PREPARED RICE

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims benefit to US Application No. 61/946,275, filed February 28, 2014, US Application No. 61/948,405, filed March 5, 2014, US Application No.

61/988,630, filed May 5, 2014, and US Application No. 62/004,538, filed May 29, 2014, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Ramen is a Japanese noodle soup dish made of Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a meat or fish-based broth. "Instant ramen noodles" or "instant noodles" are sold in packages and require hot water to create a convenient inexpensive noodle meal (or cup noodles) that has become popular throughout the world.

[0003] Rice is the most commonly eaten food in the world. Increasingly, "Prepared Rice" is sold in packages and requires heating to create a convenient inexpensive side dish.

Prepared rice can come previously steamed, stir fried, boiled, and/or mixed with

vegetables/meat and/or flavorings.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention provides hand held snacks comprising instant noodles and/or prepared rice, starch solution, and various fruits, vegetables, flavorings and/or health supplements.

[0005] In a typical embodiment, instant noodles and/or prepared rice are blended with a starch solution (e.g., warmed cassava root starch solution and/or red bean paste). The noodles/rice and starch solution are then mixed. This is can be carried using any kind of mixing machine such as a KitchenAid, Hobart, Cuisinart type of equipment. If desired, the mixture can be blended with any of various flavorings (including but not limited to sushi fish seasonings popular in Japan; beef, chicken, or vegetables), okara, health supplements, dried vegetables, algae or glycerol. The material is then shaped into any desired shape. For example, the product can be in a bar format (like a granola bar in form), a cluster, cracker, a flatbread, or the like. The placed in an air drying machine until it reaches desired moisture levels. The product is then ready for consumption.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0006] In some embodiments, the starting material for the methods of the invention is "instant ramen noodles" or "instant noodles," which are typically manufactured by gelatinizing cut raw noodle strings and then drying the noodle strings. The drying can be accomplished in a number of ways, including frying, hot-air drying, freeze drying, and the like. The noodles may be colored and/or flavored. For example, the noodles can be flavored with vegetables (e.g., broccoli), herbs, or meat flavors.

[0007] In other embodiments, the starting material for the methods of the invention is "Prepared Rice", which is typically manufactured by pre-cooking rice in any of various ways (boil, steam, stir-fry, and the like) and then drying the rice to shelf stable level. The rice may be colored and/or flavored. For example, the rice can be flavored with vegetables (e.g., broccoli), herbs, or meat flavors.

[0008] In the process of the invention, the noodles may be first broken into smaller pieces. Then the noodles and/or rice are mixed with a liquid starch composition (e.g., warmed to the level that it just begins to congeal, just prior to becoming a glue-like consistency) such as cassava root (tapioca) and/or red bean paste, which causes the noodles and/or rice to get moistened. Other starches can be used such as rice, corn, potato, and the like. Mixing can be carried out using standard mechanical mixing equipment, such as a KitchenAid, Hobart, Cuisinart type of equipment. Mechanical blending ensures adequate mixing and reduces the noodle size.

[0009] At this point, various other ingredients can be mixed with the noodles and/or rice - including but not limited to binders, flavorings (such as sushi/fish, beef, chicken, vegetables), medicinal herbs, algae, nuts/seeds, fruits (for example coffee cherries), or health supplements with health-giving benefits (e.g., gingko biloba), dried vegetables, or vegetable proteins, such as okara (a soy product that is a by-product of tofu processing). Glycerol may or may not be added. [0010] The mixture is then shaped into bar format (like a granola bar in form), clusters, a flatbread, or cracker, and the like. Alternatively, the mixture can be extruded or molded into any desired shape. The mixture is the dried according to standard methods (e.g., in an air drying machine at approximately 140°F for about 6 hours) until it reaches desired moisture levels. Typically, the mixture is dried until it has lost about 20% of the starting moisture. The product is then ready for consumption.

[0011] The degree of drying will affect the crunchiness of the final food product. For example, if the mixture is dried long enough, until the noodles and/or rice get crunchy, crunchy snack foods are produced. If they are dried for a shorter time period (or at lower temperature) chewy snack foods are produced. The chewiness can be increased by adding ingredients with moisture holding properties, such as glycerol, red bean paste, algae, seaweed and/or kelp.

