Taste-enhancing composition, method for producing same, and method for enhancing taste of food

Abstract

The present specification discloses a taste-enhancing composition that can enhance the taste of a food by being added to the food, and a method for producing the same. The present disclosure relates to: a taste-enhancing composition comprising one or more heat-treated spices selected from the group consisting of heat-treated anise, heat-treated fennel, and heat-treated Cinnamomum plant spice; and a method for producing the same.

Description

Composition for enhancing taste, method for producing the same, and method for enhancing taste of food

[0001] The present invention relates to a composition for enhancing taste, a method for producing the same, and a method for enhancing the taste of food.

[0002] Table salt (sodium chloride) imparts a favorable taste to food and is used in food as a source of chlorine and sodium, which are essential elements for maintaining life. On the other hand, excessive intake of table salt is known to cause many diseases such as hypertension, and suppression of salt intake is desired.

[0003] On the other hand, fennel, anise, and cinnamon are known as spices.

[0004] In Patent Document 1, it is described that in the production of spices, it is an important problem to produce spices without causing flavor dissipation by heat sterilization or the like. As a means for solving this problem in Patent Document 1, a method for producing a spice is described, which comprises mixing a raw material spice with ascorbic acid and / or its salt and then performing a heat treatment. In Patent Document 1, specific examples of the raw material spice include flavor spices such as fennel and spicy spices such as pepper. In the examples of Patent Document 1, it is described that the spice obtained by heat-treating a mixture of a raw material spice and an L-ascorbic acid preparation under predetermined conditions had a rich flavor.

[0005] Patent Document 2 describes a seasoning composition containing seeds and / or nuts and curry leaf and / or its extract. Further, in Patent Document 2, by blending a roasted spice such as roasted anise into the seasoning composition, the fragrant flavor of the seeds and the nuts is enhanced, and in particular, the taste (middle taste) felt after the initial taste is enhanced.

[0006] Patent Document 3 describes a method for producing a roasted spice paste in which the characteristic aroma and flavor of spices such as fennel, anise, and cinnamon are enhanced. Specifically, Patent Document 3 describes a method for producing a roasted spice paste containing pulverized roasted spices, comprising the steps of roasting the spices in oil and grease, and pulverizing the roasted spices obtained in the first step under predetermined conditions. Patent Document 3 states that the roasting process with oil and grease should be carried out under conditions that are sufficient to extract the aroma and flavor components contained in the spices without substantially losing them. Specifically, it is stated that this should be done by immersing the spices in oil and grease at 70°C to 200°C, preferably 90°C to 180°C, for 5 seconds to 30 minutes, preferably 10 seconds to 20 minutes.

[0007] Patent Document 4 describes a spice having a new flavor and a method for producing the same. Specifically, Patent Document 4 includes at least two spice groups selected from the group consisting of characteristic flavor spices, caramel flavor enhancing spices, almond flavor enhancing spices, and charcoal flavor enhancing spices. The characteristic flavor spice is either an unheated spice or a spice obtained by heating an unheated spice under conditions where the heating value is 5 or less. The caramel flavor enhancing spice is at least one spice selected from the group consisting of coriander, cumin, dried tangerine peel, anise, celery, turmeric, fenugreek, garlic, chili pepper, paprika, fennel, black pepper, ginger, and asafoetida, heated at a gauge pressure of 0.05 MPa or higher. The invention describes a mixed spice obtained by heating under pressure to achieve a heating value of 15 to 170, wherein the almond aroma-enhancing spice is obtained by heating at least one spice selected from the group consisting of turmeric, chili pepper, fenugreek, cumin, coriander, dried tangerine peel, garlic, paprika, fennel, anise, celery, black pepper, ginger, fenugreek cleaves, and cinnamon under conditions of a gauge pressure of less than 0.05 MPa to achieve a heating value of 50 to 180, and the charcoal aroma-enhancing spice is obtained by heating coriander under conditions of a heating value of 800 or more.

[0008] Japanese Patent Publication No. 10-215808, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-202765, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-123329, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-103257

[0009] This disclosure relates to a flavor-enhancing composition that can enhance the taste of food when incorporated into the food, and a method for producing the same. This disclosure also relates to a method for enhancing the taste of food.

