JP6587386B2 - Coagulant for tofu - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a coagulant for tofu in a water-in-oil emulsion form.

Tofu is produced by adding a coagulant to soymilk to crosslink proteins and gel. Many water molecules are retained in the network structure formed by cross-linking proteins, and the elasticity and freshness peculiar to tofu are expressed. As this coagulant, bitter juice mainly composed of magnesium chloride has been used for a long time. Magnesium chloride imparts a good sweetness to tofu, so it can be finished into a tasty tofu by using magnesium chloride. On the other hand, the coagulation action of magnesium chloride is fast-acting, and the coagulation reaction proceeds quickly before being uniformly dispersed in the soy milk. Therefore, skilled techniques are required to obtain high-quality tofu with a highly uniform gel structure using magnesium chloride as a coagulant.
On the other hand, a technique for delaying the coagulation reaction is also known. For example, an aqueous solution of magnesium chloride is mixed with fats and oils and an emulsifier and emulsified and dispersed in a water-in-oil type, and this is used as a coagulant, so that magnesium chloride can be released slowly and the soy milk coagulation reaction can be delayed. (For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

In addition to magnesium chloride, inorganic salts such as magnesium sulfate, calcium chloride, and calcium sulfate are known to exhibit a coagulation action on soy milk.
For example, Patent Document 1 describes a coagulant composition for tofu containing an inorganic salt-based tofu coagulant, a polyglycerin fatty acid ester, and an oil and fat. By using this composition as a coagulant, Both solidification using soy milk and solidification using high-temperature soy milk describe that tofu having sufficient hardness and excellent flavor can be obtained.

  Patent Document 2 describes a coagulant composition for tofu containing an inorganic metal salt-based coagulant for tofu, an emulsifier, an oil and fat, and an ascorbic acid ester. It is described that by using a product as a coagulant, coagulation ability can be controlled and tofu with excellent quality can be produced.

  Patent Document 3 discloses coagulation for tofu in which an inorganic salt-based coagulant composed of one or a mixture of two or more of magnesium chloride, magnesium sulfate, and calcium chloride is dispersed in a polyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester. It is described that by using this composition as a coagulant, it is possible to control the coagulation rate of soy milk, to produce tofu with a fine and homogeneous internal phase, good water retention and excellent flavor. Yes.

  Patent Document 4 includes (a) one or more inorganic salt coagulants selected from the group consisting of magnesium chloride, magnesium sulfate and calcium chloride, (b) polyglycerol condensed ricinoleic acid ester, (c ) One or more selected from the group of glycerin and fatty acid esters, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, propylene glycol fatty acid esters and sorbitan fatty acid esters, and (d) selected from the group of sugars, sugar alcohols and polyhydric alcohols A tofu coagulant composition containing one or more is described. According to Patent Document 4, it is said that by using this composition as a coagulant, it is possible to produce tofu with a fine and uniform inner phase, excellent water retention, and excellent texture and flavor.

  Patent Document 5 discloses (a) an inorganic salt coagulant made of one or more selected from the group consisting of magnesium chloride, magnesium sulfate and calcium chloride, and (b) polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid having specific physical properties. Esters, (c) one or more selected from the group of glycerol and fatty acid esters, polyglycerol fatty acid esters, propylene glycol fatty acid esters and sorbitan fatty acid esters, and (d) sugars, sugar alcohols and polyhydric alcohols A coagulant composition for tofu containing at least one selected from the group is described, and it is described that the coagulation action becomes more delayed by using this composition as a coagulant.

JP-A-10-57002 JP-A-10-179072 JP 2006-94831 A JP 2006-101848 A JP 2008-295381 A

Insufficient calcium intake is known to have adverse health effects such as inhibition of bone and tooth growth, osteoporosis, and nervousness. The demand for calcium-containing foods is also increasing due to the recent increase in health consciousness.
In the production of tofu, by using calcium salt as a coagulation component, it becomes possible to ingest calcium when eating tofu. However, in the above-mentioned patent documents 1 to 5, it is only magnesium chloride that the effect as the coagulation component is specifically confirmed, and the suitability of the obtained tofu when using calcium salt as the coagulation component or the quality of the tofu obtained There are many unclear points about etc.
The present invention is a tofu coagulant rich in calcium salt as a coagulation component, and by producing the tofu using this tofu coagulant, the sweetness of the bitter juice is enhanced, the bitterness is less, and the gel structure is homogeneous. In addition, the present invention relates to the provision of a coagulant for tofu that can obtain tofu that has a uniform hardness throughout and that hardly causes precipitation of the coagulant.

