Method for enhancing spice sensation

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide: a flavor enhancing agent containing, as an active ingredient, a product obtainable by thermally reacting a carbonyl compound and an amino compound under an acidic condition; a method for enhancing the flavor of a beverage or food required to have an enhanced flavor; and a method for producing a beverage or food having an enhanced flavor. It was found that by adding a product obtainable by thermally reacting a carbonyl compound and an amino compound under an acidic condition to a beverage or food required to have an enhanced flavor, the flavor of the beverage or food can be increased.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a flavor enhancer, a method for enhancing the flavor of food or drink, and a method for producing a food or drink with enhanced flavor. [Background technology]

[0002] The flavor felt when eating food is an important factor that affects the taste and palatability. In particular, spices used in food and beverages are known to impart a characteristic aroma and spiciness to food and beverages and to stimulate the appetite. However, spices are generally subjected to a sterilization process to prevent microbial contamination and are exposed to high temperature and pressure conditions, which impairs the original aroma, taste, and color of the spices. The simplest method to enhance the flavor of spices is to increase the amount of spices themselves, but this emphasizes the unpleasant taste and bitterness derived from the spices, which may affect the taste of the food and beverages. In addition, because spices are expensive, using large amounts is also a concern in terms of cost.

[0003] In light of this background, methods that have been reported for enhancing the spicy flavor without using spices include a method for improving the spiciness of wasabi, pepper, and chili peppers using sucralose (Patent Document 1), a method for improving the spicy flavor by combining several high-intensity sweeteners such as acesulfame potassium (Patent Document 2), a method for improving the spicy flavor and aroma by using black tea extract (Patent Document 3), a method for improving the spicy flavor by using straight-chain fatty acids (Patent Document 4), a method for enhancing the spiciness by using quinic acid and its derivatives (Patent Document 5), and a method for enhancing the spicy aroma by using a yeast-derived product containing isobutyric acid and isovaleric acid (Patent Document 6). Also known is a method for enhancing the pungency of foods and beverages using an amino-carbonyl reaction product of a peptide and a carbonyl compound (Patent Document 7). However, it was not known that a product obtained by thermally reacting a carbonyl compound with an amino compound under acidic conditions enhances a flavor such as a spicy taste. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3439564 [Patent Document 2] JP 2013-158302 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2006-34146 A [Patent Document 4] Patent Publication No. 62-100258 [Patent Document 5] Patent Publication No. 2005-124456 [Patent Document 6] JP 2010-166886 A [Patent Document 7] Patent Publication No. 2007-319110 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a flavor enhancer containing, as an active ingredient, a product obtained by thermally reacting a carbonyl compound with an amino compound under acidic conditions, a method for enhancing the flavor of foods and beverages that require enhanced flavor, and a method for producing foods and beverages with enhanced flavor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] As a result of extensive research into the above-mentioned problems, the inventors of the present invention have discovered that the problems can be solved by carrying out a heating reaction under specific conditions, and have thus completed the present invention. The present invention relates to the following (1) to (5). (1) A flavor enhancer comprising a product obtained by thermally reacting a carbonyl compound with an amino compound under acidic conditions. (2) A flavor enhancer containing an alcohol-soluble fraction of the product described in (1). (3) The flavor enhancer according to (1) or (2), wherein the flavor enhancer is a spice sensation enhancer. (4) A method for enhancing the flavor of a food or drink, comprising adding the flavor enhancer according to any one of (1) to (3) to the food or drink. (5) A method for producing a food or drink, comprising adding the flavor enhancer according to any one of (1) to (3) to the food or drink. Effect of the Invention

[0007] The present invention provides a flavor enhancer, a method for enhancing the flavor of food and drink, and a method for producing food and drink with enhanced flavor. By adding the flavor enhancer of the present invention to food and drink containing spices, the spicy flavor of the food and drink can be enhanced, and the flavor of the food and drink can be improved or modified to a desired flavor. Furthermore, while the flavor of spices loses its intensity over time, the flavor enhancer of the present invention can maintain its intensity for a long period of time. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] No addition of acid hydrolysate in the examples [Diagram 2] Addition of acid hydrolysate in the examples DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] The flavor enhancer of the present invention contains a product obtained by reacting a carbonyl compound with an amino compound by heating under acidic conditions.

