Chocolate-like food

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a novel chocolate-like food having excellent flavor even if cacao-derived ingredients are reduced, and also providing a roasted legume-derived powder usable in the chocolate-like food.　The aforesaid problem can be solved by using a method for producing a roasted legume-derived powder usable in a chocolate-like food, the method including all of the following steps 1) to 3): 1) grinding legumes; 2) mixing a saccharide and an amino acid with water; and 3) adding the mixture obtained in 2) to the ground legumes obtained in 1) followed by agitating and roasting the resultant mixture.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] Related Application This application claims the benefit of priority of Application No. 2022-146648, filed with the Japan Patent Office on September 15, 2022. The priority-based application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety and made a part of this specification.

[0002] The present invention relates to a chocolate-like food and a method for producing the same.

Background Art

[0003] Chocolate, which is a type of chocolate-like food, is composed of ingredients derived from cocoa such as cocoa mass, cocoa butter, and cocoa powder, and sugar, etc. Its unique flavor and texture are favored and it is consumed worldwide. However, the regions and environments where cocoa can be harvested are limited, and chocolate produced mainly from cocoa is expensive. Therefore, technological development for substituting cocoa with other raw materials has been carried out.

[0004] Among the ingredients derived from cocoa, regarding cocoa butter, studies have been advanced to obtain alternative materials by fractionating palm oil, etc. and by transesterification, and it has become possible to obtain them at a lower cost than cocoa butter.

[0005] In Patent Document 1, a chocolate-like food mainly composed of soybean protein extraction residue is disclosed as a substitute for cocoa powder.

[0006] In Non-Patent Document 1, carob is disclosed as a substitute for cocoa raw materials.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0007]

Patent Document 1

[0008] [Non-Patent Document 1] Lanfranchi et al., Quality -Access to Success, Vol.20, No. 168 (2019) 148-153 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] The inventors of this invention have investigated a novel chocolate-like food product in which the amount of cocoa-derived components has been reduced.

[0010] The method described in Patent Document 1 had problems in terms of flavor. Even with the materials described in Non-Patent Document 1, the results were unsatisfactory, with off-flavors or a lack of flavor. Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a novel chocolate-like food product that reduces the amount of cocoa-derived components and has superior flavor. Another object is to provide a roasted powder derived from legumes for use in the said chocolate-like food product. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] As a result of diligent research to solve the above problems, the inventors of the present invention have completed the present invention by preparing a chocolate-like food product by micronizing and mixing roasted powder derived from beans, which is obtained by roasting ground beans, sugars, and amino acids in a moisture-containing environment, together with sugars.