  The present inventors have intensively studied to provide the above-mentioned coagulant for tofu. As a result, an aqueous solution in which a certain amount of magnesium chloride and calcium chloride is dissolved in water is emulsified and dispersed in fats and oils in the presence of polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid ester (also called polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid ester), and calcium is added to the aqueous phase. When a tofu is produced using this emulsion composition as a coagulant, the tofu obtained is rich in calcium, but the sweetness of the bitter juice is enhanced, and the bitterness is It has been found that the tofu has a uniform hardness throughout the whole tofu and that the coagulant is hardly precipitated in the tofu. The present invention has been further studied based on these findings and has been completed.

The present invention relates to a coagulant for tofu consisting of a water-in-oil emulsion composition having an oil phase containing fat and oil and a polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid ester, and an aqueous phase containing an aqueous solution in which magnesium chloride and calcium chloride are dissolved. Because
In the said tofu coagulant, content of calcium with respect to 1 mass part of magnesium is 4.0-50.0 mass parts,
In the said tofu coagulant, the content of magnesium and the content of calcium are 6.0-14.0 mass% in total, and the coagulant for tofu is provided.

  The coagulant for tofu of the present invention is used for the production of tofu, so that the flavor of bitter juice is enhanced while containing abundant calcium, the bitterness is less, the hardness is uniform, and the coagulant is contained in the tofu. It is possible to obtain tofu that is less likely to precipitate.

  The coagulant for tofu of the present invention is a water-in-oil emulsion in which an aqueous phase containing a specific amount of magnesium chloride and calcium chloride is emulsified and dispersed in an oil phase containing fat and oil and polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid ester. (Emulsified composition). The preparation of the coagulant for tofu of the present invention will be described below.

  The method for preparing the tofu coagulant of the present invention is not particularly limited. For example, an aqueous solution containing a specific amount of magnesium chloride and calcium chloride is emulsified and dispersed in an oil and fat composition containing a fat and a polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid ester. Can be obtained. In the obtained water-in-oil emulsion, the aqueous solution constitutes an aqueous phase, and the oil and fat composition constitutes an oil phase.

  As fats and oils which comprise the said fat and oil composition, 1 type, or 2 or more types chosen from edible animal fats and oils, edible vegetable fats and oils, and ester of a polyhydric alcohol and a fatty acid can be used.

  Examples of the vegetable oil include soybean oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, olive oil, palm oil, rice oil, sunflower oil, or sesame oil, or hardened oils thereof, transesterified oils or fractionated oils. 1 type, or 2 or more types of fats and oils chosen from these fats and oils can be used.

  As said animal oil, lard, beef tallow, etc. are mentioned, 1 type, or 2 or more types of fats and oils chosen from these fats and oils can be used.

The polyhydric alcohol constituting the ester of the polyhydric alcohol and the fatty acid is preferably one or more selected from propylene glycol, glycerin, polyglycerin, sorbitol and sorbitan.
The fatty acid constituting the ester of the above polyhydric alcohol and fatty acid is not particularly limited as long as it is a fatty acid originating from edible animal and vegetable oils and fats. For example, caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, One type or two or more types selected from stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, erucic acid and the like can be mentioned. The ester of the above polyhydric alcohol and fatty acid can be prepared, for example, by a known esterification reaction. Here, it is assumed that the condensed ricinoleic acid is not included in the fatty acid constituting the ester of the polyhydric alcohol and the fatty acid. That is, in the present specification, “ester of polyhydric alcohol and fatty acid” does not include polyglycerol condensed ricinoleic acid ester.
The fats and oils constituting the oil and fat composition are preferably liquid fats and oils at 20 ° C, more preferably liquid fats and oils at 5 ° C. In the present specification, “liquid oil / fat at 20 ° C.” means oil / fat having a solid fat content of 1% by mass or less at 20 ° C. In addition, “liquid oil / fat at 5 ° C.” means an oil / fat having a solid fat content of 1% by mass or less at 5 ° C. The solid fat content of fats and oils can be measured according to the method described in 2.2.9 Solid fat content NMR method of the standard fat analysis method established by Japan Oil Chemical Association.