[0010] In this specification, "flavor" refers to the taste or aroma felt when eating food or drink. "Spices" refers to parts of plants, such as plant leaves, seeds, flowers, buds, fruits, peels, stems, roots, rhizomes, and bark, or extracts thereof, or their aromatic and spicy components, and refers to substances used to impart flavor or spiciness to foods and drinks, to eliminate odors, to color, and the like. "Spicy sensation" refers to the aroma or taste felt from spices or their extracts, or from flavors that reproduce the aroma of spices.

[0011] Furthermore, "spiciness" refers to the pain or numbness felt in the oral cavity when eating spices or food or drink containing spices, and is significantly different in aspect from the "spicy sensation" of the present invention.

[0012] As the carbonyl compound, any organic compound having a carbonyl group can be used, but reducing sugars and carbonyl compounds produced by the oxidation of lipids are preferred, and reducing sugars are particularly preferred.

[0013] Examples of reducing sugars include monosaccharides and polysaccharides of disaccharides or more having reducing properties. Examples of monosaccharides include triose, tetrose, pentose, hexose, heptose, etc., with pentose or hexose being preferably used. Examples of pentoses include arabinose, xylose, ribose, 2-deoxyribose, etc., with xylose or ribose being preferably used. Examples of hexoses include glucose or fructose. Polysaccharides of disaccharides or more having reducing sugars refer to polysaccharides having a carbonyl group formed by the bonding of two or more monosaccharides, and which reduce Fehling's solution in an alkaline environment, such as maltose, lactose, isomaltose, maltotriose, maltotetraose, etc.

[0014] Carbonyl compounds produced by the oxidation of lipids include aldehyde compounds produced by decomposition of hydroperoxides produced by the oxidation of lipids. Aldehyde compounds include saturated aldehydes and unsaturated aldehydes. Saturated aldehydes include propanal, hexanal, octanal, nonanal, etc., with hexanal or nonanal being preferred. Unsaturated aldehydes include 2-butenal (crotonaldehyde), 2-hexenal, 2-undecenal, 2,4-heptadienal, 2,4-decadienal, etc., with 2-butenal or 2-hexenal being preferred.

[0015] The amino compound may be a compound represented by an amino acid having an amino group, such as alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, cystine, glutamine, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, hydroxyproline, serine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, valine, ornithine, citrulline, etc. The amino acid may be a salt such as an acid addition salt, a metal salt, or an ammonium salt. The amino compound may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

[0016] As the amino compound, a substance containing the amino compound may be used. Examples of substances containing amino compounds include peptides, proteins, yeast extracts, animal and plant extracts, meat, seafood, corn, soybeans, wheat, rice, animal and plant protein hydrolysates, etc. When using a substance containing an amino compound, it may be used as is, but it is preferable to increase the amount of free amino acids by hydrolysis or the like before use.

[0017] In the present invention, the reaction between a carbonyl compound and an amino compound is carried out by heating under acidic conditions.

[0018] The acidic condition means a pH of 6 or less, and more preferably, the pH is adjusted to 3 or less. The type of acid used is not particularly limited, and acids acceptable for food and beverages such as hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, acetic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, phosphoric acid, etc. can be used. The pH can also be adjusted by adding an alkali acceptable for food and beverages such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, etc.

[0019] The temperature for the heating reaction is 60 to 150° C., preferably 90 to 130° C., and the time for the heating reaction is 0.5 to 90 hours, preferably 3 to 24 hours.

[0020] The alcohol used to obtain the alcohol-soluble fraction is not particularly limited, but includes alcohols acceptable for use in foods and beverages, such as polyhydric alcohols such as sugar alcohols and glycerol, and monohydric alcohols such as ethanol and 1-propanol, with ethanol being particularly preferred.

[0021] The product obtained by the above-mentioned heating reaction (hereinafter, in this specification, this may be simply referred to as "product") and an extract containing the alcohol-soluble fraction of the product (hereinafter, in this specification, this may be simply referred to as "extract") can be used as a flavor enhancer as it is, but if necessary, they may be subjected to a concentration process, a drying process such as hot air drying, steam drying, freeze drying, spray drying, etc., a separation and purification process, a decolorization process, etc., and then used as the flavor enhancer of the present invention in the form of a concentrate or a dry product.

