JP7853797B2 - Method for making soybean paste - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a method for producing soybean paste from soybean flour.

Anko (sweet bean paste) is made from ingredients with a high starch content, such as tubers, roots, fruits, vegetables, and seeds. These ingredients are boiled and then kneaded. Anko is classified into three types: "tsubuan" (coarse bean paste), where the shape of the boiled ingredients remains; "tsubushian" (crushed bean paste), where the boiled ingredients are crushed; and "koshian" (strained bean paste), where the boiled ingredients are crushed and strained. Furthermore, raw bean paste is made by crushing the boiled ingredients as desired and soaking them in water, while kneaded bean paste (or sweetened bean paste) is made by adding sugars to raw bean paste and kneading it while heating. Ingredients with a high starch content generally include seeds such as adzuki beans, cowpeas, mung beans, kidney beans, oyster beans, and sweet beans, but roots such as sweet potatoes, fruits such as pumpkins, and fruits such as chestnuts are also sometimes used. This type of bean paste is used as a filling for Japanese sweets such as manju and sweet buns such as anpan, and in recent years it has also been used as a topping for cakes, pies, frappés, and parfaits, making it a widely popular ingredient. Strained bean paste, in particular, has a high starch content, giving it a malleable texture and a moist, smooth, melt-in-your-mouth feel, making it popular as a spread.
On the other hand, soybeans are a food ingredient with an excellent balance of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins. Attempts have been made to produce bean paste using soybeans, but because they have a lower carbohydrate (starch) content and a higher protein content than the aforementioned ingredients, they become very sticky during the heating and kneading process when making bean paste, resulting in significantly different physical properties from bean paste made using starch-rich ingredients such as adzuki beans. In addition, the lipids contained in soybeans give off a characteristic soybean odor (grassy and bitter taste), which tends to make it unpopular. For these reasons, when using soybeans as an ingredient in bean paste, efforts have been made to minimize the impact on the physical properties and palatability of soybeans, such as by substituting some adzuki beans.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for producing bean paste, in which a mixture of soybeans without seed coats and soybean seed coats is used as raw material soybeans in a weight ratio of 1:0.07 to 0.22, the mixture is soaked in water to swell, the swollen soybeans are boiled in water, the boiled soybeans and soybean seed coats are ground, and finally sugar is added and heated and mixed to produce soybean paste. It is stated that the resulting soybean paste has a moist texture and appearance, not a paste-like consistency, similar to conventional bean paste made with adzuki beans, and also has a mild taste with a moderate sweetness, and furthermore, the flavor of soybeans can be fully appreciated.
Patent Document 2 discloses a method for producing raw bean paste derived from soybeans, characterized by comprising a humidified hot air processing step in which washed raw soybeans are exposed to high-temperature, humidified hot air; a grinding step in which the soybeans processed with humidified hot air are ground; and a boiling step in which the ground soybeans are boiled. It is stated that a so-called smooth, paste-like raw bean paste made from soybeans with low viscosity is obtained. It is also stated that the bean paste is completed by adding sugar and salt to the raw bean paste and kneading it.
Patent Document 3 discloses a method for producing soybean paste, which includes the steps of soaking soybeans in water containing baking soda, cooking the soybeans together with the water containing baking soda, draining the cooking liquid and rinsing the soybeans after they have been cooked, and crushing the rinsed soybeans. It is stated that a smooth, low-viscosity soybean paste, known as raw soybean paste, was obtained. It is also stated that a paste can be made using this raw soybean paste (with added sugar), but there is no evaluation of that paste.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-80678 Japanese Patent Publication No. 2014-158431 Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-121920

The first objective of the present invention is to provide soybean paste that is free from the characteristic soybean odor (grassy and bitter taste) caused by lipids contained in soybeans, and a novel method for producing the same.
Furthermore, a further object of the present invention is to provide a soybean paste that is free from the characteristic soybean odor (grassy and bitter taste) caused by lipids contained in soybeans, and has a moist, smooth, and melt-in-your-mouth texture, as well as a novel method for producing the same.

