Soy sauce-style seasoning

Abstract

To provide a soy sauce-like seasoning that is rich in umami flavor, even though it is made from broad beans. [Solution] A soy sauce-like seasoning is obtained by adding salt water to koji made from broad beans as a raw material, fermenting and maturing the koji, and then pressing the resulting mash, characterized in that the salt water has a salt concentration of 20% or less.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a soy sauce-like seasoning using broad beans as an ingredient, which can be safely used by people who cannot ingest soybean and wheat processed foods, such as allergy sufferers. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, soy sauce-like seasonings that do not use soybeans or wheat have been known to be made from grains such as barnyard millet, foxtail millet, sorghum, rice, sorghum, quinoa, broad beans, etc. In particular, soy sauce-like seasonings made from broad beans are known to have a high total nitrogen content, which is an indicator of umami, and to have a flavor, color, and aroma similar to soy sauce (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] However, in recent years, there has been a demand for soy sauce-like seasonings with a stronger umami flavor, but the production method described in Patent Document 1 resulted in a low total nitrogen content of 1.24%. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-122002 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] To provide a soy sauce-like seasoning rich in umami, even though it is made from broad beans as a raw material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides the following (1) or ( 2) The gist of the invention is the soy sauce-like seasoning described above. (1) A soy sauce-like seasoning obtained by adding salt water to koji made from broad beans as a raw material, fermenting and maturing the koji, and then pressing the resulting mash. The koji is produced by seeding koji mold on boiled broad beans without crushing them,The soy sauce-like seasoning is characterized in that the salt water has a salt concentration of 20% or less. (2) The soy sauce-like seasoning according to (1) above, having a total nitrogen content of 1.4% or more and a salt concentration of less than 17%. The present invention also provides the following ( 3 ) or ( 4) The gist of the invention is the soy sauce-like seasoning described above. ( 3 ) A method for producing a soy sauce-like seasoning using broad beans as a raw material, A step of producing koji by seeding koji mold on boiled broad beans without crushing them; A method for producing a soy sauce-like seasoning, comprising a step of adding salt water to koji and fermenting and maturing the koji, wherein the salt water added to the koji has a salt concentration of 20% or less. ( 4 ) steaming broad beans, vacuum cooling the steamed broad beans, and then spraying koji mold to produce koji, 3 ) A method for producing the soy sauce-like seasoning described in [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] In the present invention, when koji made from broad beans is added with salt water and fermented and matured to produce mash, the salt concentration of the salt water is set to 20% or less, thereby providing a soy sauce-like seasoning that uses broad beans as a raw material but has an increased total nitrogen content, an indicator of umami, of 1.4% or more. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a flowchart showing a method for producing a soy sauce-like seasoning according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The present invention relates to a soy sauce-like seasoning made from broad beans. The broad beans used as the raw material may be of any variety and may be produced in Japan or in other countries such as China or Australia. The broad beans may be harvested and dried, or may be fresh after harvest. Broad beans with the skin removed may be used, but in this embodiment, broad beans with the skin are used to increase the total nitrogen content of the soy sauce-like seasoning.

[0010] In this embodiment, koji is made from broad beans as a raw material, and this koji is fermented and aged to produce mash, which is then pressed to produce a soy sauce-like seasoning. The soy sauce-like seasoning of this embodiment uses only broad beans, salt, and water as raw materials, and does not contain any allergens such as soy or wheat, so that it can be used safely by people who cannot consume soy or wheat processed foods, such as allergy sufferers. Furthermore, additives commonly used in soy sauce can be used as long as they are not allergens.

[0011] The soy sauce-like seasoning according to this embodiment is characterized by having a total nitrogen content, an indicator of umami flavor, of 1.4% or more, even though it is made from broad beans. In particular, in this embodiment, when salt water and koji are mixed to prepare mash, the salt water concentration is set to 20% or less, lower than the conventional 22%, thereby increasing the total nitrogen content of the soy sauce-like seasoning to 1.4% or more, more preferably 1.5% or more, higher than the conventional 1.24%. The salt concentration of the salt water when mixing salt water and koji can be 19.5% or less, or even 19% or less. Meanwhile, the salt concentration of the salt water when mixing salt water and koji can be 15% or more, 17% or more, or 18% or more.

