JP7684032B2 - Tea leaf composition, its manufacturing method, and processed tea for food and beverage - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a tea leaf composition that can be orally ingested by placing it in water or hot water and drinking the tea leaves together, a method for producing the same, and processed tea for food and beverage use that is made from the tea leaf composition.

Green tea has been enjoyed in Japan for a long time and is one of the most widely enjoyed foods. The typical way to drink green tea is to place dried green tea leaves in a teapot and let it steep with hot water for a set period of time to obtain an extract of the green tea leaves, which is then poured into a teacup or similar container for consumption.

However, with the changing times, consumer needs for green tea have become more and more diverse. For example, in the case of the method of obtaining an extract from green tea leaves using a teapot and drinking the extract, there has been a need to avoid the trouble of disposing of the green tea leaves after extraction, i.e., the tea leaves used.
To meet the need for convenience in drinking green tea, so-called "instant tea" is known, which can be prepared by simply adding it to hot water or water.
Such instant tea has generally been produced by extracting dried tea leaves, such as crude tea or finished tea, with hot water to obtain an extract, which is then concentrated and granulated to produce granulated tea.

Regarding technology related to instant tea, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for producing a processed tea product obtained by drying a tea extract, which comprises a cutting step in which fresh leaves after a greening treatment or a withering treatment are finely cut and/or crushed to obtain shredded tea leaves, an extraction step in which the amount of water-soluble solids and the amount of water-insoluble solids are adjusted, and a heat-drying step in which the tea extract obtained in the extraction step is heat-dried, and the content ratio of water-soluble solids [A] and water-insoluble solids [B] in the tea extract extracted in the extraction step, [A]/[B], is adjusted to be in the range of 0.25 to 20.0.

Patent Document 2 discloses a method of heating and drying a tea leaf extract slurry that is extracted from tea leaf cuttings obtained by cutting tea leaves after a degreening or withering process and that contains water-insoluble and water-soluble solids.

Patent Document 3 discloses a method for producing granulated tea from picked tea leaves, which includes a heating step in which the chlorophyll content of the picked tea leaves is adjusted by heating to obtain chlorophyll-adjusted tea leaves, an extraction step in which the chlorophyll-adjusted tea leaves are extracted in a solvent at 60°C or lower to obtain an extract containing 12 to 60 mg/100 ml of theanine, and a granulation step in which the dissolved oxygen concentration of the extract is adjusted to less than 7 ppm, and then the extract is granulated.

JP 2013-230106 A JP 2014-217392 A JP 2020-68765 A

Green tea is widely known to be rich in functional ingredients such as catechins and theanine that are beneficial to health. With the growing health consciousness in recent years, attention has been focused on efficiently ingesting the health ingredients contained in green tea. However, because instant tea as described above is made from an extract obtained by extracting dried tea leaves, there is an issue that useful functional ingredients contained in the ingredients that are not extracted are wasted.

In contrast, so-called "matcha" is made by adding hot water to powdered tencha (also called "powdered tea") and stirring it, and then drinking the tea leaves together, so that the functional ingredients contained in the tea leaves can be orally ingested without leaving any behind.
However, conventionally available powdered tea has a tendency to scatter into the air during the manufacturing process or during use, and therefore requires special care in handling.
In addition, powdered tea that was previously available on the market did not have excellent dispersibility when added to water or hot water, and required thorough stirring, among other issues.

Therefore, the first object of the present invention is to provide a new tea leaf composition which can be orally ingested by adding it to water or hot water and drinking the tea leaves together, and which can suppress scattering into the air, has high dispersibility when added to water or hot water, and also has excellent taste, such as texture, and a method for producing the same, as well as a processed tea for food or beverage use.
The second object of the present invention, in addition to the first object, is to provide a new tea leaf composition which is unlikely to separate when mixed in a solid state with other raw materials such as tea leaves or rice intended for extraction and ingestion, and which is unlikely to leak when enclosed in a package such as a tea bag, as well as a method for producing the same, and a processed tea for food or beverage use.

The present invention provides an aggregated tea leaf composition comprising one or more types of tea leaf bodies selected from tea leaf particles or tea leaf pieces having an average diameter of 7 μm to 1000 μm,
The present invention proposes a tea leaf composition characterized in that the porosity of the tea leaf composition is 1.0 to 40.0%.

The present invention also proposes a processed tea for food or beverage use comprising the tea leaf composition, that is, a processed tea for food or beverage use as a mixture of a number of the tea leaf compositions.
The present invention further provides a processed tea for food and beverage use, the spatula angle of which is 25 to 55°.

The present invention also provides a method for preparing an aggregated tea leaf composition comprising one or more types of tea leaf bodies selected from tea leaf particles or tea leaf pieces having an average diameter of 7 μm to 1000 μm,
The present invention proposes a method for producing a tea leaf composition, which is characterized by adjusting the porosity of the tea leaf composition to 1.0 to 40.0%.

The present invention also provides a method for suppressing dispersion of a substance derived from a tea leaf composition into the air (also referred to as a "method for suppressing dispersion of a tea leaf composition"), comprising the steps of:
The tea leaf composition is a lump-shaped tea leaf composition comprising one or more kinds of tea leaf bodies selected from tea leaf particles or tea leaf pieces having an average diameter of 7 μm to 1000 μm,
The present invention proposes a method for suppressing scattering of a tea leaf composition, which is characterized by adjusting the porosity of the tea leaf composition to 1.0 to 40.0%.

The present invention also provides a method for improving the dispersibility of a tea leaf composition when placed in water (also referred to as a "method for improving the dispersibility of a tea leaf composition"), comprising the steps of:
The tea leaf composition is a lump-shaped tea leaf composition comprising one or more kinds of tea leaf bodies selected from tea leaf particles or tea leaf pieces having an average diameter of 7 μm to 1000 μm,
We propose a method for improving the dispersibility of a tea leaf composition, which is characterized by adjusting the porosity of the tea leaf composition to 1.0 to 40.0%.

The present invention also provides a method for improving the palatability of a tea leaf composition (also referred to as a "method for improving the palatability of a tea leaf composition"), comprising:
The tea leaf composition is a lump-shaped tea leaf composition comprising one or more kinds of tea leaf bodies selected from tea leaf particles or tea leaf pieces having an average diameter of 7 μm to 1000 μm,
The present invention proposes a method for improving the deliciousness of a tea leaf composition, characterized by adjusting the porosity of the tea leaf composition to 1.0 to 40.0%.

The tea leaf composition proposed by the present invention and the processed tea for food and beverages comprising the tea leaf composition can be orally ingested by adding it to water or hot water and drinking the tea leaves together, so that the functional ingredients contained in the tea leaves can be orally ingested without leaving any waste. Moreover, it is possible to suppress scattering into the air, and to increase dispersibility when added to water or hot water, and furthermore, it is possible to provide an excellent taste, such as a good texture.

Furthermore, if the processed tea for food and beverage proposed by the present invention further satisfies the condition that the spatula angle is 25 to 55°, it will be possible to make the processed tea for food and beverage less likely to separate when mixed in solid form with other raw materials such as tea leaves or rice intended for extraction and ingestion, and it will be possible to make a processed tea for food and beverage that is less likely to leak powder when sealed in a package such as a tea bag.

Next, the present invention will be described based on an embodiment example. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below.

<Genuine tea leaf composition>
A tea leaf composition according to one embodiment of the present invention (also referred to as "the present tea leaf composition") is an aggregate tea leaf composition comprising one or more types of tea leaf pieces or tea leaf particles selected from tea leaf particles or pieces (collectively referred to as "tea leaf bodies") having an average diameter of 7 μm to 1000 μm.

An example of the present tea leaf composition is a tea leaf composition consisting of one or more kinds selected from the following (1), (2) and (3).
(1) Tea leaves having an average diameter of 7 μm or more and 100 μm or less that have formed into clumps.
(2) Tea leaves having an average diameter of more than 100 μm and not exceeding 1,000 μm that have formed into clumps.
(3) Tea leaves having an average diameter exceeding 1000 μm have been formed into clumps and then compressed or folded to reduce the average diameter to 1000 μm or less.

The present tea leaf composition is produced intentionally, and does not include tea that is produced unintentionally when producing tencha, powdered tea, or matcha. For example, it does not include tea leaf compositions that accidentally become lumpy when producing matcha by conventional methods (so-called matcha lumps, etc.).

