How to make sweet potato vine miso

Abstract

The aim is to establish a method for producing sweet potato vine miso by utilizing the stems and leaves of sweet potatoes, which have previously been mostly discarded and not effectively used. At the same time, based on the nutrients and functional properties of sweet potato vine miso, we aim to contribute to the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases caused by overconsumption. [Solution] A method for producing sweet potato vine miso characterized by selecting and harvesting the stem tips, petioles, and leaf blades from the stems and leaves of sweet potatoes that are suitable for food use, pre-treating them to remove bitterness, finely chopping the pre-treated sweet potato stems and leaves and boiling them to make a sweet potato vine miso starter, and then fermenting and aging this sweet potato vine miso starter with koji, salt, and starter water.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing sweet potato vine miso made from sweet potato stems and leaves.

Background Art

[0002] In Japan, about 1 million tons of sweet potatoes are consumed annually. Most of their uses are only for fresh produce (tuberous roots) for fresh food, as raw materials for shochu, as raw materials for starch, and for processed foods. Only a part of the stems, leaves, and vines extending above the ground is used as livestock feed after being fermented into silage, and most of them are disposed of as waste and not effectively utilized as food.

[0003] However, the nutritional value of sweet potato stems, leaves, and vines is not only rich in dietary fiber but also contains abundant proteins, vitamins, and minerals, even more than green and yellow vegetables. Furthermore, the content of functional components such as lutein and polyphenols in sweet potato stems and leaves is extremely high compared to other vegetables. In addition, their functionality has been reported to have not only antioxidant ability but also antimutagenic activity and cancer cell growth inhibitory activity. Thus, the functionality of sweet potato stems and leaves is a useful food material expected to prevent health problems due to overeating and dietary imbalances in developed countries including Japan. Therefore, such useful sweet potato stems and leaves should be more effectively utilized as food resources.

[0004] In Africa, Southeast Asia, Taiwan, South Korea, etc., sweet potato stems and leaves are generally eaten as leafy vegetables. However, in Japan, although there are reports that in the past, during times of famine, the stems and leaves of sweet potatoes were eaten to supplement food shortages, the idea that sweet potatoes have generally been considered to be foods that use their tuberous roots as ingredients and that their stems, leaves, and vines are not suitable as ingredients has spread widely, and their use as ingredients in the daily diet of the general public is extremely limited.

[0005] Therefore, when we investigated why only a small number of people in Japan consume the stems and leaves of sweet potatoes, we found that the following factors were involved.

[0006] The first reason is that only a limited portion of the sweet potato stems and leaves that grow above ground are suitable for consumption. Of the sweet potato stems and leaves, only the growing stem tips, the slender petioles that branch off from the vine, and the leaf blades are usable as food; the thick vines are tough and unsuitable for eating. Thus, it is necessary to select and harvest only the parts of the sweet potato stems and leaves that are suitable for consumption, but this is an extremely tedious task.

[0007] Secondly, even the stems and leaves of selected sweet potatoes require further processing before they can be eaten. This is because the stems and leaves of selected sweet potatoes have a strong astringent (bitter) and grassy taste due to the oxidation of polyphenols, making them inedible as is. Therefore, to make them edible, they need to be soaked in water for a long time to remove the bitterness. Furthermore, the leaf stalks are covered with a hard outer layer, so to make them edible, a large number of leaf stalks need to be peeled (removed of the tough fibers). Thus, the considerable effort and time required to prepare sweet potato stems and leaves for use as food is a major reason why they are not commonly used as a food ingredient in Japan.

[0008] Thirdly, sweet potatoes belong to the morning glory family, so neither their sprouts nor stems and leaves contain toxins. However, potatoes belong to the nightshade family, so their sprouts and green parts contain large amounts of solanine and chaconine, which are types of natural toxins. In Japan, for a long time, many ordinary people who lack such specialized knowledge have mistakenly believed or suspected that sweet potato stems and leaves contain toxins just like potato stems and leaves. As a result, many people are hesitant to use them as food due to concerns about how to handle them.

[0009] For the reasons mentioned above, many people in Japan are reluctant to use sweet potato stems and leaves as an ingredient in their daily diet, and because there is little demand, they are not commercially available. As a result, only a small percentage of the stems and leaves of sweet potatoes after the seed tubers have been harvested are used as pig feed, and the rest are either plowed into the fields or incinerated.