[0012] In other words, the present invention is (1) A method for producing roasted powder derived from legumes used in chocolate-like foods, comprising the following steps: 1) Grind the beans, 2) Mix the sugars and amino acids with water, 3) Add the mixture from 2) to the ground beans obtained in 1), stir, and roast. (2) A method for producing a chocolate-like food product using the roasted powder derived from beans described in (1), comprising the following steps: 4) Mix the roasted powder derived from the beans with some of the sugars and fats and pulverize it. 5) Add the remaining fats and emulsifier and stir. (3) A method for producing roasted powder derived from beans according to (1), wherein the moisture content of the roasted powder derived from beans before roasting is 5 to 30% by mass, (4) A method for producing roasted powder derived from beans as described in (1), wherein an alkaline agent is mixed when mixing sugars and amino acids with water. (5) A method for producing roasted powder derived from beans as described in (1), wherein oil and fat are mixed in when stirring a mixture of ground beans and sugars and amino acids, and then roasted. (6) A method for producing a chocolate-like food product as described in (2), wherein the non-fat cocoa solids content is less than 5% by mass. (7) A method for producing a chocolate-like food product as described in (2), which does not contain fat-free cocoa solids. That is the case. In other words, (11) A method for producing roasted powder derived from legumes used in chocolate-like foods, comprising all of the following steps 1) to 3), 1) Grind the beans, 2) Mix the sugars and amino acids with water, 3) Add the mixture from 2) to the ground beans obtained in 1), stir, and roast. (12) A method for producing a chocolate-like food product using the roasted powder derived from beans described in (11), further comprising the following steps: 4) Mix and pulverize the roasted powder derived from the beans, sugars, and melted oils and fats. (13) A method for producing roasted powder derived from beans according to (11), wherein the moisture content of the roasted powder derived from beans before roasting is 5 to 30% by mass, (14) A method for producing roasted powder derived from beans as described in (11), wherein an alkaline agent is added in the step of (2) in which sugars and amino acids are mixed with water. (15) A method for producing roasted powder derived from beans as described in (11), wherein in step 3) a mixture containing sugars and amino acids is stirred with ground beans, oil and fat are mixed in and the mixture is roasted, (16) The method for producing a roasted powder derived from beans according to (11), which includes two or more kinds of amino acids as the amino acids to be mixed in the step (2), and at least one of the amino acids is a hydrophobic amino acid. (17) The method for producing a roasted powder derived from beans according to (14) or (15), which includes two or more kinds of amino acids as the amino acids to be mixed in the step (2), and at least one of the amino acids is a hydrophobic amino acid. (18) The method for producing a chocolate-like food using the roasted powder derived from beans according to (14) or (15), further having the following step: 4) Mixing and atomizing the roasted powder derived from beans, saccharides, and melted oil and fat. (19) The method for producing a chocolate-like food using the roasted powder derived from beans according to (16), further having the following step: 4) Mixing and atomizing the roasted powder derived from beans, saccharides, and melted oil and fat. (20) The method for producing a chocolate-like food using the roasted powder derived from beans according to (17), further having the following step: 4) Mixing and atomizing the roasted powder derived from beans, saccharides, and melted oil and fat. (21) The method for producing a chocolate-like food according to (12), wherein the content of non-fat cocoa solids is 0% by mass or more and less than 5% by mass. (22) The method for producing a chocolate-like food according to (12), wherein the content of non-fat cocoa solids is 0% by mass or more and less than 1% by mass. (23) The method for producing a chocolate-like food according to (18), wherein the content of non-fat cocoa solids is 0% by mass or more and less than 1% by mass. (24) The method for producing a chocolate-like food according to (19), wherein the content of non-fat cocoa solids is 0% by mass or more and less than 1% by mass. (25) The method for producing a chocolate-like food according to (20), wherein the content of non-fat cocoa solids is 0% by mass or more and less than 1% by mass. That is.

Advantages of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, even when the components derived from cacao are reduced, it is possible to provide a chocolate-like food excellent in flavor and a roasted powder derived from beans that can be used for the chocolate-like food. Furthermore, by using the roasted powder derived from beans of the present invention, it is possible to provide a chocolate-like food without using the components derived from cacao. The obtained chocolate-like food has a chocolate-like flavor without feeling the strange flavor of beans.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] The beans of the present invention are derived from the whole beans in the seed state of beans and / or a part thereof, and the bean pulverized product refers to all of those beans pulverized. The beans of the present invention refer to beans derived from leguminous plants and subfamily leguminous plants. Specifically, examples include soybeans, mung beans, kidney beans, peas, purple-flowered beans, adzuki beans, chickpeas, etc. Preferred beans are soybeans, mung beans, kidney beans, peas, purple-flowered beans, adzuki beans, more preferably soybeans, mung beans, kidney beans, peas, purple-flowered beans, still more preferably mung beans, kidney beans, peas, purple-flowered beans, and most preferably kidney beans, peas, purple-flowered beans. These beans are preferable in that a flavor suitable for a chocolate-like food can be obtained.

[0015] The bean pulverized product can be obtained by using a pulverizer such as a mill or a grinder for the beans, or a commercially available product obtained by pulverizing the beans may be purchased. An example of the pulverized product is powder. When preparing a chocolate-like food, it is suitable to use a powdery material because it is easy to mix.