[0010] The present inventors have discovered a flavor-enhancing composition that can enhance the taste of food, a method for producing the flavor-enhancing composition, and the following means as a method for enhancing the taste of food.

[0011] [1] A flavor-enhancing composition containing one or more heat-treated spices selected from the group consisting of heat-treated anise, heat-treated fennel, and heat-treated cinnamon plant spices.

[0012] [2] The flavor-enhancing composition according to [1], wherein the heat-treated spice contains the heat-treated anise, specifically, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated anise.

[0013] [3] The flavor-enhancing composition according to [2], wherein the heat-treated anise is anise that has been heat-treated under conditions that result in a heating value of 5 or more.

[0014] [4] The flavor-enhancing composition according to [2] or [3], wherein the heat-treated anise is obtained by heat-treating anise under one or more conditions selected from a2) open system conditions, b2) conditions in which oil is present, and c2) pressurized sealed conditions.

[0015] [5] The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of [2] to [4], wherein the heat-treated anise is subjected to one or more heat treatments selected from unground anise and ground anise.

[0016] [6] The heat-treated anise is a mixture of anise and amino acids or peptides that has been heat-treated, the flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of [2] to [5].

[0017] [7] The heat-treated anise is analyzed by adding 5 μg / g caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g L-methionine sulfone to the heat-treated anise and the resulting chromatogram obtained by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) according to the following method, in which: (201) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the alanine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.8 or more; (202) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the arginine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.1 or more; (203) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the aspartic acid-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.7 or more; (204) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the asparagine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.29 or more. (205) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing glutamic acid to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.2 or more, (206) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing glutamine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.4 or more, (207) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing glycine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.7 or more, (208) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing histidine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 4.9 or more, (209) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing leucine or isoleucine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.0 or more, (210) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing lysine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.4 or more, (211) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing methionine to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.6 or more.(212) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing phenylalanine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.6 or more, (213) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing proline to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 7.4 or more, (214) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing serine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.71 or more, (215) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing threonine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 11 or more, (216) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing tryptophan to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.65 or more, (217) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing tyrosine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.8 or more, (218) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing valine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.2 or more, (219) The area ratio of peak areas derived from sulfurol to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.86 or more, (220) The area ratio of peak areas derived from vanillin to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.24 or more, (221) The area ratio of peak areas derived from 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.15 or more, (222) The area ratio of peak areas derived from pyroglutamic acid to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 38 or more, (223) The area ratio of peak areas derived from fructose to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 120 or more. (224) The area ratio of the peak area derived from ascorbic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.23 or more, and (225) The area ratio of the peak area derived from quinic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 330 or more.A flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of [2] to [6], satisfying one or more of the following: (226) The area ratio of the peak area derived from lactic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 18 or more; (227) The area ratio of the peak area derived from gallic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.78 or more; (228) The area ratio of the peak area derived from vanillic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.50 or more; (229) The area ratio of the peak area derived from ethyl lactate to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.64 or more. (LC-MS measurement method) A 15 mL test tube containing 200 mg of the heat-treated anise and 7.5 mL of water is heated in a constant temperature water bath at 75°C for 10 minutes to prepare an aqueous extract. To the aqueous extract in the test tube, 2.5 mL of acetonitrile and 5 μg / g of caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g of L-methionine sulfone relative to the heat-treated anise are added and stirred. After stirring, the solid components are removed and the liquid components are recovered to prepare a sample. The sample is analyzed by LC-MS (ionization method: electrospray ionization (ESI) positive mode and ESI negative mode) to obtain a chromatogram.

