Vinegar

Abstract

To provide a novel vinegar whose acidity is reduced.SOLUTION: A vinegar contains 60 ppb (w / v) or more of 2-methyl pyrazine and 1 ppm (w / v) or more of 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to vinegar. [Background technology]

[0002] Vinegar is a liquid seasoning with acetic acid as the main component, obtained by alcoholic fermentation of carbohydrate-containing ingredients followed by acetic acid fermentation. There are many types of vinegar, such as grain vinegar, rice vinegar, black vinegar, and apple vinegar, depending on the ingredients and manufacturing method.

[0003] On the other hand, vinegar has a unique sour taste and smell, i.e., a vinegar-like acidity, so many consumers avoid it and it is not used as widely as soy sauce. For example, Patent Document 1 reports a vinegar with a high amino acid content obtained by enzymatically decomposing or yeast fermenting soybeans or brown rice, and then subjecting the resulting liquid to acetic acid fermentation, as a vinegar with reduced vinegar-like acidity. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 177979 / 1983 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a novel vinegar having reduced vinegar harshness. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] As a result of extensive research to solve the above problems, the present inventors discovered that vinegar containing a certain amount of the aroma components 2-methylpyrazine and 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone (HDMF) not only has a reduced vinegar harshness, but also has a fruity flavor, and completed the present invention based on this finding.

[0007] That is, the present invention provides vinegar containing 2-methylpyrazine at 60 ppb (w / v) or more and HDMF at 1 ppm (w / v) or more.

[0008] The vinegar of the present invention contains 60 ppb (w / v) or more of 2-methylpyrazine and 1 ppm (w / v) or more of HDMF, so that the vinegar has a reduced vinegar harshness. In addition, the vinegar of the present invention has a fruity flavor. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, a novel vinegar having a reduced vinegar harshness and a fruity flavor can be provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a graph showing the results of a sensory evaluation of the grain vinegar of Comparative Example 1-2 prepared in Example 1. [Diagram 2] 1 is a graph showing the results of a sensory evaluation of the grain vinegar of Example 1-1 prepared in Example 1. [Diagram 3] 1 is a graph showing the results of a sensory evaluation of the grain vinegar of Example 1-2 prepared in Example 1. [Figure 4] 1 is a graph showing the results of a sensory evaluation of rice vinegar of Comparative Example 2-2 prepared in Example 2. [Diagram 5] 1 is a graph showing the results of a sensory evaluation of rice vinegar of Comparative Example 2-3 prepared in Example 2. [Figure 6] 1 is a graph showing the results of a sensory evaluation of rice vinegar of Example 2-1 prepared in Example 2. [Figure 7] 1 is a graph showing the results of a sensory evaluation of rice vinegar of Example 2-2 prepared in Example 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment.

[0012] In this specification, "vinegar" means "vinegar" as defined in the Vinegar Quality Labeling Standards (Consumer Affairs Agency Notification No. 8, August 31, 2011).

[0013] As used herein, "fruity flavor" refers to a fruit-like taste or aroma.

[0014] In this specification, "sour taste" refers to the pungent sour taste and smell felt the moment vinegar is put in the mouth.

[0015] The vinegar according to this embodiment contains 60 ppb (w / v) or more of 2-methylpyrazine and 1 ppm (w / v) or more of 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone (HDMF). By containing these aroma components, the vinegar according to this embodiment has a reduced vinegar harshness and a fruity flavor.

[0016] The vinegar according to the present embodiment may have a 2-methylpyrazine concentration of 60 ppb (w / v) or more, but may have a 2-methylpyrazine concentration of 100 ppb (w / v) or more, or 1000 ppb (w / v) or more, in order to reduce the vinegar's harsh taste and to give it a more fruity flavor. The content of 2-methylpyrazine can be appropriately set within the range of 60 ppb (w / v) or more depending on the use of the vinegar.

[0017] In the vinegar of this embodiment, the upper limit of the 2-methylpyrazine concentration is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of ensuring an appropriate flavor, it may be, for example, 100,000 ppb (w / v) or less, 10,000 ppb (w / v) or less, or 5,000 ppb (w / v) or less.

[0018] The vinegar according to this embodiment may have an HDMF concentration of 1 ppm (w / v) or more, but since this can reduce the harshness of vinegar and give it a more fruity flavor, it may also have an HDMF concentration of 4 ppm (w / v) or more, 5 ppm (w / v) or more, or 100 ppm (w / v) or more. The HDMF content can be appropriately set within the range of 1 ppm (w / v) or more depending on the use of the vinegar, etc.

[0019] In the vinegar of this embodiment, the upper limit of the HDMF concentration is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of ensuring an appropriate flavor, it may be, for example, 10,000 ppm (w / v) or less, 1,000 ppm (w / v) or less, or 500 ppm (w / v) or less.

[0020] The concentrations of 2-methylpyrazine and HDMF can be measured, for example, by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC / MS), gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC / FID), or the like.

[0021] The vinegar according to the present embodiment can be used as a raw material for sanbai-zu (vinegared vinegar), vinegared soy sauce, etc., and can also be used in cooking vinegared dishes, vinegared rice, vinegared octopus, sweet and sour pork, pickled dishes, simmered dishes, etc. The vinegar according to the present embodiment can also be used for purposes other than food, such as an insect attractant, a pH adjuster, a cleaning solution, etc.

[0022] The vinegar according to the present embodiment can be produced, for example, by adding 2-methylpyrazine and HDMF to a base vinegar to adjust the content, and then diluting, concentrating (degassing, heating, drying, heating and degassing under reduced pressure, etc.) as necessary. As the base vinegar, for example, commercially available vinegar or vinegar produced by a known method can be used.

[0023] As an example of the known methods for producing vinegar, the method for producing rice vinegar is given below. The raw material rice is steamed, and rice koji and water are added to obtain mash, which is then fermented with yeast. Brewer's alcohol may be added instead of yeast fermentation. Acetic acid fermentation is then carried out by adding acetic acid bacteria. In the case of static fermentation, acetic acid fermentation is completed in about two weeks, and in the case of fermentation with aeration and stirring, in about two days. Rice vinegar can then be produced by clarifying the fermentation by filtration and sterilizing it by heating.

[0024] In addition to the above, the vinegar according to this embodiment can also be produced by, for example, grinding grains (wheat, etc.) and beans (soybeans, etc.) in water, mixing them and subjecting them to high-temperature treatment (for example, at 100-120°C for 10-60 minutes), adding an enzyme agent to the mixture and carrying out enzymatic decomposition at a predetermined temperature (for example, 50°C-60°C) for a predetermined period (for example, 10 hours to 2 days), squeezing the resulting moromi in a conventional manner, and then carrying out yeast fermentation and acetic acid fermentation, as described in Patent Document 1. In the above production method, it is preferable to sterilize the moromi obtained after enzymatic decomposition from the viewpoint of suppressing microbial contamination during production.

[0025] The vinegar obtained by the above method may be aged for a predetermined period of time (for example, 1 to 2 weeks). The vinegar obtained by the above method may be clarified. The clarification method may be any known method such as membrane treatment, diatomaceous earth filtration, centrifugation, coagulation, and sedimentation without any restrictions. The vinegar obtained by the above method may be pasteurized (heat sterilized). EXAMPLES

[0026] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, although the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0027] [Example 1: Test of adding aroma components to commercially available grain vinegar] Four samples shown in Table 1 were prepared by adding 2-methylpyrazine and / or HDMF to a commercially available grain vinegar (product name: Grain Vinegar, manufactured by Mizkan Co., Ltd.) containing 67 ppb of 2-methylpyrazine and no HDMF to the final concentrations shown in Table 1. Each sample was subjected to a sensory evaluation test by eight trained evaluators with sufficient discrimination ability. The evaluation items were sourness, sourness progression, and fruity flavor, and the samples were evaluated using the following rating scale with Comparative Example 1-1 (commercial grain vinegar) as the standard. The "sourness progression" means that the sourness remains in the mouth for a long time. rating scale -3: Very weak -2: Weak -1: A little weak 0: Same 1: A little strong 2: Strong 3: Very strong

[0028] [Table 1]

[0029] The results of the sensory evaluation of each sample are shown in Figures 1 to 3. Each value represents the average value of the evaluation, and the ** in the figure indicates that there was a significant difference at a risk level of 1% or less. It was confirmed that the fruity flavor was enhanced by adding 2-methylpyrazine or HDMF, or both.

[0030] [Example 2: Test of adding aroma components to commercially available rice vinegar] Six samples shown in Table 2 were prepared by adding 2-methylpyrazine and / or HDMF to commercially available rice vinegar (product name: Junmai vinegar, manufactured by Mizkan Co., Ltd.) that does not contain either 2-methylpyrazine or HDMF to the final concentrations shown in Table 2. For each sample prepared, a sensory evaluation test was conducted by 10 trained evaluators with sufficient discrimination ability. The evaluation items were 4 items: vinegar sharpness, fruity flavor, sourness, and preference, and the samples were evaluated using the following rating scale with Comparative Example 2-1 (commercially available rice vinegar) as the standard. Note that "preference" refers to the overall easiness to eat as vinegar, taking into consideration the five basic tastes other than sourness and the aroma. rating scale -3: Very weak -2: Weak -1: A little weak 0: Same 1: A little strong 2: Strong 3: Very strong

[0031] [Table 2]

[0032] The results of the sensory evaluation of each sample are shown in Figures 4 to 7. Each value represents the average value of the evaluation, with ** in the figures indicating a significant difference at a risk level of 1% or less, and * indicating a significant difference at a risk level of 5% or less. It was confirmed that the inclusion of both 60 ppb or more of 2-methylpyrazine and 1 ppm or more of HDMF suppressed the harshness and sourness of the vinegar and enhanced the fruity flavor.

[0033] [Example 3: Test of adding aroma components to vinegar with high amino acid content] (Production of vinegar with high amino acid content) Water was added to koji made by the usual method using defatted soybeans and crushed wheat as raw materials, and auxiliary materials such as saturated saline were added and stirred at 55°C for two days to make moromi. The obtained moromi was pressed to obtain a clear filtrate. Yeast was inoculated into this filtrate and alcoholic fermentation was carried out at 30°C for seven days using a 2.5L jar fermenter. When the alcohol concentration reached approximately 3.9%, auxiliary materials such as food-grade ethanol and acetic acid bacteria were added and acetic acid fermentation was carried out for two days using a 3L acetator. After heating for one minute at 80°C, the bacteria were removed by centrifugation to obtain clear vinegar. This vinegar contained 3.9% amino acids. The concentration of aroma components in this vinegar was also quantified using GC-MS, and it contained 17 ppb of 2-methylpyrazine and 1561 ppb of HDMF.

[0034] (Sensory evaluation of vinegar with high amino acid content) The above-mentioned vinegar with high amino acid content was added with 2-methylpyrazine at a final concentration of 77ppb, HDMF at a final concentration of 5.6ppm, or both, and a sensory evaluation test was conducted by three trained evaluators with sufficient discrimination ability, using the sample before addition as the standard. As a result, the following comments were obtained in common from the three evaluators. By adding both aromatic components, the vinegar-like taste is reduced, making it easier to eat. The addition of any of the aroma components gave the drink a refreshing sweetness and fruity flavor.

[0035] Example 4: Cooking test using vinegar containing aroma components A comparison of cooking characteristics was carried out between commercially available rice vinegar (product name: Junmai vinegar, manufactured by Mizkan Co., Ltd.) and rice vinegar to which 2-methylpyrazine at a final concentration of 100 ppb and HDMF at a final concentration of 4 ppm were added. Three cooking examples were vinegared dishes, sanbai vinegar, and vinegared rice. Ten trained and well-trained evaluators tasted the dishes and compiled their comments. The vinegared dishes were made by mixing 100 g of cucumber cut into 2 mm widths and wakame seaweed cut into 2 cm widths with 1 g of salt, 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of sugar. The sanbai vinegar was made by mixing equal amounts of rice vinegar, soy sauce, and mirin. The vinegared rice was made by mixing 0.5 cups of white rice with 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 2 teaspoons of salt. The comments compiled by the 10 evaluators after tasting are shown in Table 3. These results demonstrated that vinegar containing 2-methylpyrazine and HDMF has the effect of suppressing the harshness of vinegar and imparting a fruity flavor even when used in cooking.

[0036] [Table 3]

Claims

[Claim 1] Vinegar containing 2-methylpyrazine at 60 ppb (w / v) or more and 100,000 ppb (w / v) or less, and 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone at 1 ppm (w / v) or more and 10,000 ppm (w / v) or less.

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