PURPOSE: To obtain a dried food which has excellent color and palatability and can be reconstituted and served in a short time, by irradiating a food with microwave of a specific power in an atmosphere having a specific vacuum degree, thereby enabling the uniform and efficient drying of a food at a relatively low temperature.

CONSTITUTION: A food (e.g. raw noodle) or a boiled food is irradiated with microwave radiation of 2W4.5kW in an atmosphere of 20W100Torr vacuum. The whole food can be dried uniformly and efficiently by this process. There occurs little problem in the microwave thawing and heating of a food, however, the microwave drying of a food results in the unallowable lack of the drying or expansion uniformity caused by the uneven distribution of water in the food. The evaporation temperature of water during the drying process can be maintained at a low level by the above process, and the whole food can be dried uniformly and efficiently without scorching.