[0016] The chocolate-like food of the present invention uses roasted bean-derived powder, which is obtained by adding a mixture of sugars and amino acids with water to the aforementioned ground bean product, stirring, and roasting. This roasted bean-derived powder has suppressed bean-specific odors, or so-called beany smells. By using this roasted bean-derived powder, a chocolate-like food with good flavor can be obtained. The roasted bean-derived powder can be adjusted as appropriate after checking the quality of the chocolate-like food. Preferably, the roasting conditions can be set according to the color and flavor of the roasted bean-derived powder.

[0017] The chocolate-like food of the present invention refers to a food material that contains fats and oils as a continuous phase and sugars and the like as a dispersed phase, and is substantially free of water other than a small amount of water contained in the raw materials. The chocolate-like food contains ground beans, sugars and roasted powder derived from beans obtained by roasting amino acids, and unroasted sugars. One example of a chocolate-like food is chocolate. Here, "chocolate" refers not only to chocolate, quasi-chocolate, and chocolate-based foods as defined by the Japan Chocolate Industry Fair Trade Council and the Chocolate-Using Food Fair Trade Council, but also to products that use fats and oils as essential ingredients and are blended with sugars, milk powder, cocoa raw materials (cocoa mass, cocoa powder, cocoa butter), dietary fiber, fruit juice powder, fruit powder, flavoring agents, emulsifiers, flavorings, colorings, and other auxiliary ingredients in any proportion.

[0018] Examples of sugars that can be used for roasting in this invention include monosaccharides such as glucose, fructose, galactose, and xylose. Examples of disaccharides include sucrose, lactose, and maltose. Other sugar alcohols and oligosaccharides may be added as needed. At least one selected from this group can be used. Preferably, the sugars used during roasting are monosaccharides such as glucose, fructose, and xylose, more preferably fructose and glucose. When used as an aqueous solution of sugars, examples include aqueous fructose solution, aqueous glucose solution, fructose-glucose liquid sugar, honey, brown sugar, and brown sugar syrup. Among these, fructose, glucose, aqueous fructose solution, aqueous glucose solution, fructose-glucose liquid sugar, or honey are preferred because they provide a color and flavor suitable for chocolate-like foods. These sugars may also be used in combination. By using these sugars in the roasting process, it is possible to provide a chocolate-like food product with excellent flavor, as well as a roasted powder derived from beans that can be used in the chocolate-like food product.

[0019] The sugars that can be used for roasting in this invention are preferably aqueous sugar solutions, and more preferably, aqueous monosaccharide solutions. Examples of monosaccharides that can be used in the aqueous monosaccharide solution include glucose, fructose, galactose, and xylose. Preferably, glucose, fructose, and xylose are used, and more preferably, fructose and glucose. Using an aqueous monosaccharide solution using these monosaccharides is preferable because it provides a color and flavor suitable for chocolate-like foods. Such sugars may be used in combination. Honey, brown sugar, and the like, which contain the above components, can also be used without limitation. By using an aqueous sugar solution in the roasting process, it is possible to provide a chocolate-like food product with excellent flavor, as well as a roasted powder derived from legumes that can be used in the chocolate-like food product. In particular, it is possible to provide chocolate-like food products with a good color, without using any cocoa-derived ingredients, and without any bean-like odor.

[0020] By using the roasted powder derived from beans used in this invention, it is possible to prepare flavorful chocolates even if the non-fat cocoa solids content is 0% or more and less than 5% by mass. Furthermore, it is possible to prepare flavorful chocolates even if the non-fat cocoa solids content is less than 1% by mass and the chocolate is substantially free of cocoa mass and cocoa powder. Non-fat cocoa solids refer to the portion of the solids derived from cocoa beans that has been excluding cocoa butter and water. Chocolate products generally contain a large amount of cocoa mass or cocoa powder, which are cocoa-derived ingredients. Cocoa mass and cocoa powder are produced by roasting and processing cocoa beans, but since cocoa is a plant of the Malvaceae family, cocoa beans and cocoa-derived ingredients are excluded from the legumes of this invention.