[0010] As mentioned above, the stems and leaves of sweet potatoes are not effectively utilized as food ingredients. However, these useful parts of the sweet potato are highly nutritious, contain functional components, and are said to have the effect of improving lipid metabolism and preventing lifestyle-related diseases. Therefore, the inventors conceived the idea of ​​developing and effectively utilizing these stems and leaves as a raw material for sweet potato vine miso (fermented seasoning).

[0011] Therefore, the inventors investigated how unused sweet potato stems and leaves have been used in the past, particularly prior art involving their use as raw materials for fermented foods and miso. As a result, the inventors found only one prior art document that uses sweet potato stems and leaves as food: "Crushed sweet potato leaves" (Japanese Patent Publication No. 57-99146). In addition, prior art documents were found that describe methods for producing fermented foods and miso using sweet potatoes as raw materials, such as "Fermented food made from sweet potatoes and soybeans" (Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-17112), "Method for producing miso made from potatoes" (Japanese Patent Publication No. 2010-142211), and "Method for producing miso using potatoes" (Japanese Patent Publication No. 9-234011). However, all of these prior art documents describe methods for producing fermented foods and miso using the seed potato (tuber) as a raw material, and not miso produced using sweet potato stems and leaves as a raw material. Therefore, the inventors believe that there has been no prior art to date that uses sweet potato stems and leaves as a raw material for making miso. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0012] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 57-99146 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-17112 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2010-142211 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-234011 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0013] As mentioned earlier, the stems and leaves of sweet potatoes are a naturally useful food resource that is highly nutritious, contains functional components, and is said to be effective in preventing lifestyle-related diseases due to its ability to improve lipid metabolism. However, these useful sweet potato stems and leaves are difficult to eat as they are, and preparing them to make them palatable requires a lot of time and effort, so they have been avoided as food in Japan since ancient times. As a result, most of the sweet potato stems and leaves have been discarded and have not been effectively utilized until now. However, these inherently useful sweet potato stems and leaves should be more widely and effectively utilized as a food ingredient in the diets of ordinary people, and product development for this purpose is needed.

[0014] Furthermore, as the world population moves towards an era of 10 billion, a global perspective on the food situation, which is essential for people's survival, reveals concerns about a global food shortage due to rapid population growth, particularly in developing countries, and the reduction of arable land due to desertification caused by climate change. This invention aims to address the global demand for food by developing a method to effectively utilize sweet potato stems and leaves, which are abundant in Japan, as a food ingredient.

[0015] Furthermore, in developed countries, including Japan, health problems caused by overeating and unbalanced diets are considered more serious than health problems caused by food shortages. Therefore, developed countries are seeking to develop functional foods that can prevent lifestyle-related diseases through diet. As mentioned above, the stems and leaves of the sweet potato, an annual plant of the morning glory family, not only contain large amounts of nutrients such as insoluble dietary fiber, protein, amino acids, and vitamins such as vitamin E and vitamin K, but also contain exceptionally high amounts of functional components such as lutein and polyphenols compared to other vegetables. These functional components have not only antioxidant properties but also antimutagenic activity and cancer cell proliferation inhibitory activity.

[0016] Thus, the stems and leaves of sweet potatoes have the effect of improving fat metabolism caused by overeating, and are therefore a useful food ingredient that has the effect of preventing lifestyle-related diseases. Therefore, there is a need to make effective use of them.

[0017] The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems by developing a sweet potato vine miso and a method for producing it, using sweet potato stems and leaves, which are useful natural food resources, as raw materials. The objective is to provide a new fermented seasoning that effectively utilizes sweet potato stems and leaves, which are natural ingredients, and that can prevent lifestyle-related diseases due to the functional properties of sweet potato stems and leaves. [Means for solving the problem]

