JP7616828B2 - Dried herbs and their manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to dried herbs and a method for producing the same.

Herbs such as basil are plant-based ingredients used for edible purposes, such as flavoring food.

As a technology related to herbs, Patent Document 1 (Patent No. 6530803) discloses a packaged, heated basil sauce that contains a predetermined amount of shredded basil leaves and stems, a predetermined amount of salt, and a predetermined amount of vegetable oil, in which the ratio of stems to each basil leaf is a predetermined amount, and when the basil sauce is analyzed with a visual analyzer for color types and the proportion of each color in the surface area, the proportion of L values of 70 or less is 3% to 15%, and the proportion of a values of less than 0 is 70% or more.

Patent No. 6530803

Some herbs, such as dried basil, are used in a dried state to improve shelf life. The drying process can result in the loss of the vivid color of the fresh herb. Dried herbs with vivid colors are useful in terms of appearance. Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide dried herbs with vivid colors and a method for producing the same.

The present inventors have found that by adopting a certain method, it is possible to obtain dried herbs having a vivid color. Furthermore, they have unexpectedly found that it is possible to enhance the umami taste. That is, the present invention includes the following.
[1] A method for producing dried herbs, comprising the steps of: inactivating enzymes in fresh herbs; and drying the herbs after the enzyme inactivation step.
[2] The method according to [1], wherein the step of inactivating the enzyme comprises steaming the fresh herbs.
[3] The method for producing dried herbs described in [2] further comprises a step of cooling the herbs to 0 to 30°C after the steaming step and before the drying step.
[4] The method for producing dried herbs described in [2] or [3] further comprises a step of freezing the herbs at 0°C or below after the steaming step and before the drying step.
[5] The method according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the drying step comprises a step of stirring the herbs.
[6] The method according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the drying step is carried out at 60 to 130°C.
[7] The method according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein the drying step is carried out so that the moisture content of the herb is 0.1 to 10% by mass.
[8] The method for producing dried herbs according to any one of [1] to [7], wherein the herbs are at least one selected from basil, wasabi leaves, shiso, cilantro, rosemary, arugula, selvatica, thyme, chervil, sage, dill, mint, Italian parsley, oregano, marjoram, fennel, savory, coriander, tarragon, chives, and lemongrass.
[9] A method for producing a food or beverage, comprising: a step of producing a dried herb by the method described in any one of [1] to [8]; and a step of adding the dried herb to other food or beverage ingredients. [10] A step of producing a dried herb by the method described in any one of [1] to [8]; and a step of extracting a component from the dried herb.
A method for producing a food or beverage comprising the steps of:
[11] A dried herb, in which the peak area attributable to 2-hexenal is 0.02 times or less than the peak area attributable to eugenol in a chromatogram obtained by analysis using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method according to the following method.
(Gas Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy Measurement Method)
0.1 g of dried herb is collected in a 20 mL sealed vial. Then, 4-methylthiazole is added as an internal standard substance at a ratio of 45 μg/g of the anhydrous equivalent of the dried herb to prepare a sample. The sample is subjected to GC/MS analysis to obtain a chromatogram.
[12] A dried herb, in which the peak area attributable to glutamic acid is six times or more the peak area attributable to an internal standard substance in a chromatogram obtained by analysis using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry according to the method described below.
(Measuring method by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry)
Using 1 g of dried herb, extract the components of the dried herb with 100 ml of hot water (initial temperature 85°C) for 5 minutes. Add 2 ml of the resulting hot water extract to a 10-mL test tube, and dilute with 7 ml of ultrapure water. Furthermore, add L-phenylalanine as an internal standard at a ratio of 24.6 μg/g of the anhydrous equivalent of the dried herb to prepare a sample. Then, analyze the sample by LC/MS to obtain a chromatogram.
[13] A dried herb or an extract thereof according to [11] or [12], and other food and beverage ingredients;
Including, food and beverages.

The present invention provides a vibrantly colored dried herb and a method for producing the same.

One embodiment of the present invention is described below.

