Patent Application
20210015128
The invention pertains to a drying and packaging process that overcomes the shortcomings of handling and storage of Habesha foods, and provides opportunities for these foods to remain fresh for an extended period of time and become widely available to many people across the world for convenient consumption.
Habesha or Eritrean/Ethiopian dishes are very popular with many communities in different parts of the world as witnessed by the number of people that frequently visit Eritrean and Ethiopian restaurants. The dishes typically consist of vegetables, legumes, mushroom, fish, meat, or combinations thereof in the form of a sauce or stew, all served on top of a round sourdough crepe (a flatbread known as Injera) made out of fermented whole grains such as teff, sorghum, millet, and corn. The flatbread is typically less than one centimeter in thickness and about fifty centimeters in diameter.
The dishes are traditionally cooked immediately before serving to ensure that they remain warm and fresh when they are consumed. This tradition has been practiced by Eritrean and Ethiopian expatriates throughout the world, whether the food is served in a home setting or at the many Eritrean and Ethiopian restaurants that have flourished throughout the world.
However, the traditional Habesha dishes, as popular as they are with Eritreans, Ethiopians and other communities, are not widely accessible to many people for the following reasons:
First, the dishes have a short shelf life. Although the dishes can be stored in a refrigerator for a limited period of time to keep them fresh, refrigeration by itself does not entirely solve the practical challenges associated with long term storage, shipping, and use. The challenges are particularly acute in many underdeveloped and developing countries where refrigeration is not an option due to the lack of available refrigeration at the homes of many families.
Second, traditional Habesha dishes have an adverse effect on the digestive system of many people, particularly those who have acid or gastroesophageal reflux disease, Helicobacter pylori infection and dyspepsia. The problem is manifested by frequent belching, burping, bloating and/or heartburn that people experience after eating the dishes. The experience makes many people uncomfortable to the point of them avoiding many traditional Habesha dishes.
Third, preparation of the dishes as practiced for generations involves a lengthy process, taking as long as one hour or more to prepare, and hence is not well-suited to the fast-paced lifestyle that many people lead in today's environment.
Fourth, preparation of the traditional dishes at home also present another challenge. During cooking, an objectionable smell vaporizes and spreads throughout a residence adhering to clothing, sofas, carpets, etc., unless cooking is carried out outside the house or in a detached kitchen, which many people are not fortunate enough to have.
It is apparent, therefore, that these shortcomings need to be eliminated or minimized for the dishes to be accessible to a wider population.
The object of the present invention is to describe a process for the preparation of dried food forms that overcome the limitations of traditional Habesha dishes.
According to an embodiment of the invention, a process for preparing Habesha dried food products includes the following steps:
(a) selecting ingredients from at least one of a major food group, an accessory food group and a whole grain; and
(b) cooking the selected ingredients in the style according to a Habesha cuisine to result in a fresh form of food, which is one of a sauce, a stew and a meal;
(c) determining a final state as either a segmented dried form of food, or a powdered dried form of food.
If the final state in step (c) is the segmented dried form of food, the process of preparing Habesha dried food product further comprises the steps of:
(d) partially dehydrating the fresh form of food in step (b) on a tray to 20-30% of water by weight to result in a cake of food;
(e) cutting the cake of food to result in a segmented cake of food;
(f) freezing the segmented cake of food at −20° C. to result in a frozen segmented cake of food;
(g) freeze-drying the frozen segmented cake of food to result in the segmented dried form of food, and
(h) packaging the segmented dried form of food in a moister resistant bag, or in a glass jar containing an oxygen absorber to result in a Habesha dried food product.
If the final state in step (c) is the powdered dried form of food, the process of preparing Habesha dried food product further comprises the steps of:
(i) freeze-drying the fresh form of food in step (b) directly to result in the powdered dried form of food; and
(j) packaging the powdered dried form of food in a moister resistant bag, or in a glass jar containing an oxygen absorber to result in a Habesha dried food product.