[0018] The inventors first investigated how to solve the obstacles that cause people to avoid using sweet potato stems and leaves for food. As a result, they found that the selection and preparation of the parts to be used as food can be solved by mechanization, and that the misconceptions and anxieties that people have about sweet potato stems and leaves can be resolved by making full use of information technology. Therefore, the inventors investigated the possibility of producing sweet potato vine miso by fermenting sweet potato stems and leaves, which are considered difficult to use as food, with Aspergillus oryzae, rather than using them as they are like ordinary leafy vegetables. Upon investigating the basic components of sweet potato stems and leaves (variety name: Koganesengan), they found that the nutrients per 100g of fresh weight are 89.0g of water, 3.9g of protein, 0.8g of fat, 1.0g of carbohydrates, 1.2g of ash, 4.1g of dietary fiber, and 3mg of salt, and that the energy is 35 kilocalories. Based on these results, we concluded that sweet potato stems and leaves contain a high amount of protein as a nutrient, and that it would be possible to produce sweet potato vine miso using sweet potato stems and leaves as raw materials by employing fermentation technology with Aspergillus oryzae. Through repeated trials, we developed the present invention. The following describes the method for producing sweet potato vine miso made from sweet potato stems and leaves according to the present invention.

[0019] The present invention relates to a method for producing sweet potato vine miso, characterized by using edible sweet potato stems and leaves as raw materials, which are selected and harvested from the stems and leaves of sweet potatoes, specifically the stem tips, petioles, and leaf blades suitable for use as ingredients; finely chopping and steaming the edible sweet potato stems and leaves to make a sweet potato vine miso starter; mixing this sweet potato vine miso starter with yellow koji mold, salt, and starter water to make a mixed miso; and then fermenting and aging it.

[0020] The manufacturing method of the above-mentioned sweet potato miso is described as follows according to its manufacturing process. The basic manufacturing method is a process of selecting and harvesting suitable parts of sweet potato stems and leaves for food ingredients to obtain edible sweet potato stems and leaves, a pretreatment process of washing the selected and harvested edible sweet potato stems and leaves to remove bitterness, a process of cutting the pretreated edible sweet potato stems and leaves into small pieces and steaming them to make sweet potato miso seeds, a process of adding Aspergillus oryzae, salt, and seed water to the prepared sweet potato miso seeds, mixing them to make a compounded charged miso, a process of charging the mixed charged miso into a charging container, and a process of fermenting and aging the charged mixed charged miso in sequence to make sweet potato miso. The basic manufacturing method of such sweet potato miso is hereinafter referred to as the First Invention, and the specific manufacturing process will be described in detail.

[0021] The process of making edible sweet potato stems and leaves as the raw material for sweet potato miso is to select and harvest the growing stem tip part, the petiole part from the long-extended vine part to the leaf branched from it, and the leaf blade part at the tip of the petiole among the sweet potato stems and leaves extending above the ground of the sweet potato. Incidentally, the growing stem tip part refers to the part of the leaf, petiole, and stem up to the place where 7 to 8 leaf blades are attached from the tip.

[0022] The pretreatment process of the selected and harvested edible sweet potato stems and leaves is to wash the sweet potato stems and leaves and soak them in water to remove dirt, bitter taste (astringency and bitterness), and green odor, and then perform pretreatment so that they can be eaten deliciously.

[0023] The process of making edible sweet potato stems and leaves into sweet potato miso seeds is to finely cut the pretreated sweet potato stems and leaves into a length of about 5 mm to 10 mm, then pack the finely cut sweet potato stems and leaves in bags, steam them at 60°C to 100°C by steam, and then drain the finely cut and steamed sweet potato stems and leaves to adjust the moisture to 50% to 65% to make sweet potato miso seeds. At that time, it is desirable to freeze and store the remaining cooked juice after steaming for moisture adjustment in the subsequent miso manufacturing process.

[0024] The step of making the taro-shaped miso starter into a compounded miso means that when the ingredients used are the taro-shaped miso starter, for 100 parts by weight of the taro-shaped miso starter, 50 to 250 parts by weight of Aspergillus oryzae, 10 to 45 parts by weight of salt, and seed water are added, and they are mixed while being finely crushed to form a compounded miso. Incidentally, the Aspergillus oryzae used in the step of preparing this compounded miso may be any of rice koji, wheat koji, and soybean koji, or any of the taro-shaped miso koji obtained by inoculating and growing the spores of these Aspergillus oryzae on the taro-shaped miso starter. Also, the salt is not particularly limited as long as it is the salt used in the production of general miso. Furthermore, as the seed water for moisture adjustment, it is preferable to use the cooked juice after steaming that has been stored frozen during the step of preparing the taro-shaped miso starter so that the moisture content of the compounded miso becomes 45% to 65%.