The inventors have found that the above problem can be solved by heating a paste containing soybean flour and sugars, without performing a bean paste kneading process. The following explanation is not limited to the above, but the reasons why the present invention's method can solve the problem are thought to be as follows: Unlike adzuki beans, soybeans contain more than 30% by mass of lipids. Therefore, in conventional methods of producing bean paste that involve adding sugar to heated adzuki beans and kneading them (bean paste kneading process), it is thought that the lipids contained in the soybeans come into contact with the oil and air (oxygen), causing oxidation, which results in the characteristic soybean odor (grassy and bitter taste) of soybeans. The present invention's method makes it possible to produce soybean paste with a good texture without performing such a bean paste kneading process, and therefore it is thought that it is possible to produce soybean paste without the characteristic soybean odor (grassy and bitter taste) caused by the lipids contained in soybeans. Furthermore, it has been discovered that the present invention makes it possible to produce soybean paste with a moist, smooth, and melt-in-your-mouth texture similar to that of conventional red bean paste.
The present invention provides the following embodiments.
[1] Step 1 provides a paste containing soy flour, sugars, and liquid raw materials,
Step 2 involves heating the paste,
A method for producing soybean paste that includes the following and does not include a paste kneading process.
[2] The manufacturing method according to [1], wherein the amount of water contained in the paste in step 1 is 50 to 150 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of soy flour.
[3] The method for producing soybean paste according to [1] or [2], wherein the amount of sugars in step 1 is 40 to 210 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of soybean flour.
[4] A method for producing soybean paste according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein step 1 further comprises sealing the paste in packaging.
[5] The method for producing soybean paste according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the soybean flour in step 1 is a ground soybean product that is roasted before or after grinding.
[6] The method for producing soybean paste according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the heating in step 2 is carried out under conditions that gelatinize the starch of the soybean flour in the paste.

The method of the present invention makes it possible to produce soybean paste without the characteristic soybean odor (grassy and bitter taste). Conventional manufacturing methods that include a step of adding sugar to heated beans and kneading it (bean paste kneading step) provide an opportunity for the oils contained in the beans to come into contact with air (oxygen). In the case of soybean paste, it is thought that the characteristic soybean odor (grassy and bitter taste) is caused by the oxidation of lipids, which are abundant in soybeans. The method of the present invention, which can produce soybean paste without the bean paste kneading step, is thought to produce soybean paste without the characteristic soybean odor (grassy and bitter taste) caused by lipids contained in soybeans.
Furthermore, it has been discovered that the method of the present invention makes it possible to produce soybean paste with a texture that is closer to the moist, smooth, and melt-in-your-mouth texture of paste made from ordinary adzuki beans.

(I) Step 1 of providing the paste
The present invention provides a method for producing soybean paste, comprising step 1 of mixing soybean flour, sugars, and water to provide a paste.
(1) Soybean flour Soybean flour is obtained by grinding the seeds of soybeans, which belong to the genus Glycine in the legume family. Soybeans are distinguished by the color of their seed coat, and yellow soybeans, green soybeans, black soybeans, red soybeans, brown soybeans, and saddle-leaf soybeans are known, but any type of soybean may be used in the present invention. In addition, defatted soybeans may be used as a soybean raw material in addition to the above soybeans, to the extent that it does not affect the effect of the present invention (for example, defatted soybeans may be used in an amount of 10% by mass or less relative to the total amount of soybean raw material).
There are no particular restrictions on the method of grinding soybeans; any known method can be applied, such as dry grinding, wet grinding, or freeze grinding. The soybeans used for grinding may be whole soybean seeds, or they may be dehulled to remove the seed coat, or the hypocotyl or germ may be removed as a pretreatment before grinding.
To suppress the grassy and bitter taste characteristic of soybeans, or to partially inactivate enzymes such as lipoxygenase contained in soybeans, the soy flour obtained after grinding may be roasted at a low temperature, or the soybeans may be roasted as a pre-processing step before grinding. The low-temperature roasting is carried out at a temperature of, for example, 50 to 80°C. Higher temperatures tend to degrade the taste of the soy flour.
The particle size of the soy flour is not particularly limited and can be adjusted as appropriate according to the desired palatability of the soy bean paste obtained by the soy bean paste manufacturing method of the present invention. For example, it is preferably 200 mesh-through (75 μm or less), 280 mesh-through (53 μm or less), and more preferably 400 mesh-through (35 μm or less). To obtain a texture with graininess, crushed soybeans or coarse-grained soy flour of 100 mesh-on (150 μm or more) may be used as desired. In this case, from the viewpoint of maintaining the moist, smooth, and melt-in-the-mouth texture of the soy bean paste, it is preferable that the amount of crushed soybeans and/or coarse-grained soy flour be 5% by mass or less of the total amount of soy flour and crushed soybeans and/or coarse-grained soy flour.
The soy flour used in this invention may be prepared by grinding it appropriately when manufacturing soybean paste, but commercially available soy flour may also be used, for example, commercially available products from Marukome Co., Ltd., Nippon Garlic Co., Ltd., Mitake Foods Industry Co., Ltd., Pelican Co., Ltd., etc.
Alternatively, soy flour obtained by steaming soybeans until they become edible, drying them, and then grinding them may be used.