This embodiment relates to dried herbs. The herbs are not particularly limited, and examples include at least one selected from basil, wasabi leaves, shiso, cilantro, rosemary, arugula, selvatica, thyme, chervil, sage, dill, mint, Italian parsley, oregano, marjoram, fennel, savory, coriander, tarragon, chives, and lemongrass. Preferably, the herb is basil.

The method for producing dried herbs according to this embodiment includes a step of inactivating enzymes in fresh herbs, and a step of drying the herbs after the inactivation step. By inactivating the enzymes in the fresh herbs, discoloration of the herbs is prevented. This makes it possible to obtain dried herbs with a bright green color. Furthermore, it is possible to obtain dried herbs with a delicious flavor.
The method for producing dried herbs is described in detail below.

(1) Inactivation of enzymes First, prepare fresh herbs and inactivate the enzymes contained in them.
Specifically, by steaming raw herbs, enzymes can be inactivated. In addition, by steaming raw herbs, unpleasant odors can be removed while retaining the fresh aroma. Furthermore, by combining this with a subsequent drying process, the umami flavor can be enhanced. As a result, dried herbs with an easy-to-eat flavor can be obtained.
The time for steaming herbs is, for example, 30 seconds to 5 minutes, preferably 30 seconds to 3 minutes. If the steaming time is 30 seconds or more, the enzymes can be sufficiently inactivated. Also, unpleasant odors can be sufficiently removed while leaving a fresh aroma. If the steaming time is 5 minutes or less, the herbs will not turn black.
When steaming herbs, a commercially available steamer can be used.

(2) Cooling Next, the steamed herbs are preferably cooled. Preferably, the herbs are cooled by air cooling to a temperature of 0 to 30°C, preferably 0 to 20°C. If the steamed herbs are left as is, the residual heat may cause the herbs to discolor and the fresh aroma to disappear. By cooling the herbs by air cooling to 10 to 30°C, it is possible to prevent the herbs from discoloring and the fresh aroma from scattering.

After cooling, if necessary, freeze the herbs at 0°C or below, preferably at -10 to -30°C. If there is time before the next drying process, freezing the herbs will prevent them from losing their freshness. Freezing also breaks down the herb's tissue, making it easier to taste its umami.

(3) Drying Next, the herbs are dried. Preferably, the herbs are dried so that the moisture content is 0.1 to 10% by mass, more preferably 0.5 to 5% by mass.

Preferably, the herbs are dried by heating, for example at 60 to 130° C., preferably 70 to 110° C. Within these temperatures, the herbs will not grow microbially, and will not burn, causing the desired flavor to be lost.
Preferably, the herbs are stirred during the heating and drying process. This breaks down the herb tissue, making the herb taste more pronounced. In addition, the time required to dry the herbs to the desired moisture content is shortened, preventing discoloration of the herbs. The herbs may be stirred continuously or intermittently.
The drying time by heating may be any time that allows the target moisture content to be achieved, and is, for example, 2 to 13 hours, preferably 3 to 10 hours.
Drying by heating is preferably carried out under normal pressure.

The dried herb according to this embodiment can be obtained by the method described above.
According to this embodiment, by inactivating the enzymes before drying, discoloration of the herbs is prevented, resulting in herbs with vibrant colors.
In addition, by steaming herbs, enzymes can be inactivated and unpleasant odors can be removed while leaving a fresh aroma. This also makes it possible to obtain dried herbs with a good flavor. As a result, dried herbs that are easy to eat can be obtained.

The dried herbs obtained by the method according to this embodiment have reduced highly volatile aroma components compared to fresh herbs and other dried herbs. In particular, the ratio of 2-hexenal or hexanal to eugenol is reduced. In other words, since highly volatile aroma components such as 2-hexenal or hexanal have been removed from the dried herbs according to this embodiment, it is believed that the unpleasant aroma is less noticeable and the dried herbs are easier to eat.

Specifically, when the dried herb is subjected to gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS analysis) according to the method described below, in the resulting chromatogram, the peak area derived from 2-hexenal is 0.02 times or less, preferably 0.005 times or less, and more preferably 0.001 times or less, of the peak area derived from eugenol.
In addition, the peak area derived from hexanal is 0.01 times or less, preferably 0.005 times or less, and more preferably 0.001 times or less, the peak area derived from eugenol.