[0025] In the charging step, the compounded miso produced in the compounded miso preparation step is packed into a charging container, and charging is carried out by placing a weight on it according to the charging amount, etc.

[0026] In the fermentation and aging step, the charged compounded miso is fermented and aged into taro-shaped miso by using microorganisms mainly composed of Aspergillus oryzae for a predetermined period. In this aging step of the taro-shaped miso, the compounded miso packed in a charging container, etc. is stored in a cool and dark room at 20°C to 40°C, stirred regularly, and fermented and aged while thoroughly managing humidity and hygiene. The fermentation and aging period will result in taro-shaped miso even if it is longer than 3 months and less than or equal to 12 months, but it is preferable because the longer the fermentation and aging period is, such as 1 year or more, 2 years, or 3 years, the more umami and flavor will be produced.

[0027] The inventor has developed a method for producing taro-shaped miso that is basically the same as the above-described first invention. However, instead of using solid-cultured rice koji, wheat koji, and soybean koji as the Aspergillus oryzae for fermenting the taro-shaped miso starter, the spores of Aspergillus oryzae are directly inoculated onto the taro-shaped miso starter and grown to form taro-shaped miso koji, and salt and seed water are mixed with the taro-shaped miso koji to form a compounded miso. Therefore, this will be described below as the second invention according to the present invention.

[0028] The second invention according to the present invention is the same as the first invention up to the steps of selecting and harvesting the parts of the sweet potato stems and leaves that are suitable for food use to make edible sweet potato stems and leaves, washing and removing the bitterness from the selected and harvested edible sweet potato stems and leaves as a pre-treatment step, and shredding and steaming the pre-treated edible sweet potato stems and leaves to make sweet potato vine miso base.

[0029] The second invention according to the present invention differs from the first invention in that it involves the process of inoculating the sweet potato vine miso starter with spores of Aspergillus oryzae by spraying them onto the starter, promoting fermentation while controlling the room temperature and humidity to create sweet potato vine miso starter koji, and then using the fermentation power of the sweet potato vine miso starter koji itself to mix it with salt and starter water while crushing them finely to create mixed miso, and furthermore, does not use existing rice koji, soybean koji, or barley koji.

[0030] Furthermore, in the process of making sweet potato vine miso starter koji according to the second invention, when inoculating miso starter with spores of Aspergillus oryzae and cultivating them to make sweet potato vine miso starter koji, fermentation can be promoted for about 40 hours or more while regularly stirring under conditions of room temperature 20°C to 45°C and humidity 50% to 95%. The reason why sweet potato vine miso starter can be made into sweet potato vine miso starter koji is that sweet potatoes are grains rich in protein, making them a good breeding ground for Aspergillus oryzae. By fixing and culturing Aspergillus oryzae in sweet potato vine miso starter, stable growth and proliferation of the bacteria are promoted, the enzymatic activity is strengthened, and the decomposition and fermentation of the sweet potato vine miso starter is promoted.

[0031] Furthermore, in the process of mixing the sweet potato vine miso starter koji, salt, and starter water to make mixed miso, it is preferable to add 12 to 24 parts by weight of salt and starter water for moisture adjustment to 100 parts by weight of sweet potato vine miso starter koji, and mix these at room temperature of 10°C to 45°C to make mixed miso in which all ingredients are uniformly mixed.

[0032] Subsequently, the steps of placing the mixed miso into a fermentation container and fermenting and aging the prepared mixed miso are the same as in the first invention.

[0033] The sweet potato vine miso produced by this second invention is made by culturing yellow koji mold in solid form on the sweet potato vine miso starter to create sweet potato vine miso starter koji. This enhances the enzymatic activity and promotes the decomposition and fermentation of proteins in the sweet potato vine miso starter, resulting in a sweet potato vine miso that not only has the unique flavor and umami of sweet potato stems and leaves, but also high nutritional value and health-regulating functions.

[0034] Furthermore, the inventors have developed a third invention according to the present invention, which is basically the same as the first invention in terms of the method for producing sweet potato vine miso, but differs from the first invention in that, in the process of making mixed miso, steamed soybeans are added to the sweet potato vine miso starter, and these are mixed with yellow koji mold (either rice koji, barley koji, or soybean koji), salt, and starter water in a finely crushed manner to make mixed miso. The third invention will be described in detail below.

