Food and drink having improved tastiness and aroma

Abstract

To provide food and drink which give a strong sensation of tastiness and aroma from the moment when they are put in the mouth, and sustain this sensation afterwards.SOLUTION: According to the present invention, there are provided food and drink having improved tastiness and aroma, including: one or more selected from terpinyl acetate, apigenin, and luteolin; and a tastiness component.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a food or drink having improved taste and aroma. [Background technology]

[0002] The taste of food and drink is composed of five basic tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami, and the combination and strength of these basic tastes are important factors that determine the deliciousness of food and drink. On the other hand, fullness is composed of the complexity, breadth, and persistence of taste, and the strength of these elements is related to the above basic tastes, especially umami.

[0003] Without umami, one of the basic tastes, the taste is dull and unsatisfying, so umami components such as monosodium glutamate, monosodium inosinate, and monosodium guanylate are added to foods and beverages. For example, yeast extract and protein hydrolysate are used as raw materials containing umami components. However, since each of them has a unique flavor derived from the raw material, depending on the amount used, there is a problem that an unpleasant taste or unpleasant flavor may be generated, changing the original flavor of the food and beverage.

[0004] On the other hand, as another approach to enhance the umami of food and drink, Patent Document 1 discloses a umami enhancer containing a combination of methional and a specific lower fatty acid ester. However, food and drink are required to have not only enhanced umami but also an impact of flavor (taste and aroma) at the moment of putting it in the mouth, and methods for enhancing the taste of the initial taste of food and drink have been studied. For example, Patent Document 2 describes that the initial taste of food and drink is enhanced by adding γ-glutamyl peptide together with fumaric acid and citric acid to the food and drink. In addition, Patent Document 3 describes that a composition containing (A) sterols, etc., (B) protein hydrolysates, (C) potassium salts, and (D) spices (allspice, mace, coriander, celery seed, cardamom, cinnamon, thyme, and fennel) in specific ratios can maintain the impact of the initial taste and the persistence of the aftertaste even when the amount of salt used is reduced. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-131560 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2020-74702 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2017-70217 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a food or drink that has a strong flavor (taste and aroma) impact the moment it is put in the mouth. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] As a result of intensive research conducted by the inventors to solve the above-mentioned problems, they discovered that by adding a certain amount of one or more of terpinyl acetate, apigenin and luteolin together with a flavor component to a food or beverage, the impact of the flavor (taste and aroma) can be felt more strongly, which led to the completion of the present invention.

[0008] That is, the present invention includes the following inventions. (1) A food or beverage having improved taste and aroma, which contains one or more flavor components selected from terpinyl acetate, apigenin, and luteolin. (2) The food or beverage described in (1), having a terpinyl acetate content of 0.00000001 ppm or more and 10 ppm or less. (3) The food or beverage described in (1), having an apigenin content of 0.00001 ppm or more and 10 ppm or less. (4) The food or beverage described in (1), having a luteolin content of 0.00001 ppm or more and 100 ppm or less. (5) The food or drink according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the taste component is at least one selected from an umami component, a salty component, a sweet component, and a sour component. (6) The food or drink according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the taste component is an umami component, and the umami component is at least one selected from glutamic acid, inosinic acid, and succinic acid. (7) The food or drink according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the taste component is one or two umami components, namely glutamic acid or inosinic acid, and satisfies the following (a1) and (a2). (a1) The ratio of the terpinyl acetate content to the glutamic acid content in the food or beverage (terpinyl acetate content (ppm) / glutamic acid content (ppm)) is 5.0×10 -12 ~1×10 -2 (a2) The ratio of the terpinyl acetate content to the inosinic acid content in the food or drink (terpinyl acetate content (ppm) / inosinic acid content (ppm)) is 6.0 × 10 -11 ~0.2 (8) The food or drink according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the taste component is one or two umami components, namely glutamic acid or inosinic acid, and the following (b1) and (b2) are satisfied: (b1) The ratio of the apigenin content to the glutamic acid content in the food or beverage (apigenin content (ppm) / glutamic acid content (ppm)) is 5.0×10 -9 ~1×10 -2 (b2) The ratio of the apigenin content to the inosinic acid content in the food or drink (apigenin content (ppm) / inosinic acid content (ppm)) is 5.0×10 -10 ~1.0×10 -3 (9) The food or drink according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the taste component is one or two umami components, namely glutamic acid or inosinic acid, and satisfies the following (c1) and (c2). (c1) The ratio of the luteolin content to the glutamic acid content in the food or beverage (luteolin content (ppm) / glutamic acid content (ppm)) is 5.0×10 -9 ~1.0×10 -1 (c2) The ratio of the luteolin content to the inosinic acid content in the food or drink (luteolin content (ppm) / inosinic acid content (ppm)) is 5.0 × 10 -10 ~1.0×10 -2 (10) The food or drink according to any one of (1) to (9), which is a seasoning. (11) The food or beverage according to (10), wherein the seasoning is a liquid seasoning. (12) The food or beverage according to (10) or (11), wherein the seasoning is a soup, a sauce, a stock, an extract, a sauce, or a dressing. (13) The food or drink according to any one of (1) to (9), which is a vegetable protein-containing food or drink. (14) A method for improving the taste and aroma of a food or beverage, comprising adding one or more members selected from terpinyl acetate, apigenin, and luteolin to a food or beverage containing a flavor component or a raw material thereof. (15) A method for producing a food or beverage having improved taste and aroma described in any one of (1) to (13), comprising preparing a plant material extract by a method including the following steps (i) to (iii): (i) adding a plant material containing one or more selected from terpinyl acetate, apigenin, and luteolin to an extraction solvent; (ii) A step of extracting components from a plant material with an extraction solvent to obtain a plant material extract containing one or more components selected from terpinyl acetate, apigenin, and luteolin. (iii) adjusting the pH of the plant material extract obtained in (ii) to a relatively acidic side. (16) The method according to (15), further comprising the step of adjusting the pH of the plant material extract to 6.5 or more and 12.0 or less after step (ii). (17) The method according to (15) or (16), wherein the pH of the prepared plant material extract is 1.5 or higher but less than 7.0.

[0009] This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-121841, filed on July 26, 2021, and includes the contents described in the specification of that patent application. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, there is provided a delicious food and drink that has a strong taste and aroma the moment it is put in the mouth. Although the mechanism is unknown, the food and drink of the present invention has a strong impact because the taste and aroma are sharply felt the moment it is put in the mouth, regardless of the temperature or form, and has a good original flavor of the ingredients, is free of unpleasant flavors, and is highly palatable. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] 1. Food and drink with improved taste and aroma The food and drink with improved taste and aroma of the present invention contains one or more selected from terpinyl acetate, apigenin, and luteolin, and a taste component. Here, "taste" refers to a taste that is perceived by taste receptors in an organ called a taste bud, which is mainly present on the tongue, and can be clearly distinguished from one another, including the five basic tastes of sweetness, sourness, saltiness, bitterness, and umami. "Aroma" refers to the aroma detected by the nose when a food or drink is held in the mouth or chewed. "Flavor" refers to a complex sensation composed of taste and aroma, which leads to overall deliciousness.

[0012] In the present invention, "taste" refers primarily to umami, saltiness, and sweetness among the five basic tastes, and is preferably umami. In addition, "taste" in the present invention includes both the taste felt the moment a food or drink is put into the mouth (e.g., within 2 seconds) and the taste that spreads and lasts in the mouth after the food or drink is put into the mouth until it is swallowed or while chewing (taste spread). In the present invention, "aroma" refers to the aroma associated with the taste felt the moment a food or drink is put into the mouth (e.g., within 2 seconds).

[0013] (Terpinyl acetate) Terpinyl acetate (systematic name: 4-methyl-1-(1-methylethyl)-3-cyclohexen-1-ol acetate, English name: Terpinyl acetate) used in the food and drink of the present invention has the molecular formula C 12 H 20 O2 (molecular weight: 196.29) and its CAS registration number is 80-26-2.

[0014] (Apigenin) Apigenin (systematic name: 5,7-dihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one, English name: Apigenine) used in the food and drink of the present invention has the molecular formula C 15 H 10 It has O5 (molecular weight: 270.24) and its CAS registration number is 520-36-5.

[0015] (Luteolin) Luteolin (systematic name: 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-5,7-dihydroxy-4-chromenone, English name: Luteolin) used in the food and drink of the present invention has the molecular formula C 15 H 10 It has O6 (molecular weight: 286.24) and its CAS registration number is 491-70-3.

[0016] The terpinyl acetate, apigenin, or luteolin in the present invention is not limited as long as it can be orally ingested, and may be a synthetic product or a product derived from a plant material containing terpinyl acetate, apigenin, or luteolin. However, from the viewpoint of the influence on the flavor of food and drink, it is preferable to use a synthetic product or a processed plant material, and more preferably to use a synthetic product or a plant material extract. Here, examples of plant materials containing terpinyl acetate include celery, bay leaf, parsley, cardamom, and bay tree, and examples of plant materials containing apigenin and luteolin include celery and parsley. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The processed plant material refers to a product that is treated by drying, crushing, extracting, purifying, etc. of a plant material containing terpinyl acetate, apigenin, or luteolin. For example, an extract, which is a preferred embodiment of the processed product, can be prepared by adding the above-mentioned plant material containing terpinyl acetate to a solvent, leaving it to stand, and then filtering it. Alternatively, the extract can be prepared by heating a solvent containing the above-mentioned terpinyl acetate, apigenin, or luteolin-containing plant material to a specific temperature and then leaving the solvent to stand or holding the solvent at a constant temperature while stirring. Here, the solvent used for extraction can be a neutral solvent such as water, ethanol, or a water-ethanol mixed solvent, with water being preferred.

[0017] In addition, it is preferable to set the pH of the solvent used for extraction within a certain range, since it is easy to extract terpinyl acetate, apigenin, and luteolin. Specifically, a plant material containing at least one of terpinyl acetate, apigenin, and luteolin may be added to the extraction solvent, and the pH of the extraction solvent may be adjusted to 6.5 to 11.0 at room temperature to extract the components. The pH of the extraction solvent may be 6.5 or more, 7.0 or more, 7.5 or more, 8.0 or more, or 9.0 or more, and the upper limit is not particularly limited, but may usually be 11.0 or less, 10.5 or less, or 10.0 or less.

