JP7640229B2 - Miso and its manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to miso and a method for producing miso.

Miso is usually produced by steaming grains such as rice or wheat, inoculating the steamed grains with koji mold containing koji mold and cultivating them to produce rice koji, and then adding a mixture of the resulting rice koji and steamed soybeans, which are obtained by steaming soybeans, to a salt solution for fermentation and aging.

Miso has a unique flavor and is an excellent seasoning used in cooking a variety of dishes. Various attempts have been made to make miso even better as a seasoning. For example, Patent Document 1 describes miso with improved flavor, which is made by adding specific amounts of histidine, lactic acid, potassium, and inosinic acid to miso.

JP 2000-253845 A

However, the effect of improving the taste of miso described in Patent Document 1 is limited and insufficient. Furthermore, little is known about miso with improved sweetness or miso that spreads the flavor of the food it is used in inside the mouth.

The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a miso that imparts a sweeter taste to itself or to dishes in which it is used, as well as a method for producing said miso.

In order to solve the above problems, the inventors reviewed the ingredients and manufacturing method of miso, and further conducted extensive research into the more than 1,000 aroma and flavor components that are said to exist, and repeated trial and error to obtain miso with enhanced sweetness. Finally, they succeeded in obtaining miso containing a specified amount of aroma components not contained in conventional miso by fermenting and maturing a mixture of rice koji and yeast-fermented soy sauce moromi broth, which is obtained by external addition or by subjecting soy sauce moromi broth obtained after lactic acid fermentation to solid-liquid separation and fermenting with yeast.

Surprisingly, this miso contains a certain amount of aromatic components not found in conventional miso, and compared to regular miso, it has a less miso-like flavor and a sweeter taste. Furthermore, when it is dipped in meat and cooked, the resulting dish has a sweeter taste due to the fat in the meat, which spreads in the mouth and becomes highly palatable.

The present invention has been completed based on the above-mentioned success stories and findings.

Thus, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided:
[1] A miso having a phenethyl acetate content and/or a phenethyl alcohol content in any one of the amounts (1) to (3) below.
(1) The miso according to [1], wherein the phenethyl acetate content is 50 ppb or more; (2) the phenethyl alcohol content is 2,500 ppb or more; (3) the phenethyl acetate content is 50 ppb or more and the phenethyl alcohol content is 2,500 ppb or more; [2] and further the decadienal content is 50 ppb or less.
[3] The miso according to any one of [1] to [2], further comprising a furfural content of 60 ppb or less.
[4] A method for producing miso, comprising the steps of: subjecting soy sauce koji and salt water to a mixing process and a lactic acid fermentation process to obtain soy sauce moromi broth; subjecting the soy sauce moromi broth to yeast fermentation using soy sauce yeast to obtain a mixture of the yeast fermented soy sauce moromi broth and rice koji; and fermenting and maturing the mixture to obtain miso.
[5] The method for producing miso according to [4], wherein the mass ratio of the yeast fermentation product of the soy sauce moromi liquid to the rice koji is 4 to 6:6 to 4.

According to one aspect of the miso of the present invention, by containing a predetermined amount of phenethyl acetate and/or a predetermined amount of phenethyl alcohol, it is possible to provide dishes that have a reduced miso flavor and an increased sweetness, making them highly palatable, compared to dishes that use conventional miso.

According to another aspect of the miso of the present invention, by containing a specified amount of phenethyl acetate and a specified amount of phenethyl alcohol, it is possible to provide a highly palatable meat dish in which the fat of the meat tastes sweeter and spreads in the mouth, making it more delicious, compared to meat dishes that use conventional miso.

Furthermore, the miso of one embodiment of the present invention can be produced by mixing previously prepared yeast fermented soy sauce moromi liquid with rice koji, followed by fermentation and aging, and therefore can be easily produced not only by miso manufacturers but also at home.

FIG. 1 is a set of photographs showing the results of observing the appearance of liquid fermented miso 1 over time, as described in the Examples section below. FIG. 2 is a photograph showing the results of observing the appearance of liquid fermented misos 2A to 2D, as described in the Examples below. FIG. 3 is a photograph of beef coated with liquid fermented miso 1 and grilled beef with miso after cooking, as described in the Examples below.

The miso and method of the present invention, which are one embodiment of the present invention, are described in detail below, but the present invention is not limited to the items in this section and can take various forms as long as the object of the present invention is achieved.

Unless otherwise specified, each term in this specification is used in the sense commonly used by those skilled in the art and should not be construed as having an unduly restrictive meaning. Furthermore, the speculations and theories made in this specification are based on the inventors' knowledge and experience to date, and therefore the present invention is not limited solely to such speculations and theories.

