A method for measuring the flavor intensity of cheeses to serve them as a good pairing with beer.

Abstract

To obtain cheese having a proper characteristic in order to go well with beer, by assuming a flavor component released from cheese, in all flavor components contained in cheese.SOLUTION: In cheese, respective contents in extract from the cheese are expressed as follows: free amino acid is 100 μg / mL or more and 10,000 μg / mL or less; lipid is 0.1 mg / g or more and 80 mg / g or less; salt is 0.05 g / 100 g or more and 1.0 g / 100 g or less.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to natural cheese eaten as a snack with beer, processed cheese of portion type or block type, cheese food, and foods mainly made from milk and the like (hereinafter referred to as "cheeses").

Background Art

[0002] Cheese, confectionery, salami, etc. are eaten together with beer. However, beer has a unique bitterness, and some people are not good at continuously drinking beer. Therefore, the development of foods that can reduce the bitterness of beer and allow continuous drinking of beer by eating them together with beer is expected. However, since the flavor of foods is affected by flavor components and physical properties, it is required to produce cheeses with appropriate characteristics assuming the flavor components released from cheeses by chewing among all the flavor components contained in cheeses for cheeses that are compatible with beer.

[0003] Conventionally, there are technologies related to the discrimination and production methods of foods and beverages that match or are compatible with specific foods or beverages. For example, Patent Document 1 relates to a method and apparatus for diagnosing the compatibility between coffee and food. After measuring the taste of coffee and the taste of food with a taste recognition device respectively, it discloses a method for judging the compatibility from the balance of a plurality of taste measurement values.

[0004] Patent Document 2 relates to a new tea leaf that is compatible with Japanese food, rich in palatability, and has a light floral fragrance. It discloses a method for producing a new tea leaf by adjusting the content ratios of lipid, tannin, hydrophilic low-molecular tea polyphenol, and quasi-hydrophilic low-molecular tea polyphenol. However, none of these prior arts relate to the compatibility between beer and cheese, nor are they directed to the flavor components released from foods during chewing.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6475174 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5368652 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] As mentioned above, none of the prior art studies concern the compatibility of beer and cheese, nor do any of them take into account the flavor components released from food during chewing. The present invention aims to provide cheeses that pair well with beer, allowing consumers to continue drinking beer by consuming them with beer, taking into account the flavor components released from the cheeses among all the flavor components contained in the cheeses. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, the present invention includes the following configuration. <1> Cheeses in which the cheese extract contains free amino acids of 100 μg / mL or more and 10,000 μg / mL or less, lipids of 0.1 mg / g or more and 80 mg / g or less, and salts of 0.05 g / 100g or more and 1.0 g / 100g or less. <2> Based on measurements using a standard solution (30 mM KCl, 0.3 mM L(+)-tartaric acid aqueous solution), the bitter aftertaste measurement value is 1 mV or higher and 40 mV or lower, and the umami aftertaste measurement value is -70 mV or higher and -10 mV or lower. <1> The cheeses listed above. <3> The process involves adding cheeses to pure water at a predetermined temperature, A step of crushing the added cheeses, The process includes separating and removing the solid and upper layer of fat from the ground cheeses by centrifugation, A method for measuring the intensity of the flavor of cheese by using the resulting aqueous layer as a cheese extract. <4> The predetermined temperature is 10 to 40°C. <3> The measurement method described above. <5> The amount of free amino acids in the cheese extract is 100 μg / mL or more and 10,000 μg / mL or less. <3> or <4> The measurement method described above. <6> The lipid content of the cheese extract is 0.1 mg / g or more and 80 mg / g or less. <3> ~ <5> The measurement method described in any one of the items. <7> The salt content of the cheese extract is 0.05 g / 100 g or more and 1.0 g / 100 g or less. <3> ~ <6> The measurement method described in any one of the items. <8> When a taste sensor immersed in the aforementioned cheese extract is rinsed with beer and the aftertaste is measured, the bitter aftertaste measurement is 1 mV or higher and 40 mV or lower, and the umami aftertaste measurement is -70 mV or higher and -10 mV or lower, relative to the measurement using a reference solution (30 mM KCl, 0.3 mM L(+)-tartaric acid aqueous solution). <3> ~ <7> The measurement method described in any one of the items. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] This product aims to provide cheeses that possess characteristics suitable for pairing with beer, taking into account the flavor components released from the cheeses among all the flavor components they contain. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The present invention will now be described in detail. In this specification, the invention is described in parts, but the matters, definitions of terms, and embodiments described in each part are also applicable to other parts.