[0022] The flavor enhancer of the present invention may be in either solid or liquid form. Examples of solid forms include powder, granules, blocks, capsules, etc. In the case of liquid forms, the solvent may be any of water, organic solvents such as alcohol (e.g., ethanol), and liquid substances such as acetic acid and liquid sugar.

[0023] The flavor enhancer of the present invention may contain other food additives as long as they do not interfere with flavor enhancement. For example, if necessary, inorganic salts such as sodium chloride, acids such as ascorbic acid, fumaric acid, malic acid, acetic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, and carboxylic acids such as fatty acids, L-amino acids such as sodium L-glutamate, L-glycine, and L-alanine, nucleic acids such as sodium inosinate and sodium guanylate, sugars such as sucrose, glucose, and lactose, excipients such as dextrin and various starches, thickeners (xanthan gum, guar gum, carrageenan, etc.), pH adjusters, sweeteners (sucralose, thaumatin, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, xylitol, licorice extract, saccharin and its salts, stevia, sorbitol, etc.), antioxidants (erythorbic acid, calcium carbonate, etc.), and the like may be used. It may contain additives that can be used in foods and beverages such as sodium benzoate, milt protein extract, potassium sorbate, calcium propionate, polylysine, etc.), coloring agents (annatto coloring, turmeric coloring, β-carotene, etc.), flavorings (synthetic flavorings such as ethyl acetoacetate, acetophenone, anisaldehyde, etc., or natural flavorings), preservatives (sodium benzoate, milt protein extract, potassium sorbate, calcium propionate, polylysine, etc.), nutritional fortifiers (vitamins such as vitamin A and vitamin C, minerals such as calcium chloride, etc.), water, etc., natural seasonings such as soy sauce, miso, meat extract, poultry extract, seafood extract, yeast extract, protein hydrolysate, etc., spices such as spices and herbs, excipients such as dextrin and various starches, etc. In particular, when spices are contained as other food additives or food ingredients, it can be suitably used as a seasoning with a strong and preferable spicy flavor.

[0024] The substances to be contained in the seasoning of the present invention together with the flavor enhancer are not particularly limited, but include, for example, the following substances, and any substances that are used for the purpose of imparting flavor, deodorizing, coloring, etc. to foods and beverages may be used: garlic, ginger, wasabi, chili pepper, sesame, mustard, horseradish, yuzu, pepper (white pepper, black pepper, etc.), hemp seeds, poppy seeds, Japanese pepper, Szechuan pepper, perilla, Japanese ginger, mugwort, turmeric, cardamom, arugula, chives, Chinese chives, and ajowa. Examples of suitable herbs include spices, such as anise, caraway, cumin, coriander, chervil, dill, parsley, fenugreek, fennel, oregano, watercress, savory, sage, celery, thyme, basil, marjoram, mint, rosemary, laurel, cinnamon, cassia, tarragon, nutmeg, star anise, allspice, cloves, paprika, vanilla, gardenia, saffron, lemongrass, and orange peel. Particularly preferred are chili pepper, ginger, wasabi, pepper, and Japanese pepper.

[0025] The components to be contained together with the flavor enhancer of the present invention are not particularly limited as long as they are used in foods and beverages. Examples of the components include alcohols such as benzyl alcohol, ethyl maltol, furaneol, 1-hexanol, cis-3-hexen-1-ol, and menthol; aldehydes such as acetaldehyde, benzaldehyde, hexanal, cinnamaldehyde, citral, cis-3-hexenal, furfural, neral, and vanillin; 2-ethoxy-3-isopropylpyrazine, 2-methoxy- Amines such as 3-sec-butylpyrazine, 2-methoxy-3-methylpyrazine, alkylpyrazine, methoxypyrazine, and trimethylamine; esters such as isobutyl formate, ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, ethyl caprate, ethyl caproate, ethyl caprylate, hexyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, methyl butyrate, methyl salicylate, pentyl butyrate, pentyl valerate, sotolon, ethyl methylphenylglycidate, and fructone; anethole, anisole, eugenol, and 2,4,6-trichloroanisole. ethers such as ethanol, ketones such as dihydrojasmone, 1-octen-3-one, 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, 6-acetyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydropyridine, lactones such as γ-decalactone, γ-nonalactone, δ-octalactone, jasmine lactone, massoialactone, wine lactone, terpenes such as citronellol, linalool, nerol, thymol, thiols such as ethanethiol, thioterpineol, methanethiol, methylphosphine, dimethylphosphine, Examples of the isothiocyanates include nerolin and tetrahydrothiophene, and preferred examples of the isothiocyanates include capsaicin, dihydroxycapsaicin, piperine, chavicine, α-sanshool, β-sanshool, gingerol, zingerone, shogaol, tadenal, tadeone, allicin, diallyl sulfide, diallyl disulfide, 4-methylthio-3-butenyl isothiocyanate, allyl isothiocyanate, p-hydroxybenzyl isothiocyanate, and 6-methylthiohexyl isothiocyanate.

[0026] By adding the flavor enhancer of the present invention to a food or drink, the flavor of the food or drink can be enhanced, and the flavor of the food or drink can be improved or modified to a desired flavor. Furthermore, while the flavor of spices loses its intensity over time, the flavor enhancer of the present invention can maintain its intensity for a long period of time. The flavor enhancer of the present invention may be added to a food or drink as part of the raw materials when the food or drink is produced, or may be added when the food or drink is consumed.

[0027] The method for adding the flavor enhancer of the present invention to food or drink is not particularly limited, but it is preferably used as a method for enhancing the spiciness of food or drink.

[0028] Foods and beverages to which the flavor enhancer of the present invention can be added include, but are not limited to, beverages (e.g., coffee), natural seasonings such as vinegar, miso, soy sauce, meat extract, poultry extract, seafood extract, yeast extract, and protein hydrolysates, spices and herbs, seasonings such as sauces, dashi, dressings, mayonnaise, tomato ketchup, and sauces, soups such as clear soup, consommé soup, egg soup, wakame soup, shark fin soup, potage, and miso soup, soups for noodles (soba, udon, ramen, pasta, etc.), soups, and sauces, rice-based foods such as porridge, rice porridge, and ochazuke, processed livestock products such as ham, sausage, and cheese, processed marine products such as kamaboko, dried fish, salted fish, and delicacies, processed vegetable products such as pickles, snacks such as potato chips, rice crackers, and cookies, cooked foods such as simmered foods, fried foods, grilled foods, and curries, fruit and vegetable juice drinks, soy milk, milk, and dairy products , carbonated drinks, sports drinks, nutritional supplements, various tea beverages such as coffee, black tea, Japanese tea, barley tea, and mixed grain tea, alcoholic beverages such as shochu, sake, and beer, supplements such as vitamins, instant foods such as retort curry and retort stew, corn soup, consommé soup, stewed dishes such as curry and stew, snacks such as potato chips, fast foods such as hamburgers, French fries, and fried chicken, instant noodles such as instant ramen and instant spaghetti, Japanese dishes using dashi (udon, boiled fish, etc.), Chinese-style foods (fried rice, mapo tofu, etc.), and the like are particularly preferred. Curry, mapo tofu, tantanmen, fermented condiments such as doubanjiang, pickles such as kimchi, cooked foods such as chili shrimp, processed meat products such as chorizo, seafood such as spicy cod roe, and seasonings such as chili oil, Tabasco sauce, and seasoning spices are particularly preferred. When the food or drink to which the flavor enhancer of the present invention is added is a seasoning, the seasoning to which the flavor enhancer of the present invention has been added may be added to other food or drink.

[0029] The amount of the flavor enhancer of the present invention to be added to a food or beverage is not particularly limited and may be set appropriately depending on the type and amount of spices, the type and properties of the food or beverage, etc. For example, the flavor enhancer of the present invention is preferably added in an amount of 0.001 to 10 parts by weight, more preferably 0.05 to 5 parts by weight, on a dry weight basis, per 100 parts by weight of the food or beverage.

[0030] The method for producing the food and drink of the present invention may be the same as the usual method for producing the food and drink, except that the flavor enhancer of the present invention is added to the food and drink. The food and drink to which the flavor enhancer of the present invention is added is not particularly limited, but includes the above-mentioned food and drink containing spices, and in the case of food and drink that does not contain spices, spices may be added separately. The food and drink obtained by the method for producing the food and drink of the present invention is a food and drink with a strong and pleasant flavor.

[0031] The method for enhancing the flavor of a food or beverage and the method for producing a food or beverage of the present invention may involve, in addition to adding the flavor enhancer of the present invention to the food or beverage, adding a carbonyl compound and an amino compound or raw materials containing these to the food or beverage and then reacting them under heating conditions similar to those used in producing the flavor enhancer of the present invention.

[0032] The present invention will be described below with reference to examples, although the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to these examples. EXAMPLES

[0033] The amino acids shown in Table 1 were mixed in equal amounts. The sample obtained by mixing was mixed with equal amounts of glucose (manufactured by Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) to prepare a 20% by weight aqueous solution. This aqueous solution was adjusted to pH 4.0 with concentrated hydrochloric acid (36%) (manufactured by Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) and reacted at 120°C for 5 hours. After the reaction was completed, the mixture was neutralized and freeze-dried to obtain a powder (Powder A). [Table 1]

[0034] A powdered soy sauce ramen soup base consisting of soy sauce powder, salt, Chinese stock, lactose, pepper, MSG, and nucleic acid was prepared, and 1.0 g of the ramen soup base was dissolved in 100 ml of hot water to prepare a soy sauce ramen soup.

[0035] Powder A was added to the soy sauce ramen soup to a concentration of 0.02% (w / v) and dissolved, and the spicy sensation was evaluated by a sensory test. The soy sauce ramen soup without the powder was used as a control. Sensory evaluation was carried out by 10 experienced panelists who compared the soy sauce ramen soup containing the powder with the control and selected the one with the strongest spiciness.

[0036] The evaluation results for each panel are shown in Table 2. [Table 2]

[0037] As shown in Table 2, the amino-carbonyl reactant (Powder A) reacted under acidic conditions had an enhanced spicy flavor compared to the control, and was highly palatable. EXAMPLES

[0038] The raw material (protein content: 55.4%, glucose content: 31.4%) made mainly from corn was adjusted to pH 3.0 or less with concentrated hydrochloric acid (36%), and the acid hydrolyzate was heated and reacted at 120°C for 4 hours, spray-dried, and 100g of the resulting powder was dispersed in 300ml of 99.5% ethanol (Kishida Chemical Co., Ltd.) and stirred and extracted for 8 hours at room temperature (20°C). This extract was separated by paper filtration to obtain a clear ethanol solution. The resulting solution was diluted with 10 times the amount of water and freeze-dried to obtain a powder called Powder C. The acid hydrolyzate before extraction was called Powder B.

[0039] Powder B and Powder C were added to the soy sauce ramen soup prepared in Example 1 so as to be 0.1% (w / v) and dissolved, and the spicy sensation was evaluated by a sensory test. The soy sauce ramen soup without the powders was used as a control. Sensory evaluation was carried out by eight experienced panelists who compared the soy sauce ramen soup containing the powder with the control (score 0) and rated it on the following three-point scale. 0: No improvement (same as control) 1 point: Slight improvement 2 points: Improved

[0040] The average scores of each panel are shown in Table 3.

[0041] [Table 3]

[0042] As shown in Table 3, both the ethanol-soluble fraction of the acid hydrolysate (Powder C) and the powder containing this fraction (Powder B) had an enhanced spiciness, with Powder C having an even stronger spiciness (p < 0.05). EXAMPLES

[0043] The wheat-based raw material (protein content: 37.8%, glucose content: 49.3%) was adjusted to pH 3.0 or less with concentrated hydrochloric acid (36%), and the acid hydrolyzate was heated at 120°C for 8 hours and spray-dried. 100g of the resulting powder was dispersed in 300ml of 99.5% ethanol (Kishida Chemical Co., Ltd.) and stirred for 8 hours at room temperature (20°C) for extraction. This extract was separated by paper filtration to obtain a clear ethanol solution. The resulting solution was diluted with 10 times the amount of water and freeze-dried to obtain a powder called Powder D, and the filtration residue was freeze-dried to obtain a powder called Powder E.

[0044] A jjigae soup base consisting of salt, sugar, red pepper, onion, garlic, and MSG was prepared, and 1.5 g of the jjigae soup base was dissolved in 100 ml of hot water to prepare jjigae soup.

[0045] Powder D and Powder E were added to the chige soup to a concentration of 0.1% (w / v) and dissolved, and the spicy sensation was evaluated. Note that the chige soup without the powder was used as a control. Sensory evaluation was performed by eight experienced panelists. The jjigae soup containing the powder was compared with the control (score 0), and evaluation was performed according to the method shown in Example 2. The average scores of each panelist are shown in Table 4.

[0046] [Table 4]

[0047] As shown in Table 4, the ethanol-soluble fraction of the acid hydrolysate (Powder D) had a significantly enhanced spiciness compared to Powder E and the control (p < 0.1). EXAMPLES

[0048] The corn-based raw material used in Example 2 was adjusted to pH 3.0 or less with concentrated hydrochloric acid (36%) and heated to react at 120°C for 15 hours. The acid hydrolyzate obtained by the reaction was spray-dried to obtain a dry powder. A blended seasoning (mixed with nucleic acid, MSG, and yeast extract) was prepared so that the concentration of the obtained powder was 5.1% by weight. This blended seasoning was added to grated ginger (manufactured by S&B Foods Co., Ltd.) at 0.1% by weight to prepare a ginger mixture. The ginger mixture and the grated ginger alone were each stored at 25°C for 5 days.

[0049] A syrup base consisting of liquid sugar and water was prepared, and the preserved ginger mixture and grated ginger alone were added to the syrup base at 16% by weight each. The ginger syrup obtained by adding the ginger mixture and grated ginger alone was subjected to a sensory evaluation for its spice flavor. Sensory evaluation was performed by eight experienced panelists. The area with only ginger added before storage was designated as the control, the area with only ginger added after storage was designated as Addition Area 1, the area with the ginger mixture added before storage was designated as Addition Area 2, and the area with the ginger mixture added after storage was designated as Addition Area 3. Sensory evaluation was performed by nine experienced panelists. Each added group was compared with the control (score 0) and rated using the following 7-point scale. -3 points: Very degraded -2 points: Decreased -1 point: Slightly decreased 0 points: Same as control 1 point: Slight improvement 2 points: Improved 3 points: Very improved

[0050] The average scores of each panel are shown in Table 5. [Table 5]

[0051] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the ginger syrup to which ingredients containing acid hydrolysates were added (symbol 2 in the figure: added area 2) had a clearly enhanced spiciness compared to the control (p < 0.001). In addition, the ginger syrup to which ingredients containing acid hydrolysates were added to ginger stored at 25°C for 5 days (symbol 3 in the figure: added area 3) maintained the same level of spiciness as the control (ns). As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the acid hydrolysate-added areas (added areas 2 and 3) had a gentler slope compared to the areas without acid hydrolysates (Con: control) and symbol 1: added area 1 in the figure), and the deterioration of the spiciness due to storage was suppressed. In addition, the spiciness was maintained compared to the control and added area 1. [Industrial Applicability]

[0052] The present invention provides a flavor enhancer, a method for enhancing the flavor of food and drink, and a method for producing food and drink with enhanced flavor. By adding the flavor enhancer of the present invention to food and drink containing spices, the spicy flavor of the food and drink can be enhanced, and the flavor of the food and drink can be improved or modified to a desired flavor. Furthermore, while the flavor of spices loses its intensity over time, the flavor enhancer of the present invention can maintain its intensity for a long period of time.

Claims

1. A spice sensation enhancer containing as an active ingredient a product obtained by heat-reacting a carbonyl compound and an amino compound under acidic conditions of pH 4.0 or less.

2. A spice sensation enhancer comprising the alcohol-soluble fraction of the product according to claim 1 as an active ingredient.

3. A method for enhancing the spice sensation in food or drink, comprising adding the spice sensation enhancer according to claim 1 or 2 to the food or drink.

4. A method for producing a food or drink, comprising adding the spice sensation enhancer according to claim 1 or 2 to the food or drink.

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