[0018] [8] The heat-treated anise is analyzed by adding 4 μg / g of 4-methylthiazole to the heat-treated anise and performing gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) according to the following method, and in the resulting chromatogram, (230) the area ratio of the peak area derived from benzaldehyde to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.22 or more, (231) the area ratio of the peak area derived from phenethyl alcohol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.17 or more, (232) the area ratio of the peak area derived from cyclotene to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.013 or more, (233) the area ratio of the peak area derived from anisaldehyde to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.086 or more, (234) the area ratio of the peak area derived from furaneol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.22 or more. (235) The area ratio of the peak area derived from homofuranol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.037 or higher, (236) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 2-acetylfuran to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.24 or higher, (237) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 2-furylhydroxymethylketone to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.092 or higher, (238) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 3-pyridinol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 1.4 or higher, (239) The area ratio of the peak area derived from α-terpinene to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.11 or higher, (240) The area ratio of the peak area derived from guaiacol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.27 or higher. A flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of [2] to [7], wherein (241) the area ratio of the peak area derived from 4-vinylguaiacol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 1.4 or more, and (242) the area ratio of the peak area derived from syringol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.056 or more.(GC-MS Measurement Method) A 10 mL test tube containing 25 mg of the heat-treated anise, 4-methylthiazole in an amount equivalent to 4 μg / g relative to the heat-treated anise, 4 mL of acetone, and 4 mL of methanol is stirred, the solid components are removed, the liquid components are recovered, and 1 mL of acetone is added for every 0.1 mL of the liquid components to prepare a GC-MS sample. The GC-MS sample is analyzed by GC-MS (ionization method: electron ionization (EI) positive mode) to obtain a chromatogram.

[0019] A method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of [9], [2] to [8], comprising: heat-treating anise to obtain the heat-treated anise.

[0020]

[10] The method according to [9], wherein the heat treatment is performed under conditions that result in a heating value of 5 or higher.

[0021]

[11] The method according to [9] or

[10] , wherein the heat treatment is performed under one or more conditions selected from a2) open system conditions, b2) conditions in which oil is present, and c2) pressurized sealed conditions.

[0022]

[12] The method according to any one of [9] to

[11] , wherein the anise is one or more selected from unground anise and ground anise.

[0023]

[13] The method according to any one of [9] to

[12] , wherein the anise is a mixture of anise and an amino acid or peptide.

[0024]

[14] The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of [1] to [8], wherein the heat-treated spice contains the heat-treated fennel, specifically, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated fennel.

[0025]

[15] The flavor-enhancing composition according to

[14] , wherein the heat-treated fennel is obtained by heat-treating fennel under conditions that result in a heating value of 0.5 or higher.

[0026]

[16] The flavor-enhancing composition according to

[14] or

[15] , wherein the heat-treated fennel is obtained by heat-treating fennel under one or more conditions selected from a1) open system conditions, b1) conditions in which oil is present, and c1) pressurized sealed conditions.

[0027]

[17] The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of

[14] to

[16] , wherein the heat-treated fennel is subjected to one or more heat treatments selected from unground fennel and ground fennel.

[0028]

[18] The heat-treated fennel is a mixture of fennel and amino acids or peptides that has been heat-treated, the flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of

[14] to

[17] .

[0029]

[19] The heat-treated fennel is analyzed by adding 5 μg / g caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g L-methionine sulfone to the heat-treated fennel and, in the chromatogram obtained by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) according to the following method, (101) the total area ratio of the peak area derived from the alanine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.4 or more, (102) the total area ratio of the peak area derived from the arginine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.0 or more, (103) the total area ratio of the peak area derived from the aspartic acid-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.2 or more, (104) the total area ratio of the peak area derived from the asparagine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.53 or more. (105) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing glutamic acid to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.8 or more, (106) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing glutamine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.9 or more, (107) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing glycine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.90 or more, (108) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing histidine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 10 or more, (109) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing leucine or isoleucine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.3 or more, (110) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing lysine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 5.7 or more, (111) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing methionine to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 4.6 or more.(112) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing phenylalanine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.0 or more, (113) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing proline to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.4 or more, (114) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing serine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.50 or more, (115) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing threonine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 4.8 or more, (116) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing tryptophan to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.33 or more, (117) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing tyrosine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.1 or more, (118) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing valine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.5 or more, (119) The area ratio of peak areas derived from sulfurol to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.80 or more, (120) The area ratio of peak areas derived from quinic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 310 or more, (121) The area ratio of peak areas derived from malic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 2400 or more, (122) The area ratio of peak areas derived from tartaric acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 10 or more, (123) The area ratio of peak areas derived from lactic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 52 or more, (124) The area ratio of peak areas derived from adipic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 4.5 or more, (125) The area ratio of the peak area derived from pyroglutamic acid to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 17 or more.(126) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.15 or more, (127) The area ratio of the peak area derived from vanillin to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.25 or more, (128) The area ratio of the peak area derived from ascorbic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.18 or more, (129) The area ratio of the peak area derived from vanillic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.88 or more, (130) The area ratio of the peak area derived from fructose to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 190 or more, (131) The area ratio of the peak area derived from ethyl lactate to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 6.0 or more. (132) The taste-enhancing composition according to any one of