(2) Sugars As for sugars, you can use any sugars that are commonly used in the production of red bean paste. For example, monosaccharides such as glucose and fructose; disaccharides such as sucrose, lactose, and maltose; sugar alcohols such as xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol, lactitol, and maltitol; and isomerized sugars produced by saccharification and enzymatic reaction of starch. Any sugar that is used for food purposes can be used. If sucrose is used, it may be refined sugar (molasses sugar) such as granulated sugar or white sugar, or unrefined sugar such as brown sugar, light brown sugar, red sugar, or maple sugar. If liquid sugar such as glucose-fructose syrup is used as a sugar, the water contained in the liquid sugar will be included in the amount of water described later.

In the method for producing soybean paste according to the present invention, the amount of sugars contained in the paste affects the texture and flavor. While not limited to achieving the effects of the present invention, the amount of sugars is, for example, 40 to 210 parts by mass, 55 to 190 parts by mass, preferably 58 to 185 parts by mass, more preferably 65 to 175 parts by mass, even more preferably 70 to 170 parts by mass, still more preferably 75 to 160 parts by mass, even more preferably 90 to 140 parts by mass, still still more preferably 100 to 130 parts by mass, and most preferably 110 to 130 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of soybean flour. Within this range, it is possible to obtain soybean paste that is free from the characteristic soybean odor (grassy and bitter taste) and has a moist, smooth, and melt-in-the-mouth texture similar to red bean paste.

(3) Liquid raw materials As liquid raw materials, water, preferably drinking water, is an example, but depending on the desired palatability of the soybean paste, any liquid raw material commonly used in food production may be used, such as bonito stock, kelp stock, soy milk stock, etc.; juices such as grape juice, orange juice, etc.; or milk such as cow's milk, goat's milk, etc. However, when using such liquid raw materials, the mass of water-soluble and water-insoluble components contained in the liquid raw material shall be excluded and included in the amount of water described later.

(4) Amount of soy flour and water In the method for producing soybean paste of the present invention, the amount of water contained in the paste is not limited as long as the effects of the present invention are achieved, but is, for example, 50 to 150 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of soy flour, may be 65 to 130 parts by mass, preferably 67 to 128 parts by mass, more preferably 70 to 125 parts by mass, even more preferably 75 to 120 parts by mass, still preferably 80 to 113 parts by mass, even more preferably 83 to 115 parts by mass, and still still more preferably 90 to 110 parts by mass. Within this range, it is possible to obtain soybean paste that is not sticky, has a moist and smooth texture that melts in the mouth like red bean paste, and is free from the characteristic soybean odor (grassy and bitter taste).

(5) Other Components In the present invention, other components may be used in addition to the components mentioned above, as long as they do not impair the effects of the present invention. Such non-water-soluble components other than soy flour include grain flours derived from grains such as common wheat, durum wheat, rice, rye, barley, corn, and buckwheat; nuts such as adzuki beans, cowpeas, mung beans, kidney beans, red beans, and kidney beans; nuts such as peanuts and macadamia nuts; tuber flours or root flours of potatoes, taro, cassava, sweet potatoes, and yams; and starches separated and refined from grains, tubers, roots, tree trunks, etc. (wheat starch, rice starch, corn starch, etc.). Examples include: corn starch, potato starch, sweet potato starch, mung bean starch, sago starch, etc., and their waxy starches and high-amylose starches; modified starches obtained by etherification, esterification, acetylation, crosslinking, oxidation, heat treatment, enzymatic treatment, etc., or combinations thereof; bran materials such as wheat bran and rice bran; water-insoluble dietary fiber such as cellulose and indigestible starch; protein materials such as soy protein, wheat protein, and pea protein.

