PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a production method of instant rice which becomes ready to eat again quicker than conventional one by promoting water absorption and water infiltration into rice grains.SOLUTION: A production method of instant rice includes subjecting raw material rice to a compression heat treatment and forming a gelatinized layer on a rice grain surface layer part (S1), followed by rice cooking (S2), and a drying treatment (S4). In the production method of instant rice, the compression heat treatment is a compression steaming treatment by saturated steam, and the step (S1) includes keeping a compressed state for a fixed time followed by rapidly decompressing so as to generate fine cracks on a whole rice grain surface, and there is provided a soaking and swelling step (S3) of soaking rice after cooking so as to swell. Furthermore, in the production method of instant rice, the compression heat treatment is preferably performed by compressing to a pressure of 0.10-0.30 MPa followed by keeping for 30-120 seconds, and decompressing to an ambient pressure within 5-30 seconds. And it is preferable that a moisture content of rice just after cooked is 60-70%, and a moisture content of rice grains after soaked to be swelling is 75-80%.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1COPYRIGHT: (C)2018,JPO&INPIT【課題】米粒への吸水や水の浸透を促すことで従来よりも、より早く復元可能なインスタントライスの製造方法の提供。【解決手段】原料米を加圧加熱処理して米粒表層部にアルファ化層を形成S1した後に炊飯しS2、次いで乾燥処理S4してなるインスタントライスの製造方法で、加圧加熱処理は飽和水蒸気による加圧蒸煮処理で、加圧状態を一定時間保持した後に急速に減圧して米粒表面全体に微小な亀裂を生じさせる工程S1を含み、さらに、前記炊飯後の米飯を浸漬して膨潤化させる膨潤化浸漬工程S3を設けた、インスタントライスの製造方法。加圧加熱処理は、圧力0.10~0.30МPaに加圧して30~120秒間保持した後、5~30秒以内に大気圧まで減圧することが好ましい、インスタントライスの製造方法。また、炊飯直後の米飯の水分量を60~70%で、膨潤化浸漬後の米粒の水分量を75~80%とするとよい、インスタントライスの製造方法。【選択図】図1