[GC/MS analysis method]
0.1 g of dried herb is placed in a 20 mL sealed vial. Then, 4-methylthiazole is added as an internal standard substance at a ratio of 45 μg/g of the anhydrous equivalent of the dried herb to prepare a sample. A GC/MS analysis is performed to obtain a chromatogram.

Furthermore, the dried herbs obtained by the method according to the present embodiment contain a large amount of glutamic acid, which is a umami component, compared to fresh herbs and other dried herbs. The amounts of Fru-Glu (fructosyl glutamic acid), Fru-Asp (fructosyl aspartic acid), and guanylic acid (guanosine-5'-phosphate), which have the effect of enhancing the umami of glutamic acid, are also large. Furthermore, the content of aspartic acid is also large compared to other dried herbs. Since the dried herbs according to the present embodiment contain a large amount of these components, it is considered that the umami of the dried herbs is easily felt.
In the present invention, when the term "glutamic acid" is simply mentioned, it is a general term including both L-glutamic acid and D-glutamic acid.
Similarly, the term "aspartic acid" refers generally to both L-aspartic acid and D-aspartic acid.
Furthermore, acid components such as glutamic acid and aspartic acid may be contained in the dried herb in the form of a salt such as a sodium salt.

Specifically, when the dried herb according to the present embodiment is subjected to liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS analysis) according to the following method, the peak area derived from glutamic acid in the resulting chromatogram is 6 times or more, preferably 10 times or more, more preferably 20 times or more, and even more preferably 40 times or more than the peak area derived from the internal standard. The upper limit of this area ratio is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 1000 times or less, preferably 200 times or less.
Furthermore, the peak area derived from L-glutamic acid is 6 times or more, preferably 10 times or more, more preferably 20 times or more, and even more preferably 40 times or more, the peak area derived from the internal standard. There is no particular upper limit to this area ratio, but it is, for example, 1000 times or less, preferably 200 times or less.
In addition, the peak area derived from aspartic acid is 3 times or more, preferably 5 times or more, more preferably 8 times or more, the peak area derived from the internal standard. The upper limit of this area ratio is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 100 times or less, preferably 50 times or less.
Furthermore, the peak area derived from L-aspartic acid is 3 times or more, preferably 5 times or more, more preferably 8 times or more, the peak area derived from the internal standard. The upper limit of this area ratio is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 100 times or less, preferably 50 times or less.
Furthermore, the peak area derived from Fru-Glu is at least 1 time, preferably at least 3 times, more preferably at least 5 times, and further preferably at least 8 times, the peak area derived from the internal standard. The upper limit of this area ratio is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 100 times or less, preferably 50 times or less.
In addition, the peak area derived from Fru-Asp is at least 0.05 times, preferably at least 0.1 times, more preferably at least 0.2 times, that derived from the internal standard. The upper limit of this area ratio is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 10 times or less, preferably 5 times or less.
In addition, the peak area derived from guanylic acid is 0.01 times or more, preferably 0.02 times or more, more preferably 0.03 times or more, the peak area derived from the internal standard. The upper limit of this area ratio is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 5 times or less, preferably 1 time or less.

[LC/MS analysis method]
Using 1 g of dried herbs, extract the components of the dried herbs with 100 ml of hot water (initial temperature 85°C) for 5 minutes. Add 2 ml of the resulting hot water extract to a 10 ml test tube, and then add 7 ml of ultrapure water. Furthermore, L-phenylalanine is added as an internal standard substance at a ratio of 24.6 μg/g of the anhydrous equivalent of the dried herb to prepare a sample. The sample is then analyzed by LC/MS. , and obtain a chromatogram.

The dried herbs according to the present embodiment are used in food and beverage applications. For example, the herbs according to the present embodiment are added to other food and beverage ingredients and consumed. Specifically, the dried herbs can be mixed into bread, naan, etc. Also, the dried herbs can be mixed with salt and oil and used as seasonings or dressings for french fries, salads, pastas, etc.
In addition, like tea leaves, the dried herbs of this embodiment can be mixed with a liquid such as hot water and the ingredients can be extracted into the liquid phase to be used as a beverage.

In the following, examples will be described in order to explain the present invention in more detail. However, the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to the examples.