"Content" is synonymous with concentration and means the ratio (e.g., mass %) of the amount (e.g., mass) of a component to the total amount (e.g., mass) of the miso. However, the total amount of the content of the components does not exceed 100%.
"ppb" is a unit as commonly known, specifically, 1 ppb is 1 ng/g (w/w).
"ppm" is a unit as commonly known, specifically, 1 ppm is 1 μg/g (w/w).
"Sweetness" refers to what are known as basic tastes, including sourness, saltiness, bitterness, and umami, as commonly known. Sweetness can be expressed as the taste felt, for example, by the sense of taste when a sweetener such as sucrose is placed in the mouth.
"Spread" refers to the flavor filling the mouth and leaving a lingering aftertaste, not just the taste but also the sense of smell.
"Fermentation" and "aging" are not strictly distinct because they can occur simultaneously, and are sometimes referred to collectively as "fermentation." Normally, in fermentation, microorganisms such as lactic acid bacteria and yeast assimilate and grow the ingredients in the raw materials, and substance transformation occurs, while in aging, substance transformation occurs by enzymes produced by the microorganisms, resulting in the production of flavorful substances, aromatic substances, coloring substances, etc.
The term "and/or" means any one or any or all combinations of two or more of the associated listed items.
In this specification, the term "to" in a numerical range means a range including the numerical values before and after it. For example, "0% by mass to 100% by mass" means a range that is equal to or greater than 0% by mass and equal to or less than 100% by mass.
The term "original flavor of miso" refers to the aroma of miso made by normal methods using soybeans, wheat and rice as ingredients, which escapes from the mouth to the nose when eating or drinking. When simply referring to "aroma," it refers to the aroma felt only by the nose without eating or drinking.
"Comprising" means that elements other than the elements explicitly stated as being included can be added (same meaning as "comprising at least"), but also encompasses "consisting of" and "consisting essentially of." That is, "comprising" can mean including the elements explicitly stated and any one or more elements, consisting of the elements explicitly stated, or consisting essentially of the elements explicitly stated. Elements include limitations such as ingredients, steps, conditions, and parameters.

The number of digits in an integer value is the same as the number of significant digits. For example, 1 has one significant digit, and 10 has two significant digits. Also, the number of digits after the decimal point in a decimal value is the same as the number of significant digits. For example, 0.1 has one significant digit, and 0.10 has two significant digits.

The miso of one embodiment of the present invention is characterized by containing a predetermined amount of phenethyl acetate, a predetermined amount of phenethyl alcohol, or both. The miso of one embodiment of the present invention is broadly classified into miso of the first to third embodiments based on these. That is, the miso of the first embodiment of the present invention contains a predetermined amount of phenethyl acetate. The miso of the second embodiment of the present invention contains a predetermined amount of phenethyl alcohol. The miso of the third embodiment of the present invention contains a predetermined amount of phenethyl acetate and a predetermined amount of phenethyl alcohol.

The miso according to the first to third aspects of the present invention preferably contains a predetermined amount of decadienal and/or furfural. Phenethyl acetate, phenethyl alcohol, decadienal, and furfural are compounds represented by the following formulas (1) to (4), respectively.

Miso (also called miso) is not particularly limited as long as it is used as a commonly known semi-solid seasoning, and examples include those described in the "Miso Quality Labeling Standards" notification of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and includes miso, rice miso, barley miso, soybean miso, and blended miso, with miso, rice miso, and blended miso obtained using rice koji as a raw material being preferred.

The content of phenethyl acetate in the miso of the first embodiment of the present invention is an amount that makes the miso of the first embodiment of the present invention taste sweeter than commercially available miso, and/or an amount that makes the flavor of the resulting meat dish taste better than that of commercially available miso when the miso of the first embodiment of the present invention is used to cook meat. Specifically, the content of phenethyl acetate in the miso of the first embodiment of the present invention is 50 ppb or more, and from the viewpoint of making the saltiness of the meat dish milder and sweeter, it is preferably 80 ppb or more, more preferably 100 ppb or more, even more preferably 150 ppb or more, and even more preferably 200 ppb or more. The upper limit of the phenethyl acetate content may be set appropriately according to the inherent flavor of the miso, and is not particularly limited, but is typically about 1 ppm.

The content of phenethyl alcohol in the miso of the second embodiment of the present invention is an amount that makes the miso of the second embodiment of the present invention taste sweeter than commercially available miso, and/or an amount that makes the flavor of the meat dish taste better than that of commercially available miso when the miso of the second embodiment of the present invention is used to cook meat. Specifically, the content of phenethyl alcohol in the miso of the second embodiment of the present invention is 2,500 ppb or more, and from the viewpoint of feeling the fullness of the fat of the meat dish and feeling a sweeter taste, it is preferably 3,000 ppb or more, more preferably 5,000 ppb or more, and even more preferably 8,000 ppb or more. The upper limit of the phenethyl alcohol content may be set appropriately according to the inherent flavor of the miso, and is not particularly limited, but is typically about 100 ppm.

The phenethyl acetate content and phenethyl alcohol content in the miso of the third embodiment of the present invention are the phenethyl acetate content in the miso of the first embodiment of the present invention and the phenethyl alcohol content in the miso of the second embodiment of the present invention described above.

Phenethyl acetate and phenethyl alcohol can impart a favorable flavor to miso. In contrast, decadienal is an oxidized product of fats and oils, and can impart an oxidized oily odor to miso, which can have a negative effect on the flavor of miso. Similarly, furfural also has a unique odor and can have a negative effect on the flavor of miso.

The content of decadienal in the miso of one embodiment of the present invention is preferably an amount that suppresses the oxidized odor of oil in the miso of one embodiment of the present invention compared to commercially available miso, specifically, 100 ppb or less, and from the viewpoint of preventing a loss of flavor breadth and/or a decrease in sweetness, is more preferably 80 ppb or less, even more preferably 60 ppb or less, and even more preferably 50 ppb or less. The lower limit of the content of decadienal in the miso of one embodiment of the present invention is not particularly limited, and may be less than the lower limit of detection, i.e., substantially 0 ppb.

The content of furfural in the miso of one embodiment of the present invention is preferably an amount such that the miso of one embodiment of the present invention has a lesser furfural-specific aroma than commercially available miso, specifically, 150 ppb or less, and from the viewpoint of preventing a loss of flavor breadth and/or a decrease in sweetness, is more preferably 100 ppb or less, even more preferably 70 ppb or less, and even more preferably 60 ppb or less. The lower limit of the furfural content in the miso of one embodiment of the present invention is not particularly limited, and may be less than the lower limit of detection, i.e., substantially 0 ppb.