According to the invention, the major food group is at least one member from the group consisting of a legume, a mushroom, a meat, and a fish.
Also, according to the invention, the accessory food group is at least one member of the group consisting of a vegetable, a cooking oil, a seasoning and flavoring.
In addition, according to the invention, the whole grain is at least one member of the group consisting of quinoa, teff, corn, sorghum, buckwheat, brown rice, barley, oats, millet, barley and white wheat.
According to another embodiment of the invention, a process of serving Habesha food includes steps of:
(a) adding sufficient water to the Habesha dried food forms prepared according to the process of claim 1 to result in a water-reconstituted food, and
(b) heating the water-reconstituted food to result in the form of food to be served, wherein the form of food is at least one of the sauce, the stew and the meal.
Dish: A specific food preparation that is eaten with tableware or eaten out of hand.
Stew: A food preparation that is a thick soup consumed as is or served with other foods.
Sauce: A food preparation that is a thick liquid served with other foods
Meal: A food preparation that is a solid or hydrated semisolid food consumed as is
Seasonings: A food additive that intensifies the natural flavor of the food
Flavorings: A food additive that modifies the original flavor of the food.
Dehydration: A drying process that utilizes heat energy to drive off water.
The invention pertains to a process for preparing dried Habesha food products that overcome the limitations of the traditional Habesha dishes. The process includes the steps of:
(a) selecting ingredients from at least one of a major food group, an accessory food group, and a whole grain;
(b) cooking the selected ingredients in the style according to a Habesha cuisine to result in a fresh form of food, which is one of a sauce, a stew and a meal; and
(c) determining a final state as either a segmented dried form of food, or a powdered dried form of food.
If the final state in step (c) is the segmented dried form of food, the process of preparing Habesha dried food product further comprises the steps of:
(d) partially dehydrating the fresh form of food in step (b) on a tray to 20-30% of water by weight to result in a cake of food;
(e) cutting the cake of food to result in a segmented cake of food;
(f) freezing the segmented cake of food at −20° C. to result in a frozen segmented cake of food;
(g) freeze-drying the frozen segmented cake of food to result in the segmented dried form of food; and
(h) packaging the segmented dried form of food in a moisture-resistant bag, or in a glass jar containing an oxygen absorber to result in the Habesha dried food product.
If the final state in step (c) is the powdered dried form of food, the process of preparing Habesha dried food product further comprises the steps of:
(i) freeze-drying the fresh form of food in step (b) directly to result in the powdered dried form of food; and
(j) packaging the powdered dried form of food in a moisture-resistant bags, or in a glass jar containing an oxygen absorber to result in the Habesha dried food product.
The major food group is at least one member from the group consisting of a legume, a mushroom, a meat, and a fish.
The accessory food group is at least one member of the group consisting of a vegetable, a cooking oil, and a seasoning and flavoring, and
The whole grain is at least one member of the group consisting of quinoa, teff, corn, sorghum, buckwheat, brown rice, barley, oats, millet, barley and white wheat.
The process according to the invention produce novel dried Habesha food forms that can complement or even replace traditional Habesha dishes.
Cooking
In one embodiment, selected food ingredients from the accessory food group only are mixed together and cooked in a pan placed on a stove at medium heat to produce a sauce. After the cooking step is completed, the pan is removed from the stove and the sauce is allowed to cool at room temperature.
In another embodiment, selected ingredients from the accessory food group are mixed and cooked in a pan placed on a stove at medium heat. Selected ingredients from the major food group are added, mixed and cooked to produce a stew. After the cooking step is completed, the pan is removed from the stove and the stew is allowed to cool at room temperature.
In yet another embodiment, selected ingredients from the accessory food group are mixed and cooked in a pan placed on a stove at medium heat. Selected ingredients from the major food group are added, mixed and cooked. Selected pre-cooked ingredients from whole grains are added and mixed towards the end of the cooking step to produce a meal. After the cooking step is completed, the pan is removed from the stove and the meal is allowed to cool at room temperature.