[0018] In the present invention, the pH of the extraction solvent may be adjusted after adding a plant material containing at least one of terpinyl acetate, apigenin, and luteolin to the extraction solvent, or the plant material containing at least one of terpinyl acetate, apigenin, and luteolin may be added to an extraction solvent whose pH has been adjusted to a predetermined range in advance.

[0019] The pH can be adjusted by dissolving a pH adjuster (e.g., sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, calcium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium gluconate, lactic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, acetic acid, etc.) in the extraction solvent, but it is particularly preferable to use carbonates such as sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, or calcium carbonate.

[0020] Furthermore, extraction is also possible using alcohols other than ethanol or supercritical carbon dioxide.

[0021] The amount of the solvent used is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, 10 times or more, preferably 20 times or more, relative to the plant material (dry weight) containing the above-mentioned terpinyl acetate, apigenin, or luteolin, but is preferably 100 times or less for convenience of operations when concentrating or isolating after extraction. The extract of terpinyl acetate, apigenin, or luteolin can be used as it is in the food or drink of the present invention, but may also be used in the form of a concentrate, a dried product, or the like, which may be subjected to a concentration treatment, a drying treatment such as hot air drying, steam drying, freeze drying, or spray drying, a separation and purification treatment, a decolorization treatment, or the like as necessary.

[0022] The content (ppm) of terpinyl acetate in the food and drink of the present invention depends on the type of food and drink, but is 0.00000001 ppm or more, preferably 0.000001 ppm or more, more preferably 0.0001 ppm or more, and 10 ppm or less, preferably 1 ppm or less, more preferably 0.01 ppm or less. If the content (ppm) of terpinyl acetate is less than 0.00000001 ppm, there is no impact of flavor and no spread of taste, and there is no overall deliciousness. If the content (ppm) of terpinyl acetate is more than 10 ppm, there is no impact of flavor and no spread of taste, and there is no overall deliciousness. In the present invention, "flavor impact" means that the improvement of taste and aroma is strongly felt at the moment of putting it in the mouth.

[0023] The terpinyl acetate contained in the food or drink of the present invention may be that contained in a food ingredient such as an edible plant that is the raw material for the food or drink, may be that added separately from the food ingredient during the production of the food or drink of the present invention, or may be that generated during the production of the food or drink of the present invention. Alternatively, the terpinyl acetate derived from two or more of these sources may be added together to satisfy the above-mentioned predetermined content and / or ratio. When terpinyl acetate is added from outside during the production of the food or drink of the present invention, a purified and extracted high-purity terpinyl acetate reagent may be added, or it may be added in the form of some processed plant material (e.g., an extract) containing terpinyl acetate. However, it is preferable that the majority (more preferably all) of the terpinyl acetate contained in the food or drink is derived from some food ingredient, and more preferably from an edible plant.

[0024] The content (ppm) of apigenin in the food and drink of the present invention depends on the type of food and drink, but is 0.00001 ppm or more, preferably 0.0001 ppm or more, more preferably 0.001 ppm or more, and 10 ppm or less, preferably 1 ppm or less, more preferably 0.1 ppm or less. If the content (ppm) of apigenin is less than 0.00001 ppm, the flavor impact and taste spread are not achieved, and the overall deliciousness is not achieved. If the content (ppm) of apigenin is more than 10 ppm, the flavor impact and taste spread are not achieved, and the overall deliciousness is not achieved.

[0025] The apigenin contained in the food or beverage of the present invention may be that contained in a food material such as an edible plant that is the raw material of the food or beverage, may be that added separately from the food material during the production of the food or beverage of the present invention, or may be that generated during the production of the food or beverage of the present invention. Alternatively, the apigenin derived from two or more of these sources may be added together to satisfy the above-mentioned predetermined content and / or ratio. When apigenin is added from outside during the production of the food or beverage of the present invention, a purified and extracted high-purity apigenin reagent may be added, or it may be added in the form of some processed plant material (e.g., an extract) containing apigenin. However, it is preferable that the majority (more preferably all) of the apigenin contained in the food or beverage is derived from some food material, and more preferably from an edible plant.

[0026] The content (ppm) of luteolin in the food and drink of the present invention depends on the type of food and drink, but is 0.00001 ppm or more, preferably 0.0001 ppm or more, more preferably 0.001 ppm or more, and 100 ppm or less, preferably 1 ppm or less, more preferably 0.1 ppm or less. If the content (ppm) of luteolin is less than 0.00001 ppm, the flavor impact and taste spread are not good, and the overall taste is not good. If the content (ppm) of luteolin is more than 100 ppm, the flavor impact and taste spread are not good, and the overall taste is not good.

[0027] The luteolin contained in the food or beverage of the present invention may be contained in a food material such as an edible plant that is the raw material of the food or beverage, may be added separately from the food material during the production of the food or beverage of the present invention, or may be generated during the production of the food or beverage of the present invention. Alternatively, the luteolin derived from two or more of these sources may be added together to satisfy the above-mentioned predetermined content and / or ratio. When luteolin is added from outside during the production of the food or beverage of the present invention, a purified and extracted high-purity luteolin reagent may be added, or it may be added in the form of some processed plant material (e.g., an extract) containing luteolin. However, it is preferable that the majority (more preferably all) of the luteolin contained in the food or beverage is derived from some food material, and more preferably from an edible plant.

[0028] When the food or drink of the present invention contains terpinyl acetate and apigenin, the ratio of the apigenin content to the terpinyl acetate content (apigenin content (ppm) / terpinyl acetate content (ppm)) is, for example, 0.01 to 100,000, 0.1 to 100,000, 0.1 to 10,000, 1 to 10,000, 1 to 5,000, or 1 to 1,000.

[0029] When the food or drink of the present invention contains terpinyl acetate and luteolin, the ratio of the luteolin content to the terpinyl acetate content (luteolin content (ppm) / terpinyl acetate content (ppm)) is, for example, 0.0001 to 100,000, 0.001 to 100,000, 0.001 to 10,000, 0.01 to 10,000, 0.01 to 5,000, or 0.01 to 1,000.

[0030] When the food or drink of the present invention contains apigenin and luteolin, the ratio of the luteolin content to the apigenin content (luteolin content (ppm) / apigenin content (ppm)) is, for example, 0.0001 to 100, 0.001 to 100, 0.001 to 10, 0.005 to 10, 0.005 to 5, or 0.01 to 1.

[0031] Furthermore, when the food or drink of the present invention contains terpinyl acetate, apigenin and luteolin, the ratio of the total content of apigenin and luteolin to the content of terpinyl acetate (apigenin+luteolin content (ppm) / terpinyl acetate content (ppm)) is, for example, 0.01 to 100,000, 0.1 to 100,000, 0.1 to 10,000, 1 to 10,000, 1 to 5,000, or 1 to 2,000.

[0032] (Taste components) The "taste components" used in the food and drink of the present invention include umami components such as amino acids and nucleic acids, sweet components such as sugars, sour components such as organic acids, and salty components such as salt and other salts, but umami components are preferred. The umami components may be any of amino acid, nucleic acid, or organic acid umami components. For example, amino acid umami components include glutamic acid, aspartic acid, oxyglutamic acid, lysine, histidine, taurine, betaine, glycine, creatine, alanine, arginine, etc., or salts thereof, nucleic acid umami components include inosinic acid, guanylic acid, or salts thereof, and organic acid umami components include succinic acid, acetic acid, citric acid, malic acid, or salts thereof. In addition, the umami components may be food materials containing the above-mentioned components or processed products thereof. For example, foods or processed foods containing umami components include powdered vegetables (e.g., carrots, onions, celery, Chinese cabbage, cabbage, etc.) and their extracts, powdered seaweed (e.g., kombu, wakame, etc.) and their extracts, powdered mushrooms (e.g., shiitake mushrooms, shimeji mushrooms, etc.) and their extracts, powdered seafood (e.g., bonito, mackerel, horse mackerel, sardines, shrimp, scallops, oysters, etc.) and their extracts, and powdered meat (e.g., beef, pork, chicken, etc.) and their extracts.

[0033] In the food and drink of the present invention, the ratio of the content of terpinyl acetate to the content of glutamic acid (content of terpinyl acetate (ppm) / content of glutamic acid (ppm)) is usually 5.0×10 -12 ~1×10 -2and preferably 5.0×10 -10 ~6.0×10 -3 , more preferably 5.0×10 -9 ~6.0×10 -4 It is.

[0034] The content of glutamic acid in the food or beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention can be exhibited, but is 500 ppm or more, preferably 750 ppm or more, and more preferably 1000 ppm or more, and the upper limit is usually 20000 ppm or less, preferably 15000 ppm or less, more preferably 12000 ppm or less, and even more preferably 5000 ppm or less, or 4000 ppm or less, or 3000 ppm or less.

[0035] In the food and drink of the present invention, the ratio of the content of terpinyl acetate to the content of inosinic acid (content of terpinyl acetate (ppm) / content of inosinic acid (ppm)) is usually 6.0×10 -11 ~0.2, preferably 6.0×10 -9 ~0.1, more preferably 6.0 × 10 -8 ~0.01.

[0036] The content of inosinic acid in the food and beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention can be exhibited, but is 10 ppm or more, preferably 15 ppm or more, and more preferably 100 ppm or more, and the upper limit is usually 2000 ppm or less, preferably 1500 ppm or less, more preferably 1200 ppm or less, and even more preferably 500 ppm or less, or 400 ppm or less, or 300 ppm or less.

[0037] In the food and drink of the present invention, the ratio of the apigenin content to the glutamic acid content (apigenin content (ppm) / glutamic acid content (ppm)) is usually 5.0×10 -9 ~1.0×10 -2 and preferably 4.0×10 -8 ~1.0×10-3 It is.

[0038] In the food and drink of the present invention, the ratio of the apigenin content to the inosinic acid content (apigenin content (ppm) / inosinic acid content (ppm)) is usually 5.0×10 -10 ~1.0×10 -3 and preferably 5.0×10 -8 ~1.0×10 -4 It is.