The contents of phenethyl acetate, phenethyl alcohol, decadienal and furfural in the miso of one embodiment of the present invention can be measured by the method described in the Examples below. Therefore, the contents of phenethyl acetate, phenethyl alcohol, decadienal and furfural described above are values obtained by measurement by the method described in the Examples below.

The miso of one embodiment of the present invention can impart a sweetness to itself or to a dish in which it is used, as compared to conventional miso in which the content of phenethyl acetate is not the above-mentioned specified amount and/or the content of phenethyl alcohol is not the above-mentioned specified amount. The sweetness of the miso of one embodiment of the present invention can be confirmed by the miso sensory evaluation, cooking sensory evaluation (1) and/or cooking sensory evaluation (2) described in the examples below.

The amount of miso according to one embodiment of the present invention used can be appropriately set depending on the type of food ingredient and food and drink to which the miso according to one embodiment of the present invention is to be used, and is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, about the same amount as that of conventional miso.

The miso of one embodiment of the present invention can be produced by a method that can obtain a miso that can solve the problems of the present invention. That is, the miso of one embodiment of the present invention can be produced by a method that can obtain a miso having a predetermined amount of phenethyl acetate and/or phenethyl alcohol, preferably a miso having a predetermined amount of phenethyl acetate and/or phenethyl alcohol, and a predetermined amount of decadienal and/or furfural, and is not particularly limited.

For example, when the content of phenethyl acetate in the miso used to obtain the miso of one embodiment of the present invention is less than the above-mentioned predetermined amount, the miso can be adjusted to the predetermined amount by adding phenethyl acetate and/or a phenethyl acetate-containing material to the miso. That is, the miso of one embodiment of the present invention can be produced by adding phenethyl acetate to miso produced by a commonly known method such as commercially available miso, and mixing them. The phenethyl acetate-containing material is not particularly limited as long as it contains phenethyl acetate measured by the method described in the Examples below. Similarly, the miso can be adjusted to the predetermined amount by adding phenethyl alcohol and/or a phenethyl alcohol-containing material to the miso. Furthermore, the decadienal and/or furfural in the miso used can be adsorbed and removed, thereby adjusting the decadienal and/or furfural to the predetermined amount.

However, the miso of one embodiment of the present invention is preferably obtained by fermenting and maturing a mixture of rice koji and yeast fermentation product of soy sauce moromi liquid obtained by the method described below. In other words, the miso of one embodiment of the present invention is preferably not obtained by externally adding phenethyl acetate and/or phenethyl alcohol to miso, but is preferably obtained by a normal miso manufacturing method using yeast fermentation product of soy sauce moromi liquid and rice koji as raw materials. In this way, the phenethyl acetate and/or phenethyl alcohol in the miso of one embodiment of the present invention is preferably not an externally added refined product or ingredient thereof, but is produced during the miso manufacturing process.

Another aspect of the present invention is a method for producing miso containing a predetermined amount of phenethyl acetate and/or phenethyl alcohol. The miso of one aspect of the present invention can be produced by the method for producing miso of one aspect of the present invention.

The method for producing miso according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a step of obtaining soy sauce moromi soup by subjecting soy sauce koji and salt water to a mixing process and a lactic acid fermentation process, and then subjecting the soy sauce moromi soup to a solid-liquid separation process, and a step of obtaining miso by fermenting and maturing a mixture of rice koji and the yeast fermented soy sauce moromi soup obtained by subjecting the soy sauce moromi soup to yeast fermentation using soy sauce yeast.

In one embodiment of the miso production method of the present invention, unlike ordinary miso production methods, the soy sauce moromi mash after lactic acid fermentation is not continuously subjected to yeast fermentation, but is separated into an insoluble solid portion (soy sauce moromi concentrate) and a liquid portion (soy sauce moromi soup) so that oil is removed from the soy sauce moromi mash before being subjected to yeast fermentation, and then the soy sauce moromi soup is subjected to yeast fermentation to obtain a mixture of the yeast fermented soy sauce moromi soup and rice koji, which is then fermented and matured to obtain miso. Thus, the method includes a step of obtaining soy sauce moromi soup from soy sauce moromi mash, and a step of obtaining miso by fermenting and maturing a mixture of the yeast fermented soy sauce moromi soup and rice koji. The miso obtained in this manner may be, for example, miso having a phenethyl acetate content of 50 ppb or more, miso having a phenethyl alcohol content of 2,500 ppb or more, or miso having a phenethyl acetate content of 50 ppb or more and a phenethyl alcohol content of 2,500 ppb or more. For convenience, this specification also describes the process of obtaining soy sauce moromi mash, which is a step prior to the process of obtaining soy sauce moromi soup from soy sauce moromi mash. The method for producing miso according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a process of obtaining soy sauce moromi mash, or may use soy sauce moromi mash obtained by purchase or the like.

The process for obtaining soy sauce moromi is not particularly limited as long as it is a process up to obtaining soy sauce moromi in a commonly known method for producing soy sauce. In the case of the traditional brewing method, soy sauce is produced by inoculating and cultivating a mixture of protein raw materials such as heat-denatured soybeans and starchy raw materials such as wheat that have been gelatinized by heating with koji mold containing koji mold to produce koji, then placing the obtained soy sauce koji in salt water for lactic acid fermentation and maturation to obtain soy sauce moromi, then fermenting and maturing the obtained soy sauce moromi with yeast to obtain matured moromi, then subjecting the obtained matured moromi to compression and filtration to obtain raw soy sauce, and then pasteurizing the obtained raw soy sauce.