  From the viewpoint of the flavor of tofu, the content of fat in the fat composition is preferably 65% by mass or more, more preferably 85% by mass or more, and further preferably 93% by mass or more. . Further, from the viewpoint of emulsifying properties of the coagulant, the fat content in the fat composition is preferably 99% by mass or less, more preferably 98% by mass or less, and 97% by mass or less. Is more preferable.

There is no restriction | limiting in particular in the number of the glycerol unit of the polyglycerol which comprises the said polyglycerol condensed ricinoleic acid ester. From the viewpoint of emulsion stability, the degree of glycerin polymerization (average degree of polymerization) of polyglycerin constituting the polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid ester is preferably 4-6. The degree of glycerol polymerization of polyglycerol is calculated from the following formula (3) based on the hydroxyl value.
MW = 74n + 18 Formula (1)
OHV = 56110 (n + 2) / MW Formula (2)
n = (112220-18OHV) / (74OHV-56110) (3)
MW: average molecular weight of polyglycerol n: degree of polymerization of polyglycerol (average degree of polymerization)
OHV: Hydroxyl value of polyglycerin From the same viewpoint, the condensed ricinoleic acid constituting the polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid ester preferably has a structure in which 2 to 5 molecules of ricinoleic acid are condensed.
Moreover, as a commercial item of polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid ester, Sunsoft No. 818SK (trade name, manufactured by Taiyo Chemical Co., Ltd.), Sunsoft No. 818R (trade name, manufactured by Taiyo Chemical Co., Ltd.), Sunsoft No. 818DG (trade name, manufactured by Taiyo Chemical Co., Ltd.), SY Grister CR-500 (trade name, manufactured by Sakamoto Yakuhin Kogyo Co., Ltd.), Poem PR-300 (trade name, manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.).

  The content of the polyglycerin-condensed ricinoleic acid ester in the oil / fat composition is preferably 0.2% by mass or more, more preferably 0.3% by mass or more from the viewpoint of the emulsifiability of the coagulant, More preferably, it is 0.5 mass% or more. Further, from the viewpoint of the flavor of tofu, the content of the emulsifier in the oil and fat composition is preferably 10.0% by mass or less, more preferably 5.0% by mass or less, and 3.0% by mass. More preferably, it is as follows.

  The oil and fat composition may contain one or more selected from colorants, antioxidants, seasonings, reinforcing agents, and the like in addition to the oil and fat and polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid ester.

The content of magnesium chloride and the content of calcium chloride in the aqueous solution are the magnesium content and the calcium content in the coagulant for tofu of the present invention obtained by emulsifying and dispersing the aqueous solution in the oil and fat composition. The amount is appropriately adjusted so as to satisfy the provisions of the present invention.
The aqueous solution may contain calcium sulfate, calcium carbonate, calcium gluconate, calcium lactate, calcium acetate and the like in addition to magnesium chloride and calcium chloride.

In the preparation of the coagulant for tofu of the present invention, from the viewpoint of workability or safety, the temperature of the step of emulsifying and dispersing the aqueous solution in the oil and fat composition (emulsification dispersion step) is preferably 90 ° C. or less, and 85 ° C. It is more preferable to emulsify and disperse at the following temperature, and it is more preferable to emulsify and disperse at a temperature of 80 ° C. or less. Moreover, it is preferable that the temperature of the said emulsification dispersion process shall be 50 degreeC or more from a soluble viewpoint of a chloride.
In the preparation of the coagulant for tofu according to the present invention, the aqueous solution and the oil / fat composition are preferably heated in advance to the preferred temperature, and the heated aqueous solution and the oil / fat composition are mixed and emulsified and dispersed. In this way, a water-in-oil emulsion can be formed in a state in which magnesium chloride and calcium chloride are more reliably dissolved, so that there is no precipitation of magnesium chloride or calcium chloride and the emulsion has excellent emulsion stability. Can be obtained more reliably. It is preferable that the heating temperature when heating in advance is the same as the temperature at which the emulsification dispersion step is performed.