[0039] In the food and drink of the present invention, the ratio of the luteolin content to the glutamic acid content (luteolin content (ppm) / glutamic acid content (ppm)) is usually 5.0×10 -9 ~1.0×10 -1 and preferably 5.0×10 -7 ~1.0×10 -2 It is.

[0040] In the food and drink of the present invention, the ratio of the luteolin content to the inosinic acid content (luteolin content (ppm) / inosinic acid content (ppm)) is usually 5.0×10 -10 ~1.0×10 -2 and preferably 5.0×10 -8 ~1.0×10 -3 It is.

[0041] The concentrations of each of the components terpinyl acetate, apigenin, luteolin, glutamic acid, and inosinic acid in the food and drink of the present invention can be calculated from the amount of each component and the volume of the food and drink when the amount of each component is known (for example, when the food and drink is obtained by mixing each purified component), and when the amount of each component is unknown, it can be calculated according to or in accordance with the method described in the Reference Examples below. In this specification, "ppm" means mass concentration (w / w).

[0042] (food and drink) In the present invention, "food and beverage" refers to both food and beverages that are consumed as is, and compositions for preparing food and beverages to be consumed (i.e., compositions for use in preparing food and beverages to be consumed as is).

[0043] "Food and drink to be eaten as is" includes not only foods and drink that are eaten without any added ingredients, but also foods and drink that the eater adds seasonings as needed when eating.

[0044] "Food and beverages to be consumed as is" is not particularly limited as long as it is a food and beverage that requires improved taste and aroma, and examples include beverages, sweets, cooked rice, noodles, side dishes, soups, breads, pizza, cereals, boxed lunches, and foods containing vegetable protein.

[0045] Examples of beverages include beverages containing fruit juice [e.g., citrus fruits (mandarin oranges, oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits, yuzu, kabosu, sudachi, bergamot, pink grapefruit, hassaku, calamansi, etc.), tropical fruits (pineapple, banana, guava, mango, acerola, papaya, passion fruit, etc.), lychee, strawberry, apple, peach, grape, white grape, blackcurrant, raspberry, pomegranate, plum, pear, apricot, plum, kiwi fruit, Fruit juices such as melon, blueberry, and acai, lemonades, beauty drinks, smoothies, etc.; dairy drinks (e.g., milk and its processed products such as skim milk powder, whole milk powder, concentrated milk, yogurt, fresh cream, condensed milk, butter, skim milk, cream powder, sweetened milk powder, modified milk powder, whey powder, buttermilk powder, and other drinks containing dairy ingredients); vegetable drinks (e.g., tomato, carrot, pumpkin, etc. juices, smoothies, green juice, etc.); soft drinks (e.g. sports drinks, near water, fruit-flavored drinks), carbonated drinks; jelly drinks; grain drinks (e.g. grain drinks made mainly from rice, soy milk, almonds, etc.); tea drinks [e.g. black tea, oolong tea, green tea, black tea, matcha, jasmine tea, rosehip tea, chamomile tea, roasted green tea, blended tea (grains such as barley, barley, brown rice, soybeans, corn, persimmon leaves, loquat leaves, bear bamboo, gynostemma, angelica tree, dokudami teas blended with leaves, kelp, safflower, shiitake mushrooms, lychees, etc.); coffee drinks; powdered drinks (for example, cocoa, green juice, etc.); alcoholic beverages (for example, beer, beer-flavored beverages such as happoshu (low-malt beer), brewed alcoholic beverages such as fruit liquor and sake, distilled alcoholic beverages such as shochu, whiskey, brandy, and spirits, mixed alcoholic beverages such as liqueurs made by mixing distilled alcoholic beverages with auxiliary ingredients such as sugar, and cocktails, fizzes, chuhai, etc. made by adding fruit juice, flavors, carbon dioxide, etc. to these alcoholic beverages).

[0046] Examples of confectioneries include jellies, puddings, chocolates, bars (snack bars), frozen desserts (ice cream, sherbet, etc.), etc., and among these, jellies and frozen desserts (ice cream, sherbet, etc.) are preferred.

[0047] Examples of cooked rice include white rice, salted rice, red rice, steamed red rice, steamed rice, seasoned rice, mixed rice, onigiri, sushi rice, mochi, and dumplings. Incidentally, examples of "rice" include non-glutinous rice, glutinous rice, pre-rinsed rice with different degrees of polishing, and brown rice. Cooked products made with these cooked rice types and other ingredients are also acceptable, and examples of such products include sushi, chirashi sushi, curry rice, rice bowls, fried rice, and Tianjin rice.

[0048] Noodles are foods made from cereal flour such as wheat flour, rice flour, buckwheat flour, and beans, which are formed and processed into noodle, plate, ribbon, etc., and then cooked by boiling, stewing, or steaming. Examples of noodles include soba, udon, kishimen, ramen, Chinese noodles, pasta, macaroni, somen, pho, Korean hiyashimen, and vermicelli.

[0049] Side dishes are foods obtained by cooking ingredients such as meat, fish, shellfish, eggs, milk, vegetables, fruits, herbs, seaweed, etc. Examples of side dishes include pickled foods, simmered foods, grilled foods, fried foods, stir-fried foods, steamed foods, and salads.

[0050] Soup refers to food that contains a lot of water and is obtained by cooking ingredients such as meat, seafood, eggs, milk, vegetables, fruits, herbs, seaweed, etc. Examples of soup include miso soup, clear soup, potage, consommé soup, curry soup, wakame soup, egg soup, etc.

[0051] Bread is a food with a moisture content of 10% or more, made by kneading and fermenting wheat flour or wheat flour with yeast or with water, salt, grapes and other fruits, vegetables, eggs and their processed products, sugar, edible oils and fats, milk and dairy products, etc. (hereinafter referred to as "bread dough"), which is made by baking.

[0052] Pizza is a food made by kneading flour, water, salt, yeast, sugar, and a small amount of olive oil, then letting the dough rise, rolling it out into a thin circle, topping it, and baking it in an oven or a special kiln.

[0053] The vegetable protein-containing food refers to food and drink made from raw materials rich in vegetable protein, and processed legume products are particularly suitable. Examples of the legumes used as raw materials include whole grains and crushed products of soybeans, peas, mung beans, chickpeas, peanuts, lupins, pigeon peas, jack beans, vine beans, kidney beans, adzuki beans, cowpeas, lentils, fava beans, and carob beans, and the like, from which oils, fats, and starches are industrially extracted, can also be used. When the food and drink is such a vegetable protein-containing food, specific examples of the vegetable protein-containing food of the present invention include soybean meat and natto. The protein content of the vegetable protein-containing food is not particularly limited, but may be 3% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less. More specifically, the lower limit may be 3 mass% or more, 4 mass% or more, 5 mass% or more, 6 mass% or more, 7 mass% or more, 8 mass% or more, 9 mass% or more, or 10 mass% or more, and the upper limit may be 50 mass% or less, 45 mass% or less, 40 mass% or less, 35 mass% or less, or 30 mass% or less.

[0054] Furthermore, the "composition for preparing a food or drink to be consumed" is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include seasonings, retort foods, compositions for preparing beverages, compositions for preparing soups, topping materials, etc. Among these, seasonings and retort foods are preferred, and seasonings are more preferred.

[0055] Examples of seasonings include soups (noodle soup, hot pot soup, etc.), sauces (sesame-containing seasonings such as sesame sauce, yakiniku sauce, etc.), stocks (e.g. vegetable stock, seafood stock, meat stock), extracts (e.g. vegetable extracts, seafood extracts, meat extracts), sauces (pasta sauce, pizza sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup sauce, oyster sauce, salsa sauce, sambal sauce, chili sauce, demi-glace sauce, white sauce (bechamel sauce), etc.), dressings (non-oil dressings, separated dressings, emulsified dressings, etc.), vinegar, seasoning vinegar (e.g., general-purpose seasoning vinegar, seasoning vinegar for vinegared foods, seasoning vinegar for sushi rice, seasoning liquid for pickles (e.g., pickles, etc.), sweet vinegar, etc.), seasoning for rice, soy sauce (including dipping soy sauce, pouring soy sauce, and soy sauce used for cooking purposes described in the Japanese Agricultural Standards (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Notification No. 1703 of September 13, 2004), or seasonings similar to soy sauce used for the above purposes), ponzu seasoning (ponzu, ponzu soy sauce), seasoning for natto, seasoning for pickles, seasoning for meat, seasoning containing spices, chutney, mustard, mayonnaise, etc. Among these seasonings, soups, sauces, stocks, extracts, dressings, sauces, soy sauce, and ponzu seasoning are preferred.

[0056] Retort foods refer to foods that are cooked or semi-cooked and packed in a retort pouch or can and then retort heated (most commonly at 120°C for 30 to 60 minutes under pressure). Examples of cooked or semi-cooked foods include the above-mentioned foods themselves, or foods that can be obtained by simple cooking (for example, adding ingredients and cooking with heat).

[0057] An example of a composition for preparing a beverage is a concentrated type of beverage. This is diluted with water or a suitable beverage (e.g., the beverages exemplified above) before consumption. The recommended dilution ratio is, for example, 1.1 to 50 times, preferably 2 to 20 times, more preferably 3 to 12 times, and even more preferably 4 to 8 times.

[0058] Compositions for preparing soup include soup bases that are heated with vegetables, meat, seafood, dairy products, rice, or noodles, or that are mixed with the above ingredients after cooking to prepare foods such as soup. Soup bases can be in a form that can be used as is (straight type), or in a concentrated type that is mixed (diluted) with cold water, hot water, stock, or other liquid, or in a powder type.

[0059] Examples of topping materials include topping materials for cooked rice, topping materials for noodles, topping materials for bread, and topping materials for salads.Specific examples of topping materials for cooked rice include furikake, rice ball seasoning, porridge seasoning, ochazuke seasoning, porridge seasoning, mixed rice seasoning, and cooked rice seasoning.