One aspect of the process for obtaining soy sauce moromi mash is, for example, a process in which seed koji is inoculated into a soy sauce raw material, which is a mixture of steamed and denatured soybeans or steamed and denatured soybeans and roasted and crushed barley, and then the soy sauce koji is obtained by aeration koji-making at 20°C to 40°C for several hours to several days, preferably 1 to 4 days, and then the soy sauce koji is put into a salt solution prepared by adding salt to water so that the salt concentration becomes 20% (w/v) to 30% (w/v), and optionally soy sauce lactic acid bacteria are added, and the mixture is subjected to a mixing process under conditions of 10 to 200 days, preferably 15 to 40 days, while being appropriately stirred at 15°C to 40°C, to obtain soy sauce moromi mash. In this mixing process, the action of soy sauce koji and lactic acid fermentation by soy sauce lactic acid bacteria can occur. It is preferable to add soy sauce lactic acid bacteria in the mixing process in the process for obtaining soy sauce moromi mash.

The raw materials for soy sauce are not particularly limited, but examples include soybeans such as whole soybeans and defatted soybeans, wheat, barley, naked barley, barley, barley, barley, wheat gluten, rice, corn, etc.

The koji mold is not particularly limited as long as it is a koji mold that is normally used in the production of soy sauce, and examples thereof include Aspergillus oryzae , Aspergillus sojae , etc. The soy sauce lactic acid bacteria is not particularly limited as long as it is a soy sauce lactic acid bacteria that is normally used in the production of soy sauce, and examples thereof include salt-tolerant lactic acid bacteria such as Tetragenococcus halophilus .

In the process of obtaining soy sauce moromi, if the amount of starchy raw materials such as wheat or rice among the soy sauce raw materials is small, the reducing sugar content will be low, and there is a possibility that a soy sauce moromi that can be properly fermented with yeast will not be obtained. Therefore, it is preferable that the amount of starchy raw materials such as wheat or rice among the soy sauce raw materials is an amount that can obtain a soy sauce moromi with a high reducing sugar content. However, this does not apply when a soy sauce moromi with a high reducing sugar content is obtained by adding reducing sugar components such as glucose, fructose, maltose, sugar, mirin, etc. to the soy sauce moromi. In other words, soy sauce koji includes adjusted soy sauce koji that is obtained by obtaining soy sauce koji with a high total nitrogen content by inoculating a protein raw material such as soybeans with seed koji and making koji, and then adding reducing sugar components to adjust it. Note that reducing sugar means direct reducing sugar as defined in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' Notification "Japanese Agricultural Standards for Soy Sauce".

In the process of obtaining soy sauce moromi broth, soy sauce moromi broth is obtained by a solid-liquid separation process that removes insoluble solids from soy sauce moromi broth that contains insoluble solids derived from soy sauce raw materials such as soybeans and wheat. The solid-liquid separation process is not particularly limited, but examples include commonly known solid-liquid separation methods, specifically squeezing and filtration processes that are commonly used in soy sauce manufacturing methods, and more specifically squeezing and filtration processes that use a press machine with a filter cloth and membrane filtration processes that use various permeable membranes such as UF membranes and MF membranes. The solid-liquid separation process can be performed using one of the above processes or methods alone, or two or more of them in combination.

A sterilization treatment may be carried out to remove microorganisms from the soy sauce moromi mash. There are no particular limitations on the sterilization treatment, but specific examples include filtration treatment using various permeable membranes such as MF membranes and UF membranes, and heating treatment in which the temperature is raised to a level at which the microorganisms are killed. The sterilization treatment may be performed using one of the above-mentioned treatments or methods alone, or in combination of two or more. The sterilization treatment may be a treatment that removes microorganisms from the system, as well as a treatment that kills microorganisms present in the system without removing them from the system.

If a filtration process using a membrane that is impermeable to microorganisms is used during solid-liquid separation, the solid-liquid separation process and the sterilization process can be combined. Therefore, the solid-liquid separation process and the sterilization process in the process of obtaining soy sauce moromi may be performed as separate processes, or may be performed as a single integrated process. There is no restriction on the order of the solid-liquid separation process and the sterilization process, and either may be performed first, but it is preferable to subject the liquid portion obtained after the solid-liquid separation process to the sterilization process.

In the process of obtaining soy sauce moromi mash, it is preferable to remove oils in addition to insoluble solids from the soy sauce moromi mash. For example, the pressed liquid obtained by pressing the soy sauce moromi mash can be subjected to a filtration process using diatomaceous earth once or twice or more times to remove insoluble solids and oils from the soy sauce moromi mash.

In the process of obtaining miso by fermenting and maturing a mixture of yeast-fermented soy sauce moromi liquid and rice koji, first, the soy sauce moromi liquid is subjected to conventional yeast fermentation using soy sauce yeast commonly used in the production of soy sauce under conditions according to the type and number of bacteria of the soy sauce yeast, etc. The soy sauce yeast is not particularly limited as long as it is a yeast commonly used in the production of soy sauce, and examples thereof include salt-tolerant yeasts such as Zygosaccharomyces rouxii , Zygosaccharomyces bailli, Candida etchellsii , and Candida versatilis.

The yeast fermentation period is not particularly limited as long as it is a period of yeast fermentation employed in a normal soy sauce production method, but for example, when Zygosaccharomyces rouxii is used as the soy sauce yeast, it is about 10 to 100 days, preferably about 14 to 60 days, at 15° C. to 30° C. Furthermore, the yeast fermentation period is preferably a period during which the amount of ethanol produced is maximized.