[0021] In addition to cocoa butter, examples of fats and oils that can be used in the present invention include vegetable oils such as rapeseed oil, high erucine rapeseed oil, soybean oil, sunflower seed oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, rice bran oil, corn oil, safflower oil, olive oil, kapok oil, sesame oil, evening primrose oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oils, shea butter, sal fat, etc., animal fats and oils such as milk fat, beef tallow, lard, fish oil, whale oil, algae oil, and processed fats and oils such as hydrogenated oils, fractionated oils, hydrogenated fractionated oils, fractionated hydrogenated oils, transesterified oils, etc., as well as mixtures thereof. In the chocolate-like food product of the present invention, a cocoa butter substitute can be used to provide a desirable hardness. On the other hand, to provide softness for fillings and spreads, a combination of low-melting-point fats and oils such as rapeseed oil, soybean oil, or palm oil can be used. Cocoa butter substitutes are also called hard butter, and they can be either tempering or non-tempering types. Depending on the various quality requirements for chocolate-like foods, other fats and oils can be selected and used in combination as appropriate.

[0022] The amino acids that can be used in this invention are not particularly limited as long as they are organic compounds having both an amino group (-NH2) and a carboxyl group (-COOH), but they can be appropriately selected from amino acids that make up proteins. Specifically, these include leucine, valine, tryptophan, isoleucine, phenylalanine, alanine, methionine, proline, glycine, cysteine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glutamine, arginine, asparagine, tyrosine, histidine, lysine, serine, and threonine. These amino acids can be broadly classified into hydrophobic and hydrophilic amino acids based on the properties of their side chains. However, they can be used broadly as long as they are amino acids, regardless of their properties. A single amino acid can be used, or two or more can be combined as appropriate. Using a combination of multiple amino acids rather than a single amino acid tends to result in a more nuanced and richer flavor in chocolate-like foods, which is preferable. More preferably, at least one hydrophobic amino acid is used in a combination of multiple amino acids. Examples of hydrophobic amino acids include leucine, valine, tryptophan, isoleucine, phenylalanine, alanine, methionine, cysteine, and tyrosine, and among these, it is preferable to use leucine, valine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, and alanine as the hydrophobic amino acids. By using this amino acid, it is possible to provide a chocolate-like food product with excellent flavor, and a roasted powder derived from legumes that can be used in the chocolate-like food product. The amount of amino acids added during roasting is preferably 0.1 to 1 g, more preferably 0.15 to 0.6 g, and most preferably 0.15 to 0.5 g per 100 g of ground beans. In other words, the amount of amino acids added during roasting is preferably 0.01% to 1% by mass, more preferably 0.02% to 0.9% by mass, 0.03% to 0.8% by mass, and even more preferably 0.04% to 0.7% by mass, or 0.05% to 0.6% by mass, as the amount used to produce roasted powder derived from legumes.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an alkaline agent is used during roasting. An example of a mixing method is to dissolve the alkaline agent in water or an aqueous sugar solution used for roasting and mix it with ground beans or the like. Examples of alkaline agents used in this invention include sodium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, and sodium carbonate. The amount of alkaline agent to be added is not particularly limited as it varies depending on the type of bean, but it is preferable to add 0.5 to 5.0% by mass of the ground bean material during roasting to adjust the pH to about 5.0 to 7.0. Using an alkaline agent has a remarkable effect in suppressing the characteristic odor of beans, the so-called beany smell. Furthermore, it can impart a caramel-like flavor, increasing the richness of chocolate-like foods and enhancing the chocolate-like flavor. The pH can be determined by measuring the pH of the supernatant liquid obtained by diluting roasted bean powder 10 times with distilled water.

[0024] The roasting method referred to in this invention is a method of adding water and / or an aqueous sugar solution when mixing crushed beans or the like, and roasting the mixture while it is still moist. The moist mixture is in the form of small crumbs, like minced meat, and crumbles easily when touched. The crumbly, small-lump mixture before roasting preferably contains 5-30% by mass of moisture. More preferably, it contains 7-28% by mass, and most preferably, 10-25% by mass. Adjusting the moisture content of the mixture to an appropriate range makes it easier to adjust the flavor during roasting. Since most of the moisture added during roasting evaporates, the moisture content of roasted bean powder is approximately 0-5% by mass. Furthermore, the moisture content of roasted powder derived from legumes can be measured using analytical methods such as the sea sand method.

