2012 年 29 巻 3 号 p. 343-351
In order to determine the characteristics of commercial vinegar-cured kamaboko gel, various qualitative aspects were evaluated and compared to those of commercial thermal kamaboko gel (i.e. mushi-kamaboko and hanpen). Commercial kamaboko gels were evaluated for textural properties (breaking strength, breaking strain, and gel stiffness) and chemical composition (moisture and crude protein, lipid, ash, carbohydrate). Additionally, SDS-PAGE analysis and microscopic observation were conducted. The breaking strength and gel stiffness of commercial vinegar-cured kamaboko gel were lower than those of the mushi-kamaboko gel, probably due to the degradation of the myosin heavy chain (MHC). The hanpen gel showed significantly lower breaking strength and gel stiffness than the other gels, possibly due to its large pore volume. Chemical composition did not differ significantly among the types of kamaboko. Microscopic observation showed that vinegar-cured kamaboko gel had a precise micro-structure compared with thermal kamaboko gel. The characteristics of vinegar-cured kamaboko originate from differences in processing; vinegar-cured kamaboko gel does not involve thermal processing and is instead soaked in cool vinegar.