Yeast fermentation can be easily carried out, for example, by placing the soy sauce moromi liquid and soy sauce yeast in a soy sauce bottle that is suitable for yeast fermentation and in which the fermented liquid can be used immediately after yeast fermentation, and leaving it to stand at room temperature for yeast fermentation.

Because yeast fermentation uses soy sauce moromi soup from which insoluble solids have been removed beforehand, what is obtained after yeast fermentation is a liquid yeast fermented product with a low solid content. In the process of obtaining miso by fermenting and maturing a mixture of the yeast fermented soy sauce moromi soup with rice koji, the yeast fermented product obtained in this manner is mixed with rice koji, and the resulting mixture is fermented and maturated to obtain miso. At this time, the yeast fermented soy sauce moromi soup is mixed with rice koji without being subjected to sterilization treatment such as heat sterilization, or bacterial cell removal treatment such as centrifugation or filtration.

The rice koji is not particularly limited as long as it is rice koji that is normally used in the production of miso. However, since the yeast fermentation product of soy sauce moromi is in a liquid state, it is preferable to use dried rice koji with less moisture, and dried rice koji with a moisture content of 10% or less is even more preferable.

The ratio of the yeast fermentation product of the soy sauce moromi liquid to the rice koji is not particularly limited as long as the miso of one embodiment of the present invention is obtained, but if either one of them is excessive and the other is too little, the fermentation and maturation to obtain the miso may be insufficient or may take a long time. Therefore, the ratio of the yeast fermentation product of the soy sauce moromi liquid to the rice koji is preferably 4-6:6-4 by mass, more preferably 4.5-5.5:5.5-4.5, and even more preferably 5:5.

The fermentation and maturation of the yeast-fermented soy sauce moromi liquid and the rice koji can be carried out in accordance with the usual method of producing miso, and is not particularly limited. For example, it can be carried out in accordance with the management of normal miso, at 15°C to 25°C, preferably 20°C, for several days to several weeks, preferably about 10 to 20 days, by appropriately stirring in a sealed container and removing the air from the mixture.

In one embodiment of the miso of the present invention, the phenethyl acetate content and/or the phenethyl alcohol content are predetermined amounts, preferably the phenethyl acetate content and/or the phenethyl alcohol content are predetermined amounts, and the decadienal and/or furfural content are predetermined amounts, and the miso may contain various other ingredients as long as they do not interfere with the solution of the problems of the present invention. The other components are not particularly limited, but may be, for example, components or ingredients normally used in the production of miso, specifically sugars (sugar, molasses, and other sugars), flavoring ingredients (powder and extract concentrates of dried bonito, boiled fish, kelp, etc., fish sauce, protein hydrolysates, yeast extract, meat extract (chicken extract, pork extract, beef extract, fish meat extract, etc.), and other foods similar thereto), vegetable ingredients (radish, carrot, onion, garlic, etc.), fruit juice (apple juice, etc.), spices (ginger, chili pepper, pepper, basil, oregano, etc.), chemical seasonings (monosodium glutamate, sodium inosinate, etc.), flavors, etc., and these may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The content of the other components may be appropriately set as long as the problem of the present invention can be solved.

In one embodiment of the present invention, miso can be packaged in a container and sealed to produce packaged miso. The container is not particularly limited, but examples include packaging containers such as single-layer or laminated film bags, retort pouches, vacuum packs, aluminum containers, plastic containers, bottles, and cans made of metals such as aluminum, paper, plastics such as PET and PTP, and glass. Packaged miso can be sold commercially and distributed independently by itself.

The miso according to one embodiment of the present invention can be used in the same way as ordinary miso. That is, the miso according to one embodiment of the present invention can be used alone or in combination with the above-mentioned sugars, flavoring ingredients, vegetable ingredients, fruit juices, spices, chemical seasonings, flavors, and other seasoning ingredients such as dashi, acidulants, amino acids, nucleic acids, organic acids, protein hydrolysates, sugars, sake, mirin, alcohol, thickeners, emulsifiers, and inorganic salts, in cooking and processing methods for various ingredients. For example, the miso according to one embodiment of the present invention can be used in various dishes such as Japanese food, Western food, and Chinese food, and specifically, it can be used in meat dishes, yakiniku sauce, miso soup, miso-flavored instant noodles, soup for hot pot dishes, grilled rice balls, Chinese seasonings such as sweet bean paste and doubanjiang, confectioneries such as miso-flavored rice crackers, manju, bread, soup, and the like, but is not limited to these.

Non-limiting specific examples of the miso according to one embodiment of the present invention include miso having the following phenethyl acetate content:
Phenethyl acetate: 50 ppb to 500 ppb

Non-limiting specific examples of the miso according to one embodiment of the present invention include miso having the following phenethyl alcohol content:
Phenethyl alcohol: 2,500 ppb to 20,000 ppb

A non-limiting specific embodiment of the miso according to the present invention is, for example, a miso having the following contents of phenethyl acetate and phenethyl alcohol:
Phenethyl acetate: 50 ppb to 500 ppb
Phenethyl alcohol: 2,500 ppb to 20,000 ppb

A non-limiting specific embodiment of the miso according to the present invention includes, for example, a miso having the following contents of phenethyl acetate, phenethyl alcohol, and decadienal:
Phenethyl acetate: 50 ppb to 500 ppb
Phenethyl alcohol: 2,500 ppb to 20,000 ppb
Decadienal: 0 ppb to 50 ppb

A non-limiting specific embodiment of the miso according to the present invention includes, for example, a miso having the following contents of phenethyl acetate, phenethyl alcohol, decadienal, and furfural:
Phenethyl acetate: 50 ppb to 500 ppb
Phenethyl alcohol: 2,500 ppb to 20,000 ppb
Decadienal: 0 ppb to 50 ppb
Furfural: 0 ppb to 60 ppb

The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples, and the present invention can take various forms as long as the object of the present invention can be solved.

