生、親、祖母の三世代間で比較し、世代間の伝承の現状を把握する事を目的とした。【方法】平成21・22年度日本調理科学会特別研究のアンケート調査結果の内、兵庫県の通過儀礼食について検討した。対象者は兵庫県に10年以上の居住経験がある学生世代(10,20代）379人、親世代(40,50代）212人、祖母世代(60歳以上）48人のデータを用い、13儀礼の儀礼食について、解析した。（以後、世代を省略し、学生、親、祖母と表記する）【結果と考察】①赤飯・小豆飯の手作り状況は、ほとんどの儀礼で祖母が70～80%と高い。親は50～70%で、学生は、出産祝と七夜を除いては親より低い。②誕生日ケーキの購入状況は，三世代共に80%以上と高く、手作りは40%前後であった。③初誕生と成人式の餅は、祖母・親では購入が多く、50～80%であった。④結納・婚礼・長寿祝の和・洋・中・折衷料理は、祖母・親共に外食が多く、60～90%であった。⑤法事・葬儀の料理や寿司は、どの世代でも外食が多かった。⑥認知・経験の親と祖母は殆ど同傾向である。学生の七夜、百日、初誕生の認知・経験(%)は低い。学生の結納・婚礼・厄払いの経験(%)は、親・祖母より低かった。⑦祝儀に用いられる赤飯・小豆飯の喫食経験は、親・祖母は60～70%であり、学生は10%前後であった。⑧儀礼食の赤飯・小豆飯の経験時期は、祖母では1945～1973年と1984～2003年の2時期が多く、親では1984～2003年が最も多かった。 兵庫県の祝儀の儀礼食では赤飯が餅より多く用いられ、手作り率が高い。餅と誕生日のケーキは、手作りより購入の率が高い。祝儀、不祝儀の料理は外食が多い。

【目的】兵庫県における各種行事食での料理の認知、経験および手作り状況について、学生、親、祖母の三世代間で比較を行い、世代間での伝承状況についての現状を把握することを目的とした。 【方法】平成21・22年度日本調理科科学会特別研究で実施したアンケート調査より、兵庫県内の行事食について検討した。調査資料より対象者を兵庫県内で10年以上居住経験のある学生世代（10，20代）379人、親世代（40，50代）212人、祖母世代（60歳以上）48人とし、調査項目17の行事食とこれら行事食における料理について検討を行った。 【結果】行事食の認知度は親と祖母世代間では大差はみられなかった。秋祭りでは、祖母（71％）、親（51％）、学生（27％）の三世代間で差がみられた。重陽・菊の節句、春祭りの認知率は祖母（41％、50％）、親（24％、28％）であったが、親と学生（24％、24％）の割合はほぼ同じであった。行事食の経験は、祖母の３分の１程度しか学生では経験していなかった。春分の日の行事食経験率は祖母93％と親81％に対し学生30％と小さく、ご飯・だんごの喫食経験率が90、78、26％と顕著な差がみられた。秋分の日の喫食経験も同じ傾向であった。上巳、冬至では学生で行事食の認知率が84％、78％、経験率74％、51％と小さい傾向にあった。行事食の料理で白酒、かぼちゃの喫食経験率も学生は小さく祖母と親では僅かな差で、白酒で親49％が学生14％、かぼちゃで親80％が学生50％とこの世代間で大きな差を示した。冬至のかぼちゃは各年代とも85％以上家庭で調理していた。白酒は家庭で作る割合が多いが、もち・菓子は購入するものが各年代とも86％以上であった。