[0035] This third invention is the same as the first invention up to the steps of selecting and harvesting the parts of the sweet potato stems and leaves that are suitable for food to make edible sweet potato stems and leaves, washing and removing the bitterness from the selected and harvested edible sweet potato stems and leaves as a pre-treatment step, and shredding and steaming the pre-treated edible sweet potato stems and leaves to make sweet potato vine miso base. Furthermore, the third invention is the same as the first invention in the steps of preparing the mixed miso, then placing the mixed miso into a fermentation container, and fermenting and aging the prepared mixed miso.

[0036] Therefore, the third invention is a method for producing sweet potato vine miso, characterized in that, in the process of making mixed miso, sweet potato vine miso starter is used as the main ingredient, steamed soybeans are added as an auxiliary ingredient, and yellow koji mold (either rice koji, barley koji, or soybean koji), salt, and starter water are mixed to make mixed miso.

[0037] At this time, the mixing ratio of sweet potato vine miso starter, steamed soybeans, and auxiliary materials can be adjusted to preference, but specifically, it is preferable to use 1 / 5 to 1 / 2 parts by weight of steamed soybeans for every 1 part by weight of sweet potato vine miso starter. Therefore, for 100 parts of sweet potato vine miso starter, 20 to 50 parts by weight of steamed soybeans, 50 to 250 parts by weight of yellow koji mold (rice koji, barley koji, or soybean koji), and 12 to 52 parts by weight of salt are mixed with starter water to adjust the moisture content to make a mixed sweet potato vine miso. Then, these sweet potato vine miso starter, steamed soybeans, yellow koji mold (rice koji, barley koji, or soybean koji), salt, and starter water are mixed at room temperature of 10°C to 45°C while being finely crushed, so that they are evenly mixed to make a mixed sweet potato vine miso. At this time, it is preferable to use the starter water as needed to adjust the moisture content of the mixed sweet potato vine miso.

[0038] The aforementioned steamed soybeans are obtained by steaming soybeans that have been dried and then absorbed with water. These steamed soybeans may be used while maintaining their original shape, or they may be finely minced using a grinder or similar device before being supplied to the preparation process.

[0039] Furthermore, in the manufacturing method of the third invention, steamed soybeans are added as described above because soybeans contain a lot of protein necessary for the growth of Aspergillus oryzae, which strengthens the enzymatic power of the koji and promotes the decomposition and fermentation of the sweet potato vine miso starter. Also, the decomposition of the protein in the steamed soybeans by the strengthened enzymatic power generates a large amount of amino acids, including glutamic acid, which is an umami component, allowing for the accumulation of more umami components. Thus, the sweet potato vine miso produced by the manufacturing method of the third invention is made to have the unique flavor of sweet potato stems and leaves, and to be even more delicious than before. [Effects of the Invention]

[0040] This invention addresses the fact that the stems and leaves of sweet potatoes, which are consumed at a rate of approximately 1 million tons per year, are inherently a valuable natural food resource, yet in Japan they are not used as food and are mostly discarded. By developing a method to transform these underutilized sweet potato stems and leaves into a useful fermented seasoning called "imozuru miso" using yellow koji mold, this invention enables the effective utilization of this unused natural food resource.

[0041] Furthermore, the sweet potato vine miso according to this invention is rich in nutrients from the sweet potato stems and leaves used as raw materials, including not only dietary fiber but also protein (amino acids), vitamins, and minerals. In addition, the stems and leaves of sweet potatoes contain high amounts of functional components such as lutein and polyphenols. These functional components have not only antioxidant properties but also antimutagenic activity and cancer cell proliferation inhibitory activity, thus having a preventive effect against lifestyle-related diseases. Therefore, the ability to utilize sweet potato vine miso made from sweet potato stems and leaves as a fermented seasoning will help prevent health problems caused by overeating and unbalanced diets in Japan and other developed countries.