[1. Preparation of test seasonings]
1-1. Preparation of liquid fermented miso A mixture of steamed soybeans and crushed roasted wheat in a ratio of 6:4 was inoculated with Aspergillus sojae koji starter, and koji was produced for 43 hours by a conventional method to obtain soy sauce koji.

100 parts by mass of the obtained soy sauce koji was added to 94 parts by mass of salt solution (salt concentration 24% (w/v)), and soy sauce lactic acid bacteria ( Tetragenococcus halophilus ) was further added, followed by lactic acid fermentation treatment for 30 days at 15 to 25° C. with appropriate stirring according to a conventional method to produce soy sauce moromi mash. The obtained soy sauce moromi mash was pressed for solid-liquid separation, and the obtained pressed liquid was subjected to filtration treatment using diatomaceous earth to obtain soy sauce moromi mash.

Salt-tolerant yeast ( Zygosaccharomyces rouxii ) was added to the obtained soy sauce moromi broth to a concentration of 1.0 x 10 ⁶ cells/ml, and yeast fermentation was carried out at 20°C for 20 days without stirring to obtain a yeast-fermented soy sauce moromi broth.

100 parts by weight of the yeast fermented soy sauce moromi liquid obtained was mixed with 100 parts by weight of dried rice koji ("Dried koji" manufactured by Uonuma Niigata Bussan Co., Ltd.), and fermented and matured in a sealed container for 14 days at 20°C while stirring appropriately and removing air from the mixture in accordance with normal miso management, to obtain liquid fermented miso 1.

Liquid fermented miso 2 was obtained in the same manner as liquid fermented miso 1, except that "Plus Koji Rice Koji" (manufactured by Marukome Co., Ltd.) was used as the dried rice koji. Liquid fermented miso 2A to 2D were obtained in the same manner as liquid fermented miso 1, using "Plus Koji Rice Koji" (manufactured by Marukome Co., Ltd.) as the dried rice koji and setting the ratio of yeast fermented soy sauce moromi liquid to dried rice koji (yeast fermented soy sauce moromi liquid: dried rice koji) to 4:6, 6:4, 3:7, and 7:3, respectively.

1-2. Preparation of rice koji mixture The soy sauce moromi liquid before yeast fermentation and the dried rice koji used in the liquid fermented misos 1 and 2 were mixed to obtain rice koji mixtures 1 and 2 that were not yeast fermented, respectively.

1-3. Preparation of Commercially Available Miso and Soy Sauce Koji Commercially available misos 1 to 3 were "Namazume Additive-Free Awase Miso" (Fundokin Shoyu Co., Ltd.), "Plus Koji Additive-Free Koji Bijin" (Marukome Co., Ltd.), and "Yuki-chan's Nihonkai Miso" (Nihonkai Miso Soy Sauce Co., Ltd.). As soy sauce koji 1, "Soy Sauce Koji" (Uchiyama Miso Ajiten Co., Ltd.) was used.

1-4. Preparation of commercial miso containing added P acetate 1 g of 98% pure phenethyl acetate (Sigma-Aldrich) was placed in a 100 ml measuring flask and diluted with 95% ethanol to prepare a phenethyl acetate stock solution (1 g/100 ml). Next, the phenethyl acetate stock solution was diluted with water so that the amount added was 100 μl and the content of phenethyl acetate in the commercial miso 2 after the addition was 50 ppb, 80 ppb, 100 ppb, and 150 ppb, to prepare each phenethyl acetate solution.

By adding and mixing the phenethyl acetate solution with commercially available miso 2, P-acetate-added commercially available miso 1 to 4 with phenethyl acetate contents of 50 ppb, 80 ppb, 100 ppb, and 150 ppb were obtained.

1-5. Preparation of P-alcohol-added commercial miso 1 g of 98% purity phenethyl alcohol (Tokyo Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) was placed in a 100 ml measuring flask and diluted with 95% ethanol to prepare a phenethyl alcohol stock solution (1 g/100 ml). Next, the phenethyl alcohol stock solution was diluted with water so that the amount added was 100 μl and the content of phenethyl alcohol in the commercial miso 2 after the addition was 2,500 ppb, 3,000 ppb, 5,000 ppb, and 8,000 ppb, to prepare each phenethyl alcohol solution.

By adding and mixing the phenethyl alcohol solution with commercially available miso 2, P-alcohol-added commercially available miso 1 to 4 with phenethyl alcohol contents of 2,500 ppb, 3,000 ppb, 5,000 ppb, and 8,000 ppb were obtained.

1-6. Preparation of decadienal-added liquid fermented miso 1 g of 90% pure (E,E)-2,4-decadienal (manufactured by Tokyo Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) was placed in a 100 ml measuring flask and diluted with 95% ethanol to prepare a decadienal stock solution (1 g/100 ml). Next, the decadienal stock solution was diluted with water so that the amount added was 100 μl and the content of decadienal in the liquid fermented miso 1 after the addition was 50 ppb, 60 ppb, 80 ppb, and 100 ppb, to prepare each decadienal solution.

By adding and mixing the decadienal solution with liquid fermented miso 1, decadienal-added liquid fermented miso 1 to 4 were obtained, each having a decadienal content of 50 ppb, 60 ppb, 80 ppb, and 100 ppb.