[0025] While there are no particular limitations on the equipment used for roasting, equipment with stirring blades is preferred because it allows for uniform mixing and heating. The heat source can be either gas heating or induction heating, as long as temperature control is possible. Induction heating is preferred because it allows for easy temperature control. Furthermore, if a stirring blade is not available, roasting can be carried out by spreading the mixture on a flat plate or similar surface to ensure even heating.

[0026] The roasting temperature and time are not limited as they can be adjusted by the color of the roasted bean paste and sugars as described above, but as an example of roasting conditions, the temperature is preferably 100°C to 250°C, more preferably 110°C to 230°C, and even more preferably 120°C to 200°C. A roasting time of 10 minutes or more is preferable, and more preferably 20 minutes or more, as it imparts a savory flavor, a deep color, and a characteristic cocoa flavor. However, since this varies depending on the equipment used for roasting, the temperature and time are not limited to those stated above, and the roasting temperature and time can be adjusted as appropriate according to the desired color and flavor of the roasted bean paste and sugars.

[0027] The roasted bean-derived powder of the present invention can be dried by evaporating moisture as needed during the roasting process. The temperature and time for drying are not particularly limited, but can be lower than that used during roasting, depending on the flavor and color. One example of drying conditions is to dry at 80-130°C for about 10 minutes. By drying, roasted powder derived from beans with a specified moisture content can be obtained.

[0028] The color of roasted powder derived from beans can be judged visually, but preferably, the degree of roasting can be adjusted using the L* value of the color as an indicator. The L* value of the color is not particularly limited, but it is measured using a colorimeter, and an example of a colorimeter is the colorimeter (ZE-6000: manufactured by Nippon Denshoku Industries Ltd.). In a preferred embodiment, the chocolate-like food of the present invention preferably has a color L* value of 40 to 60 for the roasted powder derived from legumes used. By adjusting the color L* value to a predetermined range, it is possible to prepare novel chocolate-like food products with good flavor while being able to be adjusted to various color tones. In this invention, color tones refer to those expressed in the CIE 1976 color system within the L*a*b* color space. More specifically, the L*a*b* color space is a standard for representing the color of objects, which is also adopted in Japan as JIS (JIS Z 8714-4), where lightness is represented by L*, and chromaticity, which indicates hue and saturation, is represented by a* and b*.

[0029] As described above, the chocolate-like food of the present invention uses roasted powder derived from legumes, but in a preferred embodiment, it is preferable to further incorporate oils and fats during the roasting process of the ground legumes and sugars, as this can improve the flavor. Various edible oils and fats can be used as the oils and fats. More preferably, edible oils and fats containing phospholipids can be used. By incorporating more fats and oils during the roasting process, a more pronounced chocolate-like flavor can be achieved without using cocoa-derived ingredients. Furthermore, the effect of suppressing the bean-like odor is also significant.

[0030] In this invention, monosaccharides, disaccharides, and the like can be used as sugars to be added to chocolate-like foods. Specific examples include sucrose, lactose, maltose, glucose, and sugar alcohols. Oligosaccharides may also be added as needed. At least one of these can be used, and the sugars are preferably in powder form from the viewpoint of handling.

[0031] The amount of sugars added to the chocolate-like food is preferably 0.5% by mass or more, more preferably 0.6% by mass or more, even more preferably 10% by mass or more, 15% by mass or more, or 20% by mass or more. Furthermore, the amount of sugars added to the chocolate-like food is preferably 60% by mass or less, more preferably 57% by mass or less, even more preferably 55% by mass or less, or 50% by mass or less.

[0032] The content of roasted bean-derived powder in the chocolate-like food product is preferably 5% by mass or more, 7% by mass or more, 10% by mass or more, more preferably 12% by mass or more, and even more preferably 15% by mass or more. Furthermore, the content of roasted bean-derived powder in the chocolate-like food product is preferably 50% by mass or less, 48% by mass or less, more preferably 45% by mass or less, and even more preferably 40% by mass or less. By incorporating roasted bean-derived powder in a desirable amount, a good flavor can be imparted to chocolate-like foods. In particular, the characteristic cocoa-derived flavor of chocolate can be added to chocolate-like foods.