(Raw material tea)
The tea leaves constituting the present tea leaf composition may be fermented tea leaves, i.e. black tea leaves, semi-fermented tea leaves, i.e. oolong tea leaves, or enzyme-deactivated tea leaves, i.e. green tea leaves.

(tea leaf pieces)
The tea leaf pieces constituting the present tea leaf composition refer to a single tea leaf or a part thereof, regardless of its shape, for example shredded or crushed tea leaves.

From the viewpoint of scattering during processing, the average diameter of the tea leaf pieces is preferably 7 μm or more, more preferably 10 μm or more, even more preferably 15 μm or more, even more preferably 20 μm or more. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of dispersion and floating property and texture when drinking, the average diameter is preferably 1000 μm or less, more preferably 500 μm or less, even more preferably 200 μm or less, even more preferably 100 μm or less.
The average diameter of the tea leaf pieces can be adjusted to the above range by cutting, crushing, grinding, classification, etc. It can also be adjusted by the quality of the raw tea leaves, the amount of fiber, and the method and conditions for killing green tea. However, the method is not limited to these.

The average diameters of the tea leaf pieces, D90, D50 and D10, can be determined by measurement using a laser diffraction particle size distribution measuring device, as shown in the examples described later.
That is, first, the particle size range to be measured (maximum particle size: x1, minimum particle size: xn+1) is divided into n, and each particle size interval is defined as [ _xj , xj ₊₁ ] (j=1, 2, ... n). In this case, the division is equal division on a logarithmic scale.
Furthermore, the representative particle size in each particle size interval based on the logarithmic scale can be calculated from the following formula I. Since the representative particle size is a logarithm, it is no longer a unit of particle size at this point, so if _qj (j=1, 2, .... n) is further defined as the relative particle amount (difference %) corresponding to the particle size interval [ _xj , xj ₊₁ ] and the total for all intervals is set to 100%, the average value μ on the logarithmic scale can be calculated from the following formula II.
Since this μ is a numerical value on a logarithmic scale and does not have a unit of particle size, 10 ^μ , i.e., 10 to the power of μ, is calculated to convert it back to a unit of particle size. Then, this 10 ^μ is recorded as the average value (average particle size).

(Formula I)

(Formula II)

D90, D50, and D10 represent the effective average particle size. For example, D90 means the particle size at the point where the cumulative curve is 90% cumulative when the total cumulative total of the powder (particle) group is 100% cumulative in the volumetric particle size distribution obtained by measurement using a laser diffraction particle size distribution analyzer. This is called the arbitrary % particle size.

The span value is calculated by the formula ((D90-D10)/D50) and is an index showing the particle size distribution width.
The span value of the tea leaf pieces is preferably from 1.0 to 5.0.
If the span value of the tea leaf pieces is 1.0 or more, it is preferable because the joining property is good, whereas if it is 5.0 or less, it is preferable because the flowability is good and line trouble is unlikely to occur.
From this viewpoint, the span value of the tea leaf pieces is preferably 1.0 or more, more preferably 1.2 or more, and even more preferably 1.5 or more, and is preferably 5.0 or less, more preferably 4.5 or less, and even more preferably 4.0 or less.

(tea leaf particles)
The tea leaf particles constituting the present tea leaf composition may be in any shape, such as a single tea leaf or a part of a rolled tea leaf, a single tea leaf or a part of a folded tea leaf, or a twisted tea leaf, but are not limited to these.
Among the tea leaf particles, those with an average diameter of 7 μm or more and 100 μm or less are also called fine tea leaf particles.

The shape of the tea leaf particles can be, for example, fine particles, granules, etc. However, the shape is not limited to these.

From the viewpoint of scattering during processing, the average diameter of the tea leaf particles is preferably 50 μm or more, more preferably 100 μm or more, even more preferably 200 μm or more, and even more preferably 300 μm or more. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of dispersion and floating property and texture when drinking, the average diameter is preferably 1000 μm or less, more preferably 800 μm or less, even more preferably 600 μm or less, and even more preferably 500 μm or less.
Methods for adjusting the average diameter of tea leaf particles to the above range include, but are not limited to, adjusting the quality and fiber content of the raw tea leaves, and adjusting the degreening method and conditions, such as the steaming time and the conditions for cutting, folding and rolling.

The span value of the tea leaf particles is preferably from 1.0 to 5.0.
If the span value of the tea leaf particles is 1.0 or more, it is preferable because the bonding property is good, whereas if it is 5.0 or less, it is preferable because the fluidity is good and line trouble is unlikely to occur.
From this viewpoint, the span value of the tea leaf particles is preferably 1.0 or more, more preferably 1.2 or more, and even more preferably 1.5 or more, and is preferably 5.0 or less, more preferably 4.5 or less, and even more preferably 4.0 or less.

The average diameters of the tea leaf particles, D90, D50 and D10 can be determined by measuring in the same manner as the tea leaf pieces.

(Genuine tea leaf composition)
The present tea leaf composition is an aggregate tea leaf composition comprising one or more types of the tea leaf particles or tea leaf pieces.
For example, there can be mentioned ones in which adjacent ones of the one or more kinds of tea leaf particles or tea leaf pieces are closely or bonded to each other to form a mass.
The form of the present tea leaf composition may be, for example, fine particles, granules, etc., but is not limited to these forms.

An example of the present tea leaf composition is one having a configuration in which adjacent tea leaf pieces or tea leaf particles are bonded together via a liquid material.
The liquid may be water, hot water, steam, or an organic solvent such as alcohol. Considering the suitability for processing and the denaturation of tea leaf components, it is preferable to use water.
When adjacent tea leaf pieces or tea leaf particles are joined via a liquid, it is preferable to adjust the temperature of the liquid, for example by appropriately selecting and adjusting the temperature within the range of 0°C to 100°C.

An example of the present tea leaf composition is one in which adjacent tea leaf pieces or tea leaf particles are bonded together via a component derived from tea leaves.
The tea leaf-derived components refer to components contained in tea leaves or components that have been altered during the production process of the present tea leaf composition, such as amino acids, sugars, and pectin.

From the standpoint of flavor, texture, dispersibility, etc., it is preferable that the present tea leaf composition does not contain any binders other than the tea leaf-derived components and the liquid material.
Examples of such binders include monosaccharides and disaccharides such as fructose, lactose, glucose, sucrose, maltose, galactose, xylose, trehalose, and the like; oligosaccharides such as xylooligosaccharides, fructooligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, lactose, palatinose, soybean oligosaccharides, raffinoses, isomaltooligosaccharides, and the like; starch; dextrins and their decomposition products such as dextrin, maltodextrin, cyclodextrin, and the like; water-soluble dietary fibers such as pectin, polydextrose, agarose, glucomannan, and resistant dextrin, and the like; thickening polysaccharides such as guar gum, xanthan gum, tamarind gum, and gellan gum, and the like; sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, xylitol, erythritol, maltitol, and lactylol, and the like; cellulose, chitin, chitosan, gelatin, gum arabic, agar, pullulan, and starch.

(average diameter)
From the viewpoint of scattering properties after processing, the average diameter of the present tea leaf composition is preferably 50 μm or more, more preferably 70 μm or more, even more preferably 100 μm or more, even more preferably 120 μm or more. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of the packaging suitability of the tea leaf composition, it is preferably 1 cm or less, more preferably 8 mm or less, even more preferably 5 mm or less, even more preferably 3 mm or less.

To adjust the average diameter of the present tea leaf composition to the above range, the average diameters of the tea leaf pieces and the tea leaf particles can be adjusted as described above, and the method and conditions of the lump formation process described below can be adjusted. For example, in Production Method Example 1 described below, the frequency and amplitude of vibration in the lump formation process, the conveying distance, etc. are adjusted. Furthermore, in Production Method Example 2 described below, the opening diameter and groove width size when kneading with a rolling machine, mincer, rotor van, CTC machine, etc. are further adjusted. However, the present invention is not limited to such methods.

The average diameter of the present tea leaf composition can be calculated by randomly selecting 100 pieces using a digital microscope (KH-7700, manufactured by Hirox), measuring the long diameter (the diameter of the longest part) and short diameter (the diameter of the shortest part) of each piece, calculating the average value of each of the 100 pieces, and then calculating the average value of both the long diameter and the short diameter.