[0042] Therefore, in order to confirm the food functionality of the sweet potato vine miso produced by the first invention of the present invention, we commissioned the Japan Institute for Food Functional Analysis to perform an amino acid composition analysis. As a result of the amino acid composition analysis, it was found that the sweet potato vine miso produced by the present invention contains high-quality protein with a good balance of 45% essential amino acids and 55% non-essential amino acids among the amino acids that make up the protein. Furthermore, a closer examination of the characteristics of sweet potato vine miso from the amino acid composition analysis results revealed that it contains many essential amino acids that the human body cannot produce, and that it contains a large amount of glutamic acid, which is also an umami component, as an amino acid. In addition, it was revealed that the sweet potato vine miso also contains a large amount of components that have health maintenance and promotion effects such as fatigue recovery and energy replenishment, as amino acids such as alanine, aspartic acid, arginine, leucine, and valine. From this, it was confirmed that the sweet potato vine miso according to the present invention has health regulating functions. From these test results, it was confirmed that the sweet potato vine miso according to the present invention is characterized by being a useful miso that combines delicious umami with health regulating functions. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0043] [Figure 1] A perspective view showing the selected harvested portion of sweet potato stems and leaves that can be used as an ingredient for sweet potato vine miso. [Figure 2] A diagram illustrating the manufacturing process of sweet potato vine miso according to the first invention of the present invention. [Figure 3] A diagram illustrating the manufacturing process of sweet potato vine miso according to the second invention of the present invention. [Figure 4] A diagram illustrating the manufacturing process of sweet potato vine miso according to the third invention of the present invention. [Figure 5] An explanatory diagram showing the results of a food function analysis test of sweet potato vine miso according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0044] The present invention will be described below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited in any way by these examples.

[0045] (Example 1) This is an embodiment of the first invention according to the present invention. From the stems and leaves of the sweet potato variety "Koganesenban," the edible parts of the stems, petioles, and leaf blades were selected and harvested. After thoroughly washing them, they were cut into pieces of about 5mm to 10mm in length, bagged, and boiled at over 65°C using steam. After draining (removing excess water droplets by air drying), they were squeezed to adjust the moisture content to 55% to 65% or less, creating the sweet potato vine miso starter. 10kg of this prepared sweet potato vine miso starter was prepared, and 10kg of rice koji, 2kg of salt, and starter water were added and mixed well. The moisture content of the ingredients was adjusted to 55% to 65%, and the ingredients were finely crushed and mixed together to create a mixed miso. This was then packed into a tank and fermented and matured for 8 months in a room with a temperature of 25°C to 30°C and a humidity of 60% to 80%. As a result, sweet potato vine miso with a salt content of approximately 10% was produced.

[0046] To confirm the food functionality of the sweet potato vine miso produced in this way, we commissioned the Japan Institute for Food Functional Analysis to perform an amino acid composition analysis. The results are shown in Figure 4, which contains the results of the food functionality analysis test of the sweet potato vine miso according to the present invention. As a result, it was found that the sweet potato vine miso according to the present invention is characterized by being a useful miso that combines a delicious umami flavor with health-regulating functions.

[0047] (Example 2) This is an embodiment of the second invention according to the present invention. Ten kg of sweet potato vine miso starter was prepared using the edible stem tips and petioles of the sweet potato variety "Koganesenban," in the same manner as in the first invention. A specified amount of commercially available Aspergillus oryzae spores was sprayed onto this starter to inoculate it, and the mixture was mixed so that the Aspergillus oryzae spores were evenly distributed throughout the starter. The starter, now mixed with the Aspergillus oryzae spores, was then fermented and cultivated for two days at a room temperature of 25°C to 30°C and a humidity of 60% to 80% to create the starter koji. 1.2 kg of salt was added to 11 kg of this starter koji and mixed thoroughly while crushing it into small pieces to create the mixed miso. This mixed miso was then packed into a fermentation container and fermented and aged for eight months in a room at a room temperature of 25°C to 30°C and a humidity of 60% to 80%. The mixture was stirred regularly during this fermentation and aging period. As a result, a sweet potato vine miso paste was created with a unique flavor and umami derived from the sweet potato stems and leaves, containing approximately 12% salt.