  In the emulsification dispersion step in the preparation of the tofu coagulant of the present invention, a normal emulsification dispersion method can be employed. For example, the above-mentioned aqueous solution is heated to the above-mentioned preferable temperature, and the above-mentioned aqueous solution is gradually added while stirring it with a homomixer. The mixing ratio of the aqueous solution and the oil / fat composition in the emulsification dispersion step is a mass ratio from the viewpoint of further improving the emulsion stability and the contents of magnesium chloride and calcium chloride in the coagulant, and the aqueous solution: oil composition is 40: It is preferable to set it as 60-75: 25, and it is more preferable to set it as 65: 35-70: 30. The mixing ratio of the aqueous solution and the oil / fat composition is the ratio of the water phase to the oil phase of the coagulant for tofu.

  Then, the composition thru | or physical property of the coagulant for tofu of this invention is demonstrated.

In the coagulant for tofu of the present invention, the content of magnesium (Mg) and the content of calcium (Ca) in the coagulant satisfy the following (a) and (b).
(A) The content of calcium is 4.0-50.0 parts by mass with respect to 1 part by mass of magnesium (b) The total content of magnesium and calcium is 6.0-14.0% by mass
By satisfying the above (a) and (b), it is possible to obtain a tofu containing abundant calcium and feeling the sweetness of bitter juice and suppressing bitterness.

  In the coagulant for tofu according to the present invention, the content of calcium relative to 1 part by mass of magnesium is preferably 5.0 to 40.0 parts by mass, more preferably 5.0 to 30 from the viewpoint of further enhancing the flavor of bitter juice. 0.0 part by mass is more preferred, 10.0-25.0 parts by mass is more preferred, 13.0-20.0 parts by mass is more preferred, and 13.0-17.0 parts by mass is even more preferred.

  In addition, from the viewpoint of reducing the amount of coagulant used in the production of tofu, the total content of magnesium and calcium is preferably 7.0% by mass or more in the coagulant for tofu of the present invention, It is more preferable to set it as 8.0 mass% or more. Further, from the viewpoint of further improving the emulsion stability, the total content of magnesium and calcium is preferably 13.0% by mass or less, more preferably 12.0% by mass or less, More preferably, it is 5 mass% or less.

  In addition, from the viewpoint of reducing the amount of coagulant used in the production of tofu, the magnesium content in the tofu coagulant of the present invention is preferably 0.1% by mass or more, and 0.3% by mass or more. More preferably, it is more preferably 0.5% by mass or more. From the viewpoint of further improving the emulsion stability, the magnesium content is preferably 2.0% by mass or less, more preferably 1.5% by mass or less, and 0.8% by mass or less. Is more preferable.

  In addition, from the viewpoint of obtaining tofu containing abundant calcium and feeling the sweetness of bitter juice and suppressing bitterness, the calcium content in the tofu coagulant of the present invention may be 5.0% by mass or more. Preferably, it is more preferably 6.0% by mass or more, and more preferably 7.0% by mass or more. Further, from the viewpoint of obtaining a tofu containing abundant calcium and feeling the sweetness of bitter juice and suppressing bitterness, the content of calcium is preferably 12.5% by mass or less, and 12.0% by mass or less. More preferably, it is more preferably 11.0% by mass or less.

  The content of fats and oils in the coagulant for tofu of the present invention is preferably 20.0% by mass or more, more preferably 25.0% by mass or more from the viewpoint of the emulsifying properties of the coagulant, and 29. More preferably, the content is 0% by mass or more. Further, from the viewpoint of the dispersibility of the coagulant, the content of fats and oils in the coagulant for tofu is preferably 50.0% by mass or less, more preferably 40.0% by mass or less, More preferably, it is 0% by mass or less.

  In the coagulant for tofu of the present invention, the content of the polyglycerol condensed ricinoleic acid ester is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.2% by mass or more from the viewpoint of further improving the emulsion stability, and is 0.3% by mass. More preferably, the content is 0.4% by mass or more, and further preferably 0.5% by mass or more. From the viewpoint of tofu flavor, the content of the emulsifier in the coagulant for tofu is preferably 10.0% by mass or less, more preferably 8.0% by mass or less, and 5.0% by mass or less. More preferably, it is more preferably 2.0% by mass or less.