[Experimental Example 1: Consideration of manufacturing method]
Example 1
200g of fresh basil was prepared and steamed for 2 minutes using a steamer (manufactured by Fujiwara Techno Art Co., Ltd.). The steamed basil was then cooled for 5 minutes with an electric fan to cool it down to room temperature. The cooled basil was then placed in a freezer at -20°C and stored for 12 hours. The frozen basil was then placed in a thermostatic chamber at 110°C and dried. The time required for drying was 6 hours. This resulted in the dried basil of Example 1. During the drying process, the basil was removed from the thermostatic chamber 6 times, stirred at 60 rpm for a total of 30 minutes using a mixer (Kenmix, manufactured by Aikosha Seisakusho Co., Ltd.), and returned to the thermostatic chamber again.

Example 2
200 g of fresh basil was steamed in the same manner as in Example 1. The steamed basil was immediately placed in a thermostatic chamber at 110° C. without cooling or freezing. The basil was dried in the thermostatic chamber. During the drying, the basil was stirred six times in the same manner as in Example 1. Thus, dried basil according to Example 2 was obtained. The time required for drying was six hours.

Example 3
200 g of fresh basil was steamed, cooled, and frozen in the same manner as in Example 1. Then, the basil was placed in a thermostatic chamber and dried in the same manner as in Example 1. However, no stirring was performed during drying. The time required for drying was 6 hours.

(Comparative Example 1)
Fresh basil was prepared as Comparative Example 1.

(Comparative Example 2)
Fresh basil was directly placed in a thermostatic chamber at 110° C. without going through the steaming step and the cooling and freezing steps, and dried to obtain dried basil according to Comparative Example 2. The basil was not stirred during drying.

(Comparative Example 3)
Fresh basil was subjected to a freeze-drying process to obtain dried basil according to Comparative Example 3.

(Comparative Example 4)
Without going through the steaming step, cooling step, and freezing step, 200 g of fresh basil was directly put into a thermostatic chamber at 110° C. and dried to obtain dried basil according to Comparative Example 4. During drying, the basil was stirred in the same manner as in Example 1.

(Comparative Example 5)
200 g of fresh basil was placed in a freezer at -20°C and stored for 12 hours. Next, similar to Example 1, the basil was placed in a thermostatic chamber at 110°C and dried to obtain dried basil according to Comparative Example 5. During drying, the basil was stirred similar to Example 1.

The obtained basil samples from Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 5 were evaluated for aroma (freshness) and flavor by a sensory test conducted by five expert panelists, and the scores of each panelist were averaged. The color was also evaluated in the same manner. Furthermore, the moisture content was measured. The aroma, flavor, and color were evaluated according to the following criteria.

(scent)
3: Fresh feeling (same as Example 1)
2: Not as fresh as in Example 1, but has a fresh feeling. 1: No fresh feeling (same as Comparative Example 2)

(taste)
3: Tasty (same as Example 1)
2: Not as tasty as in Example 1, but tasty 1: No tasty (similar to Comparative Example 2)

(color)
3: Bright green (Example 1)
2: Not as bright as Example 1, but a vivid green color. 1: Pale green color (similar to Comparative Example 2).

(Moisture content)
The moisture content was measured by a normal pressure heating and drying method (drying temperature: 105° C., drying time: 16 hours).

The results are summarized in Table 1. As shown in Table 1, the dried basil according to Examples 1 to 3, which had been subjected to the steaming process, were all scored 2 or more in aroma, flavor, and color, and had excellent aroma and flavor and a bright green color. In Comparative Example 1 (fresh basil), the aroma was fresh, but an unpleasant grassy smell was also felt. In addition, no flavor was obtained. The dried basil according to Comparative Examples 2 to 5 were inferior to Examples 1 to 3 in aroma (freshness) and flavor. Dried basil other than freeze-dried (Comparative Examples 2, 4, and 5) was inferior in color.

[Experimental Example 2: Examination of Composition]
In order to examine what compositional characteristics the dried basil of Example 1 has compared with other basils, the following study was carried out.

Comparative Example 1 (fresh basil), Comparative Example 2, and Example 1 were each subjected to GC/MS analysis and LC/MS analysis to perform component analysis.
In detail, the analysis was carried out under the following conditions.