[0048] (Example 3) This is an embodiment of the third invention according to the present invention. 10 kg of sweet potato vine miso starter was prepared using the edible stem tips and petioles of the sweet potato variety "Koganesenban," prepared in the same manner as in the first invention. 5 kg of steamed soybeans, 20 kg of rice koji, 2.8 kg of salt, and starter water were added and thoroughly mixed. The mixture was then mixed while finely crushing the ingredients, adjusting the moisture content to 55% to 65%, until the ingredients were evenly combined. This mixture was then packed into a fermentation container and fermented and matured for approximately 12 months in a room with a temperature of 25°C to 30°C and a humidity of 60% to 80%, with regular stirring. This resulted in sweet potato vine miso with a salt content of approximately 7%. This sweet sweet potato vine miso was even more flavorful and delicious than the sweet potato vine miso produced in Examples 1 and 2.

[0049] Furthermore, a characteristic of the sweet potato vine miso produced in Example 3 is that steamed soybeans are added and mixed into the sweet potato vine miso base. For the steamed soybeans, selected soybeans of nearly uniform size were soaked in water for 10 to 20 hours to swell, and then steamed at a temperature of 110°C to 120°C for 1 to 2 hours.

Claims

1. The process involves selecting and harvesting the stem tips, petioles, and leaf blades from the sweet potato stems and leaves that are suitable for consumption, to produce edible sweet potato stems and leaves. The aforementioned pre-treatment step involves washing and removing bitterness from the edible sweet potato stems and leaves, The process involves cutting the pre-processed edible sweet potato stems and leaves into small pieces and steaming them to make a sweet potato vine miso base, The process involves mixing the aforementioned sweet potato vine miso starter with yellow koji mold, salt, and starter water to make a mixed miso paste, The process of placing the aforementioned mixed miso into a fermentation container and The prepared mixed miso is fermented and aged. A method of making sweet potato vine miso characterized by the following.

2. In the process of making mixed miso, 100 parts of the aforementioned sweet potato vine miso starter are mixed with 50 to 250 parts by weight of yellow koji mold (either rice koji, barley koji, or soybean koji), 10 to 45 parts by weight of salt, and starter water for moisture adjustment to make mixed miso. A method for producing sweet potato vine miso according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

3. The process involves selecting and harvesting the stem tips, petioles, and leaf blades from the sweet potato stems and leaves that are suitable for consumption, and using them as edible sweet potato stems and leaves. The aforementioned pre-treatment step involves washing and removing bitterness from the edible sweet potato stems and leaves, The process involves cutting the pre-processed edible sweet potato stems and leaves into small pieces and steaming them to make a sweet potato vine miso base, The process involves inoculating the aforementioned sweet potato vine miso starter with spores of Aspergillus oryzae, and promoting fermentation while controlling the room temperature and humidity to produce sweet potato vine miso starter koji. The process involves mixing the aforementioned sweet potato vine miso starter koji, salt, and starter water to make a mixed miso paste, The process of placing the aforementioned mixed miso into a fermentation container and The prepared mixed miso is fermented and aged. A method of making sweet potato vine miso characterized by the following.

4. In the process of making mixed miso, 5 to 20 parts by weight of salt and water for moisture adjustment are added to 100 parts by weight of sweet potato vine starter koji, and these are mixed together to create a mixed miso in which all ingredients are uniformly combined. A method for producing sweet potato vine miso according to claim 3, characterized by the above.

5. The process involves selecting and harvesting the stem tips, petioles, and leaf blades from the sweet potato stems and leaves that are suitable for food use, and using them as sweet potato stem and leaf raw materials. The aforementioned sweet potato stem and leaf raw material is pre-treated by washing and removing bitterness, The process involves shredding the pre-processed sweet potato stems and leaves and steaming them to make a sweet potato vine miso base, The process involves mixing the aforementioned sweet potato vine miso starter, steamed soybeans, salt, and starter water to make a mixed miso paste. The process of placing the aforementioned mixed miso into a fermentation container and The prepared mixed miso is fermented and aged. A method of making sweet potato vine miso characterized by the following.

6. In the process of making mixed miso, 100 parts of the aforementioned sweet potato vine miso starter are mixed with 20 to 50 parts by weight of steamed soybeans, 50 to 250 parts by weight of yellow koji mold (either rice koji, barley koji, or soybean koji), 12 to 52 parts by weight of salt, and starter water for moisture adjustment to make mixed miso. A method for producing sweet potato vine miso according to claim 5, characterized by the above.

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