  From the viewpoint of water-in-oil type emulsion stability, the tofu coagulant of the present invention has a volume-based median diameter of emulsified particles (water phase) constituting the dispersed phase, that is, a volume-based average emulsified particle diameter of 1.0. It is preferably ˜5.0 μm, more preferably 1.5 to 3.5 μm, and even more preferably 2.0 to 3.0 μm. The volume-based average emulsified particle diameter is a value measured by the method described in Examples described later.

  The viscosity of the coagulant for tofu of the present invention is preferably 300 to 1200 mPa · s, more preferably 400 to 1100 mPa · s, more preferably 500 to 1000 mPa · s, and more preferably 500 to 900 mPa · s. More preferably, s. If it is the said preferable viscosity, it has moderate emulsification stability and can manufacture tofu with higher water retention. A viscosity is the value measured by the method as described in the Example mentioned later.

Production of tofu using the coagulant for tofu of the present invention can be carried out by a conventional method except that the coagulant for tofu of the present invention is used as the coagulant. That is, the tofu is obtained by mixing the coagulant for tofu of the present invention and soy milk, forming a cross-linked structure in the protein in the soy milk, and gelling.
In the production of tofu, the soy milk and the coagulant for tofu of the present invention are mixed with soy milk and the coagulant for tofu of the present invention so that the amount of calcium in the coagulant is 60 to 120 mg per 100 g of soy milk. It is preferable to mix soy milk and the coagulant for tofu of the present invention so that the amount of calcium is 80 to 110 mg per 100 g of soy milk.
Moreover, it is preferable that the temperature at the time of mixing soymilk and the coagulant for tofu of this invention shall be 15 degrees C or less, and it is more preferable to set it as 10 degrees C or less. The temperature is usually 5 ° C. or higher.
Mixing of the soymilk and the coagulant for tofu of the present invention can be carried out by stirring uniformly using a normal mixer. The soy milk and the coagulant for tofu of the present invention are mixed and stirred for several seconds to several tens of seconds, and then filled into a tofu filling container of a desired shape, usually at a temperature of about 80 to 90 ° C. for about 40 to 50 minutes. Tofu is obtained by aging.
There is no restriction | limiting in particular in the kind of tofu manufactured using the coagulant for tofu of this invention, Silk tofu or cotton tofu may be sufficient.

  The present invention will be described in detail below based on examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[Analysis method]
(Calcium content in coagulant for tofu)
0.2 g of tofu coagulant (sample) was sampled and dissolved in about 30 ml of ethanol. To this solution, 5 ml of 10% sodium hydroxide solution was added, several drops of 10% hydroxylamine hydrochloride solution were added, and the mixture was stirred well and allowed to stand for 5 minutes. Several drops of NN reagent were added to this solution and titrated with 0.025 mol / L EDTA. The end point was the point where the color changed from red to blue. The calcium content (mass%) in the coagulant for tofu was calculated from the following calculation formula (I).

-Formula (I)-
Calcium content (% by mass) in coagulant for tofu
= [Titration volume (unit: ml) x 0.1002] / sample amount (unit: g)

(Magnesium content in coagulant for tofu)
Take 0.2 g of tofu coagulant (sample), add 30 ml of ethanol to dissolve it, add ammonia / ammonium chloride buffer solution (67.5 g of ammonium chloride to a 1000 mL volumetric flask, and add 570 mL of aqueous ammonia. 5 mL of a solution (1000 mL by adding distilled water) was added and mixed. Subsequently, 2 drops of Eriochrome Black T solution were added and titrated with 0.025 mol / L EDTA. The end point was the point where the color changed from red to blue. The magnesium content (mass%) in the coagulant for tofu was calculated from the following calculation formula (II).

− Formula (II) −
Magnesium content (% by mass) in coagulant for tofu
= {[0.0025 × titer (unit: ml) / sampled amount (unit: g)] − [calcium content (mass%) / 40.078]} in the coagulant for tofu} × 24.305

(Volume standard average emulsified particle size)
Using a tofu coagulant stored at 20 ° C. for 1 day as a sample, using a laser diffraction particle size distribution meter (trade name: SALD-2100, manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation), the median diameter (volume basis, refractive index 1.70−) 0.20i) was measured.