The amount of water in the freshly-prepared sauce, stew and meal range from about 20 to 50% by weight.
The cooled freshly prepared sauce, stew and meal are spread on trays and partially dehydrated at 65° C. until the water content is reduced to 20-30% by weight. This allows the heterogenous mixture in the food forms to form dense, continuous cakes that can be cut cleanly into segments using a sharp-edged cutter. If the freshly prepared food forms contain more than 30% water, it is impossible to cut the cakes into small segments with the desired dimensions since they cannot form a dense, continuous physical structure.
Similarly, if the water content is less than 15% by weight, it is difficult to cut the cake cleanly to the desired dimensions since the cake tends to fracture unevenly. The thickness of the cakes is kept below 1.0″ and, preferably, below 0.75″ to facilitate drying. Alternatively, the food forms can be transferred onto molds with the desired dimensions and partially dehydrated under the same conditions.
The cakes are cut manually while they are still on the trays using a sharp-edged cutter, although the cutting step can be automated during production. The desired dimensions range between 0.5″×2.0″×0.25″ and 4.0″×6.0″×0.75″, and preferably, between 1.0″×3.0″×0.5″ and 2.0″×3.0″×0.5″, although other dimensions can be selected if needed.
The segmented cakes on the trays are frozen in a freezer at −20° C. to reduce the freezing cycle time during the subsequent freeze-drying processes.
The frozen sauce, stew and meal are transferred to a freeze dryer and dried to less than 5% and, preferably less than 3%, of water by weight to result in segmented dried sauce, segmented dried stew and segmented dried meal.
The cooled freshly prepared sauce, stew and meal are spread on trays and freeze dried directly to result in powdered dried sauce, powdered dried stew and powdered dried meal.
Freeze drying is a low-temperature drying process that involves freezing the product at low temperatures followed by removal of the ice formed by sublimation. As the ice sublimes, it leaves behind voids within the food forms where the ice crystals were once present.
The dried sauce, stew and meal are finally packaged in moisture-resistant bags or glass jars containing oxygen absorbers.
Surprisingly, the process according to the invention has led to the discovery of unanticipated beneficial results that cannot be duplicated by any other conventional drying methods.
During the freeze-drying process, it was discovered that an objectionable smell similar to that which vaporizes during the preparation of traditional Habesha dishes was detected in the water collected from defrosting the freeze dryer. Apparently, during the sublimation process, the water vapor strips the objectionable smell from the freshly prepared dishes and traps it in the ice as the vapor condenses on the sides of the chamber of the freeze dryer. As a result, the dried food forms prepared according to the invention do not contain the objectionable smell that vaporizes during the cooking of Habesha traditional dishes.
Freshly prepared traditional Habesha dishes contain concentrated amounts of seasonings, and watery and oily phases that easily separate, which appear to be the main reasons why many people, particularly those who have acid or gastroesophageal reflux disease, Helicobacter pylori infection and dyspepsia, cannot tolerate traditional Habesha dishes. In contrast, the dried food forms prepared according to the invention generate, after rehydration, more consistent texture of dishes that minimize ingredient separation and maximize uniform distribution of the seasonings throughout the dish, leading to a more palatable and integrated blend of ingredients. This consistency along with the removal of some of the ingredients that make up the objectionable smell during the freeze-drying step are believed to be the reasons why the dried food forms are well tolerated.
Preparing the Habesha dishes as they have been practiced for generations is very time-consuming, taking as long as one hour or more, and hence is not well-suited to the fast-paced lifestyle that many people lead in today's environment. In contrast, preparing dishes using the novel dried food forms according to the invention requires only less than five minutes.
The dried sauce, stew and meal food forms prepared by the process according to the invention do not need refrigeration and have a long shelf life due to the less than 5% moisture levels in the dried food forms.
According to an embodiment of the invention, when the form of food is the sauce, then the selecting ingredients from the accessory food group are 100% by weight.