[0060] The foods and beverages that are the subject of the present invention include not only the above-mentioned general foods and beverages, but also foods that can be taken for the purpose of maintaining or improving health other than medicines, such as health foods, functional foods, health functional foods, or foods for special uses. Health foods include foods provided under the names of dietary supplements, dietary supplements, supplements, etc. Health functional foods are defined by the Food Sanitation Act or the Health Promotion Act, and include foods for specified health uses and foods with nutritional functions that can display specific health effects, functions of nutritional components, reduction of disease risks, etc., as well as functional foods that can display the contents of the scientific evidence-based functionality notified to the Commissioner of the Consumer Affairs Agency. Special purpose foods also include foods for sick people, foods for the elderly, foods for infants, foods for pregnant women, etc. that display that they are suitable for specific subjects or patients with specific diseases. Here, the display of specific health effects, functions of nutritional components, etc. attached to foods and beverages can be displayed on product containers, packaging, instructions, package inserts, etc., product flyers and pamphlets, product advertisements such as newspapers and magazines, etc.

[0061] The form of the food or drink may be any form suitable for consumption, such as solid, liquid, granule, powder, capsule, cream, or paste. In particular, in the case of the above-mentioned health foods, etc., the form is preferably, for example, liquid (including syrup, milk, or suspension), tablet, pill, capsule, powder, granule, fine granule, or lozenge.

[0062] The food and drink of the present invention may contain other ingredients and additives depending on the type of food and drink. Examples of other ingredients and additives include fats and oils, alcoholic beverages, sweeteners, acidulants, spices or spice extracts, viscosity adjusters, colorants, stabilizers, antioxidants, pH regulators, etc. The combination and content of these other ingredients and additives are not particularly limited and can be appropriately set depending on the type of food and drink.

[0063] 2. Methods for improving the taste and aroma of food and beverages The present invention also provides a method for improving the taste and aroma of a food or beverage, which is characterized by adding one or more compounds selected from terpinyl acetate, apigenin, and luteolin to a food or beverage containing a flavor component or its raw materials.

[0064] The timing of adding one or more selected from terpinyl acetate, apigenin, and luteolin to a food or drink containing a flavor component or its raw material is not particularly limited, and examples of the timing include during production of the food or drink, after production of the food or drink, before consumption, etc.

[0065] 3. Manufacturing method for food and beverage with improved taste and aroma The present invention also provides a method for producing a food or beverage with improved taste and aroma, which is characterized by adding one or more selected from terpinyl acetate, apigenin, and luteolin to a food or beverage containing a flavor component or its raw materials.

[0066] A preferred embodiment of the method for producing a food or drink of the present invention comprises preparing a plant material extract by a method including the following steps (i) to (iii). (i) adding a plant material containing one or more selected from terpinyl acetate, apigenin, and luteolin to an extraction solvent; (ii) A step of extracting components from a plant material with an extraction solvent to obtain a plant material extract containing one or more components selected from terpinyl acetate, apigenin, and luteolin. (iii) adjusting the pH of the plant material extract obtained in (ii) to a relatively acidic side.

[0067] Another preferred embodiment of the method for producing a food or drink of the present invention further comprises, after step (ii), a step of adjusting the pH of the plant material extract to a range of 6.5 or more and 12.0 or less.

[0068] In step (i), a plant material containing one or more selected from terpinyl acetate, apigenin, and luteolin is added to an extraction solvent. The types of the plant material and the extraction solvent are as described above.

[0069] In step (ii), components are extracted from the plant material with an extraction solvent to obtain a plant material extract containing one or more selected from terpinyl acetate, apigenin, and luteolin. At this time, it is preferable to adjust the pH of the extraction solvent to neutral to alkaline at room temperature, for example, 6.5 to 11.0. More specifically, the pH of the extraction solvent is 6.5 or more, 7.0 or more, 7.5 or more, 8.0 or more, or 9.0 or more, and although there is no particular upper limit, it is usually 11.0 or less, 10.5 or less, or 10.0 or less.

[0070] Furthermore, when the process includes a step of adjusting the pH of the plant material extract to 6.5 or more and 12.0 or less after step (ii) above, it is preferable to adjust the pH of the plant material extract to neutral to alkaline at room temperature, for example, 6.5 or more and 12.0 or less. More specifically, the pH of the plant material extract is 6.5 or more, 7.0 or more, 7.5 or more, 8.0 or more, or 9.0 or more, and although there is no particular upper limit, it is usually 12.0 or less, 11.5 or less, or 11.0 or less.

[0071] In addition to adjusting the pH of the plant material extract, when at least one of terpinyl acetate, apigenin, or luteolin reagent is added from the outside, the pH of the solution containing these components may be adjusted. The pH can be adjusted by dissolving a pH adjuster (e.g., sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, calcium carbonate, sodium hydrogencarbonate, potassium gluconate, lactic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, acetic acid, etc.) in the plant material extract or the above solution. Among the above pH adjusters, it is particularly preferable to use carbonates such as sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, or calcium carbonate.

[0072] In step (iii), the pH of the plant material extract obtained by the above extraction is adjusted to a relatively acidic side. The technical significance of this step is to fix the components of the food or drink of the present invention (terpinyl acetate, apigenin, or luteolin) by adjusting the room temperature pH of the plant material extract obtained after the extraction step of step (ii) (sometimes simply referred to as "step (ii) extract") to a relatively acidic side compared to the start of the extraction. Specifically, it is preferable to adjust the pH so that the difference in the decrease between the pH of the step (ii) extract (i.e., the extract obtained after the extraction step of step (ii)) and the pH of the extraction solvent used in step (i) is 0.1 or more and 10.0 or less. More specifically, the lower limit may be 0.1 or more, 0.2 or more, 0.3 or more, 0.4 or more, 0.5 or more, 0.6 or more and 0.7 or more, 0.8 or more, or 0.9 or more and 1.0 or more, and the upper limit may be 10.0 or less, 9.0 or less, 8.0 or less, 7.0 or less, 6.0 or less, 5.0 or less, or 4.0 or less and 3.0 or less.

[0073] The solvent used for extraction may be optionally heated. The heating conditions are not particularly limited, but the heating temperature may be, for example, in the range of 50°C or more and 105°C or less, and the treatment time may be, for example, in the range of 30 seconds or more and less than 30 minutes. More specifically, the lower limit of the heating temperature may be, for example, 50°C or more, or 55°C or more, or 60°C or more, or 65°C or more, or 70°C or more, or 75°C or more, or 80°C or more, or 85°C or more, or 90°C or more, or 95°C or more, and the upper limit may usually be 105°C or less, or 100°C or less, and the lower limit of the heating time may be, for example, 30 seconds or more, or 1 minute or more, or 2 minutes or more, and the upper limit may be, for example, less than 30 minutes, less than 25 minutes, less than 20 minutes, less than 15 minutes, less than 10 minutes, or less than 5 minutes. Generally, the heating temperature and the heating time are almost mutually dependent, and the higher the heating temperature, the shorter the heating time, whereas the longer the heating time, the lower the heating temperature. Therefore, the heating temperature and the heating time may be set in an appropriate range, taking into consideration the relationship between the heating temperature and the heating time. Specifically, the heating extraction may be performed at a temperature of 70°C or higher and 105°C or lower for less than 25 minutes, at a temperature of 80°C or higher and 105°C or lower for less than 20 minutes, or at a temperature of 85°C or higher and 105°C or lower for less than 15 minutes. In order to efficiently extract the desired component from the plant material and to avoid the inclusion of components derived from other plant materials as much as possible, it is preferable to leave the plant material to stand or stir in this process, and it is preferable not to perform crushing such as homogenization.

[0074] In addition, the pH of the extract after being adjusted to be relatively acidic in step (iii) may be adjusted to a predetermined range. Specifically, it is preferable to adjust the pH of the extract (plant material extract) after being adjusted to be relatively acidic in step (iii) to be 1.5 or more and less than 7.0 at room temperature. More specifically, the lower limit may be 1.5 or more, 2.0 or more, 2.5 or more, or 3.0 or more, and the upper limit is not particularly limited, but is usually less than 7.0, less than 6.5, less than 6.0, less than 5.5, less than 5.0, less than 4.6, or less than 4.0. EXAMPLES

[0075] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, although the present invention is not limited to these.

[0076] (Reference example) In the following test examples, the contents of terpinyl acetate, apigenin, luteolin, glutamic acid, and inosinic acid in the evaluation samples were measured as follows. (1) Quantitative analysis of terpinyl acetate First, the sample was subjected to solid-phase microextraction (SPME) under the following conditions to separate and concentrate terpinyl acetate in the sample.

[0077] <Solid-phase microextraction conditions> SPME fiber: StableFlex 50 / 30μm, DVB / Carboxen / PDMS (SUPELCO) Volatile component extraction device: PAL3 RSI120 (manufactured by CTC Analytics) Preheat: 40℃ for 15 minutes Extraction of volatile components: 80℃, 20 minutes Adsorption: 10 minutes Time to remove: 10 minutes

[0078] Next, the terpinyl acetate in the sample separated and concentrated by solid-phase microextraction was analyzed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry under the following conditions.

[0079] <Gas chromatograph conditions> ·Measurement equipment: Agilent 7890B GC System (manufactured by Agilent Technologies) GC column: DB-WAX (Agilent Technologies), length 30 m, diameter 0.25 mm, film thickness 0.25 μm Carrier: He gas, gas flow rate 1.0 mL / min Temperature conditions: Hold at 40°C for 3 minutes → Increase temperature by 10°C / min to 250°C → Hold at 250°C for 10 minutes

[0080] <Mass spectrometry conditions> · Measuring instrument: Agilent 7000C GC / MS Triple Quad (manufactured by Agilent Technologies) · Ionization method: EI (ionization voltage 70 eV)

[0081] Based on the confirmation ion of terpinyl acetate (m / z = 121), the peak of terpinyl acetate was identified and the peak area was determined. From the obtained peak area of terpinyl acetate, the concentration of terpinyl acetate contained in each sample was calculated.

[0082] (2) Apigenin and luteolin quantification method Samples for quantification were prepared according to the following procedure. Standard: Luteolin and apigenin reagents with known concentrations were diluted and tested on LCMS as standards with component concentrations of 0.00025 ppm, 0.0005 ppm, 0.005 ppm, 0.05 ppm, and 0.5 ppm.