(viscosity)
The coagulant for tofu conditioned at 15 ° C. was measured using a tuning fork type vibration viscometer (trade name: SV-10, manufactured by A & D Corporation, frequency 30 Hz).

[Production of coagulant for tofu]
Examples 1-9, Comparative Examples 1-11
A coagulant for tofu consisting of a total amount of 1000 g of a water-in-oil emulsion with the composition shown in Table 1 (unit: part by mass) was obtained.
Calcium chloride (reagent / food additive grade, manufactured by Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) as calcium chloride dihydrate (CaCl ₂ · 2H ₂ O) described in Table 1 below, magnesium chloride hexahydrate (MgCl ₂ · the 6H ₂ O) as a soft wafer (Akokasei Co.), using calcium sulfate (reagent, food additive grade, manufactured by Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) as the calcium sulfate dihydrate _(CaSO 4 · _2H 2 O) . Moreover, ion-exchange water was used for water.
In addition, as a lipophilic emulsifier, polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid ester (trade name: Sunsoft No. 818SK (hexaglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid ester), or trade name: Sunsoft No. 818DG (tetraglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid ester), both Manufactured by Taiyo Chemical Co., Ltd.). Further, corn oil (trade name: corn salad oil, manufactured by Nisshin Oillio Co., Ltd.) or medium chain fatty acid triglyceride (trade name: manufactured by Coconut MT Kao Co., Ltd.) was used as the fat.
A more specific method for preparing the tofu coagulant will be described below.

  Calcium chloride dihydrate and magnesium chloride hexahydrate were dissolved in water at the ratios shown in Table 1 below to prepare an aqueous solution. Moreover, the polyglycerol condensed ricinoleic acid ester and fats and oils were mixed by the ratio of following Table 1, and the fats and oils composition was prepared. These aqueous solutions and oil / fat compositions were heated to 80 ° C. While stirring the oil and fat composition at 300 rpm using anchor wings (Φ58 mm), the aqueous solution was added at 125 rpm using a roller pump (Tokyo Science Co., Ltd .: RP-1000, tube Φ48 mm), and the aqueous solution was added. The anchor wings were set at 500 rpm and stirred for 5 minutes to obtain a preliminary emulsion. The preliminary emulsion was emulsified and dispersed by stirring for 3 minutes at 13000 rpm using a homomixer (Primix Co., Ltd., TK homomixer MARKII) to obtain a water-in-oil emulsion type coagulant for tofu. In Comparative Examples 10 and 11, after preparing the above preliminary emulsion, calcium sulfate dihydrate was mixed at the ratio shown in Table 1, and stirred at 13000 rpm for 3 minutes using a homomixer to obtain a coagulant for tofu. .

Test Example 1 Evaluation of Tofu Produced Using Tofu Coagulant Tofu was produced using Brix 11.5 soy milk obtained from Canadian white-meat soybean as a raw material and using the tofu coagulant produced above. Specifically, a coagulant is added to 500 g of soy milk adjusted to 10 ° C. so that the amount of calcium is 100 mg or 60 mg with respect to 100 g of soy milk, and TK Ajihomomixer (manufactured by Primix Co., 2M-03 type) Was stirred at 6000 rpm for 20 seconds to obtain a dispersion treatment liquid. 150 g of the dispersion treatment solution was filled in a tofu filling container (manufactured by First Pack, Model C-150, 83 × 83 × H34 mm) and aged at 80 ° C. for 40 minutes. The tofu after aging was stored at 5 ° C. overnight, and then the tofu flavor, physical properties, and the amount of coagulant precipitated in the tofu were evaluated.
In the column of tofu evaluation in Table 1 below, “Ca content 100 mg” is a case where a coagulant is added so that the calcium content becomes 100 mg with respect to 100 g of soy milk, and “Ca content 60 mg”. Is the case where a coagulant is added so that the amount of calcium is 60 mg per 100 g of soy milk.