(porosity)
The porosity of the present tea leaf composition is preferably 1.0 to 40.0%.
A porosity of the present tea leaf composition of 1.0% or more is preferred in terms of dispersibility in water, while a porosity of 40.0% or less is preferred in terms of strength in a dry state.
From this viewpoint, the porosity of the present tea leaf composition is preferably 1.0% or more, more preferably 5.0% or more, and even more preferably 10.0% or more, while it is preferably 40.0% or less, more preferably 30.0% or less, and even more preferably 25.0% or less.

The voids in a tea leaf composition include both the voids in the tea leaf pieces and tea leaf particles that make up the tea leaf composition, and the voids that occur between the tea leaf particles or tea leaf pieces that make up the tea leaf composition.
In this case, the voids present in the tea leaf pieces and tea leaf particles that make up the tea leaf composition refer to, for example, voids that form inside tea leaves when the tea leaf pieces or tea leaf particles are porous and have pores on the surface, or voids that form inside tea leaves when they roll up into a lump.

The porosity can be calculated from the true density M (mg/mm ³ ), volume V (mm ³ ) and mass W (mg) of the tea leaf composition, which are measured as in the Examples described below, by the following formula.
Porosity (%) = 100 x (V-W/M)/V

To adjust the porosity of the present tea leaf composition to the above range, the size of the tea leaf pieces or tea leaf particles and the moisture content of the composition before drying may be controlled during processing of the tea leaf composition. However, the method is not limited to this.

In addition, tea granules produced by conventional methods such as fluidized bed granulation and extrusion granulation have a void ratio of less than 1.0% because the voids are filled with liquid.

(Collapseability)
The present tea leaf composition preferably has disintegratability.
Here, disintegrability in the present invention can be defined as the property of tea leaf pieces or tea leaf particles breaking apart as the bonds between them are broken.
The present tea leaf composition has disintegratability, which provides the effects of suppressing scattering in a dry state and providing dispersibility in water or hot water.

The disintegrability of the present tea leaf composition is due to physical and/or chemical reasons.
In other words, when the disintegrability is due to physical reasons, it means that the bonds between the tea leaf pieces or tea leaf particles are broken down and disintegrated due to physical factors such as heat, drying, impact or dissolution, and when the disintegrability is due to chemical reasons, it means that the bonds between the tea leaf pieces or tea leaf particles are broken down and disintegrated due to chemical components contained in the solvent.

Whether or not the present tea leaf composition has disintegratability can be determined from the compression degree of the present processed tea, which will be described later.
In other words, if the compressibility is 40.0% or less, it can be determined that the product has disintegratability.

(moisture content)
The present tea leaf composition preferably has a moisture content of 1.0 to 10.0% by mass.
If the moisture content of the present tea leaf composition is 1.0% by mass or more, this is preferred in terms of the flavor and taste quality of the tea leaf composition, whereas if it is 10.0% by mass or less, this is preferred in terms of the quality over time of the tea leaf composition.
From this viewpoint, the moisture content of the present tea leaf composition is preferably 1.0% by mass or more, more preferably 1.5% by mass, and more preferably 10.0% by mass or less, more preferably 8.0% by mass or less, and even more preferably 7.0% by mass or less.

Among the above, it is preferably 2.0% by mass or more, more preferably 2.5% by mass or more, while it is preferably 10% by mass or less, more preferably 8% by mass or less, more preferably 7% by mass or less.
The moisture content can be measured by a normal pressure heating and drying method as described in the examples below.

To adjust the moisture content of the present tea leaf composition to the above range, the quality of the tea leaves, particularly the fiber content, and the degree of drying during processing of the tea leaf composition may be controlled. However, the method is not limited to this.

<Method of producing the present tea leaf composition>
The method for producing the present tea leaf composition comprises preparing an aggregated tea leaf composition comprising one or more types of tea leaf bodies selected from tea leaf particles or tea leaf pieces (collectively referred to as "tea leaf bodies") having an average diameter of 7 μm to 1000 μm, and
An example of a method for producing a tea leaf composition is a method for producing a tea leaf composition, characterized in that the porosity of the tea leaf composition is adjusted to 1.0 to 40.0%.

A specific example of a method for producing the present tea leaf composition is a method in which a liquid is added to dried powdered tea to form lumps (the "lump formation process"), which are then dried (the "drying process") to obtain the present tea leaf composition (also referred to as "Production Method Example 1").

Another example of a method for producing the present tea leaf composition includes a method in which fresh tea leaves are subjected to enzyme inactivation (the "enzyme inactivation process"), lumps are formed in the moist tea leaves after cutting and before drying (the "lump formation process"), and the leaves are dried (the "drying process") to obtain the present tea leaf composition (also referred to as "production method example 2").
In this case, any one of the rolling treatments including leaf beating, rough rolling, rolling and twisting, medium rolling and fine rolling, and squeeze binding, or two or more of these rolling treatments may be appropriately carried out.
Furthermore, the order of the steps is not important except for the final drying step.

In the present invention, a "process" does not have to be carried out in a continuous manufacturing line, but may be intermittent, and may be carried out intermittently by delaying the process, changing the equipment, or changing the location.

The method for producing the present tea leaf composition is not limited to the above-mentioned Examples 1 and 2. The method for producing the present tea leaf composition is different from the method of extracting tea leaves and granulating the extract.

(raw tea leaves)
In the method for producing the tea leaf composition, the variety, cultivation method, and harvesting time of the tea used as the raw material are not limited. For example, tea leaves cultivated under cover for a certain period of time before harvest and then harvested may be used, or tea leaves not cultivated under cover may be used. Also, first-season tea, second-season tea, third-season tea, fourth-season tea, autumn and winter tea, etc. may be used.
It is also possible to combine two or more types of tea leaves that are different in tea variety, tea cultivation method, plucking time, etc.

The tea leaves may include stems and petioles. However, it is preferable that they are not included in order to provide a smoother texture when consumed.

[Production Example 1]
First, the above-mentioned Production Method Example 1 will be described.
Production method example 1 is a method in which a liquid is added to powdered tea to form lumps (the "lump formation step"), and then dried (the "drying step") to obtain the present tea leaf composition.

(powdered tea)
The powdered tea may be prepared by crushing heat-processed tea leaves, for example, crushing so-called tencha tea, which is tea obtained by heating and drying without rolling.
The powdered tea may be in any form, including tea leaves, granules, powder, and molded products.

The heat drying method for producing powdered tea may be any of the following methods: dry heat drying, hot air drying, microwave drying, freeze drying, and infrared dry heat drying, or a combination of two or more of these methods. However, the method is not limited to these methods.

The grinding method for producing powdered tea may be any method capable of grinding the tea leaves into a finer state, such as cutting, shredding, squeezing, etc., and may be carried out alone or in combination of two or more of these processes.
Specific examples of the pulverization method include cutting using a fresh leaf cutter, food processor, slicer, mincer, rotor van, CTC machine, etc., and pulverization by known techniques using a pulverizer such as a stone mill, ball mill, jet mill, pin mill, or airflow pulverizer.
If necessary, the mixture may be finely pulverized using a high-pressure homogenizer, a planetary ball mill, a vibration ball mill, an ultrasonic ball mill, a colloid mill, or the like.

One example of a method for producing powdered tea is to heat fresh tea leaves to kill the greens in the tea leaves, followed by a tea-breaking process, and then placing the tea leaves in a mill to heat them and dry them, followed by cutting and crushing the tea leaves as necessary to produce powdered tea.

(Lump formation process)
Methods for forming lumps include, for example, forming lumps by subjecting dried powdered tea to motion such as vibration or rolling, adding liquid thereto, humidifying the tea to absorb moisture, or refrigerating or freezing the tea to lower its temperature and then returning it to room temperature to cause condensation and bond the lumps together, but the methods are not limited to these.

Examples of the liquid to be sprayed include water, hot water, water vapor, and organic solvents such as alcohol.

As a method for adding a liquid to dried powdered tea and vibrating it to form lumps, for example, a vibrating conveyor may be used to spray the liquid onto the powdered tea while it is being transported while being vibrated.

(drying process)
Methods for drying after the formation of lumps include freeze-drying (lyophilization), vacuum drying, quick freezing, and hot air drying.
In the drying step, it is preferable to adjust the drying method and conditions so that the moisture content of the obtained tea leaf composition is 1.0 to 10.0% by mass, preferably 1.5% by mass or more or 8.0% by mass or less, preferably 2.0% by mass or more or 7.0% by mass or less, and preferably 2.5% by mass or more.

An example of a freeze-drying method is to place tea leaves in a freezing container and freeze them at a temperature in the range of, for example, 0° C. to −50° C., while reducing the pressure inside the freezing container to a pressure in the range of, for example, 13 Pa to 100 Pa. When the pressure inside the freezing container is reduced, the boiling point of water is lowered, causing the water in the tea leaves to sublime, thereby drying the tea leaves.
The tea leaves may also be frozen by placing them in a freezer or exposing them to a cooling medium such as liquid nitrogen, and then dried in a conventional freeze-dryer.

On the other hand, when hot air drying is used, it is preferable to adjust the drying temperature and drying time so that the moisture content of the resulting tea leaf composition is 1.5 to 10%.
From the viewpoint of the color and flavor of the tea leaf composition, the drying temperature and drying time can be appropriately selected. For example, if importance is placed on green color, it is preferable to adjust the drying temperature within the range of 50°C to 100°C, and if flavoring is desired, the temperature is adjusted within the range of 120°C to 200°C, and the drying time can be adjusted so as to reach the desired moisture content of the tea leaf composition.

[Production Example 2]
Next, the above-mentioned Production Method 2 will be described.
In Example Manufacturing Method 2, fresh tea leaves are deactivated with an enzyme (the "enzyme deactivation step"), the tea leaves are cut and then appropriately moisture-adjusted, whereupon lumps are formed (the "lump formation step"), and the leaves are dried (the "drying step") to obtain the present tea leaf composition.
In this case, any one of the following kneading processes may be appropriately performed: beating, rough rolling, rolling, medium rolling, fine rolling, and squeezing and binding. The order of the steps is not important except for the final drying step.

(Enzyme inactivation step)
Examples of methods for heating fresh tea leaves to inactivate enzymes include steaming with a steamer and roasting, as well as hot air drying that generates steam, direct heating such as roasting in a pan, and hot air killing by applying hot air. These methods can also be combined. For example, after steaming with a steamer, hot air killing by applying hot air can be performed.

(Tea leaf rolling process)
The enzyme-deactivated tea leaves can be subjected to any one of rolling processes, such as leaf beating, rough rolling, rolling and twisting, medium rolling and fine rolling, and squeeze binding, or two or more of these rolling processes, to make it easier for the tea-leaf-derived components to be dissolved.
It is optional to insert processing such as shaping and selection.

(Lump formation process)
The method for forming the lumps may be the same as in Example 1, or may be performed by kneading with a rolling machine, mincer, rotor van, CTC machine, or the like.

(drying process)
The drying method after the formation of the lumps may be the same as in Production Method 1.

<Genuine processed tea>
A processed tea for food or beverage use according to one embodiment of the present invention (referred to as the "present processed tea") can be produced using the present tea leaf composition.

The processed tea preferably consists of the present tea leaf compositions, ie is a mixture of multiple present tea leaf compositions.
However, "comprised of the present tea leaf composition" also includes cases in which the present processed tea contains less than 10% by mass, particularly less than 5% by mass, particularly less than 1% by mass of tea leaf-derived substances other than the present tea leaf composition, such as individual tea leaf pieces or tea leaf particles, because this level allows the present processed tea to fully enjoy the effects of the present tea leaf composition.

(Degree of compression)
It is preferable that the degree of compression of the present processed tea, calculated by the following formula, is 40.0% or less.
Compressibility: ((tight bulk density - loose bulk density)/tight bulk density) x 100

The degree of compression of 40.0% or less is preferable from the viewpoint of strength capable of suppressing scattering in a dry state, whereas the degree of compression of 1.5% or more is preferable from the viewpoint of strength capable of providing dispersibility in ice water.
From this viewpoint, the compression degree of the present processed tea is preferably 40.0% or less, more preferably 30.0% or less, and even more preferably 20.0% or less, while it is preferably 1.5% or more, more preferably 3.0% or more, and even more preferably 4.0% or more.

To adjust the compression degree of this processed tea to the above range, the loose bulk density and firm bulk density can be adjusted as described below.

(Loose bulk density)
The processed tea preferably has a loose bulk density of 0.15 to 0.35 g/mL.
A loose bulk density of 0.15 g/mL or more is preferable in terms of suppressing distribution costs, etc. On the other hand, a loose bulk density of 0.35 g/mL or less is preferable in terms of load resistance.
From this viewpoint, the loose bulk density is preferably 0.15 g/mL or more, more preferably 0.18 g/mL or more, and even more preferably 0.20 g/mL or more. On the other hand, it is preferably 0.35 g/mL or less, more preferably 0.33 g/mL or less, and even more preferably 0.30 g/mL or less.

The loose bulk density can be measured as described in the examples below.

To adjust the loose bulk density of the processed tea to the above range, the quality of the tea leaves, particularly the fiber content and the particle size of the tea leaf pieces or particles, may be controlled. However, this is not a limited method.

(hardened bulk density)
The processed tea preferably has a firm bulk density of 0.15 to 0.45 g/mL.
A solid bulk density of 0.15 g/mL or more is preferable in terms of suppressing distribution costs, etc. On the other hand, a solid bulk density of 0.45 g/mL or less is preferable in terms of flowability (bridging ability).
From this viewpoint, the compacted bulk density is preferably 0.15 g/mL or more, more preferably 0.18 g/mL or more, and even more preferably 0.20 g/mL or more. On the other hand, it is preferably 0.45 g/mL or less, more preferably 0.40 g/mL or less, and even more preferably 0.35 g/mL or less.

The compacted bulk density can be measured as described in the examples below.

To adjust the firm bulk density of the processed tea to the above range, the quality of the tea leaves, particularly the amount of amino acids, the temperature when joining the tea leaf pieces or tea leaf particles, and the uniformity of the moisture content of each particle before drying can be controlled. However, the method is not limited to this.

(Spatula angle)
The processed tea preferably has a spatula angle of 25 to 55°.
A spatula angle of 25° or more is preferable from the viewpoint of maintaining homogeneity after mixing with other materials such as tea leaves, whereas a spatula angle of 55° or less is preferable from the viewpoint of ease of mixing with other materials such as tea leaves.
From this viewpoint, the spatula angle is preferably 25° or more, more preferably 28° or more, and even more preferably 30° or more. On the other hand, it is preferably 55° or less, more preferably 50° or less, and even more preferably 45° or less.

The spatula angle can be measured as described in the examples below.

To adjust the spatula angle of the processed tea to the above range, the drying heat source and drying speed for drying after bonding with the liquid may be selected. However, this is not a limited method.

(How to use this processed tea)
The present processed tea can be orally ingested, for example, by adding the powdered form to water or hot water and drinking it as is.

The processed tea may also be packed in a package to be made into tea bag tea.
In this case, the packaging material is not particularly limited as long as it can enclose the processed tea leaves. For example, filters made of natural fibers such as pulp, cotton, and kenaf, and synthetic fibers such as nylon, polypropylene, and PET resin can be used. Filters made of a composite of any combination of materials can also be used. The packaging method, the size and shape of the packaging material, the presence or absence of a tag, and the like can be appropriately determined by known methods.

This processed tea can be used for the above purposes on its own, or it can be mixed in a solid form with other raw materials such as tea leaves or rice intended for extraction and ingestion, and then used for the above purposes.

Furthermore, this processed tea can be kneaded into sweets, bread, etc., like conventional processed matcha, to produce sweets or bread containing matcha, or it can be kneaded into cream or ice cream.

<Method for suppressing scattering of tea leaf composition>
The above-mentioned method for producing the present tea leaf composition can be used as a method for suppressing substances derived from the tea leaf composition from scattering into the air (also referred to as a "method for suppressing scattering of a tea leaf composition"). That is, the tea leaf composition is a lump-shaped tea leaf composition comprising one or more kinds of tea leaf bodies selected from tea leaf particles or tea leaf pieces (collectively referred to as "tea leaf bodies") having an average diameter of 7 μm to 1000 μm, and
By adjusting the porosity of the tea leaf composition to 1.0 to 40.0%, scattering of the tea leaf composition or the processed tea can be suppressed.

<Method for improving dispersibility of tea leaf composition>
The above-mentioned method for producing the tea leaf composition can be used as a method for improving the dispersibility of a tea leaf composition when it is placed in water (also referred to as a "method for improving the dispersibility of a tea leaf composition"). That is, the tea leaf composition is a lump-shaped tea leaf composition comprising one or more kinds of tea leaf bodies selected from tea leaf particles or tea leaf pieces (collectively referred to as "tea leaf bodies") having an average diameter of 7 μm to 1000 μm, and
By adjusting the porosity of the tea leaf composition to 1.0 to 40.0%, the dispersibility of the tea leaf composition and the present processed tea can be improved.

<Method for improving the taste of tea leaf composition>
The above-mentioned method for producing a tea leaf composition can be used as a method for improving the palatability of a tea leaf composition (also referred to as a "method for improving the palatability of a tea leaf composition"). That is, the tea leaf composition is a lump-shaped tea leaf composition comprising one or more kinds of tea leaf bodies selected from tea leaf particles or tea leaf pieces (collectively referred to as "tea leaf bodies") having an average diameter of 7 μm to 1000 μm, and
By adjusting the porosity of the tea leaf composition to 1.0 to 40.0%, the deliciousness of the tea leaf composition and the processed tea can be improved.

<Explanation of terms>
In this specification, when expressed as "X to Y" (X and Y are arbitrary numbers), unless otherwise specified, it includes the meaning of "X or more and Y or less", as well as "preferably larger than X" or "preferably smaller than Y".
Furthermore, when it is expressed as "X or more" (X is any number) or "Y or less" (Y is any number), it also includes the intention that "it is preferably greater than X" or "it is preferably less than Y".

The present invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to examples. However, the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[Measurement of various physical properties]
The physical properties of the processed tea (sample), tea leaf pieces, tea leaf particles and tea leaf compositions prepared in the Examples and Comparative Examples were measured as follows.

(Average particle size/particle size)
The average particle size, D10, D50, and D90 of the tea leaf pieces or tea leaf particles contained in the processed tea (samples) obtained in the Examples and Comparative Examples were measured using a laser diffraction particle size distribution analyzer (SHIMADZU SALD-2300, manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation, WingSALDII, Version 3.1.1).
In this case, pure water (20°C) was used as a dispersant, and the measurement was performed at a refractive index of 1.60-0.10i. The sample was pretreated by putting about 30 mg of the sample into a beaker, adding a few drops of water and kneading, and then adding 1 to 2 mL of the above pure water and kneading further to form a slurry.
The beaker was then tilted and the sample was added while being stirred and irradiated with ultrasonic waves (device name: Bransonic 2510J-MT, manufactured by Emerson Japan, Ltd.) for 3 minutes.

(porosity)
The true density M (mg/ ^mm3 ) of the tea leaf composition as particles constituting the processed tea (samples) obtained in the Examples and Comparative Examples was determined, and the porosity was calculated from the volume V ( ^mm3 ) and mass W (mg) of the tea leaf composition.
Porosity (%) = 100 x (V-W/M)/V
The porosity was calculated as the average of 100 randomly extracted tea leaf compositions.
When the tea leaf composition was spherical, the major and minor axes were measured using a digital microscope (KH-7700, manufactured by Hirox Co., Ltd.), the radius was calculated from the average of the major and minor axes, and the volume was calculated from the radius. On the other hand, when the tea leaf composition was non-spherical, for example when it was flat, the area and height were measured using a digital microscope (KH-7700, manufactured by Hirox Co., Ltd.), and the volume was calculated assuming it to be a cube.

(Hard bulk density, loose bulk density, spatula angle, degree of dispersion)
The processed tea (samples) obtained in the Examples and Comparative Examples were measured for compression degree (hard bulk density and loose bulk density) and spatula angle using a multi-tester (MT-1001, manufactured by Seishin Enterprise Co., Ltd.) in accordance with the instruction manual attached to the device, and the average value of three measurements was used.

The loose bulk density was measured by gently pouring the sample into a 100 mL cell provided with the device using a spoon until the sample was above the top of the cell, leveling it off at the top of the cell, and measuring the weight of the sample in the cell (g/100 mL).

For the compacted bulk density, a cell cap was attached to a 100 mL cell, and the sample was added up to about 90% of the total capacity of the "cell + cell cap". The cap cover was attached, and the device was set to tap up and down with an amplitude of 20 mm, a tapping speed of 2 times/second, and 180 taps. The cap cover and cell cap were then removed, the cell was leveled off at the top, and the weight of the sample in the cell (g/100 mL) was measured.

The compression ratio was calculated according to the following formula:
Compressibility (%) = (tight bulk density - loose bulk density) ÷ tight bulk density x 100

The spatula angle was measured using the spatula angle measurement assembly of this device. The sample was added until the spatula was no longer visible, and after lifting the spatula, the angle of the left side of the peak on the spatula was measured at three points. After that, according to the instruction manual, an impact was applied with the weight of the assembly, and the angle of the left side of the peak on the spatula was measured again at three points. The arithmetic mean value of the six measurements taken above was determined as the spatula angle.

The degree of dispersion was measured by a modified method in the instruction manual that came with the device.
That is, in the dispersity measuring device of this device, a metal mesh cylinder (diameter 105 mm, height 110 mm, mesh opening 200 μm) was placed so as to surround a watch glass with a diameter of 10 cm placed in a dispersity measuring box. 30 g of sample was dropped from a height of 30 cm, and the amount of sample remaining on the watch glass was measured. The dispersity was calculated by the following formula.
Dispersity (%) = (1 - weight of sample on watch glass / weight of dropped sample) x 100

(moisture content)
10.0 g of the processed tea (sample) obtained in the Examples and Comparative Examples was dried using a normal pressure heating drying method at 105°C for 3 hours in a forced circulation ventilation dryer, and the moisture content was measured based on the mass loss of the sample, and the average value of three measurements was used.

Example 1
Powdered tea leaves (Yabukita, Akiban Chatencha (amino acid content 2.6% by mass (dry matter basis)), jet mill pulverized, average particle size 30.1 μm, particle size range 1 μm to 150 μm) were placed in a cylindrical container 200 mm in diameter and 50 mm deep, and placed in an electromagnetic sieve shaker (ANALYSETTE3, Fritsch Japan) adjusted to an amplitude of 0.5 mm, and vibrated while stirring with a spatula. Then, 25°C ion-exchanged water was sprayed evenly all over with a spray bottle, and the particle size was adjusted with 2 mm and 710 μm Tyler meshes to obtain a tea leaf composition before drying. The water content at this time was 29.1% by mass.
The tea leaf composition before drying was dried for 30 minutes in a shelf-type hot air dryer (4k type, manufactured by Kawasaki Kiko Co., Ltd.) while adjusting the drying temperature to 100°C ± 5°C so that the moisture content was 3.5% by mass, thereby obtaining a processed tea (sample) consisting of the tea leaf composition.

The amino acid content of tea leaves refers to the total value of eight types of amino acids: theanine, glutamine, glutamic acid, asparagine, aspartic acid, arginine, serine, and alanine. The amino acid content was measured by extracting 100 mg of tea leaves with 100 mL of hot water at 80°C for 30 minutes, and analyzing the resulting extract by HPLC. The analysis method may be appropriately selected from known methods. For tencha and sencha tea leaves, the leaves were crushed as they were and subjected to extraction, while for fresh leaves, the leaves were dried in a microwave oven and then crushed and subjected to extraction.

Example 2
In Example 1, a processed tea (sample) consisting of a tea leaf composition was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the amount of 25°C ion exchanged water sprayed evenly over the entire surface with a spray bottle was adjusted so that the moisture content of the tea leaf composition before drying was 18.3 mass%.

Example 3
In Example 1, a processed tea (sample) consisting of a tea leaf composition was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the amount of 25°C ion exchanged water sprayed evenly over the entire tea leaf composition using a spray bottle was adjusted so that the moisture content of the tea leaf composition before drying was 11.3 mass%.

Example 4
In Example 2, a processed tea (sample) consisting of a tea leaf composition was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that powdered tea leaves having an average particle size of 7.2 μm and a particle size range of 0.5 μm to 20 μm were used as the powdered tea leaves.

Example 5
The picked tea leaves (Yabukita, fresh leaves of autumn bancha tea, amino acid content 2.5% by mass (dry matter equivalent)) were subjected to a rough tea production process of strong deep steaming at normal pressure at 100°C for a steaming time of 150 seconds. The tea leaves after the intermediate rolling process of the rough tea production for 45 minutes were pulverized in a food processor to a maximum diameter of 1.8 mm, granulated in a mincing machine equipped with a mincer plate Φ2.0 mm (average particle size 999.0 μm, particle size range 1 μm to 1800 μm), and further adjusted in particle size with 2 mm and 710 μm Tyler meshes to obtain a tea leaf composition before drying. The moisture content at that time was 29.2% by mass.
The tea leaf composition before drying was dried in a shelf-type hot air dryer while adjusting the drying temperature to 100°C ± 5°C until the moisture content reached 3.5% by mass, thereby obtaining a processed tea (sample) consisting of the tea leaf composition.

Example 6
In Example 4, a processed tea (sample) consisting of a tea leaf composition was obtained in the same manner as in Example 4, except that the amount of 25°C ion exchanged water sprayed evenly over the entire tea leaf composition using a spray bottle was adjusted so that the moisture content of the tea leaf composition before drying was 29.1% by mass.

Example 7
In Example 5, the intermediate rolling process was carried out for 90 minutes, thereby changing the moisture content of the tea leaf composition before drying to 11.3 mass%, and a processed tea (sample) consisting of a tea leaf composition was obtained in the same manner as in Example 5.

Example 8
In Example 2, a processed tea (sample) consisting of a tea leaf composition was obtained in the same manner as in Example 2, except that the drying temperature using the shelf-type hot air dryer was changed to 40°C ± 5°C.

<Example 9>
In Example 2, a processed tea (sample) consisting of a tea leaf composition was obtained in the same manner as in Example 2, except that the drying temperature using the shelf-type hot air dryer was changed to 65°C ± 5°C.

Example 10
In Example 2, when drying the tea leaf composition before drying, a microwave oven (NE-EH21, manufactured by National) was used, and the tea leaf composition was treated at 600 W for 1 minute, stirred, and then treated again at 600 W for 1 minute. A processed tea (sample) consisting of a tea leaf composition was obtained in the same manner as in Example 2, except that the drying was changed so that the tea leaf composition was dried using a microwave oven (NE-EH21, manufactured by National) at 600 W for 1 minute, stirred, and then treated again at 600 W for 1 minute.

Example 11
A processed tea (sample) made of a tea leaf composition was obtained in the same manner as in Example 10, except that the microwave oven conditions were changed to 1000 W for 30 seconds.

<Example 12>
A processed tea (sample) consisting of a tea leaf composition was obtained in the same manner as in Example 2, except that first-grain chatencha (amino acids 6.2% by mass (dry matter basis)) was used as the powdered tea leaves in Example 2.

<Example 13>
A processed tea (sample) consisting of a tea leaf composition was obtained in the same manner as in Example 2, except that first-grain chatencha (amino acids 5.8% by mass (dry matter basis)) was used as the powdered tea leaves in Example 2.

<Example 14>
A processed tea (sample) consisting of a tea leaf composition was obtained in the same manner as in Example 2, except that in Example 2, Akiban Chatencha (amino acid 1.0 mass (dry matter equivalent)) was used as the powdered tea leaves.

Example 15
A processed tea (sample) consisting of a tea leaf composition was obtained in the same manner as in Example 2, except that in Example 2, Akitenchatencha (amino acids 0.7 mass % (dry matter equivalent)) was used as the powdered tea leaves.

<Example 16>
In Example 2, a processed tea (sample) consisting of a tea leaf composition was obtained in the same manner as in Example 2, except that the drying time was set to 60 minutes so that the moisture content of the tea leaf composition was 0.7 mass%.

<Example 17>
In Example 2, a processed tea (sample) consisting of a tea leaf composition was obtained in the same manner as in Example 2, except that the drying time was 45 minutes so that the moisture content of the tea leaf composition was 1.3 mass%.

<Example 18>
In Example 2, a processed tea (sample) consisting of a tea leaf composition was obtained in the same manner as in Example 2, except that the drying time was set to 20 minutes so that the moisture content of the tea leaf composition was 9.8 mass%.

<Example 19>
A processed tea (sample) consisting of a tea leaf composition was obtained in the same manner as in Example 2, except that the drying time was 15 minutes so that the moisture content of the tea leaf composition was 11.2 mass%.

<Example 20>
In preparing the powdered tea leaves of Example 2, the ground tea leaves after jet mill grinding were placed on top of Tyler meshes with opening sizes of 15 μm and 50 μm, with ceramic balls with a diameter of 1 cm placed between them, and then set on a vibrating sieve to classify the tea leaves and adjust the particle size to 14 μm to 52 μm. A processed tea (sample) consisting of a tea leaf composition was obtained in the same manner as in Example 2, except that the powdered tea leaves obtained were used.

<Example 21>
In preparing the powdered tea leaves of Example 2, the ground tea leaves after jet mill grinding were placed on top of Tyler meshes with opening sizes of 13 μm and 52 μm, with ceramic balls with a diameter of 1 cm placed between them, and then set on a vibrating sieve to classify the tea leaves and adjust the particle size to 12 μm to 55 μm. A processed tea (sample) consisting of a tea leaf composition was obtained in the same manner as in Example 2, except that the powdered tea leaves obtained were used.

<Example 22>
A processed tea (sample) consisting of a tea leaf composition was obtained in the same manner as in Example 2, except that tea leaves consisting of 50% by mass of Yabukita's Akiban Chatencha (amino acids 1.0% by mass (on a dry matter basis)) and 50% by mass of Yabukita's Ichiban Chatencha (amino acids 5.8% by mass) were used as the powdered tea leaves, and that powdered tea leaves with an average particle size of 30.1 μm and a particle size range of 1 μm to 200 μm were used, which were obtained by changing the ball mill grinding time in the preparation of the powdered tea leaves to 60 minutes.

<Example 23>
A processed tea (sample) consisting of a tea leaf composition was obtained in the same manner as in Example 22, except that tea leaves consisting of 50% by mass of Yabukita Akiban Chatencha (amino acids 0.7% by mass (on a dry matter basis)) and 50% by mass of Yabukita Ichiban Chatencha (amino acids 6.2% by mass (on a dry matter basis)) were used as the powdered tea leaves, and that powdered tea leaves having an average particle size of 30.1 μm and a particle size range of 1 μm to 200 μm were used by changing the ball mill grinding time in the preparation of the powdered tea leaves to 45 minutes.

<Example 24>
In Example 21, Yabukita Ichiban Chatencha (amino acids 5.8% by mass (dry matter equivalent)) was used as the powdered tea leaves, and when drying the tea leaf composition before drying, the drying temperature in a shelf-type hot air dryer was 65°C ± 5°C, and the drying time was 45 minutes so that the moisture content of the tea leaf composition would be 1.4% by mass. Except for this, a processed tea (sample) consisting of a tea leaf composition was obtained in the same manner as in Example 21.

<Example 25>
In Example 22, Yabukita Akiban Chatencha (amino acids 1.0 mass % (dry matter equivalent)) was used as the powdered tea leaves, and the tea leaf composition before drying was treated in a microwave oven at 600 W for 1 minute, stirred and then treated again at 600 W for 1 minute, and the drying time was set to 20 minutes so that the moisture content of the tea leaf composition would be 9.2 mass%, and a processed tea (sample) consisting of a tea leaf composition was obtained in the same manner as in Example 22.

<Comparative Example 1>
Fresh green tea leaves (Yabukita, Ichibancha (amino acids 6.2% by mass (dry matter equivalent)) were processed in the usual way to produce tencha, which was then pulverized in a stone mill and unpulverized material, fibrous material, etc. were removed by sieving through a 60 mesh metal sieve to obtain the pulverized material, i.e., matcha (sample) as processed tea. The average particle size at this time was 15.0 μm, the particle size range was 1 μm to 80 μm, and the moisture content was 3.1%.

<Comparative Example 2>
100 g of first-grade green tea sencha (Yabukita, amino acid 6.2% by mass (dry matter basis)) processed by a standard method was added to 1500 mL of hot water at 80°C and extracted for 30 minutes. Solid-liquid separation was performed using a Tyler mesh with an opening diameter of 180 μm and filtration was performed using filter paper (JIS No. 2) to obtain an extract. 70 g of dextrin (TK-16, manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) was dissolved in the extract, and the extract was concentrated to Brix 25° using a reduced-pressure evaporator. The obtained concentrated liquid was dried and powdered by spray drying (spray hot air temperature 200°C) to obtain instant green tea (sample) as processed tea.

<Comparative Example 3>
1 kg of the matcha tea from Comparative Example 1 was placed in a fluidized bed granulator (Flowcoater FLO-1, manufactured by Okawara Seisakusho) and air was blown in from below to circulate the matcha particles. The air blown in was heated to a temperature of 50°C. A 5% aqueous solution of starch (Waxy Alpha K-7, Nippon Shokuhin Kako) was prepared and kept at 60°C. 200 g of the approximate aqueous solution was sprayed from above the flowing matcha particles for 10 minutes to obtain granulated matcha (sample) as processed tea.

<Comparative Example 4>
A processed tea (sample) consisting of a tea leaf composition was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the moisture content of the tea leaf composition before drying was changed to 35.6 mass %.

<Comparative Example 5>
A processed tea (sample) consisting of a tea leaf composition was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the moisture content of the tea leaf composition before drying was changed to 8.3 mass %.

<Comparative Example 6>
A processed tea (sample) consisting of a tea leaf composition was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the powdered tea leaves were jet mill classified and pulverized to an average particle size of 2.0 μm and a particle size range of 0.1 μm to 7 μm.

<Comparative Example 7>
In Example 5, the steaming time was changed to 120 seconds (average particle size 1120 μm, particle size range 1 μm to 2000 μm) and the tea leaves after the intermediate rolling process were pulverized in a food processor to a maximum diameter of 2.0 mm, but the same procedure as in Example 5 was repeated to obtain a processed tea (sample) made of a tea leaf composition.

(Sensory evaluation: turbidity)
For the processed teas (samples) obtained in Examples 1 to 25 and Comparative Examples 1 to 7, five examiners (panelers) evaluated the turbidity by assigning scores on a four-point scale from 1 point to 4 points according to the following criteria.

In this case, a sample corresponding to a turbidity of 4 was used as a positive control (criterion 1), while a sample corresponding to a turbidity of 1 was used as a negative control (criterion 4). In addition, intermediate samples, a turbidity of 3 control (criterion 2) and a turbidity of 2 control (criterion 2), were visually evaluated by trained examiners (panelers), and the most common evaluation was adopted as the result of a consensus among the five examiners (panelers).
The negative control, positive control, and intermediate control were prepared as follows.

[Positive control (standard 1): Strongly turbid]
As a positive control, 150 ml of boiling water was poured over 1 g of matcha (Kiri no Oto, manufactured by Itoen Co., Ltd.), and the tea was brewed using a bamboo whisk, after which the air bubbles on the surface were scooped out with a net to obtain tea (control sample).

[Negative control (standard 4): Weak turbidity]
The positive control sample (Standard 1) was diluted 1000-fold with boiling water, and then brewed with a tea whisk. The air bubbles on the surface were scooped off with a net to obtain tea (control sample).

[Intermediate control (standard 2): slightly cloudy]
The positive control sample (Standard 1) was diluted 100-fold with boiling water, and the diluted tea was brewed with a bamboo whisk. The air bubbles on the surface were then scooped off with a net to obtain tea (control sample).

[Intermediate control (standard 3): slightly less turbid]
The positive control sample (Standard 1) was diluted 10-fold with boiling water, and then brewed with a tea whisk. The air bubbles on the surface were scooped off with a net to obtain tea (control sample).

= Degree of turbidity =
4: The degree of turbidity between the positive control (standard 1) and the intermediate control (standard 3) 3: The degree of turbidity between the intermediate control (standard 3) and the intermediate control (standard 2) 2: The degree of turbidity between the intermediate control (standard 2) and the negative control (standard 1) 1: Less turbidity than the negative control (standard 4)

(Sensory evaluation: richness)
The processed teas (samples) obtained in Examples 1 to 25 and Comparative Examples 1 to 7 were evaluated by five examiners (panelers) on the basis of richness: the thickness and heaviness of the taste felt on the tongue when tasting the sample, by assigning scores on a four-point scale from 1 point to 4 points according to the following criteria.

In this case, the sample with a thickness equivalent to 4 points was used as the positive control (criterion 1), while the sample with a thickness equivalent to 1 point was used as the negative control (criterion 4). In addition, intermediate samples were used as a control with a thickness of 3 points (criterion 2) and a control with a thickness of 2 points (criterion 2), which were visually evaluated by trained examiners (panelers), and the most common evaluation was adopted as the result of a consensus among the five examiners (panelers).
The negative control, positive control, and intermediate control were prepared as follows.

[Positive control (standard 1): Strongly concentrated]
As a positive control, 150 ml of boiling water was poured over 1 g of matcha (Kiri no Oto, manufactured by Itoen Co., Ltd.), and the tea was brewed using a bamboo whisk. The air bubbles on the surface were then scooped off with a net to obtain tea (control sample).

[Negative control (standard 4): Weakly concentrated]
The positive control sample (Standard 1) was diluted 1000 times with boiling water, and then brewed with a tea whisk. The air bubbles on the surface were scooped off with a net to obtain tea (control sample).

[Intermediate control (standard 2): slightly weak in richness]
The positive control sample (Standard 1) was diluted 100-fold with boiling water, brewed with a tea whisk, and then the air bubbles on the surface were scooped off with a net to obtain tea (control sample).

[Intermediate control (standard 3): Slightly thick]
The positive control sample (Standard 1) was diluted 10-fold with boiling water, brewed with a tea whisk, and the air bubbles on the surface were scooped off with a net to obtain tea (control sample).

=Richness=
4: Between the positive control (criterion 1) and the intermediate control (criterion 3) 3: Between the intermediate control (criterion 3) and the intermediate control (criterion 2) 2: Between the intermediate control (criterion 2) and the negative control (criterion 1) 1: Less concentrated than the negative control (criterion 4)

(Evaluation of scattering property)
For the processed tea samples obtained in Examples 1 to 25 and Comparative Examples 1 to 7, the scattering property was evaluated according to the following evaluation items based on the dispersibility measured by the above-mentioned method.

＝Scatterability＝
4: Dispersion degree is 30% or more 3: Dispersion degree is 20% or more and less than 30% 2: Dispersion degree is 10% or more and less than 20% 1: Dispersion degree is less than 10%

(Evaluation of Dispersibility)
In an environment with a room temperature of 20 degrees and a room humidity of 45%, a tea strainer (18-8 Hi-Tec Tea Strainer Small, dimensions (mm): diameter 55 x height 35, tatami weave 200 mesh) was placed in a 200 ml porcelain tea bowl.
1 g of the processed tea (sample) obtained in Examples 1 to 25 and Comparative Examples 1 to 7 was placed in a tea strainer, and 150 ml of boiling ion-exchanged water was poured over the edge of a test tea bowl so that the hot water circulated. After 30 seconds, the tea strainer was lifted until the bottom was 3 cm above the liquid level, and then the strainer was released and allowed to fall. The number of times this action was repeated was counted.

In this case, a sample of regular matcha (Kiri no Oto, manufactured by Itoen Co., Ltd.) was subjected to the same procedure 50 times as the negative control, and the number of times it was dropped until the number of clumps reached the same number was calculated as the ratio to 50 times (number of times the test sample was dropped/50 times) x 100 (percent).

=Dispersibility=
4: Less than 20% 3: 20% to less than 60% 2: 60% to less than 100% 1: 100% or more

=Overall rating: 1=
The four items of turbidity, thickness, scattering property, and dispersibility were evaluated according to the following criteria.
⊚: The total score is 15 to 16 points, with no ratings of "1", and the tea leaf composition and processed tea are very good.
Good: The total score is 8 to 14 points, there are no "1"s, and the tea leaf composition is good.
△: The total score is 6 to 7 points, there is no rating of "1", and it is not very good.
×: The total score is 5 or less, or there is a rating of "1". Not good.