[0010] (Measurement method) (1) Step of adding cheeses to pure water at a predetermined temperature. The term "cheeses" as used in this invention refers to natural cheeses, as well as portion-type and block-type processed cheeses, cheese foods, and foods made primarily from milk. This includes, for example, all types of cheeses, such as fresh cheeses like cream cheese, mozzarella, ricotta, mascarpone, and fromage blanc; white mold cheeses like Camembert and Brie; blue cheeses like Gorgonzola, Stilton, and Roquefort; washed-rind cheeses like Livarot; semi-hard cheeses like Provolone and Gouda; and hard cheeses like Grana, Emmental, and Cheddar.

[0011] The raw cheeses used in processed cheeses are not particularly limited as long as they are commonly used in the production of processed cheeses. For example, hard or semi-hard natural cheeses, or combinations of such cheeses, can be used. Processed cheeses can also be used as part of the raw materials. The molten salts and emulsifiers used in processed cheeses are not particularly limited as long as they are commonly used in the production of processed cheeses. For example, citrates, phosphates, sucrose fatty acid esters, or combinations of such molten salts and emulsifiers can be used.

[0012] As auxiliary ingredients, any auxiliary ingredients commonly used in the production of processed cheeses, such as skim milk powder and other dairy products, milk components, stabilizers, emulsifiers, starch, modified starch, vegetable fat, shellfish broth, scallops, grains, carbohydrates, spices, and flavorings, can be used. These auxiliary ingredients are used for adjusting physical properties and flavor, but they do not need to be used unless specifically required. The predetermined temperature is preferably 10 to 40°C, more preferably 35 to 40°C. Temperatures outside this range are undesirable because they exceed the range of components that dissolve in the mouth while the cheese is being chewed.

[0013] (2) Step of grinding the added cheeses It is also possible to use a crusher such as a chopper or a grinder, but it is not particularly limited as long as it is a coarse crushing that mimics chewing in the mouth. If it is too finely crushed, it will be different from the components released by chewing in the oral cavity.

[0014] (3) A step of centrifuging the crushed cheeses to separate and remove solids and the upper layer of fat Centrifugation was carried out at 7000 rpm for 10 minutes. After removing the upper layer with a spatula, the middle layer was filtered through a commercially available coffee filter (Coffee Patit, manufactured by Oki Shoji Co., Ltd.), but it is not particularly limited.

[0015] (Cheese extract) The cheese extract to be the measurement object of the present invention is prepared as follows. Put 30 g of cheese into a pouch bag, add 120 g of pure water set at 40°C, seal it, and then return it to room temperature and coarsely crush it with a stomacher (400 Stomacher, manufactured by Seward). Here, the crushing is carried out by crushing the cheese for 10 seconds with a stomacher set at 200 rpm. The crushing time was set by converting it to be equivalent to about 33 chewing times until one piece of processed cheese was swallowed. Excluding large solids, put it into a 50 mL Falcon tube and centrifuge at 7000 rpm for 10 minutes. Subsequently, remove the upper layer which is milk fat, and filter the middle aqueous layer through a coffee filter to obtain a cheese extract sample.