− Tofu flavor evaluation −
Five professional panels scored the tofu flavor according to the following evaluation criteria, and the tofu flavor was evaluated based on the average score of the five specialized panels. The results are shown in Table 1 below.
<Flavor evaluation criteria>
4 points: The sweetness of bitter juice stands out well, and bitterness is not felt.
3 points: The sweetness of bitter juice is felt and bitterness is low.
2 points: The sweetness of bitter juice is weak or bitter.
1 point: sweetness of bitter juice is weaker or bitterness is stronger

− Evaluation of uneven hardness of tofu −
A small tabletop tester Ez-TEST (manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation) obtained from a sample cut out of a cylinder with a diameter of 28 mm and a height of 15 mm from any two locations located at the top of tofu and any two locations located at the bottom of tofu A compression rupture test was conducted. Here, the upper part of tofu means the part of the tofu between the upper surface of the tofu when stored in the tofu filling container and the position 15 mm in the direction perpendicular to the upper surface. Moreover, the lower part of tofu means the part of the tofu between the bottom of the tofu when stored in the tofu filling container and the position up to 15 mm in the direction perpendicular to the bottom.
Based on the results of the compression rupture test, values obtained by subtracting the minimum value from the maximum value of the strength at break (unit: gf) were calculated for each tofu and are shown in Table 1 below. The greater this value, the greater the hardness unevenness.

− Evaluation of precipitation amount of coagulant for tofu generated in tofu −
The appearance of the tofu was visually observed, and the amount of the coagulant for tofu produced in the tofu was evaluated based on the following evaluation criteria. The results are shown in Table 1 below.
A: No precipitation of tofu coagulant in tofu B: Slight precipitation of tofu coagulant in tofu C: More precipitation of tofu coagulant in tofu

As shown in Table 1 above, the coagulant of Comparative Example 1 containing no magnesium chloride did not feel the sweetness of bitter juice, resulting in poor flavor (Comparative Example 1).
Further, even when magnesium chloride is contained, if the ratio of the calcium content to the magnesium content is higher than specified in the present invention, the sweetness of the bitter juice is not felt, and the flavor is inferior. (Comparative Examples 2 and 7). On the contrary, when the ratio of the content of calcium to the content of magnesium is lower than specified in the present invention, the coagulant is bitter and results in poor flavor (Comparative Examples 3, 4, 9). ).
Further, even if the ratio of the calcium content to the magnesium content is within the range defined in the present invention, if the total of the magnesium content and the calcium content is less than that defined in the present invention, the bitter juice There was a tendency that the sweetness of the tofu was weak and the flavor was inferior, the tofu had a large variation in hardness, and the coagulant was precipitated (Comparative Examples 5 and 6). On the other hand, when the total content of magnesium and calcium was larger than specified in the present invention, it was difficult to emulsify the coagulant (Comparative Example 8).
In addition, when calcium sulfate is used as the calcium salt, even if the magnesium content and the calcium content satisfy the relationship defined in the present invention, the sweetness of the bitter juice is weak and the result is inferior in flavor. (Comparative Examples 10 and 11).

  On the other hand, when tofu is produced using the coagulant for tofu of Examples 1 to 9 satisfying the provisions of the present invention, the obtained tofu feels the sweetness of bitter juice, has less bitterness, and has an excellent flavor, It was found that the tofu had a more uniform hardness and the coagulant did not easily precipitate in the tofu.

Claims (4)

A coagulant for tofu comprising a water-in-oil emulsion composition comprising an oil phase comprising an oil and fat and a polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid ester, and an aqueous phase comprising an aqueous solution obtained by dissolving magnesium chloride and calcium chloride,
In the coagulant for tofu, the content of calcium relative to 1 part by mass of magnesium is 13.0 to 25.0 parts by mass,
In the coagulant for tofu, the total content of magnesium and calcium is 6.0 to 14.0% by mass,
A coagulant for tofu, wherein the coagulant for tofu has a viscosity of 500 to 900 mPa · s.   The coagulant for tofu according to claim 1, wherein the content of the polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid ester in the coagulant for tofu is 0.2 to 10.0% by mass.   The tofu according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the coagulant for tofu, the ratio of the content of the oil phase to the content of the water phase is a mass ratio of water phase / oil phase = 40/60 to 75/25. Coagulant. A method for producing tofu using the coagulant for tofu according to claim 1.