[0083] Analytical sample: The sample to be measured (for example, 2% parsley extract) was diluted with 4 volumes of methanol, filtered, and then tested on LCMS.

[0084] <LCMS conditions> Equipment used: · LC: SHIMADZU / Nexera XS · MS: Bruker / impact II · Analysis software: Bruker / Compass Data Analysis · Column: ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18 1.7μm 2.1x50mm Column

[0085] LC analysis conditions: Column temperature: 40 °C Flow rate 0.4 mL / min Injection volume 10 μL applied Mobile phase A: 0.1% formic acid in water Mobile phase B: 0.1% formic acid, acetonitrile Gradient (proportion of mobile phase A and mobile phase B) 0-1min 95%A:5%B 1.5min 90%A:10%B 4.5min 70%A:30%B 5.5min 60%A:40%B 7min 50%A:50%B 9.5min 30%A:70%B 9.5-12.5min 100%B

[0086] MS conditions: Ion source temperature: 200°C Ionization method: ESI (ionization voltage 5.0 eV) MS scan: m / z 50-1,500

[0087] Each sample was analyzed for H+ adduct ions in positive mode, and the component peaks in each sample were identified based on the quantitative ions (luteolin quantitative ion m / z 287.0484±0.020, apigenin quantitative ion m / z 271.0537±0.020) and the peak areas were calculated. The concentrations of each component in each sample were calculated from the peak areas obtained, taking into account the dilution rate with the solvent.

[0088] (3) Quantitative determination of glutamic acid content The glutamic acid content was measured using the amino acid analysis method in the "Analysis Manual for the 2015 Edition (7th Revised) of the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan" according to the following conditions. Measuring equipment: Automatic amino acid analyzer (JEOL, model JLC-500 / V2) Column: Bioanalysis packed column, inner diameter 4.6 mm, length 60 mm, stainless steel Mobile phase: Buffer solution for biofluid analysis PF set KANTO (Kanto Chemical Co., Ltd.) Reaction solution: Hitachi ninhydrin color development solution kit (manufactured by Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) ·Wavelength: 570nm

[0089] (4) Quantitative determination of inosinic acid content The samples were diluted with ultrapure water and the peak area of ​​inosinic acid was analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) under the following conditions: 5 mg / 100 mL of inosinic acid diluted with ultrapure water was analyzed in the same manner as a standard sample, and the content of inosinic acid in each sample was calculated by the external standard method.

[0090] <High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) conditions> Measurement equipment: High performance liquid chromatography (Shimadzu Corporation) Mobile phase: Potassium dihydrogen phosphate 6.8g / L (pH 3.5), 1mL / min Column: YMC-Pack Polyamine II (YMC) Column temperature: 35℃ Detection: UV260nm

[0091] (Test Example 1) Examination of the content of terpinyl acetate (evaluation using soup) (1) Preparation of test samples Terpinyl acetate (manufactured by Inoue Perfumery Co., Ltd., specification: 100%) was dissolved in water to a concentration of 1 mass %. This solution was further diluted with water to prepare terpinyl acetate solutions having the concentrations shown in test samples 1 to 7 in Table 1.

[0092] In addition, dried celery (manufactured by Leaf Co., Ltd.) was added to 70°C hot water so that the amount was 2% by mass, and the mixture was left to stand at 65°C for 15 minutes, after which it was filtered through filter paper (No. 2) and allowed to cool to room temperature to obtain an extract (terpinyl acetate content 5.58 × 10 -3 This solution was further diluted with water to prepare terpinyl acetate solutions having the concentrations shown in test samples 8 and 9 in Table 1.

[0093] The soups for test products 1 to 9 were prepared by mixing bonito flakes stock, dark soy sauce, sugar, mirin, salt, terpinyl acetate solution, and water according to the blending amounts (mass%) shown in Table 1. In addition, a soup with the same blending amounts of bonito flakes stock, dark soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and salt, no terpinyl acetate solution, and 66.5 mass% water was used as a control.

[0094] The terpinyl acetate content, glutamic acid content, and inosinic acid content in each of the prepared test products were measured according to the Reference Example.

[0095] (2) Sensory evaluation test A sensory evaluation was conducted by the following four panelists specializing in analytical sensory evaluation for room temperature samples prepared as is from each of the test products prepared in (1), and heated samples prepared by filling each of the test products prepared in (1) into a retort pouch, sealing it, and then heating it at 70°C for 5 minutes.

[0096] (Analytical sensory evaluation specialist panelist) Analytical sensory evaluation specialist panelists are expert panelists whose ability to judge taste and aroma has been guaranteed by the following discrimination tests (I) and (II). Discrimination test (I): Taste discrimination test A taste quality discrimination test in which one aqueous solution of each of the five tastes (sweetness: the taste of sugar, sourness: the taste of tartaric acid, umami: the taste of monosodium glutamate, saltiness: the taste of sodium chloride, bitterness: the taste of caffeine) was prepared at a concentration close to the threshold value of each component, and two distilled waters were added to these to make a total of seven samples, in which the participants were required to accurately distinguish the sample of each taste. Discrimination test (II): A concentration difference discrimination test to accurately distinguish the concentration differences between five types of saline solutions and an acetic acid solution with slightly different concentrations.

[0097] (Evaluation method) The sensory evaluation was carried out in the following order: (i) presentation of samples, (ii) fine-tuning of sensory evaluation items, (iii) trial evaluation and calibration, and (iv) main evaluation. (i) Present the sample In order to eliminate panel bias in sensory evaluation and to increase the accuracy of the evaluation, the samples were provided as follows: The samples filled and sealed in 100mL plastic bottles were brought to room temperature (25℃), and for each evaluation, about one teaspoon (about 5mL) was transferred from the container to a 20mL plastic cup using a measuring spoon, and presented to each panelist. At that time, the panelists were not informed of the test plot number or content information of the sample, and the samples from each test plot were presented randomly.

[0098] (ii) Adjustment of sensory evaluation items When conducting the evaluation, the panelists discussed and adjusted the characteristics of each evaluation item so that each panelist had a common understanding. The overall evaluation was also set in advance after discussion among the entire panelists so that it could be standardized based on the results of the sensory evaluation.

[0099] (iii) Trial evaluation and calibration Using several different samples of terpinyl acetate, training was conducted on the evaluation criteria for each evaluation item. During the training, the panelists were informed of their own evaluation results to ensure reproducibility in repeated evaluations.

[0100] (iv) This Evaluation After ensuring the validity of the evaluation criteria of each panelist through the above training, sensory evaluation was performed using the test products and controls. Specifically, the samples were filled and sealed in 100mL plastic bottles, and about one teaspoon (about 5mL) of liquid was measured from the container into a 20mL plastic cup for each evaluation. The taste was evaluated the moment the liquid was held in the mouth and until it was swallowed, as well as the aroma as it escaped from the oral cavity to the nasal cavity. After holding the sample in the mouth, distilled water was held in the mouth to thoroughly remove the flavor in the mouth before the evaluation of the next sample.

[0101] (Evaluation Criteria) The sensory evaluation was carried out by the four analytical sensory evaluation specialist panelists mentioned above, using the following evaluation criteria. The evaluation items were the "flavor impact," "breadth of flavor," and "overall evaluation (overall deliciousness)" of the soup. The control was given a score of 3 points, and each evaluation item was rated on a five-point scale as shown below. The evaluation score was calculated as a weighted average of the four panelists' scores. A score of 3.5 or more on a five-point scale was considered a pass, 4 or more was considered to have a good effect, 4.5 or more was considered to have an even better effect, and 5 was considered to have the best effect. Furthermore, any item with a score of less than 3 points was considered to have failed.

[0102] <Flavor impact> 5 points: Compared to the control, the flavor of the soup stock and the aroma of soy sauce were felt more strongly the moment I put it in my mouth. 4 points: Compared to the control, the flavor of the soup stock and the aroma of soy sauce were slightly stronger the moment I put it in my mouth. 3 points: Compared to the control, the flavor of the soup stock and the aroma of soy sauce were felt to the same extent the moment they were put in the mouth. 2 points: Compared to the control, the flavor of the soup stock and the aroma of soy sauce felt a little weak the moment I put it in my mouth. 1 point: Compared to the control, the flavor of the soup stock and the aroma of soy sauce felt weak the moment I put it in my mouth.

[0103] <Expansion of flavor> 5 points: Compared to the control, the original umami flavor of the soup spread throughout the mouth. 4 points: Compared to the control, the original umami flavor of the soup spread throughout the mouth. 3 points: The original umami flavor of the soup was about the same as that of the control. 2 points: Compared to the control, the original umami flavor of the soup was slightly weaker. 1 point: The original umami flavor of the soup was weaker than that of the control.

[0104] <Overall rating (overall taste)> 5 points: The overall flavor of the soup was significantly improved compared to the control. 4 points: The overall flavor of the soup was improved compared to the control. 3 points: The overall flavor of the soup was the same as that of the control. 2 points: Compared to the control, the flavor of the soup was slightly weaker overall. 1 point: The flavor of the soup was weaker overall compared to the control.

[0105] The contents (ppm) of terpinyl acetate (A), glutamic acid (B), and inosinic acid (C) of each test product (evaluation sample), (A) / (B), (A) / (C), and the results of the sensory evaluation are shown in Table 1.

[0106] [Table 1]

[0107] As shown in Table 1, for both room temperature and heated test samples, when the terpinyl acetate content was in the range of 0.00000001 to 10 ppm, the flavor impact, flavor spread, and overall deliciousness were excellent (test samples 2 to 9). On the other hand, when the terpinyl acetate content was 100 ppm, the flavor impact, flavor spread, and overall deliciousness decreased (test sample 1).

[0108] (Test Example 2) Examination of terpinyl acetate content (evaluation by dressing) (1) Preparation of test samples Terpinyl acetate (manufactured by Inoue Perfumery Co., Ltd., specification: 100%) was dissolved in water to a concentration of 1 mass %. This solution was further diluted with water to prepare terpinyl acetate solutions having the concentrations shown in test samples 10 to 15 in Table 2.