When using such water-insoluble components, the content of soy flour relative to the total of soy flour and other components is preferably 50% by mass or more, more preferably 70% by mass or more, and even more preferably 90% by mass or more. Most preferably, the mixture consists of soy flour and contains no other components. Other water-soluble components besides sugars include inorganic salts such as sodium chloride and potassium chloride; amino acids such as glutamic acid and aspartic acid; nucleic acids such as inosinic acid; water-soluble dietary fibers such as polydextrose, barley β-glucan, and indigestible dextrin; starch hydrolysates and their derivatives such as dextrin and cyclodextrin; thickening polysaccharides such as pectin, carrageenan, xanthan gum, guar gum, tara gum, locust bean gum, and inulin; cellulose derivatives such as methylcellulose; water-soluble or water-dispersible protein materials such as egg white powder, skim milk powder, and soy milk powder; vitamins such as ascorbic acid; organic acids such as lactic acid, acetic acid, and succinic acid; and emulsifiers such as glycerin fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, saponins, and sodium caseinate. Furthermore, oils and fats such as margarine, butter, olive oil, and soybean oil; preservatives; flavorings; colorings; and spices can be used as desired depending on the taste.

The method for obtaining the paste is not particularly limited and can be adjusted as appropriate depending on the raw materials used. It may be obtained by putting all the raw materials into a mixer and mixing them, or by mixing all or part of the water-soluble components such as sugars with soy flour beforehand and then adding water to make a paste, or by dissolving all or part of the water-soluble components such as sugars in water beforehand and then adding soy flour and other powdered raw materials to make a paste.
The mixing conditions should be such that there are no lumps in the paste. For example, it is preferable to stir at about 20 to 100 rpm using a mixer, and more preferably at 40 to 80 rpm. At this time, heating should not be performed under conditions that would cause denaturation of soy-derived protein. It is preferable to perform the process at room temperature or without heating.

(6) Other steps Step 1, which provides the paste as described above, may further include sealing the paste in packaging before step 2, which heats the paste. In this specification, step 1 which further includes sealing the paste in packaging may be referred to as step 1'.
The container used to seal the paste is not particularly limited; any container that can prevent contact between the paste and air can be used. Examples of such containers include plastic bags, plastic containers, glass containers, and metal containers. When using plastic bags, it is preferable to use a laminated plastic packaging material that is easily heat-sealable, so that degassing or vacuum packaging can be performed. It is preferable that the plastic bag has gas barrier properties. When using various types of containers, after filling with paste, it is preferable to replace the air inside the container with an inert gas such as nitrogen and then seal it by attaching a lid, although a plastic film may be heat-sealed before attaching the lid.
This process, which includes sealing the paste in a way that prevents it from coming into contact with air (oxygen), is preferable because it can further suppress the generation of the characteristic grassy and bitter taste derived from soybean oil.

(II) Step 2: Heating the paste
The present invention relates to a method for producing soybean paste, which includes step 2 of heating the paste provided in step 1 or step 1'. The heating conditions may be any conditions that enable the production of edible paste. In the present invention, "edible paste" refers to a state in which at least the starch derived from soybeans has been gelatinized, and the protein derived from soybeans has been heat-denatured.
More specifically, it is as follows:
(1) If the soy flour in the paste provided in step 1 or step 1' is not in an edible state (also called an edible state), it is preferable to heat it under conditions that make it edible (at least gelatinize the starch, heat-denatur the soybean-derived protein, and kill bacteria such as food poisoning bacteria). Such conditions include heating the core temperature of the soybean paste (the region where heat is least easily transferred) to 75°C or higher for 10 minutes or more. Examples include heating in water at 85-100°C for 15-90 minutes, retorting at 121°C for 5-10 minutes or more or under equivalent heating conditions, or boiling at 97-106°C for 5-20 minutes or more or under equivalent heating conditions.
(2) If the soy flour in the paste provided in step 1 or step 1' is in an edible state, there are no particular restrictions as long as the paste is heated under conditions that satisfy food hygiene sterilization requirements. For example, if it is in a sealed state such as in a container, retort processing (heating at 121°C or higher for 4 minutes or more or equivalent) or hot water sterilization (heating at 85-100°C for 40-90 minutes) is acceptable, and if it is not in a sealed state, boiling processing (heating at 97-106°C for 2 minutes or more or equivalent) is acceptable.
In step 2, which involves heating the paste, the paste provided in step 1 or step 1' is heated as is, and it is preferable that the provided paste is not mixed or stirred. Step 2 is not the "paste kneading step".