[GC/MS analysis]
1.25 g of fresh basil and 0.1 g of dried basil were used and collected in a 20 mL sealed vial. Next, 4-methylthiazole (Tokyo Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) was added as an internal standard substance at a ratio of 45 μg/g based on the anhydrous equivalent amount of basil to prepare a sample. GC/MS analysis (SPME-GC-orbitrap-MS) was performed on the sample to obtain a chromatogram. GC/MS analysis was performed by sniffing GC/MS analysis to extract the components involved in the odor. The GC/MS analysis conditions were as follows:
[GC/MS analysis conditions]
Analyzer: GC-TRACE1310 (manufactured by Thermo Fisher Scientific),
MS-Q Exactive GC (Thermo Fisher Scientific),
Autosampler - TRIPLUS RSH (Thermo Fisher Scientific)
SPME conditions: Fiber - Restek PAL SPME Arrow 120 μm Carbon Wide range/PDMS (RESTEK),
Agitator temperature - 65℃,
Heating time: 5 minutes.
Adsorption time to fiber - 20 minutes
GC conditions: Inlet temperature -280℃,
Injection method – splitless,
Carrier gas – Helium,
Pressure - 140 kPa,
Analytical column: VF-5ms, 1 μm [membrane pressure], 60 m [length] × 0.25 mm [inner diameter] (Agilent Technologies),
Column temperature: Hold at 40°C for 1 minute → Raise to 150°C at 10°C/min → Raise to 260°C at 3°C/min → Raise to 300°C at 6°C/min → Hold at 300°C for 5 minutes, for a total of 60.3 minutes
MS conditions: MS connection temperature -300℃,
Ion source temperature: 230°C;
Ionization method – EI,
Positive MS scan – m/z 30-450

LC/MS Analysis
Fresh basil (12.5 g) and dried basil (1 g) were used, and the basil components were extracted with 100 ml of hot water for 5 minutes. The temperature of the hot water at the start of the extraction was 85°C. No particular treatment such as keeping warm was performed. During the extraction, the mixture of hot water and basil was left to stand without stirring. 2 mL of the obtained hot water extract was added to a 10 mL test tube, and 7 mL of ultrapure water was added for dilution. Furthermore, L-phenylalanine (L-phenylalanine 3-13C, Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) was added as an internal standard substance at a ratio of 24.6 μg/g relative to the anhydrous equivalent amount of the dried herb. After the test tube was shaken at room temperature for 5 minutes using a shaker, 0.5 ml of the solution in the test tube was transferred to an ultrafiltration filter. The ultrafiltration filter was centrifuged at room temperature at 15,000 rpm for 15 minutes, and the eluate from the filter was loaded onto a 0.2 μm filter to prepare a sample. The sample was then analyzed by LC/MS (LC-orbitrap-MS) under the following analytical conditions:
[LC/MS analysis conditions]
Analytical equipment: LC-Ultimate 3000 (Thermo Fisher Scientific)
MS-Q Exactive Focus (manufactured by Thermo Fisher Scientific)
Analytical column: Discovery HS F5, 5 μm [particle size], 250 mm [length] x 4.6 mm [inner diameter] (Sigma-Aldrich)
LC conditions: column temperature -40℃,
Injection volume: 2 μL;
Mode – ESI positive,
Flow rate—0.3 mL/min;
Mobile phase - Solution A: 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution (formic acid: LCMS grade, Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.)
B liquid: Acetonitrile (LCMS grade, Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.)
Mobile phase composition: See Table 2; analysis time: 85 min.
MS conditions: ion source temperature -230℃,
MS scan - m/z 67-1,005

[GC/MS mass spectrometry results]
Table 3 shows the peak area ratios (peak area of each component/peak area of internal standard) of each component obtained by GC/MS analysis. The peak areas of the components in each sample were calculated as the peak area ratio (= peak area of each component / peak area of the internal standard) at each retention time and compared. .