According to an embodiment of the invention, when the form of food is the slew, then the selecting ingredients from the major food group and the accessory food group are in the following ratio by weight:
60-85% ingredients from the major food group, and
15-40% ingredients from the accessory food group.
According to an embodiment of the invention, when the form of food is the meal, then the selecting ingredients is from the major food group, the accessary food group, and the whole grain in the following ratio by weight:
30-55% ingredients from the major food group,
10-25% ingredients from the accessory food group, and
30-50% ingredients from the whole grain, wherein the whole grain is pre-cooked.
In addition, according to
Furthermore, according to
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Furthermore, according to
According to an embodiment of the invention, the legume is least one of lentils, beans, peas, and chickpeas.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the mushroom is least one of while button, portobello, cremini, maitake, button, hedgehog, morel and oyster.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the meat is least one of beef, lamb, chicken, goat, and pork.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the fish is least one of mackerel, tilapia, halibut, cod, trout, swordfish, salmon, and tuna.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the vegetable is least one of onion, kale, spinach, cabbage, tomatoes, avocados, eggplants, cucumbers, and bell peppers.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the cooking oil is at least one of olive oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, corn oil, and canola oil.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the seasoning and flavoring is at least one of basil, bay leaf, celery seed, chives, garlic, cilantro, fennel, fenugreek, lemon grass, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme, mint, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, paprika, pepper, turmeric, ginger, mace, saffron, vanilla, cumin, black seed, dill seed, wine, and salt.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the whole grain is at least one member of the group consisting of quinoa, teff, corn, sorghum, buckwheat, brown rice, barley, oats, millet, barley and white wheat.
Serving Habesha Food from Dried Food
According to an embodiment of the invention, a process of serving Habesha food is described. The steps of this process include:
(a) adding sufficient water to the Habesha dried food product prepared according to the process of claim 1, to result in a water-reconstituted food, and
(b) heating the water-reconstituted food to result in the form of food to be served, wherein the form of food at least one of the sauce, the stew and the meal.
For serving, the dried sauce, dried stew and dried meal are rehydrated following procedures that are specific to each food form. Some may require initial soaking in cold water followed by hot water, while others may be added directly to hot water. To further improve the hydration process, sometimes the products may be allowed to simmer under low heat. The amount of water added and simmering time depend upon the type of dish and the desired texture. In all, it takes only less than five minutes to rehydrate the sauce or stew and make them ready for serving, compared to the more than an hour needed to make traditional Habesha dishes ready for serving.
All ingredients in the novel died food forms are fresh raw materials that do not contain processed materials and preservatives. The novel food forms prepared according to the invention have many advantages over traditional Habesha dishes.
Reducing Digestive Discomfort
Traditional Habesha dishes appear to have an adverse effect on the digestive system of many people, particularly those who have acid or gastroesophageal reflux disease, Helicobacter pylori infection and dyspepsia. The problem is manifested by frequent belching, burping, bloating and/or heartburn that people experience after eating the dishes. The experience makes many people uncomfortable to the point of them avoiding many traditional fresh dishes. The reconstituted dried food forms in the invention eliminate or reduce the discomfort and allow people to enjoy the food products without any trouble.
Preparing the Habesha dishes as they have been practiced for generations is very time-consuming, taking as long as one hour or more, and hence is not well-suited to the fast-paced lifestyle that many people lead in today's environment. In contrast, preparing the dishes using the novel dried food forms requires only less than five minutes.
Preparation of the traditional Habesha dishes at home also poses another challenge. During cooking, an objectionable smell vaporizes and spreads throughout a residence adhering to clothing, sofas, carpets, etc., unless cooking is carried out outside the house or in a detached kitchen. In contrast, rehydration of the dried food forms prepared according to the invention does not generate an objectionable smell and hence can be carried out in any kitchen without any inconvenience.