(III) Bean Paste Mixing Process The method for producing soybean paste of the present invention does not require and does not include the so-called bean paste mixing process. Typically, in the case of red bean paste, etc., after obtaining raw bean paste, sugars are added and the paste is mixed to produce a paste. However, unlike red beans, soybeans contain more than 30% by mass of lipids. In soybean paste, the bean paste mixing process causes the lipids to come into contact with air (oxygen) and to be oxidized or decomposed by the action of lipoxygenase that has not been completely inactivated at low temperatures (generally below 50°C) during the heating process, which can cause a grassy or bitter taste. For this reason, the method for producing soybean paste of the present invention, which does not include the bean paste mixing process, has unprecedented advantages.

<Manufacturing Example 1: Production of Soybean Paste>
Soybean paste was manufactured using the ingredients listed in the following formula table, following the steps outlined below.
(1) Processed brown sugar was added to water and mixed until homogeneous to obtain a processed brown sugar solution.
(2) Soy flour, refined sugar, and salt were put into a mixer (Nishida Co., Ltd., NU-3) and mixed at 60 rpm for 5 minutes until there were no lumps.
(3) The entire amount of the processed brown sugar solution was put into a mixer and mixed at 60 rpm for 20 minutes, scraping off as needed, to obtain a paste.
(4) One kilogram of paste was filled into a heat-resistant resin packaging bag and vacuum-sealed using a vacuum sealer.
(5) The packaged paste was placed in a 95°C water bath sterilization device and subjected to heat treatment for 80 minutes.
(6) Allow to cool at room temperature to obtain soybean paste in packaged bags.
<Comparative Manufacturing Example 1>
Soybean paste was manufactured using the ingredients listed in the following formula table, following the steps outlined below.
(1) Put all of the water and soy flour into a mixer and mix at 60 rpm for 20 minutes until smooth to obtain a paste.
(2) One kilogram of paste was filled into a heat-resistant resin packaging bag and vacuum-sealed using a vacuum sealer.
(3) The packaged paste was placed in a 95°C water bath sterilization device and subjected to heat treatment for 80 minutes.
(4) After letting it cool to room temperature, the packaging bag was opened, and the soy paste from the bag, along with granulated sugar, processed brown sugar, and salt, was placed in a bowl and kneaded over high heat (95°C) until homogeneous.

Combination table

*The soy flour used is Marukome Co., Ltd.'s "Soy Flour." This "Soy Flour" is made by grinding whole soybeans that have been roasted at low temperature. The particle size is 400 mesh through (35 μm or less).
*The refined white sugar is "refined white sugar" from Mitsui Sugar Co., Ltd.
*The processed brown sugar is "Okinawa Specialty Processed Brown Sugar Miyarabi" from Hokubu Sugar Co., Ltd.

<Example 1: Sensory evaluation of soybean paste>
The packaged soybean paste samples were opened, and a sensory evaluation was conducted by 10 experienced panelists according to the evaluation criteria table 1 below. The average score and standard deviation (SD) were calculated. The texture of the red bean paste was scored on a scale of 1 to 5. A score of 3 or higher for texture indicates a particularly good product.

Evaluation Criteria Table 1

<Test Example 1: Examination of the amount of water>
Except for using the water content listed in Table 1, soybean paste was prepared according to Production Example 1 (Examples 1-7) and evaluated according to Evaluation Example 1.
Furthermore, soybean paste was manufactured according to Comparative Manufacturing Example 1 (Comparative Example 1) and evaluated according to Evaluation Example 1.
The results are shown in Table 1.
In Example 1, which used 60 parts by mass of water, the soybean paste was firm, had a sticky texture, and was not very melt-in-the-mouth. In Examples 2 to 6, moist and smooth soybean paste was obtained, with good melt-in-the-mouth properties, and Example 4, which used 100 parts by mass of water, had the best texture. In Example 7, the amount of water was slightly too much, resulting in a somewhat loose soybean paste with a sticky texture. Regarding flavor, all of Examples 1 to 7 were good, without the grassy or bitter taste of soybeans. On the other hand, in Comparative Example 1, the soybean paste became sticky during the kneading process, becoming very heavy and sticky with poor melt-in-the-mouth properties, and also had the characteristic grassy and bitter taste of soybeans.

Table 1

<Test Example 2: Examination of Sugars>
Except for using the sugars listed in Table 2, soybean paste was prepared according to Production Example 1 and evaluated according to Evaluation Example 1. The results are shown in Table 2.
In Example 8, which used 50 parts by mass of sugar, the soybean paste was somewhat thick and had a slightly poor melt-in-the-mouth texture. However, in Examples 9, 10, and 4, the soybean paste became moist, smooth, and melt-in-the-mouth in proportion to the amount of sugar used. Furthermore, in Examples 11 to 13, as the amount of sugar used was increased, the soybean paste gradually became looser, and in Example 13, the texture felt sticky. Regarding the flavor of the soybean paste, there was a tendency for it to depend on the amount of sugar used, but none of Examples 8 to 13 had a grassy or astringent taste, which was far superior to Comparative Example 1, which had a grassy and astringent taste characteristic of soybeans.

Table 2

<Test Example 3: Examination of the timing of sugar addition>
Soybean paste was manufactured according to Manufacturing Example 1, except that the refined sugar and salt added in step (2) of Manufacturing Example 1 were added in step (1), and evaluated according to Evaluation Example 1 (Example 14). When sugars were added after paste preparation, the packaging bag was opened, the soybean paste was placed in a bowl, refined sugar and salt were added, and the mixture was kneaded while heating until homogeneous (Comparative Manufacturing Example 1, step (4)). The results are shown in Table 3.
In Example 14, where refined sugar and salt were dissolved in water and added in step (1), the texture and flavor were good, similar to Example 4. In contrast, in Comparative Example 1, the soybean paste became sticky during the kneading process, resulting in a very heavy, sluggish texture with poor melt-in-the-mouth quality, and a grassy and bitter taste characteristic of soybeans was noticeable.

Table 3

<Test Example 4: Packaging Examination>
Except for using the packaging materials listed in Table 4, soybean paste was manufactured according to Manufacturing Example 1 and evaluated according to Evaluation Example 1. In Examples 15 and 16, 400 ml of soybean paste was filled into a 500 ml wide-mouth bottle with an inner opening diameter of 10 cm, and sealed tightly with a lid fitted with a sealing ring. In Example 15, the internal air was replaced with nitrogen gas before sealing. The results are shown in Table 4.
In Example 15, where nitrogen gas was used for purging, the texture and flavor were good, similar to Example 4. In Example 16, where gas purging was not performed, the texture was equivalent to Example 4, and although there was a slight grassy and bitter taste compared to Example 4, possibly due to residual air (oxygen), it was still perfectly acceptable.

Table 4

<Test Example 5: Examination of Heating Conditions>
Except for the heating conditions in step (5) of Production Example 1 being the heating conditions shown in Table 5, soybean paste was produced according to Production Example 1 and evaluated according to Evaluation Example 1. The results are shown in Table 5.
In Example 17, which was heated at 85°C for 80 minutes, the mixture was slightly looser than in Example 4, but it had a smooth, creamy texture that melted easily in the mouth. In Example 18, which was heated at 95°C for 20 minutes, the mixture felt slightly looser than in Example 4, but was almost the same. In addition, all examples had a good flavor without the grassy or bitter taste of soybeans.

Table 5

Claims (7)

Step 1 provides a paste containing soy flour, sugars, and a liquid raw material , wherein the amount of sugars is 55 to 190 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of soy flour .
Step 2 involves heating the paste,
A method for producing soybean paste that includes the following and does not include a paste kneading process. The method for producing soybean paste according to claim 1, wherein the amount of water contained in the paste in step 1 is 50 to 150 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of soybean flour. The method for producing soybean paste according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the amount of sugars in step 1 is 65 to 175 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of soybean flour. A method for producing soybean paste according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the amount of water contained in the paste in step 1 is 65 to 130 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of soybean flour. A method for producing soybean paste according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein step 1 further comprises sealing and packaging the paste. A method for producing soybean paste according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the soybean flour in step 1 is a ground soybean product that is roasted before or after grinding. A method for producing soybean paste according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the heating in step 2 is carried out under conditions that gelatinize the starch of the soybean flour in the paste , and the conditions are such that the core temperature of the soybean paste is 75°C or higher and it is heated for 10 minutes or more .