[0109] 99% by mass of non-oil dressing (manufactured by Mizkan, rich and tasty non-oil vegetable dressing) was mixed with 1% by mass of the above terpinyl acetate solution to prepare dressings of test products 10 to 15. In addition, a dressing with 99% by mass and 1% by mass of water mixed without adding the terpinyl acetate solution was used as a control.

[0110] The terpinyl acetate content, glutamic acid content, and inosinic acid content in each of the prepared test products were measured according to the Reference Example.

[0111] (2) Sensory evaluation test For each test product prepared in (1), a sensory evaluation of the dressing's "flavor impact," "flavor spread," "irregular flavor," and "overall evaluation (overall taste)" was conducted in the same manner as in Test Example 1, except that the evaluation criteria were as follows:

[0112] <Flavor impact> 5 points: Compared to the control, the umami flavor and fresh aroma derived from the vegetables in the dressing stood out strongly the moment I put it in my mouth. 4 points: Compared to the control, the umami flavor and fresh aroma derived from the vegetables in the dressing stood out slightly more strongly the moment it was put in the mouth. 3 points: Compared to the control, the vegetable-derived umami flavor and fresh aroma of the dressing stood out to the same extent the moment it was put in the mouth. 2 points: Compared to the control, the umami flavor and fresh aroma derived from the vegetables in the dressing weakened slightly the moment it was put in the mouth. 1 point: Compared to the control, the umami flavor and fresh aroma of the vegetables in the dressing weakened the moment it was put in the mouth.

[0113] <Expansion of flavor> 5 points: Compared to the control, the original umami flavor of the dressing spread throughout the mouth. 4 points: Compared to the control, the original umami flavor of the dressing spread throughout the mouth. 3 points: The dressing's original umami flavor was about the same as the control. 2 points: The original umami flavor of the dressing was slightly weaker than that of the control. 1 point: The dressing's original umami flavor was weaker than the control.

[0114] <Off-flavors> 5 points: The unpleasant taste was reduced compared to the control. 4 points: The unpleasant taste was slightly weaker than the control. 3 points: The unpleasant taste was about the same as the control. 2 points: Slightly stronger off-flavors than the control. 1 point: Stronger off-flavors than the control.

[0115] <Overall rating (overall taste)> 5 points: Overall, the dressing flavor was significantly improved compared to the control. 4 points: The dressing had an overall improved flavor compared to the control. 3 points: The dressing had the same overall flavor as the control. 2 points: Compared to the control, the dressing flavor was slightly weaker overall. 1 point: The dressing had a weaker flavor overall compared to the control.

[0116] Table 2 shows the contents (ppm) of terpinyl acetate (A), glutamic acid (B), and inosinic acid (C) of each test product (evaluation sample), (A) / (B), (A) / (C), and the results of the sensory evaluation.

[0117] [Table 2]

[0118] As shown in Table 2, for the dressings, when the terpinyl acetate content was within the range of 0.00000001 to 1 ppm, the flavor impact, flavor spread, and overall deliciousness were excellent, and no unpleasant vegetable flavors were detected (Test Samples 11 to 15). The control had a rich flavor and relatively many flavor components, and the umami flavor was particularly strong overall, but the flavor was sharper and a fresh feeling was also obtained. When the terpinyl acetate content was 100 ppm (Test Sample 10), the flavor impact, flavor spread, and overall deliciousness were slightly reduced, but this was not as significant as the evaluation using the soup in Test Example 1 (Test Sample 1), and was within the acceptable range.

[0119] (Test Example 3) Effect of glutamic acid content (evaluation using soup) (1) Preparation of test samples Terpinyl acetate (manufactured by Inoue Perfumery Co., Ltd., specification: 100%) was dissolved in water to a concentration of 1 mass %. This solution was further diluted with water to prepare a 1 ppm terpinyl acetate solution.

[0120] The soups for test products 16 to 20 were prepared by mixing bonito stock, dark soy sauce, sugar, mirin, salt, sodium glutamate, terpinyl acetate solution, and water according to the blending amounts (mass%) shown in Table 3. In addition, the soups for test products 16 to 20 to which the terpinyl acetate solution had not been added were used as controls.

[0121] The terpinyl acetate content, glutamic acid content, and inosinic acid content in each of the prepared test products were measured according to the Reference Example.

[0122] (2) Sensory evaluation test For each test product prepared in (1), a sensory evaluation was carried out in the same manner as in Test Example 1.

[0123] Table 3 shows the contents (ppm) of terpinyl acetate (A), glutamic acid (B), and inosinic acid (C) of each test product (evaluation sample), (A) / (B), (A) / (C), and the results of the sensory evaluation.

[0124] [Table 3]

[0125] As shown in Table 3, even if the glutamic acid content in the food or beverage was changed, so long as the ratio of the terpinyl acetate content to the glutamic acid content (terpinyl acetate content (ppm) / glutamic acid content (ppm)) was within the range of the present invention, the impact of flavor, breadth of taste, and improvement in overall palatability were equally observed in all test samples (test samples 16 to 20).

[0126] (Test Example 4) Examination of inosinic acid content (evaluation using soup) (1) Preparation of test samples Terpinyl acetate (manufactured by Inoue Perfumery Co., Ltd., specification: 100%) was dissolved in water to a concentration of 1 mass %. This solution was further diluted with water to prepare a 1 ppm terpinyl acetate solution.

[0127] The soups for test samples 21 to 26 were prepared by mixing bonito stock, dark soy sauce, sugar, mirin, salt, sodium inosinate, terpinyl acetate solution, and water according to the blending amounts (mass%) shown in Table 4. In addition, the soups for test samples 21 to 26 to which the terpinyl acetate solution was not added were used as controls.

[0128] The terpinyl acetate content, glutamic acid content, and inosinic acid content in each of the prepared test products were measured according to the Reference Example.

[0129] (2) Sensory evaluation test For each test product prepared in (1), a sensory evaluation was carried out in the same manner as in Test Example 1.

[0130] The contents (ppm) of terpinyl acetate (A), glutamic acid (B), and inosinic acid (C) of each test product (evaluation sample), (A) / (B), (A) / (C), and the results of the sensory evaluation are shown in Table 4.

[0131] [Table 4]

[0132] As shown in Table 4, even if the content of inosinic acid in the food or beverage was changed, so long as the ratio of the terpinyl acetate content to the inosinic acid content (terpinyl acetate content (ppm) / inosinic acid content (ppm)) was within the range of the present invention, the impact of flavor, breadth of taste, and improvement in overall deliciousness were equally observed in all test samples (test samples 21 to 26).

[0133] (Test Example 5-1) Evaluation with tomato sauce (1) Preparation of test samples Terpinyl acetate (manufactured by Inoue Perfumery Co., Ltd., specification: 100%) was dissolved in water to a concentration of 1 mass %. This solution was further diluted with water to prepare a 1 ppm terpinyl acetate solution.

[0134] Two teaspoons of olive oil were added to a heated frying pan, and half a minced garlic clove was fried. 190 g of ripe grated tomatoes (manufactured by Del Monte) and a little more than one tablespoon of consommé granules (manufactured by Ajinomoto Co.) were added and simmered for 3 minutes. The mixture was allowed to cool at room temperature to obtain a tomato sauce. 99% by mass of this tomato sauce was mixed with 1% by mass of the above terpinyl solution to prepare the tomato sauce of test product 27. A tomato sauce to which the terpinyl acetate solution was not added was used as a control.

[0135] The contents of terpinyl acetate, glutamic acid, and inosinic acid in the prepared test samples were measured according to the Reference Examples.

[0136] (2) Sensory evaluation test For the test products prepared in (1), sensory evaluation of the tomato sauce in terms of “flavor impact,” “flavor spread,” and “overall evaluation (overall deliciousness)” was conducted in the same manner as in Test Example 1, except that the evaluation criteria were as follows:

[0137] <Flavor impact> 5 points: Compared to the control, the umami flavor and fruity aroma derived from the tomato was felt strongly the moment it was put in the mouth. 4 points: Compared to the control, the umami flavor and fruity aroma derived from the tomato was slightly stronger the moment it was put in the mouth. 3 points: Compared to the control, the umami flavor and fruity aroma derived from the tomato were felt to the same extent the moment they were put in the mouth. 2 points: Compared to the control, the umami flavor and fruity aroma derived from the tomato felt a little weak the moment I put it in my mouth. 1 point: Compared to the control, the umami flavor and fruity aroma derived from the tomato felt weaker the moment it was put in the mouth.

[0138] <Expansion of flavor> 5 points: Compared to the control, the original umami flavor of the tomato sauce spread throughout the mouth. 4 points: Compared to the control, the original umami flavor of the tomato sauce spread throughout the mouth. 3 points: The original umami flavor of the tomato sauce was about the same as that of the control. 2 points: The original umami flavor of the tomato sauce was slightly weaker than that of the control. 1 point: The original umami flavor of the tomato sauce was weaker than that of the control.

[0139] <Overall rating (overall taste)> 5 points: The overall flavor of the tomato sauce was significantly improved compared to the control. 4 points: The overall flavor of the tomato sauce was improved compared to the control. 3 points: The overall flavor of the tomato sauce was the same as that of the control. 2 points: Compared to the control, the overall tomato sauce flavor was slightly weaker. 1 point: The tomato sauce flavor was weaker overall than the control.

[0140] The contents (ppm) of terpinyl acetate (A), glutamic acid (B), and inosinic acid (C) of the test products (evaluation samples), (A) / (B), (A) / (C), and the results of the sensory evaluation are shown in Table 5-1.

[0141] [Table 5-1]

[0142] (Test Example 5-2) Evaluation using soup for hotpot (1) Preparation of test samples Terpinyl acetate (manufactured by Inoue Perfumery Co., Ltd., specification: 100%) was dissolved in water to a concentration of 1 mass %. This solution was further diluted with water to prepare a 1 ppm terpinyl acetate solution.