[0033] The raw materials used in chocolate-like foods are not particularly limited, except for roasted powder derived from legumes and unroasted sugars. The composition can also be adapted by referring to that of typical chocolate-like foods. For example, milk components, fats and oils, and other edible ingredients can be combined as appropriate. Other additives include emulsifiers, antioxidants, and flavorings, but there are no limitations on the type or amount, and they are not required.

[0034] The chocolate-like food product of the present invention can be manufactured using the manufacturing process for chocolate (mixing process, rolling, conching, molding, cooling and solidification process, etc.). Other manufacturing methods include those using ball mills, bead mills, etc., which are general methods for manufacturing chocolate. As an example of a manufacturing method, a method can be used in which oils and fats, carbohydrates, roasted powder derived from beans, cocoa mass, dairy products, flavorings, emulsifiers, etc. are used as raw materials, and the method includes a mixing step, a micronization step (rolling), a refining step (conching), a cooling step, etc. Another example is a method that uses the same raw materials as above and includes a mixing step, a micronization step (pulverization using a ball mill or bead mill), a stirring step, a cooling step, etc. [Examples]

[0035] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples of the present invention. In the examples, both % and parts refer to mass.

[0036] ○Consideration 1 - Addition of sugars and amino acids ●Method for producing roasted powder derived from legumes • As a legume, black kidney beans were ground into a powder using a commercially available coffee grinder and used. The ingredients listed in Table 1 were added and mixed. • During mixing, water, sugars, lecithin, and amino acids were mixed beforehand and then added to the ground black beans. The moisture content of the mixture was measured using the sea sand method and was 12.0-18.0% by mass for all components. The mixture was spread evenly in a deep, rectangular stainless steel tray to a thickness of approximately 2-6 mm. The beans were roasted in an oven (DKM600: manufactured by Yamato Scientific Co., Ltd.) at 140°C for 30 minutes. ●Method for making chocolate-like food A chocolate-like food product was prepared by blending roasted bean-derived powder with all the flours and oils according to the typical ingredient ratios listed in Table 2. The powdered raw materials listed in Table 2 were micronized using ShakeMaster Auto (BioMedical Science Co., Ltd.), and then liquefied by adding and mixing the melted oils and fats, lecithin, etc. The solid particle size of the obtained chocolate-like food was 20-30 μm. The liquefied chocolate-like food was poured into a mold and solidified at 5°C. As a comparative example of chocolate-like foods, a chocolate-like food was prepared using carob powder with the formulation shown in Table 2, separate from roasted powder derived from legumes. As an example, a chocolate-like food product was prepared using cocoa powder. Except for Comparative Example (3) and Reference Example of Chocolate-like Food, the preparations were made according to the representative formulation ratios listed in Table 2. A micrometer (Mitutoyo Corporation, product name "Digimatic Standard Outside Micrometer MDC-25PJ") was used for particle size measurement. For the fats used, hard butter (manufactured by Fuji Oil Co., Ltd., product name "Parquena S") was used. I used commercially available organic carob powder. I used commercially available honey, cocoa powder, whole milk powder, and sugar. As lecithin, paste-type soy lecithin (manufactured by Tsuji Oil Co., Ltd., product name "SLP-Paste") was used.

[0037] The added amino acids were of food additive grade. The types are listed below. Amino acids (A): A mixture of five hydrophobic amino acids—L-alanine, L-valine, L-leucine, L-isoleucine, and L-phenylalanine—in equal mass ratios. Amino Acids (B): A mixture of five hydrophilic amino acids, primarily L-lysine hydrochloride, L-threonine, L-serine, L-glutamic acid, and L-tyrosine, in equal mass ratios.

[0038] ● Evaluation of color tone The color tone of roasted powder derived from legumes was measured using a colorimeter ZE-6000. ○: L* value is 40-60. Good. ×: L* value exceeds 60 or falls below 40. Unsuitable.