[0012] The soy sauce-like seasoning according to this embodiment is characterized in that the total nitrogen content is 1.4% or more, while the salt concentration is low, at less than 17%. Here, in this embodiment, the salt concentration is determined by the chloride ions (Cl ) contained in sodium chloride. -) measured by the Mohr method or the like, and essentially indicates the amount of sodium chloride (NaCl). In the soy sauce-like seasoning according to this embodiment, the salt concentration is not particularly limited as long as it is less than 17%, but it is preferably 16.5% or less, and more preferably less than 16.3%. In this embodiment, when preparing mash, the salt concentration of the salt water added to the koji is set to 20% or less, thereby obtaining a soy sauce-like seasoning with a lower salt concentration than conventional ones.

[0013] Furthermore, the method for producing a soy sauce-like seasoning according to this embodiment is characterized by including a step of vacuum cooling the broad beans after steaming them, and / or a step of passing the broad beans through rollers to nick them, in order to mass-produce the soy sauce-like seasoning on a factory scale, such as preparing about 500 kg of dry broad beans at once. Details of these steps will be described later.

[0014] Next, a method for producing a soy sauce-like seasoning according to this embodiment will be described. Here, Fig. 1 is a flowchart showing the method for producing a soy sauce-like seasoning according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the broad beans used as the raw material are broad beans with skin and in a dried state.

[0015] In step S101, the prepared broad beans are nicked. In this embodiment, dry, skinned broad beans are passed through rollers with a gap smaller than that of the broad beans, crushing the broad beans with the rollers to create cracks in the skin. This allows the koji mold to penetrate the broad beans and grow inside the beans when they are inoculated in a subsequent process. Furthermore, in this embodiment, nicking the dry broad beans allows the broad bean skin to be nicked without crushing the broad bean endosperm as much as possible, compared to nicking broad beans that have been soaked in water or steamed. This is because crushing the broad bean endosperm is undesirable, as it would cause broad bean components to leak out in water more easily during the soaking process described below. Furthermore, nicking the skin first allows the broad beans to efficiently absorb water throughout the soaking process.

[0016] In step S102, the broad beans bruised in step S101 are soaked in water (soaking process). The amount of water used is not particularly limited as long as the dried broad beans can absorb the water sufficiently. For example, the broad beans can be soaked in water with a weight that is 2 to 4 times the weight of the dried broad beans. The soaking time for the broad beans is also not particularly limited. The soaking time for the broad beans can be set to approximately 15 to 25 hours at room temperature. While the broad beans can be soaked after being crushed, in this embodiment, the broad beans are soaked with the skin still attached without being crushed. This is because crushing the broad beans is undesirable, as described above, because the broad bean components tend to leak out in large amounts in the water. Furthermore, the powder generated by crushing the broad beans can cause problems, such as the proliferation of bacteria.

[0017] In step S103, the broad beans soaked in step S102 are steamed. The heating method is not particularly limited, and room temperature steaming, microwave heating, vacuum heating, steam heating, etc. can be used as appropriate, but in this embodiment, pressure steaming is performed at 121°C and 0.1 MPa using a pressurized steam heater.

[0018] In step S104, the broad beans steamed in step S103 are cooled. In particular, in this embodiment, the steamed broad beans are cooled rapidly by vacuum cooling. This is because when steaming broad beans on a factory scale of about 500 kg, cooling at normal pressure takes time and the broad beans become susceptible to spoilage, so rapid cooling is preferable.

[0019] In step S105, a process of spraying koji mold onto the broad beans cooled in step S104 is performed. The koji mold can be the same as the koji mold commonly used in the production of soy sauce, such as Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae.

[0020] In step S106, the broad beans cooled in step S105 are subjected to a process for producing koji. Specifically, the broad beans seeded with koji mold are placed in a koji room, and the koji mold is allowed to grow for 36 to 60 hours, preferably 40 to 52 hours, and more preferably 44 to 48 hours to produce koji. In this embodiment, the broad beans seeded with koji mold are placed in the koji room, and after a certain amount of time has passed (for example, the morning and / or evening of the second day), they are cleaned and then left to stand for another certain amount of time. This allows koji to be produced by the action of the koji mold.

[0021] In step S107, the koji obtained in step S106 is mixed with salt water. Conventionally, approximately 22% salt water is added to the koji obtained by koji production at a rate of 1.8 liters per 1 kg of raw material (pumping water) and then fermented and matured. In contrast, in this embodiment, the koji obtained by koji production is mixed with cold salt water of 20% or less, preferably cold salt water of 19.5% or less. This is because using cold salt water with a concentration of 20% or less increases the elution of nitrogen from the koji. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a smaller amount of salt water is mixed with the koji than in the past. Specifically, 1.0 to 1.5 times, preferably 1.1 to 1.4 times, and more preferably 1.2 to 1.3 times the weight of the koji is mixed with the cold salt water.

[0022] In step S108, lactic acid bacteria and / or yeast are added to the mixture of koji and salt water mixed in step S107. Fermentation and aging are then carried out over a period of approximately six months to two years to produce moromi. Note that in this embodiment, fermentation and aging are carried out by adding lactic acid bacteria and / or yeast, but this is not limited to this configuration, and fermentation and aging can also be carried out using koji mold alone. Furthermore, the aging period is not limited to six months to two years, and may be, for example, shorter than six months or longer than two years.

[0023] In step S109, the fermented and aged mash in step S108 is pressed and the liquid portion is collected to obtain a soy sauce-like seasoning. The soy sauce-like seasoning can be commercialized as namaage (deep-fried soy sauce) as is, but it can also be produced as the soy sauce-like seasoning according to this embodiment by going through the steps that are performed in normal soy sauce brewing, such as mixing additives other than allergens, pasteurization, straining, and filtration.

[0024] In step S110, the soy sauce-like seasoning obtained in step S109 is inspected. For example, an operator may take a portion of the soy sauce-like seasoning obtained in step S109 and perform a histamine test or an allergy test. Although not shown, if the tests show no problems, the obtained soy sauce-like seasoning is packed into containers, and the method for producing a soy sauce-like seasoning according to this embodiment is completed. [Example]

[0025] Example 1 Next, an example of a soy sauce-like seasoning according to this embodiment will be described. In this example, 500 kg of dried broad beans with skin were passed through a roller to nick the skin, then 1500 liters of water was added and the beans were soaked for 19 hours. After the excess water was discarded, the beans were heated in a pressurized steam heater at 121°C for 30 minutes. The raw material temperature was lowered to 30°C by vacuum cooling, and koji mold was seeded. The raw materials were then koji-making in a koji room maintained at around 30°C for 48 hours, yielding approximately 600 kg of koji. Furthermore, 870 liters of 19% saline solution (1.2 times the amount of 600 kg of koji) was added and mixed, and lactic acid bacteria and yeast were added. The mixture was then aged and fermented for approximately one year to obtain mash. The resulting mash was then pressed to yield approximately 750 liters of soy sauce-like seasoning (the soy sauce-like seasoning according to Example 1).

[0026] (Comparative Example 1) In addition, in this example, as a comparative example, a soy sauce-like seasoning was produced using a conventional manufacturing method using broad beans as a raw material. Specifically, 0.55 liters of water was added to 1 kg of dried broad beans, and the beans were soaked for 19 hours. After the excess water was discarded, the beans were heated in a pressurized steam heater at 121°C for 30 minutes. The raw material temperature was lowered to below 30°C at normal pressure, and then koji mold was seeded. Note that in the comparative example, the broad bean skins were not damaged. The raw materials were then koji-making carried out for 45 hours in a koji room maintained at approximately 30°C to obtain koji. Furthermore, 1.8 liters of 22% saline was added to 1.5 kg of koji and mixed. Lactic acid bacteria and yeast were added, and the mixture was aged and fermented for approximately six months to obtain moromi. The resulting moromi was pressed to obtain approximately 1.5 liters of soy sauce-like seasoning (the soy sauce-like seasoning according to Comparative Example 1).

[0027] (evaluation) The total nitrogen content and salt concentration of the soy sauce-like seasonings obtained in Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 were measured. Table 1 below shows the measurement results of the total nitrogen content and salt concentration of the soy sauce-like seasonings according to Example 1 and Comparative Example 1. Furthermore, as Reference Example 1, the measurement results of dark soy sauce (high-grade dark soy sauce according to the Japanese Agricultural Standards, manufactured by Takahashi Shoten Co., Ltd.) are shown.

[0028] [Table 1]

[0029] As shown in Table 1 above, the soy sauce-style seasoning of Example 1 produced by the production method according to this embodiment had a high total nitrogen content, an indicator of umami, of 1.5% or more, indicating that a soy sauce-style seasoning with a rich umami flavor was obtained. In particular, the soy sauce-style seasoning of Example 1 had a total nitrogen content that was increased by more than 20% compared to the soy sauce-style seasoning of Comparative Example 1 produced by a conventional production method. Furthermore, the soy sauce-style seasoning of Example 1 had a salt concentration of less than 17%, which was lower than the soy sauce-style seasoning of Comparative Example 1 produced by a conventional production method and the soy sauce-style seasoning of Reference Example 1, which used soybeans.

[0030] Thus, the soy sauce-like seasoning of Example 1 produced by the production method according to this embodiment uses broad beans as the raw material, but contains a total nitrogen content, which is an indicator of umami, of 1.4% or more, preferably 1.5% or more, and a salt concentration of less than 17%, preferably 16.5% or less, more preferably 16.3% or less.

[0031] As described above, the soy sauce-like seasoning according to this embodiment is obtained by adding salt water to koji (rice koji) produced using broad beans as an ingredient, fermenting and maturing the koji, and then pressing the resulting mash, and the salt water is characterized by having a salt concentration of 20% or less. By adjusting the salt concentration of the brine added to the koji to 20% or less, nitrogen is easily eluted from the broad beans, allowing the total nitrogen content of the soy sauce-like seasoning to be 1.4% or more. Furthermore, in this embodiment, by adjusting the salt concentration of the salt water added to the koji to 20% or less, the total nitrogen content of the soy sauce-like seasoning can be increased to 1.4% or more, while the salt concentration can be reduced to less than 17%, resulting in a soy sauce-like seasoning with a low salt content.

[0032] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Various modifications and improvements can be made to the above-described embodiments, and such modifications and improvements are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A soy sauce-like seasoning obtained by adding salt water to koji made from broad beans as a raw material, fermenting and maturing the koji, and then pressing the resulting mash. The koji is produced by seeding koji mold on boiled broad beans without crushing them, The soy sauce-like seasoning is characterized in that the salt water has a salt concentration of 20% or less.

2. 2. The soy sauce-like seasoning according to claim 1, wherein the total nitrogen content is 1.4% or more and the salt concentration is less than 17%.

3. A method for producing a soy sauce-like seasoning using broad beans as a raw material, A process of producing koji by seeding koji mold on boiled broad beans without crushing them; a step of adding salt water to the koji and fermenting and maturing it, The method for producing a soy sauce-like seasoning comprises adding the salt water to the koji to a salt concentration of 20% or less.

4. The method for producing a soy sauce-like seasoning according to claim 3, further comprising a koji-making step of producing koji by steaming broad beans, vacuum-cooling the steamed broad beans, and then spraying koji mold.

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