[0143] 4% by mass of seafood stock (bonito flakes, kelp, scallop), 5% by mass of dark soy sauce, 1% by mass of sugar, 1% by mass of salt, 1% by mass of terpinyl acetate solution, and 88% by mass of water were mixed to prepare the soup for the hot pot of test product 28. In addition, a soup for the hot pot with 89% by mass of water and no terpinyl acetate solution was used as a control.

[0144] The contents of terpinyl acetate, glutamic acid, and inosinic acid in the prepared test samples were measured according to the Reference Examples.

[0145] (2) Sensory evaluation test For the test products prepared in (1), a sensory evaluation of the soup for the hotpot in terms of "flavor impact," "flavor spread," and "overall evaluation (overall deliciousness)" will be conducted according to the following evaluation criteria. Other than that, the same method as in Test Example 1 was used.

[0146] <Flavor impact> 5 points: Compared to the control, the soy sauce flavor and aroma were felt stronger the moment I put it in my mouth. 4 points: Compared to the control, the soy sauce flavor and aroma were slightly stronger the moment you put it in your mouth. 3 points: Compared to the control, the soy sauce flavor and aroma were felt to the same extent the moment they were put in the mouth. 2 points: Compared to the control, the soy sauce flavor and aroma were slightly weaker the moment you put it in your mouth. 1 point: Compared to the control, the soy sauce flavor and aroma were felt weaker the moment I put it in my mouth.

[0147] <Expansion of flavor> 5 points: Compared to the control, the original umami flavor of the yosenabe soup spread throughout the mouth. 4 points: Compared to the control, the original umami flavor of the yosenabe soup spread throughout the mouth. 3 points: Compared to the control, the original umami flavor of the yosenabe soup was about the same. 2 points: Compared to the control, the original umami flavor of the yosenabe soup was slightly weaker. 1 point: Compared to the control, the original umami flavor of the yosenabe soup was weaker.

[0148] <Overall rating (overall taste)> 5 points: Compared to the control, the overall flavor of the yosenabe soup was significantly improved. 4 points: Compared to the control, the overall flavor of the yosenabe soup was improved. 3 points: Compared to the control, the flavor of the yosenabe soup was about the same overall. 2 points: Compared to the control, the flavor of the yosenabe soup was slightly weaker overall. 1 point: Compared to the control, the flavor of the yosenabe soup was weaker overall.

[0149] The contents (ppm) of terpinyl acetate (A), glutamic acid (B), and inosinic acid (C) of the test products (evaluation samples), (A) / (B), (A) / (C), and the results of the sensory evaluation are shown in Table 5-2.

[0150] [Table 5-2]

[0151] As shown in Tables 5-1 and 5-2, in liquid seasonings (tomato sauce, hot pot soup), which are preferred embodiments of food and beverages, adding a specified amount of terpinyl acetate to the flavor components was found to have an impact on flavor, a broader flavor, and improved overall deliciousness (test samples 27 and 28). The tomato sauce had a well-balanced flavor with sourness due to the enhanced umami and aroma derived from the tomatoes. The hot pot soup had a sharp soy sauce flavor, resulting in a good soy sauce flavor that was fresh and had few unpleasant flavors.

[0152] (Test Example 6-1) Evaluation using pasta (1) Preparation of test samples The tomato sauce (test sample 27) prepared in Test Example 5-1 and its control were heated to 60° C. 100 parts by weight of dried pasta were boiled, and then 150 parts by weight of the tomato sauce of test sample 27 was poured onto the pasta and mixed to prepare tomato-flavored spaghetti, which was used as test sample 29. In addition, tomato-flavored spaghetti prepared in the same manner using the control for test sample 27 was used as the control.

[0153] (2) Sensory evaluation test For each test product prepared in (1), a sensory evaluation was carried out in the same manner as in Test Example 5-1.

[0154] (Test Example 6-2) Evaluation using lettuce salad (1) Preparation of test samples Two lettuce leaves were torn by hand into pieces of about 3 cm square, cherry tomatoes were cut in half and mixed together, and then 1 / 2 teaspoon by weight of the non-oil dressing (test sample 12) prepared in Test Example 2 was added to prepare a lettuce salad, which was used as test sample 30. In addition, a lettuce salad prepared in the same manner as the control for test sample 12 was used as a control.

[0155] (2) Sensory evaluation test For each test product prepared in (1), a sensory evaluation was carried out in the same manner as in Test Example 2.

[0156] (Test Examples 6-3 and 6-4) (Evaluation using udon and somen noodles) (1) Preparation of test samples The soup prepared in Test Example 1 (Test Sample 4) and the control were each heated to 90° C. After boiling one bowl of commercially available udon (180 g), 50 parts by weight of the soup of Test Sample 4 was poured over and mixed to prepare Kake Udon, which was used as Test Sample 31. In addition, Kake Udon prepared in the same manner using the control for Test Sample 4 was used as the control.

[0157] The soup prepared in Test Example 1 (Test Sample 4) and the control were each cooled to 10° C. in a refrigerator. Commercially available somen noodles were boiled, soaked in cold water, and then cooled with 25 mL of the soup of Test Sample 4 poured over them to prepare Test Sample 32. The control was also prepared using the control for Test Sample 4 in the same manner.

[0158] (2) Sensory evaluation test For each test product prepared in (1), a sensory evaluation was carried out in the same manner as in Test Example 1.

[0159] (Test Example 6-5) Evaluation using a hotpot (1) Preparation of test samples The yosenabe soup (test sample 28) prepared in Test Example 5-2 and the control were each heated to 95° C. 100 g of chicken thigh meat cut into 3 cm cubes, 1 / 8 of a Chinese cabbage, 1 long leek, 2 shiitake mushrooms, 2 bunches of mizuna, and 150 g of tofu were added to the yosenabe soup of Test Sample 28, covered, and simmered until the ingredients were cooked to prepare a yosenabe, which was used as Test Sample 33. A yosenabe prepared in the same manner as Test Sample 28 using the control was also used as the control.

[0160] (2) Sensory evaluation test For each test product prepared in (1), a sensory evaluation was carried out in the same manner as in Test Example 5-2.

[0161] The sensory evaluation results of Test Examples 6-1 to 6-5 are shown in Table 6.

[0162] [Table 6]

[0163] As shown in Table 6, adding a specified amount of terpinyl acetate to the taste components of various foods and beverages that are eaten as is (pasta, salad, udon, somen, and yosenabe) was found to have the effect of improving the impact of flavor, the breadth of flavor, and the overall deliciousness (test samples 29 to 33). The pasta and salad had a fresh feeling throughout the dish. The udon, somen, and yosenabe soup had little off-flavors of soy sauce and a fresh soy sauce flavor, regardless of the temperature at which it was used.

[0164] (Test Example 7-1) Evaluation using soy meat (1) Preparation of test samples Dried parsley (manufactured by SB Co., Ltd.) was added to 65°C boiling water to make 2% by mass, and the mixture was left to stand at 65°C for 15 minutes, then filtered through filter paper (No. 2) and allowed to cool to room temperature to obtain an extract. The extract was then adjusted to pH 10 with 20% sodium carbonate to obtain an alkaline extract (terpinyl acetate content 46 ppb). 33 g of commercially available soybean meat was boiled in boiling water for 5 minutes, and the water was squeezed out to 100 g.

[0165] 33 g of commercially available soy meat was boiled in boiling water for 5 minutes, and then the water was squeezed out to 100 g. The boiled soy meat, soy sauce, sugar, sake, terpinyl acetate solution, or parsley extract was mixed according to the blending amounts (mass%) shown in Table 7-1 below to prepare seasoned soy meat test samples 34, 35, and 36. In addition, soy meat to which 1 mass% water was added without the addition of terpinyl acetate solution or parsley extract was used as a control.

[0166] The contents of terpinyl acetate, apigenin, luteolin, glutamic acid, and inosinic acid in each of the prepared test products were measured according to the Reference Examples.

[0167] (2) Sensory evaluation test For each test product prepared in (1), a sensory evaluation of the soy meat in terms of "flavor impact," "flavor spread," and "overall evaluation (overall deliciousness)" was conducted in the same manner as in Test Example 1, except that the evaluation criteria were as follows.

[0168] <Flavor impact> 5 points: Compared to the control, the meaty flavor of the soy meat and the aroma of soy sauce were strongly felt the moment I put it in my mouth. 4 points: Compared to the control, the meaty flavor of the soy meat and the aroma of soy sauce were slightly stronger the moment you put it in your mouth. 3 points: Compared to the control, the meaty flavor of the soy meat and the aroma of soy sauce were perceived to be the same the moment you put it in your mouth. 2 points: Compared to the control, the meaty flavor of the soy meat and the aroma of soy sauce felt a little weaker the moment I put it in my mouth. 1 point: Compared to the control, the meaty flavor of the soy meat and the aroma of soy sauce were felt to be weaker the moment I put it in my mouth.

[0169] <Expansion of flavor> 5 points: Compared to the control, the umami flavor of the soy meat spread throughout the mouth. 4 points: Compared to the control, the umami flavor of the soy meat spread throughout the mouth. 3 points: The soy meat had the same umami flavor as the control. 2 points: The umami flavor of the soy meat was slightly weaker than that of the control. 1 point: The soy meat had a weaker flavor than the control.

[0170] <Overall rating (overall taste)> 5 points: Overall taste significantly improved compared to the control. 4 points: Overall taste was slightly improved compared to the control. 3 points: Overall taste was about the same as the control. 2 points: Overall flavor was slightly weaker than the control. 1 point: Overall taste was significantly weaker than the control.

[0171] The contents (ppm) of terpinyl acetate (A), glutamic acid (B), inosinic acid (C), apigenin, and luteolin, (A) / (B), (A) / (C), and the sensory evaluation results of each test product (evaluation sample) are shown in Table 7-1.

[0172] [Table 7-1]

[0173] (Test Example 7-2) Evaluation using frozen tuna (1) Preparation of test samples The parsley extract used was the same as that used in Test Example 7-1. Thawed frozen negitoro, soy sauce, and parsley extract were mixed in the amounts (mass%) shown in Table 7-2 below to prepare seasoned negitoro (test product 37), which was then left overnight without contact with air. In addition, seasoned negitoro to which an equal amount of water was added without adding parsley extract was used as a control.