[0016] (Free amino acids) The free amino acids of the present invention are quantified by using a cheese extract and removing proteins. In the cheeses of the present invention, the amount of free amino acids in the cheese extract is preferably 100 μg / mL or more and 10,000 μg / mL or less, more preferably 500 μg / mL or more and 8,000 μg / mL or less, and even more preferably 500 μg / mL or more and 5,000 μg / mL or less. If the amount of free amino acids is outside this range, the umami aftertaste and bitter aftertaste in the taste sensor will not reach the predetermined values. Also, when it is too much, it lacks the flavor balance as cheese, so it is not preferable.

[0017] Lipid The lipid of the present invention is quantified by the laser Gottlieb method using a cheese extract. In the cheeses of the present invention, the amount of lipid in the cheese extract is preferably 0.1 mg / g or more and 80 mg / g or less, more preferably 0.15 mg / g or more and 3.0 mg / g or less, and even more preferably 0.20 mg / g or more and 1.0 mg / g or less. When the amount of lipid is outside this range, the umami aftertaste and bitter aftertaste in the taste sensor do not reach the predetermined values. Also, when it is large, it lacks the flavor balance as cheese, so it is not preferable. Here, the "laser Gottlieb method" is a method in which the fat globule membrane is destroyed, the fat is extracted with a solvent, and the solvent is removed to quantify the fat.

[0018] Salt The salt of the present invention is quantified by the potentiometric titration method using a cheese extract. In the cheeses of the present invention, the amount of salt in the cheese extract is preferably 0.05 g / 100 g or more and 1.0 g / 100 g or less, more preferably 0.1 g / 100 g or more and 0.3 g / 100 g or less. When the amount of salt is outside this range, the umami aftertaste and bitter aftertaste in the taste sensor do not reach the predetermined values. Also, when it is large, it lacks the flavor balance as cheese, so it is not preferable. The "potentiometric titration method" is a method in which a silver-silver chloride electrode as a measurement electrode and a reference electrode are inserted into a sample solution of nitric acid acidity, and while stirring, it is titrated with a silver nitrate standard solution. Then, the chloride ions decrease and a precipitate of silver chloride (AgCl) is formed. A potential change curve corresponding to the chloride ion concentration and the potential change (mV) is created, the end point of the silver nitrate titration is determined from the potential change near the equivalence point, the chloride ion concentration is determined from the titration volume of the silver nitrate standard solution, and then the sodium chloride content is calculated from the chloride ion concentration.

[0019] Taste sensor The taste sensor of this invention uses the TS-5000Z taste recognition device (manufactured by Intelligent Sensor Technology Co., Ltd.). Rather than high selectivity that responds individually to thousands of different taste substances, it uses an artificial lipid model taste sensor that exhibits broad selectivity, responding similarly to similar tastes. The taste sensor detects the increase or decrease in the membrane potential of the lipid membrane due to electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions with various taste substances.

[0020] This invention measures umami aftertaste and bitter aftertaste. Aftertaste refers to the flavor that persists after swallowing and is distinct from the flavor perceived when the sample enters the mouth. Umami aftertaste is labeled as "umami richness" on the taste recognition device. It refers to a persistent umami flavor or lingering umami aftertaste. It is measured using sensor AAE. Bitter aftertaste is labeled as "bitterness" on the taste recognition device and refers to the bitter aftertaste commonly found in food products. It is measured using sensor C00.

[0021] The general measurement methods are as follows: The membrane potential Vr is obtained by immersing the taste sensor in a reference solution (30 mM KCl, 0.3 mM L(+)-tartaric acid aqueous solution). When immersed in a sample, the membrane potential changes to Vs. Vr-Vs corresponds to the intensity of the taste perceived when the sample enters the mouth, known as the initial taste. The sensor is then briefly rinsed with the reference solution, and the membrane potential Vr' is obtained by immersing the taste sensor in the reference solution again. Vr'-Vr corresponds to the aftertaste. In this invention, the sample is a cheese extract, and the rinsing solution is replaced with beer from the reference solution. The measurement is thought to be equivalent to the aftertaste felt when drinking beer after eating cheese.

[0022] The sensor is immersed in a standard solution (30 mM KCl, 0.3 mM L(+)-tartaric acid aqueous solution), and the potential is measured to obtain Vr. Then the sensor is immersed in cheese extract. After that, the sensor is rinsed with beer, washed with the standard solution, and the sensor is immersed in the standard solution again to measure the potential and obtain Vr'. Vr'-Vr(mV) is expressed as the aftertaste. In this invention, the cheeses are measured using a standard solution at the sample location, and the umami aftertaste is -70mV or higher and -10mV or lower, preferably -30mV or higher and -10mV or lower, more preferably -25mV or higher and -10mV or lower, and the bitter aftertaste is 1mV or higher and 40mV or lower, preferably 1mV or higher and 10mV or lower, more preferably 3mV or higher and 9mV or lower. Here, a lower value indicates a stronger aftertaste.

[0023] (Sensory evaluation) The sensory evaluation in this invention is carried out by the following method. The term "beer" as used in this invention refers to beer as defined under the Liquor Tax Act, as well as low-malt beer, beer-flavored alcoholic beverages (commonly known as "third-category beer"), and beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverages. After a session in which participants drank five sips of beer alone, they reset their palate with a non-salt cracker (made by Yamazaki Biscuit Co.), ate a piece of cheese, and then drank one sip of beer (made by Asahi Breweries). In both sessions, after each sip of beer, participants rated whether they wanted to continue drinking beer on a 7-point scale from -3 to 3. After each session, they rated the compatibility with the beer on a 7-point scale from -3 to 3. In addition, for the first sip, they rated the bitterness and umami on a 6-point scale from 0 to 5.

[0024] In this invention, compared to sessions where only beer was consumed, sessions where cheese was eaten before drinking beer showed a higher average score for "would you like to continue drinking beer" across all five sips. Furthermore, in sessions where participants ate cheese before drinking beer, the average score for "would you like to continue drinking beer?" did not show a downward trend as measured by trend testing (p>0.05) when evaluating from the first to the fifth bite. A downward trend would indicate that the cheese is one that makes participants not want to continue drinking beer, and the absence of such a trend suggests that the cheeses in this invention are cheeses that make participants want to continue drinking beer. Thus, the average compatibility score for cheese and beer is above 0, indicating that cheese and beer are a good match.

[0025] Here, trend testing is a method used to detect trends in increase or decrease in data when comparing three or more groups. For example, it is used to examine trends in increase or decrease in time-series data such as medication dosage and its effects, or children's growth. In this invention, the average "bitterness" score for cheeses decreased by 0.5 points or more when cheese was consumed before drinking beer, compared to when only beer was consumed. This indicates that the bitterness of the beer was reduced by the cheese. The average score for "umami" increased by more than 0.5 points when drinking beer after eating cheese, compared to when drinking beer alone, indicating that the cheese enhanced the umami flavor.

[0026] (Method of manufacturing cheese products) The production of natural cheese and processed cheese shall be carried out in accordance with established methods. Cheese foods and foods primarily made from milk shall be produced in accordance with the production methods of processed cheese. [Examples]

[0027] The following describes some embodiments of the present invention in detail, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0028] (Example 1) In this embodiment, the following samples were used. A mixture of 50% natural cheese for processed cheese, 36% aged Gouda cheese, 2% molten salt, 0.2% pH adjuster, and 11.8% added water was heated and melted in a vertical shear-type emulsifier at 700-900 rpm. After reaching 85°C, it was stirred at 1500 rpm for 30 seconds. After heating and emulsifying, it was packaged in aluminum foil portion containers and cooled at 5°C for more than 24 hours to obtain processed cheese. This cheese was used as a cheese extract and subjected to various analyses, yielding the following results. Free amino acids 4014 μg / mL Lipid 0.73mg / g Salt 0.26g / 100g Using the measurement values ​​obtained with a standard solution (30 mM KCl, 0.3 mM L(+)-tartaric acid aqueous solution) as a baseline, the umami aftertaste was -17.8 mV and the bitter aftertaste was 8.1 mV. Here, "using the measurement values ​​obtained with a standard solution (30 mM KCl, 0.3 mM L(+)-tartaric acid aqueous solution) as a baseline" means that for each measurement, the value obtained from the standard solution measurement (mV) was set to 0, and the difference in mV between the measurement value obtained with the sample and the measurement value was calculated.

[0029] The beer used was Asahi Super Dry (Asahi Breweries), and the sensory evaluation was conducted with 31 panelists who consumed five sips of the beer. Compared to sessions where only beer was consumed, the sessions where cheese was eaten before drinking beer resulted in a higher average rating for "would I want to drink more beer?" across all five sips. Furthermore, in sessions where participants ate cheese before drinking beer, the average score for "would you like to continue drinking beer?" did not show a downward trend as measured by trend testing when evaluating from 1 to 5 sips (p>0.05). The average score for the compatibility of cheese and beer was 1.32 points. The bitterness score was 3.1 points for the beer alone, and 1.9 points after eating cheese. The umami score was 2.1 points for the beer alone, and 2.8 points after eating cheese.

[0030] (Example 2) In this embodiment, the following samples were used. A mixture of 82.5% natural cheese for processed cheese, 2.1% molten salt, 0.6% pH adjuster, and 14.8% added water was heated and melted at 700-900 rpm in a vertical shear-type emulsifier. After reaching 85°C, it was stirred at 1500 rpm for 30 seconds. After heating and emulsifying, it was packaged in aluminum foil portion containers and cooled at 5°C for more than 24 hours to obtain processed cheese. This cheese was used as a cheese extract and subjected to various analyses, yielding the following results. Free amino acids 2884 μg / mL Lipids 0.92 mg / g Salt 0.24g / 100g Using the sample location as a baseline, the measured values ​​were -12.3mV for umami aftertaste and 5.45mV for bitter aftertaste, based on measurements using a standard solution (30mM KCl, 0.3mM L(+)-tartaric acid aqueous solution). Sensory evaluation was conducted with 30 panelists in the same manner as in Example 1.

[0031] Compared to sessions where only beer was consumed, the sessions where cheese was eaten before drinking beer resulted in a higher average rating for "would I want to drink more beer?" across all five sips. Furthermore, in sessions where participants ate cheese before drinking beer, the average score for "would you like to continue drinking beer?" did not show a downward trend as measured by trend testing when evaluating from 1 to 5 sips (p>0.05). The average score for the compatibility of cheese and beer was 1.80. The bitterness rating was 2.9 points for the beer alone, and 1.9 points after eating cheese. The umami rating was 1.5 points for the beer alone, and 2.5 points after eating the cheese.

[0032] (Example 3) In this embodiment, the following samples were used. Cheddar cheese (41%), molten salt (2%), pH adjuster (0.2%), agar (0.4%), modified starch (12%), dietary fiber (13%), flavoring agent (1%), and added water (30.4%) were used as ingredients and heated and stirred at 1500 rpm in a vertical shear-type emulsifier. After reaching 90°C, the mixture was heated and held for 30 seconds to achieve sufficient emulsification. After emulsification, the mixture was packaged in aluminum foil portion containers and cooled at 5°C for more than 24 hours to obtain processed cheeses. The above cheese was used as a cheese extract and subjected to various analyses, yielding the following results. Free amino acids 764 μg / mL Lipid 0.27mg / g Salt 0.22g / 100g Using the sample location as a baseline, based on measurements using a reference solution (30 mM KCl, 0.3 mM L(+)-tartaric acid aqueous solution), the umami aftertaste was -13.8 mV and the bitter aftertaste was 4.2 mV. Sensory evaluation was conducted with five panel members in the same manner as in Example 1.

[0033] Compared to sessions where only beer was consumed, the sessions where cheese was eaten before drinking beer resulted in a higher average rating for "would I want to drink more beer?" across all five sips. Furthermore, in sessions where participants ate cheese before drinking beer, the average score for "would you like to continue drinking beer?" did not show a downward trend as measured by trend testing when evaluating from 1 to 5 sips (p>0.05). The average score for the compatibility of cheese and beer was 0.60 points. The bitterness rating was 3.8 points for the beer alone, and 2.6 points after eating cheese. The umami rating was 1.6 points for the beer alone, and 3.0 points after eating the cheese.

[0034] (Example 4) In this embodiment, the following samples were used. A mixture of 9% Gouda cheese, 34% Cheddar cheese, 2% molten salt, 0.1% pH adjuster, 0.4% agar, 12% modified starch, 14% dietary fiber, and 28.5% added water was heated and stirred at 1500 rpm in a vertical shear-type emulsifier. After reaching 90°C, it was heated and held for 30 seconds to achieve sufficient emulsification. After emulsification, the mixture was packaged in aluminum foil portion containers and cooled at 5°C for more than 24 hours to obtain processed cheeses. The above cheese was used as a cheese extract and subjected to various analyses, yielding the following results. Free amino acids 3351 μg / mL Lipid 0.57mg / g Salt 0.16g / 100g Using the sample location as a baseline, the measured values ​​were -21.17mV for umami aftertaste and 4.4mV for bitter aftertaste, based on measurements using a standard solution (30mM KCl, 0.3mM L(+)-tartaric acid aqueous solution).

[0035] (Comparative Example 1) In this comparative example, Fromage Frais Onctueux MG40% (Isigny) was used as an example of fresh cheese. The cheese obtained above was used as a cheese extract and subjected to various analyses, yielding the following results. Free amino acids 50 μg / mL Lipids 0.07 mg / g Salt 0.02g / 100g Using the sample location as a baseline, the measured values ​​were -6.5mV for umami aftertaste and 0.5mV for bitter aftertaste, based on measurements using a standard solution (30mM KCl, 0.3mM L(+)-tartaric acid aqueous solution). Sensory evaluation was conducted with five panel members in the same manner as in Example 1.

[0036] Compared to sessions where only beer was consumed, the sessions where cheese was eaten before drinking beer resulted in a lower average rating for "would I want to drink more beer?" across all five sips. Furthermore, in sessions where participants ate cheese before drinking beer, a downward trend was observed in the average score for "would you like to continue drinking beer?" as participants progressed from one sip to five sips (p<0.05). The average score for the compatibility of cheese and beer was -2.20 points. The bitterness score was 3.2 points for the beer alone, and 2.8 points after eating cheese. The umami score was 1.4 points for the beer alone, and 0.8 points after eating cheese.

Claims

1. The process involves adding cheeses to pure water at 10-40°C, A step of crushing the added cheeses, The process includes separating and removing the solid and upper layer of fat from the ground cheeses by centrifugation, A method for measuring the intensity of the taste of the resulting aqueous layer as a cheese extract, The measurement method is a method of determining the aftertaste felt when drinking beer after eating cheese, by rinsing a taste sensor immersed in the cheese extract with beer.

2. The measurement method according to Claim 1, wherein the measurement is a method for determining the aftertaste Vr'-Vr (mV) felt when drinking beer after eating cheese, by rinsing a taste sensor immersed in the cheese extract with beer. Vr: Potential measured by immersing the sensor in a reference solution (30 mM KCl, 0.3 mM L(+)-tartaric acid aqueous solution). Vr': The sensor was immersed in cheese extract, then rinsed with beer, washed with a reference solution, and the potential was measured by immersing the sensor in the reference solution.

3. The measurement method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the aftertaste is an umami aftertaste and a bitter aftertaste.

4. The measurement method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the amount of free amino acids in the cheese extract is 100 μg / mL or more and 10,000 μg / mL or less.

5. The measurement method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the lipid content of the cheese extract is 0.1 mg / g or more and 80 mg / g or less.

6. The measurement method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the amount of salt in the cheese extract is 0.05 g / 100 g or more and 1.0 g / 100 g or less.