1-7. Preparation of furfural-added liquid fermented miso 1 g of 98% purity furfural (manufactured by Tokyo Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) was placed in a 100 ml measuring flask and diluted with 95% ethanol to prepare a furfural stock solution (1 g/100 ml). Next, the furfural stock solution was diluted with water so that the amount added was 100 μl and the furfural content in the liquid fermented miso 1 after addition was 60 ppb, 70 ppb, 100 ppb, and 150 ppb, to prepare each furfural solution.

By adding and mixing the furfural solution with liquid fermented miso 1, furfural-added liquid fermented miso 1 to 4 were obtained, each with a furfural content of 60 ppb, 70 ppb, 100 ppb, and 150 ppb.

2. Various Methods
2-1. Brix Measurement Method Brix was measured using a digital refractometer ("RX-5000α" manufactured by Atago Co., Ltd.).

2-2. Method for measuring aroma components The contents of aroma components in the test seasonings and 2-octanone used as an internal standard substance were measured by GC-MS using the standard addition method for the aroma concentrates obtained by subjecting the seasonings to extraction and concentration using ethyl acetate as follows.

The test seasoning was diluted 2-fold by mass with ultrapure water. Next, 2.5 g of salt and 100 μL of 2-octanone solution (20 ppm) were added to 5.0 g of the test seasoning dilution. Next, 2 mL of ethyl acetate was added, and after vigorously stirring for 5 minutes, the organic solvent layer was extracted. This operation was repeated three times, and the resulting organic solvent layer was dehydrated with anhydrous sodium sulfate and then concentrated to 500 μL to obtain an aroma concentrate.

The aroma component concentrate was introduced into a GC-MS "Agilent 5977B MSD" (Agilent Technologies) using an autosampler "Agilent 7693A" (Agilent Technologies) for analysis. The analysis was carried out with n=4. The GC/MS conditions were as follows:
Measurement mode: Scan
Column: DB-WAX (length 60 m, diameter 0.25 mm, film thickness 0.25 μm) (manufactured by Agilent Technologies)
Inlet temperature: 250℃
Temperature conditions: 40°C (3 min) hold → 6°C/min rise to 250°C → hold for 15 min Carrier: High purity helium, constant pressure mode 229 kPa
Scan mass range: m/z 30.0-250.0
Ionization method: EI
Linear flow rate: 40 cm/min
Oven temperature: 40°C (hold 3 min) → 5°C/min → 110°C → 10°C/min → 240°C (hold 5 min)
Ion source temperature: 240° C.
Transfer tube temperature: 240℃
The peak areas of the aroma components and the internal standard substance 2-octanone were determined using the following m/z values.
Phenethyl acetate: m/z 104
Phenethyl alcohol: m/z 92
Decadienal: m/z 81
Furfural: m/z 86
2-Octanone: m/z 58

2-3. Miso sensory evaluation method The sensory evaluation of miso was carried out by a panel of 10 people with discernment ability, who took a spoonful of the test seasoning at room temperature of about 25°C, smelled the aroma, and ate it, and rated the "sweet aroma" and "sweet, pleasant taste" specific to miso on a 5-point scale, and the average and standard error were calculated. The "sweet aroma" and "sweet, pleasant taste" were rated on the following 5-point scale.
"Sweet smell": A sweet smell sensed only by the nose without putting it in the mouth (orthonasal)
1: Very weak, 2: Weak, 3: Neutral, 4: Strong, 5: Very strong "Sweet and pleasant taste": The taste felt on the tongue when put in the mouth (taste)
1: Very unfavorable, 2: Unfavorable, 3: Average, 4: Favorable, 5: Very favorable

In addition, before conducting the sensory test, the panel (training period: 10-20 years) discussed the flavor of miso and underwent evaluation training. Specifically, the panel discussed and refined the characteristics of the flavor of miso so that each panelist had a common understanding. In addition, to ensure the validity of the sensory test, the panel underwent evaluation training using several test seasonings, and the reproducibility of the evaluations by each panelist was confirmed. After carrying out these tasks, the panel evaluated the flavor of miso for the test seasonings.

2-4. Cooking sensory evaluation (1) method Cooking sensory evaluation (1) was evaluated by eating beef grilled with miso cooked in the same manner as in 2-3 above. The beef grilled with miso was cooked by heating beef (offcuts) coated with the test seasoning in an oven preheated to 200°C for about 4 minutes until browned. Photographs of beef coated with liquid fermented miso 1, one of the test seasonings, and beef grilled with miso after cooking are shown in Figure 3. The finished appearance was the same as when the beef was coated with commercially available miso and grilled.

The test seasonings were eaten and the "sweet and pleasant taste" of the miso imparted to the beef was evaluated on a 5-point scale as shown below, and the average value and standard error were calculated.
"Sweet and pleasant taste"
1: Very unfavorable, 2: Unfavorable, 3: Average, 4: Favorable, 5: Very favorable

2-5. Cooking Sensory Evaluation (2) Method Cooking sensory evaluation (2) was performed in the same manner as in 2-4 above, using beef cooked in the same manner but without the test seasoning as a control, and was evaluated on the following two-point scale.
Miso with added phenethyl acetate and miso with added phenethyl alcohol:
×: No change in sweetness is felt compared to the control. ○: Sweetness is felt stronger compared to the control. Miso with added decadienal and miso with added furfural:
○: No change in sweetness felt compared to the control ×: Sweetness felt weaker compared to the control

[3. Evaluation of liquid fermented miso, commercially available miso, soy sauce koji and rice koji mixture]
Brix evaluation The Brix of the liquid fermented misos 1-2, the commercially available misos 1-3, and the soy sauce koji 1 was measured, and the results are shown in Table 1.

