Method for producing fried noodle lump

A method for producing a fried noodle lump, which is capable of preventing an inversion thereof by an external shock during distribution of the fried noodle lump in a cup-shaped container having a tapered structure and a flat top portion, in which the fried noodle lump is stored and held around a midpoint position of the cup-shaped container and contacts an internal lateral side of the cup-shaped container,

• wherein a width of the cup-shaped container having the tapered structure gradually becomes larger toward an opening of the container from a bottom thereof,
• the method comprising:
• gelatinizing a lump of noodle strings;
• storing the lump of the gelatinized noodle strings in an unfried state in a retainer, the retainer having a tapered structure that becomes larger toward an opening of the retainer from a bottom thereof;
• placing a lid on the opening of the retainer;
• placing in fry oil, only a lower part of the retainer at a side of the bottom thereof in a range from 10% to 80% of the retainer measured from the bottom of the retainer so that only a lower part of the lump of the gelatinized noodle strings is immersed in the fry oil, and that only the lower part of the lump of the gelatinized noodle strings in the retainer is fried, so that a shape of a bottom end portion of the lump of the gelatinized noodle strings is formed, wherein the lower part of the lump of the gelatinized noodle strings is configured to be oriented toward a bottom side of the cup-shaped container;
• and
• immersing a whole portion of the retainer including the lump of the gelatinized noodle strings in the fry oil, after the frying of only the lower part of the lump of the gelatinized noodle strings, so that the lump of the gelatinized noodle strings is moved upward and pressed against the lid so as to form a flat top portion of the lump of the gelatinized noodle strings by the lid,
• wherein in the placing in fry oil, when only the lower part of the retainer is placed in the fry oil, the retainer is in an upright position in which the lower part of the retainer is immersed in the fry oil while the lid on the opening of the retainer is outside the fry oil, and
• the retainer is a liquid permeable metal mold in which the lump of the gelatinized noodle strings is stored during frying of the lump of the gelatinized noodle strings.