As shown in Table 3, it was confirmed that the amount of unpleasant aroma components 2-hexenal and hexanal was reduced in the dried basil of Example 1 compared to the fresh basil of Comparative Example 1. On the other hand, it was confirmed that the dried basil of Example 1 retained a large amount of eugenol, a component responsible for the fresh aroma characteristic of basil, compared to the dried basil of Comparative Example 2.

Specifically, 2-hexenal could not be detected in Example 1. In contrast, in Comparative Example 1, which was fresh basil, the peak area ratio of 2-hexenal to eugenol was about 0.080. In Comparative Example 2, the area ratio was about 0.027.
In Example 1, the peak area ratio of hexanal to eugenol was about 0.0001. In contrast, in Comparative Example 1, which is fresh basil, the peak area ratio was about 0.017. In Comparative Example 2, the peak area ratio was about 0.027.

[LC/MS results]
The results of LC/MS are shown in Table 4. The exact mass (m/z) of the protonated product of each component was extracted from the LC/MS total ion chromatogram, and the peak area was obtained. The components in each sample were calculated as the peak area ratio (= peak area of each component / peak area of internal standard) at each retention time and compared.

Table 4 shows the peak area ratios of L-aspartic acid and L-glutamic acid relative to the internal standard.
As shown in Table 4, the dried basil of Example 1 contained more L-aspartic acid and L-glutamic acid than the other dried basil (Comparative Example 2). In particular, it contained a large amount of L-glutamic acid, an amino acid that contributes to umami.
From this, it is believed that the excellent flavor of the dried basil in Example 1 is due to the large amount of L-glutamic acid contained therein.
Specifically, the peak area ratio of L-glutamic acid to the internal standard was 45.359 in Example 1. In contrast, it was 5.062 in Comparative Example 2. It was 39.770 in Comparative Example 1 (fresh basil).
The peak area ratio of L-aspartic acid to the internal standard was 8.387 in Example 1, 2.384 in Comparative Example 2, and 19.251 in Comparative Example 1.
From the results in Table 4, although the total amount of glutamic acid (L-glutamic acid and D-glutamic acid) is unclear, it is clear that the amount is at least equal to or greater than that of L-glutamic acid. The same is true for aspartic acid.

Furthermore, Table 4 shows the peak area ratios to the internal standard for each of Fru-Glu, Fru-Asp, and guanylic acid.
The amount of these components in the dried basil of Example 1 was greater than that in other basilicas. These components have the effect of enhancing the umami taste of glutamic acid. Therefore, it is believed that the reason why the dried basil of Example 1 had excellent umami taste is because it contained a large amount of these components.

Specifically, the peak area ratio of Fru-Glu to the internal standard was 9.570 in Example 1, 0.699 in Comparative Example 2, and not detectable in Comparative Example 1.

The peak area ratio of Fru-Asp to the internal standard was 0.327 in Example 1, 0.025 in Comparative Example 2, and not detectable in Comparative Example 1.

The peak area ratio of guanylic acid to the internal standard was 0.036 in Example 1, 0.001 in Comparative Example 2, and not detectable in Comparative Example 1.

Claims (6)

A process for deactivating the enzymes in the raw herbs;
drying the herbs after the step of inactivating the enzymes;
Equipped with
1. A method for producing dried herbs, comprising:
The step of deactivating the enzymes comprises steaming the fresh herbs for 30 seconds to 5 minutes;
the drying step includes agitating the herbs;
The herb is at least one selected from basil, wasabi leaf, shiso, cilantro, rosemary, arugula, selvatica, thyme, chervil, sage, dill, mint, Italian parsley, oregano, marjoram, fennel, savory, coriander, tarragon, chives, and lemongrass;
The method includes a step of cooling the herbs to 0 to 30°C after the steaming step and before the drying step, and does not use salts and/or sugars. The method for producing dried herbs according to claim 1 further comprises a step of freezing the herbs at 0°C or below after the air-cooling step and before the drying step. The method according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the drying step is carried out at 60 to 130°C. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the drying step is carried out so that the moisture content of the herbs is 0.1 to 10% by mass. Producing dried herbs by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ;
adding the dried herbs to other food and beverage ingredients;
A method for producing food and beverages, comprising: Producing dried herbs by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ;
mixing the dried herbs with a liquid to extract the ingredients into the liquid phase;
A method for producing a beverage comprising: