A method for reducing salt and increasing freshness of hotpot condiment based on polypeptide

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of based on polypeptide fresh hot pot material salt reduction and fresh processing method, belong to food processing technical field.The method includes: animal fat is fried with spice, fermented sauce, salt and is prepared base material of bottom material;After cooling, under the condition of vacuum stirring, polypeptide fresh and nano-emulsification fresh enhancer are sequentially added, and semi-finished product is obtained by continuous stirring;Finally, it is sealed by filling.The polypeptide fresh is the ladder enzymatic hydrolysate of pea protein rich in gamma-glutamyl peptide, and the molecular weight distribution is 500-1500 Dalton;Nano-emulsification fresh enhancer is the emulsion with average particle size of 100-200 nanometers, which is wrapped with Maillard reaction precursor.The application realizes the synergistic effect of taste synergistic fresh of polypeptide fresh, slow-release fresh of nano-emulsion and physical shielding of salty taste receptor, significantly reduces the salt consumption, strengthens the mellow and delicious taste of hot pot material, and solves the problem of weak flavor and insufficient aftertaste of low-salt hot pot material.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of food processing and relates to a method for reducing salt and enhancing flavor in hot pot base based on polypeptide umami. Background Technology

[0002] Hot pot is a popular food category in my country, and the flavor of the broth directly determines the taste. Traditional hot pot broths typically contain 15%-20% salt to ensure a rich, savory flavor and a lasting aftertaste, with some products even exceeding that. However, long-term high salt intake significantly increases the risk of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and kidney metabolic disorders. How to retain or even enhance the savory and rich flavor of the broth while significantly reducing its salt content, and how to solve the problem of blandness and insufficient aftertaste in low-salt broths, has become a technical challenge for the hot pot broth processing industry.

[0003] Current salt reduction technologies have significant drawbacks, making it difficult to balance salt reduction with flavor preservation. First, using inorganic salts like potassium chloride and potassium lactate to replace table salt results in a bitter and metallic taste, severely damaging the complex flavor of the broth. Second, adding common flavor enhancers like yeast extract and hydrolyzed vegetable protein relies on free amino acids and flavor nucleotides, which are easily decomposed and volatilized during prolonged boiling in hot pot, causing the umami flavor to fade rapidly, resulting in a "the longer it cooks, the blander it becomes, and the less flavorful it is after eating" situation. Third, traditional flavor enhancers are simply mixed, making it difficult to disperse evenly in oil-based broth systems, leading to poor stability, an inability to achieve gradual flavor release, and poor overall flavor retention.

[0004] In summary, existing salt reduction technologies generally suffer from problems such as deteriorated flavor, short-lasting umami, and insufficient product stability. There is a lack of a complete processing technology that can achieve synergistic flavor enhancement, long-lasting flavor release, and low-salt, high-umami results. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a method for reducing salt and enhancing umami in hot pot base based on polypeptide umami, solving the technical problems of existing low-salt hot pot bases such as bland flavor, rapid dissipation of umami, insufficient aftertaste, and poor saltiness substitution effect, thus achieving a processing effect of significantly reduced salt, lasting umami, and rich flavor in hot pot base. The technical solution adopted by this invention is as follows: A method for reducing salt and enhancing flavor in hot pot base based on peptide umami, comprising the following steps: S1. Heat animal fat to 120℃-130℃, add spices and stir-fry until fragrant, then add fermented sauce and salt and keep warm at 100℃-110℃ for 30-45 minutes to obtain the base material. S2. Cool the base material obtained in step S1 to 75℃-80℃. Under the conditions of vacuum degree of -0.08~-0.06MPa and stirring speed of 200-300rpm, add 0.5%-2.0% of polypeptide fresh and 1.0%-3.0% of nano-emulsified flavor enhancer according to the total mass of the base material. Maintain 75℃-80℃ and vacuum degree of -0.08~-0.06MPa and continue stirring for 15-20 minutes to obtain a semi-finished product of salt-reduced and flavor-enhanced hot pot base. S3. Fill and seal the semi-finished hot pot base with reduced salt and enhanced flavor to obtain the hot pot base product with reduced salt and enhanced flavor. The polypeptide is a mixture of umami peptides with a molecular weight distribution of 500-1500 Daltons and rich in γ-glutamyl peptides, prepared from pea protein through stepwise enzymatic hydrolysis. The nano-emulsified flavor enhancer is an emulsion with an average particle size of 100-200 nanometers, prepared by nano-emulsification of complex polysaccharides, lecithin, and flavor precursors.

[0006] Further, the preparation method of the peptide fresh includes a controllable stepwise enzymatic hydrolysis step: Pea protein isolate and water are mixed at a mass ratio of 1:8 to 1:10, and the pH is adjusted to 7.5-8.0. First, 0.5%-1.0% (by mass) of alkaline protease of pea protein isolate is added, and enzymatic hydrolysis is carried out at 55℃-58℃ for 1.5 hours for the first stage of enzymatic hydrolysis. After the first stage of enzymatic hydrolysis, without inactivating the enzyme, the temperature is directly lowered to 48℃-50℃, and 0.5%-1.0% (by mass) of flavor protease of pea protein isolate is added, and enzymatic hydrolysis continues for 1.5 hours for the second stage of enzymatic hydrolysis. After the second stage of enzymatic hydrolysis, the temperature is raised to 90℃ and held for 15 minutes to inactivate the enzyme. After cooling, the peptide is sequentially treated with an ultrafiltration membrane with a molecular weight cutoff of 1500 Daltons and a nanofiltration membrane with a molecular weight cutoff of 500 Daltons. Peptides with a molecular weight in the range of 500-1500 Daltons are collected, concentrated, and spray-dried to obtain the peptide fresh.

[0007] Furthermore, the molecular weight distribution of the peptide fresh has a bimodal characteristic, with the main peak concentrated in 500-1000 Daltons, accounting for more than 60%, and the secondary peak concentrated in 1000-1500 Daltons, accounting for 25%-35%; wherein, the total content of γ-glutamyl peptide containing γ-glutamyl-cysteine ​​is not less than 15% of the total mass of the peptide fresh.

[0008] Furthermore, the preparation method of the nano-emulsified flavor enhancer includes the following steps: dissolving the complex polysaccharide, lecithin and flavor precursor in deionized water at a mass ratio of 3:1:1.5 at 55℃-60℃, and shearing at high speed at 10000-12000 rpm for 10 minutes to form a crude emulsion; then subjecting the crude emulsion to high-pressure micro-jet treatment at 100-120MPa pressure, and cyclically treating it 4-6 times until the average particle size is reduced to 100-200 nanometers, thereby obtaining the nano-emulsified flavor enhancer.

[0009] Furthermore, the complex polysaccharide is a compound of sodium hyaluronate and pullulan in a mass ratio of 1:4 to 1:6, wherein the molecular weight of sodium hyaluronate is 800,000 to 1,200,000 Daltons.

[0010] Furthermore, the flavor precursor is a mixture of D-glucose and L-cysteine ​​hydrochloride in a molar ratio of 1.2:1.

[0011] Furthermore, the fermented sauce includes fermented soybean paste and sweet bean sauce.

[0012] Furthermore, the animal fat is tallow.

[0013] Furthermore, the spices include dried chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, minced ginger, and minced garlic.

[0014] In summary, due to the adoption of the above technical solution, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: 1. This invention discloses a method for reducing salt and enhancing umami in hot pot base based on peptide umami. Through the synergistic effect of peptide umami and nano-emulsion umami enhancers, the salty and umami taste experience is maintained at an equivalent level to traditional high-salt bases even with a 50% reduction in added salt. The small molecule peptides and γ-glutamyl peptides in the peptide umami enhance the subjective perceived intensity of saltiness and umami, while the nano-emulsion particles physically mask the saltiness receptors. This dual mechanism achieves the effect of reducing salt without reducing saltiness. 2. In this invention, nanoemulsion microcapsules are used to encapsulate Maillard reaction precursors, which are gradually released during the continuous boiling process of hot pot, generating meaty and caramel flavor substances in situ. This effectively solves the problem that traditional low-salt hot pot base becomes bland and lacks aftertaste as it is cooked, and makes the flavor intensity of the product remain stable during the cooking process of more than 60 minutes. 3. This invention employs a vacuum low-temperature stepwise mixing process, adding polypeptide umami and nano-emulsified umami enhancers at 75-80℃ and under vacuum conditions. This avoids the degradation of heat-sensitive umami peptides and premature browning of Maillard reaction precursors, maximizing the preservation of the activity of each umami-enhancing and aroma-enhancing substance, and ensuring the full realization of the salt reduction and umami enhancement effect. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly described below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present invention and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort, wherein: Figure 1 This is a process flow diagram of a method for reducing salt and enhancing flavor in hot pot base based on peptides. Detailed Implementation

[0016] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only for explaining the invention and are not intended to limit the invention; that is, the described embodiments are merely some embodiments of the invention, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0017] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the invention.

[0018] It should be noted that relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0019] The features and performance of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to embodiments.

[0020] Preparation Example 1: Preparation of Peptide Fresh

[0021] Pea protein isolate with a protein content of ≥85% was selected and mixed with water at a mass ratio of 1:9. After stirring evenly, it was allowed to stand for 30 minutes to fully absorb water. The pH value was adjusted to 7.8 with food-grade sodium hydroxide. Alkaline protease with a protein content of 0.8% of pea protein isolate was added and the mixture was kept at a constant temperature of 56℃ and stirred for 1.5 hours for enzymatic hydrolysis. After completing the first stage of enzymatic hydrolysis, without inactivating the enzyme, directly cool down to 49℃, then add flavor protease with 0.8% of pea protein isolate, and continue enzymatic hydrolysis at a constant temperature for 1.5 hours. After both enzymatic hydrolysis stages are completed, the temperature is raised to 90℃ and incubated for 15 minutes to inactivate the enzyme. After the material cools to room temperature, it is centrifuged and the supernatant is collected. The supernatant is then filtered sequentially using an ultrafiltration membrane with a molecular weight cutoff of 1500 Daltons and a nanofiltration membrane with a molecular weight cutoff of 500 Daltons, collecting the liquid in the 500-1500 Dalton range. The above filtration mainly involves first passing the liquid through a 1500 Da ultrafiltration membrane, collecting the permeate, and then passing it through a 500 Da nanofiltration membrane, collecting the retentate, and obtaining the liquid in the 500-1500 Dalton range. The collected liquid was concentrated under vacuum at 60℃ and -0.09MPa until the solid content reached 30%, and then spray-dried at an inlet air temperature of 180℃ and an outlet air temperature of 85℃ to obtain powdered peptide. The test results showed that the peptide contained 65% of the 500-1000 Dalton component, 30% of the 1000-1500 Dalton component, and 18.5% of the total γ-glutamyl peptide content, which met the usage standards.

[0022] Preparation Example 2: Preparation of Nano-emulsified Flavor Enhancer

[0023] Sodium hyaluronate with a molecular weight of 1 million Daltons and pullulan polysaccharide were mixed at a mass ratio of 1:5 to prepare a complex polysaccharide; D-glucose and L-cysteine ​​hydrochloride were mixed at a molar ratio of 1.2:1 to obtain a flavor precursor. According to the mass ratio of complex polysaccharide, lecithin and flavor precursor substances of 3:1:1.5, all raw materials are added to deionized water at 58℃ and stirred at high speed of 11,000 rpm for 10 minutes to prepare a milky white crude emulsion. The crude emulsion was placed in a high-pressure homogenizer and homogenized five times under a pressure of 110 MPa. The result was a translucent emulsion with a slightly bluish luster. The average particle size was measured to be 153 nm, which is the nano-emulsification flavor enhancer. It was stored at low temperature for later use.

[0024] Example 1

[0025] This invention provides a method for reducing salt and enhancing flavor in hot pot base based on polypeptide umami, the steps of which are as follows: S1. Preparation of base sauce: Add 100kg of refined butter to the reactor, heat to 125℃, add 3kg of dried chili peppers, 2kg of Sichuan peppercorns, 2kg of minced ginger, and 1.5kg of minced garlic, stir-fry until fragrant; then add 8kg of broad bean paste, 2kg of sweet bean sauce, and 6kg of salt, adjust the temperature to 105℃, stir and keep warm for 40 minutes to obtain 124.5kg of base sauce; S2. Blending and Flavor Enhancement: Allow the base material to cool naturally to 78°C, then transfer it to a vacuum mixing tank. Set the vacuum level to -0.07MPa and the mixing speed to 250 rpm. First, add 1.87kg of polypeptide flavor enhancer, then add 2.49kg of nano-emulsified flavor enhancer. Keep the temperature and vacuum level constant and continue mixing for 18 minutes to obtain the semi-finished product. S3. Filling and sealing: Keep the semi-finished product at 70°C, fill it into a high-temperature resistant aluminum foil bag using an automatic filling machine, and heat-seal it to obtain the finished product.

[0026] Example 2

[0027] This embodiment is based on Example 1, with the process, raw material types and basic parameters remaining the same as in Example 1, only the amount of raw materials added is adjusted: in step S2, the amount of peptide fresh added is 0.62 kg, and the amount of nano-emulsified flavor enhancer added is 3.74 kg, with the rest of the operations remaining unchanged.

[0028] Example 3

[0029] This embodiment is based on Example 1, with the process, raw material types and basic parameters remaining the same as in Example 1, only the amount of raw materials added is adjusted: in step S2, the amount of peptide fresh added is 2.49 kg, and the amount of nano-emulsified flavor enhancer added is 1.25 kg, with the rest of the operations remaining unchanged.

[0030] Comparative Example 1

[0031] The hot pot base was prepared using a traditional high-salt formula without the addition of polypeptide umami or nano-emulsified umami enhancers. The amount of salt was changed to 12kg, and the amounts of spices, sauces, and butter were the same as in Example 1, resulting in a base of 130.5kg. In step S2, the base was simply cooled to 78°C and stirred for 18 minutes under the same vacuum and speed, without the addition of any umami enhancers. All other process parameters were exactly the same as in Example 1.

[0032] Comparative Example 2

[0033] The overall process, raw material ratio, and parameters are the same as in Example 1, except that in step S2, no nano-emulsification flavor enhancer is added, and only 1.5% of the total mass of the base peptide flavor is added.

[0034] Performance Tests and Result Analysis

[0035] Test basis: The test was conducted in accordance with the relevant national standards for sensory analysis.

[0036] Experimental participants: 20 professional evaluators were selected, 10 men and 10 women, aged 25-40. They were trained and scored according to the same scoring standards, using a 9-point scoring system (1 point is the weakest, 5 points is average, and 9 points is the strongest).

[0037] Experimental Method: Take 200g of each component base and add 2000mL of boiling water. Maintain a gentle simmer over low heat to simulate an actual hot pot cooking scenario. Samples were taken at three time points: 0 minutes, 30 minutes, and 60 minutes of cooking time. 30mL of broth was taken each time and randomly numbered for blind testing. After each serving, the tasters cleaned their mouths with warm water and unsalted biscuits, waited 2 minutes, and then continued the evaluation. The main scores were given for three indicators: saltiness, umami, and richness. The overall preference was evaluated after 60 minutes of cooking, and the average score was taken.

[0038] Table 1. Test Result Scoring Table

[0039] Results Analysis The three sets of examples use half the amount of salt compared to traditional high-salt formulas, but the saltiness is not much different from traditional products throughout the process. At the same time, the umami and rich taste are significantly better, and the flavor does not diminish after cooking for one hour. The flavor locks in and enhances the freshness.

[0040] Comparative Example 2, which only added peptide flavoring, had a significantly lower salt content, and its umami and richness decreased rapidly in the later stages of cooking. This proves that peptide flavoring and nano-emulsification flavor enhancer must be used together to achieve the ideal effects of reducing salt, preserving freshness, and locking in flavor. Although the traditional high-salt base (Comparative Example 1) had sufficient saltiness, it lacked umami flavor and its texture became thin after prolonged cooking, resulting in a poor overall eating experience.

[0041] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made by those skilled in the art within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for reducing salt and enhancing flavor in hot pot base based on polypeptide umami, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: S1. Heat animal fat to 120℃-130℃, add spices and stir-fry until fragrant, then add fermented sauce and salt and keep warm at 100℃-110℃ for 30-45 minutes to obtain the base material. S2. Cool the base material obtained in step S1 to 75℃-80℃. Under the conditions of vacuum degree of -0.08~-0.06MPa and stirring speed of 200-300rpm, add 0.5%-2.0% of polypeptide fresh and 1.0%-3.0% of nano-emulsified freshness enhancer according to the total mass of the base material. Maintain 75℃-80℃ and vacuum degree of -0.08~-0.06MPa and continue stirring for 15-20 minutes to obtain the semi-finished hot pot base material. S3. Fill and seal the semi-finished hot pot base to obtain a salt-reduced and flavor-enhancing hot pot base product. The polypeptide is a mixture of umami peptides with a molecular weight distribution of 500-1500 Daltons and containing γ-glutamyl peptide, prepared from pea protein through stepwise enzymatic hydrolysis. The nano-emulsified flavor enhancer is an emulsion with an average particle size of 100-200 nanometers, prepared by nano-emulsification of complex polysaccharides, lecithin, and flavor precursors.

2. The method for reducing salt and enhancing umami in hot pot base based on polypeptide umami according to claim 1, characterized in that: The preparation method of the peptide fresh includes a controllable stepwise enzymatic hydrolysis step: pea protein isolate and water are mixed at a mass ratio of 1:8 to 1:10, and the pH is adjusted to 7.5-8.

0. First, 0.5%-1.0% (by mass) of alkaline protease of pea protein isolate is added, and enzymatic hydrolysis is carried out at 55℃-58℃ for 1.5 hours for the first stage of enzymatic hydrolysis. After the first stage of enzymatic hydrolysis, without inactivating the enzyme, the temperature is directly lowered to 48℃-50℃, and 0.5%-1.0% (by mass) of flavor protease of pea protein isolate is added, and enzymatic hydrolysis continues for 1.5 hours for the second stage of enzymatic hydrolysis. After the second stage of enzymatic hydrolysis, the temperature is raised to 90℃ and held for 15 minutes to inactivate the enzyme. After cooling, the peptide is sequentially treated with an ultrafiltration membrane with a molecular weight cutoff of 1500 Daltons and a nanofiltration membrane with a molecular weight cutoff of 500 Daltons. Peptides with molecular weights in the range of 500-1500 Daltons are collected, concentrated, and spray-dried to obtain the peptide fresh.

3. The method for reducing salt and enhancing flavor in hot pot base based on polypeptide umami according to claim 2, characterized in that: The molecular weight distribution of the peptide fresh has a bimodal characteristic, with the main peak concentrated in 500-1000 Daltons, accounting for more than 60%, and the secondary peak concentrated in 1000-1500 Daltons, accounting for 25%-35%; wherein, the total content of γ-glutamyl peptide containing γ-glutamyl-cysteine ​​is not less than 15% of the total mass of the peptide fresh.

4. The method for reducing salt and enhancing umami in hot pot base based on polypeptide umami according to claim 1, characterized in that: The preparation method of the nano-emulsified flavor enhancer includes the following steps: dissolving the complex polysaccharide, lecithin and flavor precursor in deionized water at 55℃-60℃ in a mass ratio of 3:1:1.5, and shearing at high speed at 10000-12000 rpm for 10 minutes to form a crude emulsion; then subjecting the crude emulsion to high-pressure micro-jet treatment at 100-120MPa pressure, and cyclically treating it 4-6 times until the average particle size is reduced to 100-200 nanometers, thereby obtaining the nano-emulsified flavor enhancer.

5. The method for reducing salt and enhancing flavor in hot pot base based on polypeptide umami according to claim 4, characterized in that: The complex polysaccharide is a compound of sodium hyaluronate and pullulan polysaccharide in a mass ratio of 1:4 to 1:6, wherein the molecular weight of sodium hyaluronate is 800,000 to 1,200,000 Daltons.

6. The method for reducing salt and enhancing flavor in hot pot base based on polypeptide umami according to claim 4, characterized in that: The flavor precursor is a mixture of D-glucose and L-cysteine ​​hydrochloride in a molar ratio of 1.2:

1.

7. The method for reducing salt and enhancing umami in hot pot base based on polypeptide umami according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fermented sauce includes fermented soybean paste and sweet bean sauce.

8. The method for reducing salt and enhancing umami in hot pot base based on polypeptide umami according to claim 1, characterized in that: The animal fat mentioned is tallow.

9. The method for reducing salt and enhancing umami in hot pot base based on polypeptide umami according to claim 1, characterized in that: The spices include dried chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, minced ginger, and minced garlic.

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