[0174] The contents of terpinyl acetate, apigenin, luteolin, glutamic acid, and inosinic acid in each of the prepared test products were measured according to the Reference Examples.

[0175] (2) Sensory evaluation test For each test product prepared in (1), sensory evaluation of the seasoned negitoro in terms of “flavor impact,” “flavor spread,” and “overall evaluation (overall deliciousness)” was conducted in the same manner as in Test Example 1, except that the evaluation criteria were as follows:

[0176] <Flavor impact> 5 points: Compared to the control, the umami fish flavor of the negitoro and the aroma of soy sauce were felt more strongly the moment I put it in my mouth. 4 points: Compared to the control, the umami fishy flavor of the negitoro and the aroma of soy sauce were slightly stronger the moment I put it in my mouth. 3 points: Compared to the control, the umami fishy flavor of the negitoro and the aroma of soy sauce were felt to the same extent the moment they were put in the mouth. 2 points: Compared to the control, the umami fishy flavor of the negitoro and the aroma of soy sauce were slightly weaker the moment they put the dish in the mouth. 1 point: Compared to the control, the umami fishy flavor of the negitoro and the aroma of soy sauce were felt to be weak the moment they put it in the mouth.

[0177] <Expansion of flavor> 5 points: Compared to the control, the umami flavor of the negitoro spread throughout the mouth. 4 points: Compared to the control, the umami flavor of the negitoro spread throughout the mouth. 3 points: The umami flavor of the negitoro was the same as that of the control. 2 points: The umami flavor of the negitoro was slightly weaker than that of the control. 1 point: The umami flavor of the negitoro was weaker than that of the control.

[0178] <Overall rating (overall taste)> 5 points: Overall taste significantly improved compared to the control. 4 points: Overall taste was slightly improved compared to the control. 3 points: Overall taste was about the same as the control. 2 points: Overall flavor was slightly weaker than the control. 1 point: Overall taste was significantly weaker than the control.

[0179] The contents (ppm) of terpinyl acetate (A), glutamic acid (B), inosinic acid (C), apigenin (D), and luteolin (E) of each test product (evaluation sample), (A) / (B), (A) / (C), (D) / (A), (E) / (A), and (E) / (D), as well as the results of the sensory evaluation, are shown in Table 7-2.

[0180] [Table 7-2]

[0181] (Test Example 8) Examination of terpinyl acetate, apigenin, and luteolin content (evaluation using soup) (1) Preparation of test samples Apigenin (Xi'an Natural Field Bio-Technique Co., Ltd, Specification: 98%) was dissolved in water to a concentration of 1% by mass. This solution was further diluted with water to prepare an apigenin solution having the concentration shown in Table 8-1. Similarly, luteolin (Xi'an Natural Field Bio-Technique Co., Ltd, Specification: 98%) and terpinyl acetate (Inoue Fragrance Co., Ltd, Specification: 100%) were dissolved in water to a concentration of 1% by mass and further diluted with water to prepare solutions having the concentrations shown in Tables 8-2 and 8-3.

[0182] According to the blending amounts (mass%) shown in Tables 8-1 to 8-3, bonito flakes stock, dark soy sauce, sugar, mirin, salt, apigenin solution, luteolin solution, terpinyl acetate solution, and water were mixed to prepare the soups for test products 38 to 53. In addition, a soup with the same blending amounts of bonito flakes stock, dark soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and salt, but without the addition of apigenin solution, luteolin solution, or terpinyl acetate solution, and with 66.5 mass% water was used as a control.

[0183] (2) Sensory evaluation test For the test products prepared in (1), sensory evaluation of the soup for hotpot in terms of “flavor impact,” “flavor spread,” and “overall evaluation (overall deliciousness)” was conducted using the same evaluation criteria as in Test Example 5-2.

[0184] The contents (ppm) of terpinyl acetate (A), glutamic acid (B), inosinic acid (C), apigenin (D), and luteolin (E), (D) / (A), (E) / (A), and (E) / (D) of each test product (evaluation sample), and the results of the sensory evaluation are shown in Tables 8-1 to 8-3.

[0185] [Table 8-1]

[0186] [Table 8-2]

[0187] [Table 8-3] [Industrial Applicability]

[0188] The present invention can be used in the field of producing food and beverages such as seasonings. All publications, patents, and patent applications cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

Claims

1. A food or drink product that satisfies one or more of the following (A) to (C), contains at least one type of taste component selected from umami components, salty components, sweet components, and sour components, and further contains soy sauce or dashi. (A) The content of terpinyl acetate is 0.00000001 ppm or more and 1 ppm or less (B) The content of apigenin is 0.00001 ppm or more and 1 ppm or less (C) The content of luteolin is 0.00001 ppm or more and 10 ppm or less

2. A food or drink product that satisfies one or more of the following (A) to (C), contains at least one type of taste component selected from umami components, salty components, sweet components, and sour components, and further contains soy sauce or dashi (however, excluding compositions for suppressing microglial cell activation and food or drink products containing a fibronectin expression promoter). (A) The content of terpinyl acetate is 0.00000001 ppm or more and 1 ppm or less (B) The content of apigenin is 0.00001 ppm or more and 10 ppm or less (C) The content of luteolin is 0.00001 ppm or more and 100 ppm or less

3. The food or drink product according to Claim 1 or 2, which contains terpinyl acetate and apigenin, and the ratio of the content of apigenin to the content of terpinyl acetate (content of apigenin (ppm) / content of terpinyl acetate (ppm)) is 0.01 to 100,000.

4. The food or drink product according to Claim 1 or 2, which contains terpinyl acetate and luteolin, and the ratio of the content of luteolin to the content of terpinyl acetate (content of luteolin (ppm) / content of terpinyl acetate (ppm)) is 0.0001 to 100,000.

5. The food or drink product according to Claim 1 or 2, which contains terpinyl acetate, apigenin, and luteolin, and the ratio of the total content of apigenin and luteolin to the content of terpinyl acetate (content of apigenin + luteolin (ppm) / content of terpinyl acetate (ppm)) is 0.01 to 100,000.

6. The food or drink product according to Claim 1 or 2, which contains apigenin and luteolin, and the ratio of the content of luteolin to the content of apigenin (content of luteolin (ppm) / content of apigenin (ppm)) is 0.0001 to 100.

7. The food or drink according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the taste component is a savory component, and the savory component is at least one selected from glutamic acid, inosinic acid, and succinic acid.

8. The food or drink according to claim 1 or 2, which contains terpinyl acetate, wherein the taste component is at least one selected from glutamic acid and inosinic acid, and satisfies the following (a1) and / or (a2). (a1) The ratio of the content of terpinyl acetate to the content of glutamic acid in the food or drink (content of terpinyl acetate (ppm) / content of glutamic acid (ppm)) is 5.0 × 10 －１２ ~1 x 10 －２ The ratio of the content of terpinyl acetate to the content of inosinic acid in the food or drink (content of terpinyl acetate (ppm) / content of inosinic acid (ppm)) is 6.0×10 －１１ to 0.2

9. The food or drink according to claim 1 or 2, which contains apigenin, wherein the taste component is at least one selected from glutamic acid or inosinic acid, and satisfies the following (b1) and / or (b2). (b1)The ratio of the content of apigenin to the content of glutamic acid in the food or drink (content of apigenin (ppm) / content of glutamic acid (ppm)) is 5.0×10 －９ to 1×10 －２ The ratio of the content of apigenin to the content of inosinic acid in the food or drink (content of apigenin (ppm) / content of inosinic acid (ppm)) is 5.0×10 －１０ to 1.0×10 －３

10. The food or drink according to claim 1 or 2, which contains luteolin, wherein the taste component is at least one selected from glutamic acid or inosinic acid, and satisfies the following (c1) and (c2). (c1) The ratio of the content of luteolin to the content of glutamic acid in the food or drink (content of luteolin (ppm) / content of glutamic acid (ppm)) is 5.0 × 10 －９ to 1.0 × 10 －１ (c2) The ratio of the content of luteolin to the content of inosinic acid in the food or drink (content of luteolin (ppm) / content of inosinic acid (ppm)) is 5.0×10 －１０ to 1.0×10 －２

11. The food or drink according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the food or drink is a seasoning.

12. The food or drink according to claim 11, wherein the seasoning is a liquid seasoning.

13. The food or drink according to claim 11, wherein the seasoning is soy sauce, dashi, extracts, sauces, ponzu seasonings, seasonings for natto, seasonings for pickles, seasonings for meat, spice-containing seasonings, chutney, mustard, mayonnaise, or dressings.

14. The food or drink according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the food or drink is a food containing vegetable protein.

15. The food or drink according to claim 14, wherein the food containing vegetable protein is a processed bean product.

16. The food or drink according to claim 14, wherein the food containing vegetable protein is soy meat or natto.

17. A method for improving the flavor of a food or drink, which comprises adding one or two or more selected from terpinyl acetate, apigenin, and luteolin to a food or drink or a raw material thereof containing at least one taste component selected from savory components, salty components, sweet components, and sour components, and further soy sauce or dashi so that the content in the food or drink satisfies one or more of the following (A) to (C). (A) The content of terpinyl acetate is 0.00000001 ppm or more and 1 ppm or less (B) The content of apigenin is 0.00001 ppm or more and 1 ppm or less (C) The content of luteolin is 0.00001 ppm or more and 10 ppm or less

18. The method for producing a food or drink according to claim 1 or 2, which comprises preparing a plant material extract by a method including the following steps (i) to (iii). (i) A step of adding a plant material containing one or more selected from terpinyl acetate, apigenin, and luteolin to an extraction solvent (ii) A step of extracting components from the plant material with an extraction solvent to obtain a plant material extract containing one or more selected from terpinyl acetate, apigenin, and luteolin (iii) A step of relatively adjusting the pH of the plant material extract obtained in (ii) to the acidic side

19. The production method according to claim 18, further comprising a step of adjusting the pH of the plant material extract to 6.5 or more and 12.0 or less after the step (ii).

20. The production method according to claim 18, wherein the pH of the prepared plant material extract is 1.5 or more and less than 7.0.