As shown in Table 1, liquid fermented miso 1-2 had a Brix similar to that of commercially available miso.

3-2. Evaluation of aroma components The aroma components of Liquid Fermented Miso 1-2, Commercially Available Miso 1-3, Soy Sauce Koji 1, and Rice Koji Mixture 1-2 were measured and the results are shown in Table 2. Table 3 also shows the ratio of aroma components of Liquid Fermented Miso 1-2 to Commercially Available Miso 2.

As shown in Tables 2 and 3, Liquid Fermented Miso 1 and 2 had high contents of phenethyl acetate and phenethyl alcohol.

The results of the sensory evaluation of liquid fermented miso 1-2, commercial miso 1-3, soy sauce koji 1, and rice koji mixture 1-2 are shown in Tables 4 and 5 for the categories of "sweet aroma" and "sweet and pleasant taste". The results of the cooking sensory evaluation (1) are shown in Table 6.

As shown in Tables 4 and 5, the liquid fermented miso had a stronger sweet aroma and less salty taste than commercially available miso and soy sauce koji, making it sweet and delicious. In addition, the rice koji mixture that was not fermented with yeast (a mixture of soy sauce moromi liquid after lactic acid fermentation and rice koji) looked like miso, but since it was not fermented with yeast, it had a stronger raw material smell and was inferior in flavor to liquid fermented miso. This shows that it is essential that liquid fermented miso is fermented with yeast.

As shown in Table 6, the food cooked with liquid fermented miso had a rich meat fat taste and was sweet and delicious. In contrast, the food cooked with commercial soy sauce and soy sauce koji had a strong salty and miso flavor and was less palatable. When the food cooked with the rice koji mixture was applied to the meat, the raw material odor was somewhat less noticeable.

3-4. Appearance evaluation The results of observing the appearance of Liquid Fermented Miso 1 over time are shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 1, Liquid Fermented Miso 1 began to resemble miso and contain aroma components to the same extent as Liquid Fermented Miso 1 from about 10 days after preparation.

Figure 2 shows the results of observing the appearance of liquid fermented misos 2A to 2D. As shown in Figure 2, liquid fermented misos 2A and 2B were miso-like and contained aroma components to the same extent as liquid fermented miso 2. However, liquid fermented misos 2C and 2D did not have a miso-like appearance.

From these results, it was found that when producing liquid fermented miso, it is preferable to set the ratio of yeast fermented soy sauce moromi broth to rice koji at 4-6:6-4, and to set the fermentation and maturation period after mixing the yeast fermented soy sauce moromi broth with rice koji for 10 days or more.

[4. Evaluation of miso containing phenethyl acetate]
The results of the cooking sensory evaluation (2) of P-acetate-added commercial miso 1 to 4, which were obtained by externally adding phenethyl acetate to commercial miso, are shown in Table 7.

As shown in Table 7, the food cooked using miso to which phenethyl acetate was externally added so that the content was 50 ppb or more had a milder saltiness and a sweeter taste. In addition, the food cooked using miso to which phenethyl acetate was externally added so that the content was 80 ppb or more had excellent palatability.

[5. Evaluation of miso containing phenethyl alcohol]
Table 8 shows the results of the cooking sensory evaluation (2) of P-alcohol-added commercially available misos 1 to 4, which were obtained by externally adding phenethyl alcohol to commercially available miso.

As shown in Table 8, the food cooked using miso to which phenethyl alcohol was externally added so that the content was 2,500 ppb or more had a fat-rich feel and was sweeter. In addition, the food cooked using miso to which phenethyl alcohol was externally added so that the content was 3,000 ppb or more had excellent palatability.

[6. Evaluation of miso with added decadienal]
The results of the cooking sensory evaluation (2) of decadienal-added liquid fermented misos 1 to 4, in which decadienal was added externally to liquid fermented miso 1, are shown in Table 9.

As shown in Table 9, dishes made with miso to which decadienal had been externally added so that the content was 60 ppb or more had a reduced breadth of flavor, an increased saltiness, and a decreased sweetness.

[7. Evaluation of furfural-added miso]
The results of the cooking sensory evaluation (2) of the furfural-added liquid fermented misos 1 to 4, in which furfural was added externally to the liquid fermented miso 1, are shown in Table 10.

As shown in Table 10, dishes made using miso to which furfural had been externally added so that the content was 70 ppb or more had a reduced breadth of flavor, an increased saltiness, and a decreased sweetness.

The miso according to one embodiment of the present invention can be used as a seasoning or in various foods and beverages to impart a rich sweetness to meat dishes in addition to the inherent flavor of the miso.

Claims (4)

Miso containing 50 ppb or more of phenethyl acetate and 2,500 ppb or more of phenethyl alcohol. The miso according to claim 1, further comprising a decadienal content of 50 ppb or less. The miso according to any one of claims 1 to 2, further comprising a furfural content of 60 ppb or less. The method includes a step of subjecting soy sauce koji and salt water to a mixing treatment and a lactic acid fermentation treatment to obtain a soy sauce moromi broth, and then subjecting the soy sauce moromi broth to a solid-liquid separation treatment to obtain the soy sauce moromi broth; and a step of subjecting the soy sauce moromi broth to yeast fermentation using soy sauce yeast, and fermenting and maturing a mixture of the yeast fermented soy sauce moromi broth and rice koji to obtain miso.
The mass ratio of the yeast fermented soy sauce moromi liquid to the rice koji is 4-6:6-4 .