Food Products:

[0012] A variety of food products can be produced from the instant noodles and/or rice of the invention. Any number of additional flavorings and ingredients can be added. For example, fresh or dried fruits, fresh or dried vegetables, seeds, nuts, and the like can be added. The food products can be sweet (e.g. , by addition of chocolate, mint, and other confectionary ingredients) or savory. In addition, medicinal herbs and fruits (or supplements) with health-giving properties ("health supplements") can be added to produce a "functional" snack food. By adding coffee fruit (cherries from the coffee plant), for example, the snack foods can provide energy (from naturally occurring caffeine) and antioxidants. If okara is added, a high protein snack food is produced. The hand held snack foods of the invention can be made with any kind of flavorings, including but not limited to various fish, beef, chicken, herbs and vegetables. [0013] The food products can also be used to prepare food for victims of nuclear contamination. Such foods are designed to (1) bind and remove radioactive substances (mainly radionuclides) from the body and (2) decrease the influence of the radiation outside and inside the body. The products preferably use natural products, which one can safely use during long period of time and make food more tasty and stable. For those purposes, it is useful to incorporate the following health supplements: 1. Spirulina, and/or blue -green algae, and /or citrus pectin, and/or grapefruit fiber, and/or apple pectin, and/or agar and/or guar gum; kelp and /or chlorella and /or oat bran and /or psyllium and/or broccoli concentrate.

2. Grape seed extract and or lycopene and /or quercitine and/or catechins, especially ECG - epicatechin gallate from green tea or red wine, selenium, zinc.

3. Vitamins (e.g., A, B, C, E, D, K, and folic acid) and natural sweeteners, especially erythritol, maltitol, xylitol, sucralose, maltodextrin.

[006] The food products can also be designed to be pollution protective foods. Such products would include the following: 1. Sulfur containing amino acids, like Cysteine and Taurine, which have radio protective qualities.

2. Phytoestrogens from soy, like isoflavones.

3. Polysaccharides from soy, like EMCOSOY or Soyafibe-S. Soy molasses is also a source of polysaccharides as well as isoflavones, minerals and vitamins. 4. Adaptogens. Substances like ginseng, eleuthero root, extract of buckwheat, which help people to adjust to physical and emotional hardships.

5. Some herbs or herbal products can be included. Licorice is shown to protect plasmid DNA from radiation induced strand breaks. St. John's wort protects bone marrow and intestinal mucosa against x-ray. Chinese angelica (Dong Quai) is shown to protect post irradiation pregnancy. Plantago decreases carcinogenic effects of radiation.

EXAMPLES

I. Preparation of 45 gram bars using instant noodles [0014] Mix 350 g instant noodle with 150 g okara mixed with tapioca and 15 g seasoning. Form the mixture into bars (makes about 10 bars). Dry bake at 140°F for about 6 hours or until the product loses about 20% of moisture content.

II. Preparation of clusters using instant noodles [0015] Mix 500 g instant noodles with lOOg slivered almonds, 100 g sunflower seeds, 50g sesame seeds, 5 g garlic, 10 g onion, 50 g tapioca starch, and 300 g warm water. Form into one inch balls and dry as above.

III. lat Bread using instant noodles [0016] Mix 400 g instant noodles, 600 g okara, 150 g glycerol, 1 g onion flakes, 200 g tapioca syrup (20% tapioca in water). Form into flatbread and dry as above.

IV. Preparation of 45 gram bars using prepared rice

[0017] Mix 350 g "prepared rice" with 150 g okara mixed with tapioca and 15 g seasoning. Form the mixture into bars (makes about 10 bars). Dry bake at 140°F for about 6 hours or until the product reaches 10% moisture content.

V. Preparation of clusters using prepared rice

[0018] Mix 500 g "Prepared Rice" with lOOg slivered almonds, 100 g sunflower seeds, 50g sesame seeds, 5 g garlic, 10 g onion, 50 g tapioca starch, and 300 g warm water. Form into one inch balls and dry as above.

VI. Flat Bread using prepared rice

[0019] Mix 400 g "Prepared Rice", 600 g okara, 150 g glycerol, 1 g onion flakes, 200 g tapioca syrup (20% tapioca in water). Form into flatbread and dry as above.