Unlike traditional Habesha dishes, the dried food forms prepared according to the invention do not need refrigeration during storage. They are packaged in moisture and oxygen resistant containers and have a long shelf-life. In addition, the dried food forms are light in weight due to the removal of 95 to 98% of the water during the drying process.
The following examples are set forth so as to provide those of ordinary skill in the art with a complete disclosure and description of how to make and use the present invention. The examples are not intended to limit the scope of what the inventors regard as their invention, nor are they intended to represent that the recipes described below are all or the only recipes performed.
Onion and olive oil were transferred onto a heavy bottomed pan and heated on a stove set at medium heat. The components were mixed by stirring occasionally for about ten minutes. Tomato was then added and mixing continued for about five minutes. Water is added as needed. Dry ground red pepper was added and stirring continued for another ten minutes. The rest of the ingredients were finally added to the mixture while stirring. Stirring continued for about ten minutes to produce fresh sauce. The stove was turned off and the sauce allowed to cool to room temperature. The cooled sauce was then spread on trays, partially dehydrated at 65° C. to reduce the water content to 25-30% by weight, segmented, frozen at −20° C. and freeze dried. The segmented dried sauce was collected and packaged in moisture resistant bags or glass jars containing oxygen absorbers.
The accessory food ingredients in Example 2 were first cooked to produce a fresh sauce according the procedure in Example 1. Then pre-cooked lentil was added to the fresh sauce and the mixture stirred occasionally for about ten minutes to prepare fresh lentil stew. The pan was removed from the stove. The lentil stew was spread on trays, cooled, partially dehydrated at 65° C. to reduce the water content to about 25-30% by weight, segmented, frozen at −20° C. and freeze dried. The segmented dried lentil stew was collected and packaged in moisture resistant bags or glass jars containing oxygen absorbers.
The accessory food ingredients and major food ingredient were cooked to produce fresh lentil stew according to the procedure in Example 2. Pre-cooked teff were then added to the fresh lentil stew while mixing occasionally for about ten minutes to prepare a fresh meal. The pan was then removed from the stove and the meal cooled to room temperature. The cooled meal was spread over trays, partially dehydrated at 65° C. to reduce the water content to about 25-30% by weight, segmented, frozen at −20° C. and freeze dried. The segmented dried teff meal was collected and packaged in moisture resistant bags or glass jars containing oxygen absorbers.
Onion and olive oil were transferred onto a heavy bottomed pan and heated on a stove set at medium heat. The components were mixed by stirring occasionally for about ten minutes. Tomato was then added and mixing continued for about five minutes. Water is added as needed. Dry ground red pepper was added and stirring continued for another ten minutes. The rest of the ingredients were finally added to the mixture while stirring. Stirring continued for about ten minutes to produce fresh sauce. The stove was turned off and the sauce allowed to cool to room temperature. The cooled sauce was then spread on trays and freeze dried. The powdered dried sauce was collected and packaged in moisture resistant bags or glass jars containing oxygen absorbers.
The accessory food ingredients in Example 5 were first cooked to produce a fresh sauce according the procedure in Example 4. Then pre-cooked lentil was added to the fresh sauce and the mixture stirred occasionally for about ten minutes to prepare fresh lentil stew. The pan was removed from the stove and the stew allowed to cool. The cooled stew was spread on trays, and freeze dried. The powdered dried lentil stew was collected and packaged in moisture resistant bags or glass jars containing oxygen absorbers.
Formulation
The accessory food ingredients and major food ingredient were cooked to produce fresh lentil stew according to the procedure in Example 5. Pre-cooked teff were then added to the fresh lentil stew while mixing occasionally for about ten minutes to prepare a fresh meal. The pan was then removed from the stove and the fresh meal cooled to room temperature. The cooled meal was spread over trays, and freeze dried. The powdered dried teff meal was collected and packaged in moisture resistant bags or glass jars containing oxygen absorbers.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/921,933, filed Jul. 15, 2019, the contents of which are herein fully incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62921933 | Jul 2019 | US |
