METHOD FOR PRODUCING PROCESSED COOKED RICE, AND PROCESSED COOKED RICE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for producing processed cooked rice making it possible to produce sensuously core-less processed cooked rice the surface layer and the inside of which have water gradients so as to have industrially stable quality; and to provide the processed cooked rice. SOLUTION: The method for producing processed cooked rice comprises the following process: once steaming rice subjected to washing/soaking in a steaming process so as to gelatinize starch inside the rice followed by eliminating water content from the rice surfaces in a radiational cooling/loosening process, frying the rice with oil in a frying process to form oil film on the rice surfaces, and cooking the cooked rice together with seasoning/cooking water in a cooking process. The cooked rice grains have difference of a water content ratio of 2.5-5% preferably 3-5% between an outer layer part up to 0.5 mm from the surface of the rice grain and an inner layer part over 0.5 mm from the surface. The scattering area of the cooked rice after fallen when charging 10g cooked rice in a cylindrical vessel having a diameter of 25mm and naturally dropping the cooked rice from the height of 30 cm is 2,500-3,000mm2, preferably 2,700-2,900mm2. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO