JP7792771B2 - Manufacturing method of oil sauce with ingredients - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for producing an oil sauce containing ingredients.

As consumer tastes become more diverse, various companies are selling a wide variety of seasoning products to meet consumer needs. Among these, oil sauce is a type of seasoning that combines ingredients such as vegetables and spices with flavoring ingredients such as salt in oil, and because it can easily impart a richer, fuller flavor to food along with the flavor of the ingredients, demand for it is increasing not only in the food service industry such as restaurants but also in households.
On the other hand, since oil sauces contain flavor components such as salt in the oil, they present a problem in that the flavor components are less readily perceived as taste compared to seasoning products such as dressings, which are primarily made of water. Therefore, in order to improve the expression of flavor components in oil sauces, it is necessary to add a larger amount of flavor components such as salt. However, considering the social demand for reduced salt content and cost control, it is necessary to minimize the amount of flavor components such as salt added. One method for improving the expression of flavor components in oil sauces is to add a solution containing flavor components such as salt to the oil, but this method is undesirable as it causes water separation. Therefore, there is a need for a technology that improves the expression of flavor components in oil sauces while maintaining the quality of the oil sauce.

Technologies related to oil sauce include, for example, a packaged oil sauce containing granular salt, solid ingredients measuring 2 mm to 7 mm, and edible oils and fats, and having a moisture content of 8% by weight or less, with the dynamic viscoelasticity of the liquid portion specified (Patent Document 1); an edible oil sauce containing an edible emulsifier with an HLB greater than 4 and a dried seasoning (Patent Document 2); and a method for producing a packaged oil sauce with a moisture content of 5% or less, which involves mixing edible oils and fats with some or all of the dried ingredients, and Patent Document 3 discloses a method for producing a containerized oil sauce, which includes a mixing step of preparing a mixture with a porosity of 5% or less and a viscosity of 1,000 to 10,000 mPa·s (product temperature 25°C), a filling step of filling a container with the mixture obtained in the mixing step and an edible oil or fat with a viscosity of less than 1,000 mPa·s (product temperature 25°C), and an adding step of adding granulated salt with a size of 1 to 5 mm and a starch content of 10 to 50%, and in which the content of dried ingredients is 0.5 to 30% of the total oil sauce.

However, these technologies are concerned with the homogeneity of the ingredients in the oil sauce, the transparency of the liquid portion, and preventing burning during cooking, and do not focus on the expression of flavor components in the oil sauce.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-187392 JP 2016-152782 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-97413

The objective of the present invention is to provide a method for producing an oil sauce containing ingredients that exhibits excellent flavor components when eaten and suppresses separation of water into the liquid portion.

As a result of extensive research into the above-mentioned problems, the inventors discovered that the above-mentioned problems could be solved by mixing a liquid composition containing water and flavor components with dried ingredients so that the mass ratio of water to dried ingredients was a predetermined value, and then mixing the resulting ingredients, impregnated with flavor components of a predetermined size, with liquid oil. This finding led to the creation of the present invention.

That is, the present invention comprises the following configurations.
A method for producing an oil sauce containing ingredients, comprising the following steps 1 and 2:
Step 1: A step of mixing a liquid composition containing water and a flavor component with a dry ingredient so that the mass ratio of the water to the dry ingredient (water/dry ingredient) is 0.6 or more and less than 3, thereby obtaining a flavor component-impregnated ingredient having a size of 1.5 mm or more. Step 2: A step of mixing the flavor component-impregnated ingredient with liquid oil.

The ingredient-containing oil sauce obtained by the ingredient-containing oil sauce manufacturing method of the present invention is excellent in expressing the flavor components contained therein when eaten, and can suppress the separation of water into the liquid portion of the ingredient-containing oil sauce.

The method for producing an oil sauce containing ingredients of the present invention is characterized by comprising two steps: a step (step 1) of mixing a liquid composition containing water and flavor components with dried ingredients so that the mass ratio of the water to the dried ingredients (water/dried ingredients) is 0.6 or more and less than 3, thereby obtaining flavor component-impregnated ingredients measuring 1.5 mm or more; and a step (step 2) of mixing the flavor component-impregnated ingredients with liquid oil.

The flavor components used in step 1 are not particularly limited as long as they impart salty, umami, sour, sweet, or bitter flavors. Examples include salt, potassium chloride, amino acids or their salts, nucleic acids or their salts, organic acids or their salts, sugars, sugar alcohols, caffeine, catechin, and naringin, with salts being preferred. Examples of amino acids or their salts include glutamic acid, aspartic acid, sodium glutamate, calcium glutamate, potassium glutamate, magnesium glutamate, sodium aspartate, calcium aspartate, potassium aspartate, and magnesium aspartate. Examples of nucleic acids or their salts include inosinic acid, guanylic acid, adenylic acid, and their sodium salts. Examples of organic acids or their salts include citric acid, malic acid, acetic acid, tartaric acid, gluconic acid, lactic acid, and their sodium, calcium, potassium, and magnesium salts. Examples of sugars include glucose, fructose, sucrose, lactose, maltose, xylose, palatinose, and trehalose. Examples of sugar alcohols include sorbitol, maltitol, erythritol, and xylitol. In the present invention, the flavor components can be used alone or in combination of any two or more.

The liquid composition containing water and flavor components used in step 1 is not particularly limited as long as it is a liquid composition containing water and flavor components, and examples thereof include a solution in which flavor components are dissolved in water, a dispersion in which flavor components are dispersed in water, and a liquid extract extracted from a food material containing flavor components. Examples of such a liquid composition include soy sauce, fish sauce, liquid miso, sauce, brewed vinegar, wine, mirin, protein hydrolysates, fermented seasonings, cheese sauce, seafood extracts such as bonito extract, scallop extract, and kelp extract, meat extracts such as pork extract, chicken extract, and beef extract, vegetable extracts such as onion, leek, carrot, radish, tomato, corn, Chinese cabbage, shiso, sesame, garlic, ginger, and wasabi, mushroom extract, yeast extract, spice extract, and fruit juice.

The water content in a liquid composition containing water and flavor components is preferably 50 to 95% by mass, more preferably 75 to 90% by mass, and the flavor component content in a liquid composition containing water and flavor components is preferably 5 to 50% by mass, more preferably 10 to 25% by mass. The water content in a liquid composition containing water and flavor components can be measured, for example, by a normal pressure heat drying method (drying at 110°C for 3 to 5 hours). There are no particular restrictions on the method for preparing a liquid composition containing water and flavor components, but examples include a method in which the flavor components are added to water and stirred, and a method in which a food material containing the flavor components is added to water and heated for extraction.

The dried ingredients used in step 1 refer to solid ingredients obtained by a process of reducing moisture from food materials, and examples include dried processed foods such as croutons, cereals, tempura scraps, wheat gluten, and granulated soy protein; dried vegetables such as dried onions, dried carrots, dried paprika, dried radishes, dried potatoes, dried sweet potatoes, dried cabbage, dried garlic, and dried ginger; dried mushrooms, dried grains, dried beans, dried fruit, dried seaweed, dried seafood, dried meat, dried eggs, and dried cheese. Of these, dried vegetables and dried processed foods are preferred, with dried onions and granulated soy protein being more preferred, and dried onions being even more preferred. The size of the dried ingredients is preferably such that they pass through a sieve with 4 mm (4.7 mesh) openings but not a sieve with 0.5 mm (30 mesh) openings, and more preferably such that they pass through a sieve with 2.8 mm (6.5 mesh) openings but not a sieve with 1.4 mm (12 mesh) openings. The shape of the dried ingredients is not particularly limited, and may be cubic, rectangular, cylindrical, spherical, irregular, or the like. The water content of the dried ingredients is preferably 15% by mass or less, more preferably 10% by mass or less, and even more preferably 7% by mass or less. The method for producing the dried ingredients is not particularly limited, but examples include air-drying, hot-air drying, freeze-drying, vacuum drying, and deep-frying of food materials. In the present invention, only one type of dried ingredient can be used, or any two or more types can be used in combination.

In step 1, a liquid composition containing water and flavor components is mixed with dried ingredients to impregnate the dried ingredients with the liquid composition containing water and flavor components. During mixing, the mass ratio of water contained in the liquid composition containing water and flavor components to the dried ingredients (water/dried ingredients) must be 0.6 or greater but less than 3, and preferably 0.6 or greater but 2.5 or less. Within this range, the dried ingredients can be sufficiently impregnated with the liquid composition containing water and flavor components, and the liquid composition containing water and flavor components can be retained within the dried ingredients. The mixing time is preferably 30 seconds or greater, more preferably 3 minutes or greater, in order to ensure that the liquid composition containing water and flavor components is sufficiently impregnated into the dried ingredients. There are no particular limitations on the mixing method, and any known method can be used. Note that "impregnation" refers to allowing the liquid composition containing water and flavor components to soak into or absorb the surface or interior of the dried ingredients.

A solid ingredient obtained by impregnating a dried ingredient with a liquid composition containing water and flavor components in this manner is called a flavor component-impregnated ingredient. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient must be 1.5 mm or more, preferably 2.5 mm or more, in order to express the flavor components. There is no particular upper limit on the size, but 5 mm or less is preferred in terms of the fluidity and texture of the oil sauce. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient refers to the average length of the longest part of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient. There are no particular limitations on the shape of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient, and it may be cubic, rectangular, cylindrical, spherical, irregular, or other shapes. The water content in the flavor component-impregnated ingredient is preferably 38 to 75% by mass, more preferably 50 to 65% by mass. The flavor component content in the flavor component-impregnated ingredient is preferably 5 to 30% by mass, more preferably 10 to 20% by mass.

The liquid oils and fats used in step 2 refer to oils and fats that are liquid at room temperature (15-25°C), and examples thereof include corn oil, cottonseed oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, rice oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, olive oil, peanut oil, safflower oil, sesame oil, perilla oil, fish oil, and medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). In the present invention, a single liquid oil or fat can be used, or any combination of two or more liquid oils and fats can be used. Note that the liquid oil or fat may be solid at room temperature (15-25°C) as long as it is ultimately liquid at room temperature (15-25°C). Examples of such solid oils and fats include the aforementioned hardened oils and fats, fractionated oils and fats, animal oils such as beef tallow and lard, and vegetable oils such as palm oil.

The liquid oil used in step 2 can contain other optional ingredients as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired. Examples of optional ingredients include emulsifiers and other ingredients that impart viscosity to the liquid oil, antioxidants such as extracted tocopherol and L-ascorbic acid palmitate, colorants, and fragrances. When these optional ingredients are added to the liquid oil, it is preferable to heat and dissolve them together with the liquid oil.

In step 2, the flavor component-impregnated ingredients are mixed with liquid oil. When mixing, the mass ratio of the flavor component-impregnated ingredients to the liquid oil (flavor component-impregnated ingredients/liquid oil) is preferably 0.1 to 0.8, and more preferably 0.5 to 0.8. There are no particular restrictions on the mixing method, and any method known per se can be used.

The ingredient-containing oil sauce obtained by the manufacturing method including steps 1 and 2 is composed of a solid portion containing ingredients impregnated with flavor components and a liquid portion containing liquid oil other than the solid portion. The content of flavor components contained in the ingredient-containing oil sauce is preferably 0.1 to 20% by mass, more preferably 1 to 15% by mass, and even more preferably 5 to 10% by mass. The content of water contained in the ingredient-containing oil sauce is preferably 5 to 30% by mass, and more preferably 15 to 30% by mass. The content of liquid oil contained in the ingredient-containing oil sauce is preferably 50 to 90% by mass, and more preferably 60 to 70% by mass. The content of water contained in the liquid portion of the ingredient-containing oil sauce is preferably less than 1% by mass, and more preferably less than 0.5% by mass. The water content can be measured, for example, by a normal pressure heat drying method (drying at 110°C for 3 to 5 hours).

The ingredient-containing oil sauce obtained by the ingredient-containing oil sauce manufacturing method of the present invention is not particularly limited in its packaging form, and may be filled into containers such as paper, glass, PET bottles, retort pouches, and pouches with stoppers. The ingredient-containing oil sauce obtained by the ingredient-containing oil sauce manufacturing method of the present invention is not particularly limited in its use, and can be used as a seasoning for pasta, meat dishes, fish dishes, salads, and mixed dishes, etc.

The present invention will be explained in detail below using examples, but the present invention is not limited to these.

[Preparing oil sauce with ingredients 1]
(1) Preparation of dried ingredients 1) Dried onion A
Dried onions (trade name: Onion Chop 1-2 mm; moisture content 5% by mass; manufactured by Nile International) were passed through a sieve with openings of 2.8 mm (6.5 mesh) to obtain the onions that passed through the sieve. Next, the onions that passed through the sieve were passed through a sieve with openings of 1.4 mm (12 mesh), and the dried onions that did not pass through the sieve and remained on the sieve were obtained as dried onions A.

2) Dried onion B
Dried onions (trade name: Onion Chop Granules; moisture content 5% by mass; manufactured by Nile International) were sieved through a sieve with 1.4 mm (12 mesh) openings to obtain the onions that passed through the sieve. Next, the onions that passed through the sieve were sieved through a sieve with 0.85 mm (18 mesh) openings to obtain dried onions B that did not pass through the sieve and remained on the sieve.

3) Dried onion C
Dried onions (trade name: Onion Chop Granules; moisture content 5% by mass; manufactured by Nile International) were sieved through a sieve with openings of 0.85 mm (18 mesh) to obtain the onions that passed through the sieve. Next, the onions that passed through the sieve were sieved through a sieve with openings of 0.355 mm (42 mesh), and the onions that did not pass through the sieve and remained on the sieve were obtained as dried onions C.

(2) Method for preparing oil sauce containing ingredients 1) Example 1
6 g of water and 5 g of salt (trade name: Naikai Foods; manufactured by Naikai Salt Co., Ltd.) were added to a 300 mL beaker and stirred with a spatula to obtain a liquid composition containing water and flavor components. Next, 10 g of dried onion A was added and mixed with a spatula for 30 seconds. The dried onion A was thoroughly impregnated with the liquid composition containing water and flavor components until all the moisture was removed, obtaining a flavor component-impregnated ingredient. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient was 2.6 mm. Next, 79 g of rapeseed oil (trade name: Rapeseed Salad Oil; manufactured by Boso Oil & Fats Co., Ltd.) was added and mixed with a spatula to obtain an ingredient-containing oil sauce 1. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient was calculated by measuring the size of 10 flavor component-impregnated ingredients and averaging the results.

2) Example 2
An ingredient-containing oil sauce 2 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the amount of water was changed to 8 g and the amount of rapeseed oil was changed to 77 g. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 2.7 mm.

3) Example 3
An ingredient-containing oil sauce 3 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the amount of water was changed to 10 g and the amount of rapeseed oil was changed to 75 g. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 2.6 mm.

4) Example 4
An ingredient-containing oil sauce 4 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the amount of water was changed to 20 g and the amount of rapeseed oil was changed to 65 g. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 2.8 mm.

5) Example 5
Except for changing the amount of water to 22 g and the amount of rapeseed oil to 63 g, an ingredient-containing oil sauce 5 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 2.8 mm.

6) Example 6
Ingredient-containing oil sauce 6 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the amounts of water, dried onion A, and rapeseed oil were changed to 9 g, 15 g, and 71 g, respectively. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredients obtained during the process was 2.5 mm.

7) Example 7
An ingredient-containing oil sauce 7 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that 10 g of dried onion A was changed to 10 g of dried onion B. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 1.5 mm.

8) Example 8
An ingredient-containing oil sauce 8 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 5, except that 10 g of dried onion A was changed to 10 g of dried onion B. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 1.6 mm.

9) Example 9
An ingredient-containing oil sauce 9 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the amounts of water, salt, and rapeseed oil were changed to 22 g, 2.5 g, and 65.5 g, respectively. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredients obtained during the process was 2.6 mm.

10) Control area 1
5 g of salt (trade name: Naikai Foods; manufactured by Naikai Salt Co., Ltd.), 10 g of dried onion A, and 85 g of rapeseed oil (trade name: Rapeseed Salad Oil; manufactured by Boso Oil & Fats Co., Ltd.) were placed in a 300 mL beaker and mixed with a spatula to obtain an oil sauce containing ingredients (Control Product 1).

11) Control area 2
An oil sauce containing ingredients (Control 2) was obtained in the same manner as Control 1, except that the amount of salt was changed to 2.5 g and the amount of rapeseed oil was changed to 87.5 g.

12) Comparative Example 1
An ingredient-containing oil sauce 10 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the amount of water was changed to 5 g and the amount of rapeseed oil was changed to 80 g. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 2.8 mm.

13) Comparative Example 2
An ingredient-containing oil sauce 11 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the amount of water was changed to 30 g and the amount of rapeseed oil was changed to 55 g. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 2.7 mm.

14) Comparative Example 3
An ingredient-containing oil sauce 12 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the amount of water was changed to 40 g and the amount of rapeseed oil was changed to 45 g. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 2.7 mm.

15) Comparative Example 4
An ingredient-containing oil sauce 13 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the amount of water was changed to 6 g, the amount of dried onion A was changed to 15 g, and the amount of rapeseed oil was changed to 74 g. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 2.6 mm.

16) Comparative Example 5
An ingredient-containing oil sauce 14 was obtained in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1, except that 10 g of dried onion A was changed to 10 g of dried onion B. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 1.5 mm.

17) Comparative Example 6
An ingredient-containing oil sauce 15 was obtained in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1, except that 10 g of dried onion A was changed to 10 g of dried onion C. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 1.0 mm.

18) Comparative Example 7
An ingredient-containing oil sauce 16 was obtained in the same manner as in Comparative Example 6, except that the amount of water was changed to 6 g and the amount of rapeseed oil was changed to 79 g. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 1.0 mm.

19) Comparative Example 8
An ingredient-containing oil sauce 17 was obtained in the same manner as in Comparative Example 6, except that the amount of water was changed to 22 g and the amount of rapeseed oil was changed to 63 g. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 1.0 mm.

20) Comparative Example 9
An ingredient-containing oil sauce 18 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the amounts of water, salt, and rapeseed oil were changed to 4 g, 2.5 g, and 83.5 g, respectively. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 2.8 mm.

21) Comparative Example 10
An ingredient-containing oil sauce 19 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the amounts of water, salt, and rapeseed oil were changed to 30 g, 2.5 g, and 57.5 g, respectively. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 2.9 mm.

The content (mass%) of each ingredient and the size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredients for Ingredient-Containing Oil Sauces 1-9 and Control Products 1 and 2 are shown in Table 1. The content (mass%) of each ingredient and the size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredients for Ingredient-Containing Oil Sauces 10-19 are shown in Table 2.

(3) Evaluation of the expression of flavor components in oil sauces containing ingredients 5 g of oil sauces containing ingredients 1 to 19 or control products 1 and 2 was poured over 40 g of tofu, and the expression of flavor components was evaluated for each of them based on the following evaluation criteria. "◎" and "◯" were assigned to samples that satisfied the effects of the present invention. The results are shown in Table 3.
<Evaluation criteria for oil sauces with ingredients 1-8, 10-17>
◎: Very strong saltiness compared to Control Product 1 ○: Strong saltiness compared to Control Product 1 △: Slightly stronger saltiness compared to Control Product 1 ×: No difference in saltiness compared to Control Product 1 <Evaluation criteria for ingredient-containing oil sauces 9, 18, and 19>
◎: The saltiness is very strong compared to Control Product 2. ○: The saltiness is strong compared to Control Product 2. △: The saltiness is slightly stronger compared to Control Product 2. ×: There is no difference in saltiness compared to Control Product 2.

(4) Evaluation of Water Separation Each of the ingredient-containing oil sauces 1 to 19 was passed through a sieve with a mesh size of 0.15 mm (100 mesh) to separate only the liquid portion of the ingredient-containing oil sauce. Next, based on the following evaluation criteria, each was visually evaluated for the presence or absence of water separation in the liquid portion. A "○" was deemed to satisfy the effects of the present invention. The results are shown in Table 3.
<Evaluation criteria>
○: No separation of water into the liquid portion is observed ×: Separation of water into the liquid portion is observed

As shown in Table 3, ingredient-containing oil sauces 1 to 9, in which the mass ratio of water to dried ingredients (water/dried ingredients) when mixing the liquid composition containing water and flavor components with the dried ingredients was 0.6 or more and less than 3, and the size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredients was 1.5 mm or more, exhibited excellent flavor component expression and suppressed water separation. On the other hand, ingredient-containing oil sauces 10, 13 to 18, in which the mass ratio of water to dried ingredients (water/dried ingredients) when mixing the liquid composition containing water and flavor components with the dried ingredients was less than 0.6, or the size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredients was less than 1.5 mm, did not exhibit satisfactory flavor component expression. Furthermore, ingredient-containing oil sauces 11, 12, and 19, in which the mass ratio of water to dried ingredients (water/dried ingredients) when mixing the liquid composition containing water and flavor components with the dried ingredients was 3 or more, exhibited water separation.

[Making oil sauce with ingredients 2]
(1) Method for preparing oil sauce containing ingredients 1) Example 10
6 g of water and 5 g of sucrose (trade name: NBC Beet Granulated Sugar; manufactured by Hokkaido Sugar Co., Ltd.) were added to a 300 mL beaker and stirred with a spatula to obtain a liquid composition containing water and flavor components. Next, 10 g of dried onion A was added and mixed with a spatula for 30 seconds. The dried onion A was thoroughly impregnated with the liquid composition containing water and flavor components until all the moisture was removed, obtaining a flavor component-impregnated ingredient. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient was 2.8 mm. Next, 79 g of rapeseed oil (trade name: Rapeseed Salad Oil; manufactured by Boso Oil & Fats Co., Ltd.) was added and mixed with a spatula to obtain an ingredient-containing oil sauce 20. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient was calculated by measuring the size of 10 flavor component-impregnated ingredients and averaging the results.

2) Example 11
An ingredient-containing oil sauce 21 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 10, except that the amount of water was changed to 22 g and the amount of rapeseed oil was changed to 63 g. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 2.5 mm.

3) Control area 3
5 g of sucrose (trade name: NBC Beet Granulated Sugar; manufactured by Hokkaido Sugar Industry Co., Ltd.), 10 g of dried onion A, and 85 g of rapeseed oil (trade name: Rapeseed Salad Oil; manufactured by Boso Oil & Fats Co., Ltd.) were placed in a 300 mL beaker and mixed with a spatula to obtain an oil sauce containing ingredients (Control Product 3).

4) Comparative Example 11
An ingredient-containing oil sauce 22 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 10, except that the amount of water was changed to 4 g and the amount of rapeseed oil was changed to 81 g. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 2.8 mm.

5) Comparative Example 12
An ingredient-containing oil sauce 23 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 10, except that the amount of water was changed to 30 g and the amount of rapeseed oil was changed to 55 g. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 2.6 mm.

Table 4 shows the content (mass%) of each ingredient and the size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredients for ingredient-containing oil sauces 20-23 and control product 3.

(2) Evaluation of the expression of flavor components in oil sauces containing ingredients 5 g of oil sauces containing ingredients 20 to 23 or control product 3 was poured over 40 g of tofu, and the expression of flavor components was evaluated based on the following evaluation criteria. "◎" and "◯" were assigned to samples that satisfied the effects of the present invention. The results are shown in Table 5.
<Evaluation criteria>
◎: The sweetness is felt much stronger than that of Control Product 3. ○: The sweetness is felt stronger than that of Control Product 3. △: The sweetness is felt slightly stronger than that of Control Product 3. ×: There is no difference in sweetness compared to Control Product 3.

(3) Evaluation of Water Separation Each of the ingredient-containing oil sauces 20 to 23 was passed through a sieve with a mesh size of 0.15 mm (100 mesh) to separate only the liquid portion of the ingredient-containing oil sauce. Next, based on the following evaluation criteria, each was visually evaluated for the presence or absence of water separation in the liquid portion. "Good" was deemed to satisfy the effects of the present invention. The results are shown in Table 5.
<Evaluation criteria>
○: No separation of water into the liquid portion is observed ×: Separation of water into the liquid portion is observed

As shown in Table 5, ingredient-containing oil sauces 20 and 21, in which the mass ratio of water to dried ingredients (water/dried ingredients) when mixing a liquid composition containing water and flavor components with dried ingredients was 0.6 or more and less than 3, and the size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredients was 1.5 mm or more, exhibited excellent flavor component expression and suppressed water separation. On the other hand, ingredient-containing oil sauce 22, in which the mass ratio of water to dried ingredients (water/dried ingredients) when mixing a liquid composition containing water and flavor components with dried ingredients was less than 0.6, did not exhibit satisfactory flavor component expression, and ingredient-containing oil sauce 23, in which the mass ratio of water to dried ingredients (water/dried ingredients) when mixing a liquid composition containing water and flavor components with dried ingredients was 3 or more, exhibited water separation.

[Preparing oil sauce with ingredients 3]
(1) Method for preparing oil sauce containing ingredients 1) Example 12
6 g of water and 5 g of sodium glutamate (trade name: AJINOMOTO (I) FC; manufactured by Ajinomoto Co., Inc.) were added to a 300 mL beaker and stirred with a spatula to obtain a liquid composition containing water and flavor components. Next, 10 g of dried onion A was added and mixed with a spatula for 30 seconds. The dried onion A was thoroughly impregnated with the liquid composition containing water and flavor components until all the moisture was removed, obtaining a flavor component-impregnated ingredient. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient was 3.0 mm. Next, 79 g of rapeseed oil (trade name: Rapeseed Salad Oil; manufactured by Boso Oil & Fats Co., Ltd.) was added and mixed with a spatula to obtain an ingredient-containing oil sauce 24. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient was calculated by measuring the size of 10 flavor component-impregnated ingredients and averaging the results.

2) Example 13
Ingredient-containing oil sauce 25 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 12, except that the amount of water was changed to 22 g and the amount of rapeseed oil was changed to 63 g. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 3.0 mm.

3) Control area 4
5 g of sodium glutamate (trade name: Ajinomoto (I) FC; manufactured by Ajinomoto Co., Inc.), 10 g of dried onion A, and 85 g of rapeseed oil (trade name: Rapeseed Salad Oil; manufactured by Boso Oil & Fats Co., Ltd.) were placed in a 300 mL beaker and mixed with a spatula to obtain an oil sauce containing ingredients (Control Product 4).

4) Comparative Example 13
An ingredient-containing oil sauce 26 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 12, except that the amount of water was changed to 4 g and the amount of rapeseed oil was changed to 81 g. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 2.8 mm.

5) Comparative Example 14
Ingredient-containing oil sauce 27 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 12, except that the amount of water was changed to 30 g and the amount of rapeseed oil was changed to 55 g. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 2.9 mm.

Table 6 shows the content (mass%) of each ingredient and the size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredients for ingredient-containing oil sauces 24-27 and control product 4.

(2) Evaluation of the expression of flavor components in oil sauces containing ingredients 5 g of oil sauces containing ingredients 24 to 27 or control product 4 was poured over 40 g of tofu, and the expression of flavor components was evaluated based on the following evaluation criteria. "◎" and "◯" were assigned to samples that satisfied the effects of the present invention. The results are shown in Table 7.
<Evaluation criteria>
◎: The umami taste is much stronger than that of control product 4. ○: The umami taste is stronger than that of control product 4. △: The umami taste is somewhat stronger than that of control product 4. ×: There is no difference in umami taste compared to control product 4.

(3) Evaluation of Water Separation Each of the ingredient-containing oil sauces 24 to 27 was passed through a sieve with a mesh size of 0.15 mm (100 mesh) to separate only the liquid portion of the ingredient-containing oil sauce. Next, based on the following evaluation criteria, each was visually evaluated for the presence or absence of water separation in the liquid portion. A "○" was deemed to satisfy the effects of the present invention. The results are shown in Table 7.
<Evaluation criteria>
○: No separation of water into the liquid portion is observed ×: Separation of water into the liquid portion is observed

As shown in Table 7, ingredient-containing oil sauces 24 and 25, in which the mass ratio of water to dried ingredients (water/dried ingredients) when mixing a liquid composition containing water and flavor components with dried ingredients was 0.6 or more and less than 3, and the size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredients was 1.5 mm or more, exhibited excellent flavor component expression and suppressed water separation. On the other hand, ingredient-containing oil sauce 26, in which the mass ratio of water to dried ingredients (water/dried ingredients) when mixing a liquid composition containing water and flavor components with dried ingredients was less than 0.6, did not exhibit satisfactory flavor component expression, and ingredient-containing oil sauce 27, in which the mass ratio of water to dried ingredients (water/dried ingredients) when mixing a liquid composition containing water and flavor components with dried ingredients was 3 or more, exhibited water separation.

[Preparing oil sauce with ingredients 4]
(1) Preparation of dried ingredients 1) Granular soy protein A
Granular soy protein (trade name: New Soyme S10; moisture content 6.4% by mass; manufactured by Nisshin Oillio Group Co., Ltd.) was sieved through a sieve with openings of 1.4 mm (12 mesh) to obtain the material that passed through the sieve. Next, the material that passed through the sieve was sieved through a sieve with openings of 0.85 mm (18 mesh), and the granular soy protein that did not pass through the sieve and remained on the sieve was obtained as granular soy protein A.

2) Granular soy protein B
Granular soy protein (trade name: New Soyme S10; moisture content 6.4% by mass; manufactured by Nisshin Oillio Group Co., Ltd.) was sieved through a sieve with openings of 0.85 mm (18 mesh) to obtain the material that passed through the sieve. Next, the material that passed through the sieve was sieved through a sieve with openings of 0.5 mm (30 mesh), and the granular soy protein that did not pass through the sieve and remained on the sieve was obtained as granular soy protein B.

3) Granular soy protein C
Granular soy protein (trade name: New Soyme S10; moisture content 6.4% by mass; manufactured by Nisshin Oillio Group Co., Ltd.) was passed through a sieve with openings of 0.5 mm (30 mesh), and the granular soy protein that passed through the sieve was obtained as granular soy protein C.

(2) Method for preparing oil sauce containing ingredients 1) Example 14
6 g of water and 5 g of salt (trade name: Naikai Foods; manufactured by Naikai Salt Co., Ltd.) were added to a 300 mL beaker and stirred with a spatula to obtain a liquid composition containing water and flavor components. Next, 10 g of granular soy protein A was added and mixed with a spatula for 30 seconds. The granular soy protein A was thoroughly impregnated with the liquid composition containing water and flavor components until the moisture disappeared, obtaining a flavor component-impregnated ingredient. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient was 3.3 mm. Next, 79 g of rapeseed oil (trade name: Rapeseed Salad Oil; manufactured by Boso Oil & Fats Co., Ltd.) was added and mixed with a spatula to obtain an oil sauce containing ingredients 28. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient was calculated by measuring the size of 10 flavor component-impregnated ingredients and calculating the average value.

2) Example 15
An ingredient-containing oil sauce 29 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 14, except that the amount of water was changed to 8 g and the amount of rapeseed oil was changed to 77 g. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 3.5 mm.

3) Example 16
An ingredient-containing oil sauce 30 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 14, except that the amount of water was changed to 10 g and the amount of rapeseed oil was changed to 75 g. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 3.2 mm.

4) Example 17
An ingredient-containing oil sauce 31 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 14, except that the amount of water was changed to 20 g and the amount of rapeseed oil was changed to 65 g. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 3.0 mm.

5) Example 18
An ingredient-containing oil sauce 32 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 14, except that the amount of water was changed to 22 g and the amount of rapeseed oil was changed to 63 g. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 3.5 mm.

6) Example 19
An ingredient-containing oil sauce 33 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 14, except that the amounts of water, granular soy protein A, and rapeseed oil were changed to 9 g, 15 g, and 71 g, respectively. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredients obtained during the process was 3.4 mm.

7) Example 20
An ingredient-containing oil sauce 34 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 14, except that 10 g of granular soy protein A was changed to 10 g of granular soy protein B. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 1.6 mm.

8) Example 21
Ingredient-containing oil sauce 35 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 18, except that 10 g of granular soy protein A was changed to 10 g of granular soy protein B. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 1.7 mm.

9) Control area 5
5 g of salt (trade name: Naikai Foods; manufactured by Naikai Salt Co., Ltd.), 10 g of granular soy protein A, and 85 g of rapeseed oil (trade name: Rapeseed Salad Oil; manufactured by Boso Oil & Fats Co., Ltd.) were placed in a 300 mL beaker and mixed with a spatula to obtain an oil sauce containing ingredients (Control Product 5).

10) Comparative Example 15
An ingredient-containing oil sauce 36 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 14, except that the amount of water was changed to 5 g and the amount of rapeseed oil was changed to 80 g. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 3.0 mm.

11) Comparative Example 16
Ingredient-containing oil sauce 37 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 14, except that the amount of water was changed to 30 g and the amount of rapeseed oil was changed to 55 g. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 3.5 mm.

12) Comparative Example 17
An ingredient-containing oil sauce 38 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 14, except that the amount of water was changed to 40 g and the amount of rapeseed oil was changed to 45 g. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 3.4 mm.

13) Comparative Example 18
An ingredient-containing oil sauce 39 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 14, except that the amounts of water, granular soy protein A, and rapeseed oil were changed to 6 g, 15 g, and 74 g, respectively. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredients obtained during the process was 3.0 mm.

14) Comparative Example 19
An ingredient-containing oil sauce 40 was obtained in the same manner as in Comparative Example 15, except that 10 g of granular soy protein A was changed to 10 g of granular soy protein B. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 1.8 mm.

15) Comparative Example 20
Ingredient-containing oil sauce 41 was obtained in the same manner as in Comparative Example 15, except that 10 g of granular soy protein A was changed to 10 g of granular soy protein C. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 1.1 mm.

16) Comparative Example 21
An ingredient-containing oil sauce 42 was obtained in the same manner as in Comparative Example 20, except that the amount of water was changed to 6 g and the amount of rapeseed oil was changed to 79 g. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 1.2 mm.

17) Comparative Example 22
An ingredient-containing oil sauce 43 was obtained in the same manner as in Comparative Example 20, except that the amount of water was changed to 22 g and the amount of rapeseed oil was changed to 63 g. The size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredient obtained during the process was 1.2 mm.

Table 8 shows the content (mass%) of each ingredient and the size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredients for ingredient-containing oil sauces 28-35 and control product 5. Table 9 also shows the content (mass%) of each ingredient and the size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredients for ingredient-containing oil sauces 36-43.

(3) Measurement of water content in the liquid portion Ingredient-containing oil sauces 28 to 43 and control product 5 were each passed through a sieve with 0.15 mm (100 mesh) to separate only the liquid portion of the ingredient-containing oil sauce, and the water content in the liquid portion was measured using a normal pressure heat drying method (110°C, 3 hours drying). The results for ingredient-containing oil sauces 28 to 35 and control product 5 are shown in Table 8, and the results for ingredient-containing oil sauces 36 to 43 are shown in Table 9.

(4) Evaluation of the expression of flavor components in oil sauces containing ingredients 5 g of any of oil sauces containing ingredients 28 to 43 or control product 5 was poured over 40 g of tofu, and the expression of flavor components was evaluated based on the following evaluation criteria. "◎" and "◯" were assigned to samples that satisfied the effects of the present invention. The results are shown in Table 10.
<Evaluation criteria>
◎: The saltiness is very strong compared to control product 5. ○: The saltiness is strong compared to control product 5. △: The saltiness is slightly strong compared to control product 5. ×: There is no difference in saltiness compared to control product 5.

(5) Evaluation of Water Separation Each of the ingredient-containing oil sauces 28 to 43 was passed through a sieve with a mesh size of 0.15 mm (100 mesh) to separate only the liquid portion of the ingredient-containing oil sauce. Next, based on the following evaluation criteria, each was visually evaluated for the presence or absence of water separation in the liquid portion. A "○" was deemed to satisfy the effects of the present invention. The results are shown in Table 10.
<Evaluation criteria>
○: No separation of water into the liquid portion is observed ×: Separation of water into the liquid portion is observed

As shown in Table 10, ingredient-containing oil sauces 28 to 35, in which the mass ratio of water to dried ingredients (water/dried ingredients) when mixing the liquid composition containing water and flavor components with the dried ingredients was 0.6 or more and less than 3, and the size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredients was 1.5 mm or more, exhibited excellent flavor component expression and suppressed water separation. On the other hand, ingredient-containing oil sauces 36 and 39 to 43, in which the mass ratio of water to dried ingredients (water/dried ingredients) when mixing the liquid composition containing water and flavor components with the dried ingredients was less than 0.6 or the size of the flavor component-impregnated ingredients was less than 1.5 mm, did not exhibit satisfactory flavor component expression. Furthermore, ingredient-containing oil sauces 37 and 38, in which the mass ratio of water to dried ingredients (water/dried ingredients) when mixing the liquid composition containing water and flavor components with the dried ingredients was 3 or more, exhibited water separation.

Claims (1)

A method for producing an oil sauce containing ingredients, comprising the following steps 1 and 2:
Step 1: A step of mixing a liquid composition containing water and a flavor component with a dry ingredient so that the mass ratio of the water to the dry ingredient (water/dry ingredient) is 0.6 or more and less than 3, thereby obtaining a flavor component-impregnated ingredient having a size of 1.5 mm or more and 3.5 mm or less . Step 2: A step of mixing the flavor component-impregnated ingredient with liquid oil.