(Evaluation of Mixture Retention)
As the mixture, green tea leaves (Itoen Co., Ltd., Oi Ocha green tea with young stems) were crushed for 10 seconds with a crush mill (IFM-C20G, Iwatani Corporation), sieved with tea sieves No. 12 and No. 50, and "No. 12 lower, No. 50 upper" was used. In an environment with a room temperature of 20 degrees and a room humidity of 45%, 29 g of the tea leaves and 1.00 g of the processed tea (sample) obtained in Examples 2 and 8 to 25 were placed in a 100 mL cylindrical glass bottle (inner diameter 50 mm x depth 50 mm), and the bottle was covered and turned upside down 20 times to mix uniformly. This was placed in a vibration tester BF-50UT (IDEX Co., Ltd.) and operated at a frequency of 40 Hz for 5 minutes. The contents after operation were visually observed and evaluated as follows.

= Mixed retention =
4: Less than 25% of the layer height is not visually noticeable as tea leaf composition. 3: 25% or more but less than 50% of the layer height is not visually noticeable as tea leaf composition. 2: 50% or more but less than 75% of the layer height is not visually noticeable as tea leaf composition. 1: 75% or more of the layer height is not visually noticeable as tea leaf composition.

(Evaluation of powder leakage amount)
A tetra-shaped tea bag with a side length of 50 mm was prepared using a tea bag filter made of nylon gauze (2030BB, manufactured by Fuso Sangyo Co., Ltd.), and 1.00 g of the processed tea (sample) obtained in Examples 2 and 8 to 25 was packed into the tea bag to prepare a tea bag sample.
The tea bag sample was allowed to drop from a height of 20 cm five times in an environment with a room temperature of 20° C. and a room humidity of 45%, and the sample that spilled around was collected and its mass was measured.
The amount of powder leakage was calculated as follows: (mass of spilled sample/mass of packed sample (1.00 g))×100.

=Amount of powder leakage=
4: Less than 10.0% 3: 10.0% or more and less than 20.0% 2: 20.0% or more and less than 60.0% 1: 60.0% or more and less than 100

(Evaluation of processability)
Five workers carried out the same operations for Examples 2 and 8 to 25 in an environment with an indoor temperature of 20°C and an indoor humidity of 45%, and the reproducibility of the formation of the tea leaf composition was evaluated according to the following criteria.

=Evaluation of processing suitability=
4: All five participants are able to properly formulate the tea leaf composition.
3: 1 person had an improper formation of the tea leaf composition.
2: Two people found that the tea leaf composition was not properly formed.
1: Three or more people found that the tea leaf composition was not properly formed.

Note that "the formation of the tea leaf composition was inappropriate" means that 70% or more of the tea leaf pieces used are unbonded, i.e., particles with a particle size of 710 μm or less, or that they are excessively bonded, i.e., particles with a particle size of 2000 μm or more.

(Aging: Evaluation of the degree of deterioration)
A mixed tea was prepared. Green tea leaves (Itoen Co., Ltd., reserved fresh tea (content 4.8%)) were used as the mixture. 29 g of the tea leaves were mixed with 1.00 g of the processed tea (sample) obtained in Examples 2 and 8 to 25 in an environment of room temperature 20 degrees and room humidity 45% to obtain a mixed tea (sample).
The above mixed tea (sample) was put into an aluminum bag filled with nitrogen to adjust the residual oxygen concentration to 3%, sealed, and stored for 6 months at 25° C. After 6 months, 3 g of the sample was poured into 200 ml of boiling water, and a sensory evaluation was performed.

Five examiners (panelers) scored the degree of deterioration on a four-point scale from 1 to 4 points based on the following criteria.
In this case, each trained judge (paneler) used the Tea Inspection Method to evaluate the taste, aroma, and color of the tea, using the negative control (criterion 1) below as a standard equivalent to a deterioration level of 4 points, and the positive control (criterion 2) below as a standard equivalent to a deterioration level of 1 point.Furthermore, after a consensus among the five judges (panelers), it was decided that the most common evaluation would be adopted.

Negative control (standard 1): When starting the aging test, a control sample with a mixed tea moisture content of 8% was prepared by placing the sample in a humidified gauge in a cool, dark place, filling it with nitrogen to reduce the residual oxygen concentration to 3%, and packing it in an aluminum bag. The sample was stored at 25°C until the sensory test for deterioration over time was conducted, and then returned to room temperature before being opened.
Positive control (criterion 2): At the start of the aging test, a control sample was packed in the same manner as in criterion 1 and stored frozen at -20°C until the sensory test for deterioration over time was conducted. The control sample was then returned to room temperature and opened.

=Degree of deterioration=
4: No deterioration odor or color change (same as positive control (criterion 2))
3: Slight deterioration odor and color change are detected (weaker than the positive control (criterion 2)).
2: Slight deterioration odor and color change (weaker than the negative control (standard 1))
1: Deterioration odor and color change are detected (same as negative control (criterion 1))

=Overall rating 2=
The four items of mixture retention, powder leakage, processability, and degree of deterioration were evaluated according to the following criteria.
◎: The total score is 15 points or more. It is a very good processed tea.
○: The total score is 10 to 14 points, and there are no ratings of "1". This is a good processed tea.
Δ: 10 to 13 points and including a rating of "1", or a total score of 8 to 10 points and including no rating of "1". Not very good.
×: The total score is 8 to 10 points and includes a rating of "1", or the total score is 7 points or less. Not good.

When the tea leaf compositions of the processed teas (samples) obtained in Examples 1 to 25 were observed under an electron microscope, it was confirmed that they were porous and had a structure in which many (at least two or more) tea leaf pieces or tea leaf particles were closely or jointed together.

From the above examples and the results of tests conducted by the inventors thus far, it has been found that if the porosity of the tea leaf composition is 1.0-40.0% and the average diameter of the tea leaf pieces or particles is 7 μm-1000 μm, the functional ingredients contained in the tea leaves can be orally ingested without leaving any residue, scattering into the air can be suppressed, dispersibility when added to water or hot water can be high, and the tea leaf composition also has excellent taste, such as texture on the tongue.

Furthermore, it was found that if the condition that the spatula angle of the processed tea is 25 to 55° is met, it is possible to produce a tea leaf composition that is less likely to separate when mixed as a solid with tea leaves or other raw materials such as rice intended for extraction and ingestion, and that is less likely to leak when packed in a package such as a tea bag.

In addition, when comparing Example 2, Example 3 and Comparative Example 5, it was observed that the processed tea (sample) and its tea leaf composition obtained in Example 3 and Comparative Example 5 had less moisture and a larger porosity before drying compared to Example 2. Therefore, when measuring the dispersibility in the measurement of dispersibility, the processed tea (sample) and tea leaf composition fell and hit a watch glass with a diameter of 10 cm that had been placed thereon, causing the granules to crumble and generate powder, resulting in poor dispersibility.
In addition, it was found that the processed tea (samples) and tea leaf compositions obtained in Examples 12, 13 and 24 disperse well in water at normal temperature or hot water, but their dispersibility decreases in ice water.

Claims (6)

A method for producing a tea leaf composition comprising an aggregated tea leaf composition comprising one or more types of tea leaf bodies selected from tea leaf particles or tea leaf pieces (collectively referred to as "tea leaf bodies") having an average diameter of 7 μm to 1000 μm, the porosity of the tea leaf composition being 1.0 to 40.0%,
This method for producing a tea leaf composition is characterized in that fresh tea leaves are heated to kill the blue color and then dried, and the powdered tea is vibrated or rolled while water (including hot water and steam) is added to form lumps, so that the moisture content of the tea leaves before drying is 11.3 to 29.1% by mass, and then dried so that the moisture content after drying is 1.0 to 10.0% by mass. 2. A method for producing a tea leaf composition according to claim 1 , characterized in that no binder other than water and no binder other than ingredients derived from tea leaves is used to bond adjacent tea leaf particles or tea leaf pieces. The method for producing a tea leaf composition according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the tea leaf composition has a degree of compression: ((firm bulk density - loose bulk density) / firm bulk density) x 100 of 40.0% or less. The method for producing a tea leaf composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the tea leaf composition has a spatula angle of 25 to 55°. The method for producing a tea leaf composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the tea leaf composition has a loose bulk density of 0.15 to 0.35 g/mL. The method for producing a tea leaf composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the tea leaf composition is intended to be orally ingested by putting it in water or hot water and drinking the tea leaves together.