[0039] ● Evaluation method for chocolate-like foods The flavor of the chocolate-like food was evaluated after being left in a room at 18-20°C for more than one hour. Flavor evaluation was conducted by three trained panelists using sensory evaluation based on the following criteria, and the average value was used as the final evaluation.

[0040] ●Flavor evaluation The flavor of each chocolate-like food product was evaluated based on the following criteria to determine whether it had a good flavor as a chocolate-like food product. In addition, the chocolate-like flavor of a chocolate-like food product using cocoa powder (as a reference example) was rated as "chocolate-likeness." A rating of 3 or higher was considered a passing grade for all evaluations. ● Evaluation of chocolate-like foods 5: There is almost no bean smell, very good. 4: Good, with only a slight bean-like smell. 3: The bean-like smell is slightly noticeable, but within an acceptable range. 2: The bean-like smell is quite strong and it's unsuitable. 1: The strong bean-like smell makes it unsuitable.

[0041] ● Evaluation of chocolateiness 5: Chocolate flavor 4: A strong cocoa-like flavor reminiscent of chocolate can be detected. 3: It has a cocoa-like flavor reminiscent of chocolate. 2: There is almost no chocolate flavor. 1: There is absolutely no chocolate flavor.

[0042] ● Overall rating Chocolate-like foods that received a "○" rating for color tone, and both the rating for chocolate-like food and the rating for chocolateiness were 3 or higher, but did not meet the criteria for "◎: Very good", were given an overall rating of "○: Good". Chocolate-like foods that received a "○" rating for color tone and both a "Chocolate-like food" rating and a "Chocolate-like taste" rating of 4 or higher were given an overall rating of "◎: Very good". If the overall evaluation did not meet the criteria for "○" or "◎", the overall evaluation was given as "×: Unacceptable". The overall evaluation of chocolate-like foods is shown in Table 3. In the table, "Roasting Comparison Example" or "Roasting Example" refers to the sample of roasted powder derived from beans, and "Chocolate-like Food Comparison Example" or "Chocolate-like Food Example" refers to the sample of chocolate-like food.

[0043] [Table 1]

[0044] The lecithin and amino acids listed in the table were added to water or honey, then mixed with ground legumes and roasted.

[0045] [Table 2]

[0046] [Table 3]

[0047] By mixing honey and amino acids during the roasting of ground legumes, the flavor of chocolate-like foods was improved. These foods had a distinct chocolate flavor. When using carob powder, the flavor was acceptable for a chocolate-like food product, but it was insufficient to achieve a truly chocolatey flavor.

[0048] ○Consideration 2 - Change of legumes • Instead of black kidney beans, purple kidney beans, red kidney beans, canary beans, and adzuki beans were used in the same study as in Study 1. The moisture content of the mixture before roasting was 13.0-18.0% by mass. • Chocolate-like foods were prepared according to the representative formulation described in "●Method for preparing chocolate-like foods" and evaluated according to "●Method for evaluating chocolate-like foods".

[0049] [Table 4]

[0050] [Table 5]

[0051] Changing the type of beans yielded similarly good flavor. Adding honey and amino acids during roasting resulted in a material with a noticeable chocolate flavor.

[0052] ○Consideration 3 - Change of sugar • The same investigation as in Study 1 was conducted when using high-fructose corn syrup or fructose aqueous solution as sugars instead of honey, and when using fructose and water separately in the formulation. • A fructose aqueous solution with a concentration of 33% by mass was used. The moisture content of the mixture before roasting was 15.0–24.0% by mass. • Chocolate-like foods were prepared according to the representative formulation described in "●Method for preparing chocolate-like foods" above, and evaluated according to "●Method for evaluating chocolate-like foods".

[0053] [Table 6]

[0054] [Table 7]

[0055] The moisture content of all chocolate-like foods listed in Table 7 was between 1.4% and 1.6% by mass. Even when the type of sugar used in roasting was changed, a good flavor was still achieved.

[0056] ○Consideration 4 - Amino Acid Changes The same study as in Study 1 was conducted using either amino acid (A) or (B) as used in Study 1, but with a different amount added. The moisture content of the mixture before roasting was 13.0–18.0% by mass. • Chocolate-like foods were prepared according to the representative formulation described in "●Method for preparing chocolate-like foods" and evaluated according to "●Method for evaluating chocolate-like foods".

[0057] [Table 8]

[0058] [Table 9]

[0059] The moisture content of all chocolate-like foods listed in Table 9 was between 1.4% and 1.6% by mass. Changing the amount of added amino acids slightly weakened the chocolate flavor, but it was still at an acceptable level.

[0060] ○Consideration 5 - Alkaline Agents • An experiment was conducted involving the addition of an alkaline agent during roasting. Four types of alkaline agents listed in Table 10 were used, and the amount added was adjusted to 2% of the ground bean material. The moisture content of the mixture before roasting was 13.0–18.0% by mass. • Chocolate-like foods were prepared according to the representative formulation described in "●Method for preparing chocolate-like foods" and evaluated according to "●Method for evaluating chocolate-like foods".

[0061] [Table 10]

[0062] [Table 11]

[0063] The moisture content of all chocolate-like foods listed in Table 11 was between 1.4% and 1.6% by mass. Although there were some differences depending on the type of alkaline agent used, chocolate-like foods using roasted powder derived from beans had a chocolate-like flavor.

[0064] Consideration 6 - Combined use with cocoa powder When preparing a chocolate-like food product using the roasted bean-derived powder material prepared in Roasting Example 1, we used cocoa powder in combination to confirm whether the roasted bean-derived powder material interfered with the chocolate-like flavor of the cocoa powder. • Chocolate-like foods were prepared according to the "Method for Preparing Chocolate-like Foods" described above, using the mixing ratios listed in Table 12, and evaluated according to the "Method for Evaluating Chocolate-like Foods" described above.

[0065] [Table 12]

[0066] It was found that roasted powder material derived from legumes can adjust the flavor of cocoa powder according to the amount added, without interfering with the flavor of the cocoa powder. [Industrial applicability]

[0067] The present invention makes it possible to provide a chocolate-like food product with excellent flavor even when the amount of cocoa-derived components is reduced. Furthermore, it is possible to provide a roasted powder derived from legumes that can be used in the chocolate-like food product.

Claims

1. A method for producing roasted powder derived from legumes used in chocolate-like foods, comprising all of the following steps 1) to 3). 1) Grind the beans. 2) Mix a monosaccharide and an amino acid containing two or more types of amino acids, where at least one of the amino acids is a hydrophobic amino acid, with water. 3) Add the mixture from 2) to the ground beans obtained in 1) so that the amino acid content is 0.1g to 1g per 100g of ground beans, adjust the moisture content before roasting to 5 to 25% by mass, stir, and roast until the color L* value is 40 to 60.

2. A method for producing a chocolate-like food product using roasted powder derived from legumes as described in claim 1, further comprising the following steps. 4) Mix and pulverize the roasted powder derived from the beans, sugars, and melted oils and fats.

3. The method for producing roasted powder derived from beans according to Claim 1, wherein the beans used in step 1) are one or more selected from the group consisting of soybeans, mung beans, kidney beans, peas, purple kidney beans, and adzuki beans.

4. A method for producing roasted powder derived from beans according to claim 1, wherein an alkaline agent is mixed in step 2) of mixing sugars and amino acids with water.

5. A method for producing roasted powder derived from beans according to claim 1, wherein in step 3) a mixture containing sugars and amino acids is added to ground beans and stirred, and oil is mixed in and the mixture is roasted.

6. A method for producing a chocolate-like food product using roasted powder derived from beans according to any one of claims 3 to 5, further comprising the following steps. 4) Mix and pulverize the roasted powder derived from the beans, sugars, and melted oils and fats.

7. A method for producing a chocolate-like food according to claim 2, wherein the content of non-fat cocoa solids is 0% by mass or more and less than 1% by mass.

8. A method for producing a chocolate-like food according to claim 6, wherein the content of non-fat cocoa solids is 0% by mass or more and less than 1% by mass.

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