[14] to

[18] , satisfying one or more of the following: the area ratio of the peak area derived from gallic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.21 or more. (LC-MS measurement method) A 15 mL test tube containing 200 mg of the heat-treated fennel and 7.5 mL of water is heated in a constant temperature water bath at 75°C for 10 minutes to prepare an aqueous extract. 2.5 mL of acetonitrile and 5 μg / g of caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g of L-methionine sulfone relative to the heat-treated fennel are added to the aqueous extract in the test tube, and after stirring, the solid components are removed and the liquid components are recovered to prepare a sample. The sample is analyzed by LC-MS (ionization method: electrospray ionization (ESI) positive mode and ESI negative mode) to obtain a chromatogram.

[0030]

[20] The heat-treated fennel is analyzed by adding 4 μg / g of 4-methylthiazole to the heat-treated fennel and, in the chromatogram obtained by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) according to the following method, (133) the area ratio of the peak area derived from carveol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.71 or more, (134) the area ratio of the peak area derived from sotolon to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.43 or more, (135) the area ratio of the peak area derived from phenethyl alcohol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.17 or more, (136) the area ratio of the peak area derived from furaneol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.12 or more, (137) the area ratio of the peak area derived from homofuraneol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.069 or more. A flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of

[14] to

[19] , satisfying one or more of the following: (138) The area ratio of the peak area derived from cyclotene to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.010 or more; (139) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 2-acetylfuran to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.17 or more; (140) The area ratio of the peak area derived from benzaldehyde to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.22 or more; (141) The area ratio of the peak area derived from methyl benzoate to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.050 or more; (142) The area ratio of the peak area derived from furylhydroxymethyl ketone to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.068 or more. (GC-MS measurement method) A 10 mL test tube containing 25 mg of the heat-treated fennel, 4-methylthiazole in an amount equivalent to 4 μg / g relative to the heat-treated fennel, 4 mL of acetone, and 4 mL of methanol is stirred, the solid components are removed, the liquid components are recovered, and 1 mL of acetone is added for every 0.1 mL of the liquid components to prepare the GC-MS sample.The GC-MS sample is analyzed by GC-MS (ionization method: electron ionization (EI) positive mode) to obtain a chromatogram.

[0031] A method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of

[21] ,

[14] to

[20] , comprising: heat-treating fennel to obtain the heat-treated fennel.

[0032]

[22] The method according to

[21] , wherein the heat treatment is performed under conditions that result in a heating value of 0.5 or higher.

[0033]

[23] The method according to

[21] or

[22] , wherein the heat treatment is performed under one or more conditions selected from a1) open system conditions, b1) conditions in which oil is present, and c1) pressurized sealed conditions.

[0034]

[24] The method according to any one of

[21] to

[23] , wherein the fennel is one or more selected from unground fennel and ground fennel.

[0035]

[25] The method according to any one of

[21] to

[24] , wherein the fennel is a mixture of fennel and an amino acid or a peptide.

[0036]

[26] The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of [1] to [8] and

[14] to

[20] , wherein the heat-treated spice contains the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice, specifically, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice.

[0037]

[27] The flavor-enhancing composition according to

[26] , wherein the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice is obtained by heat-treating a cinnamon plant spice under conditions that result in a heat value of 5 or higher.

[0038]

[28] The flavor-enhancing composition according to

[26] or

[27] , wherein the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice is obtained by heat-treating the cinnamon plant spice under one or more conditions selected from a3) open system conditions, b3) conditions in which oil is present, and c3) pressurized sealed conditions.

[0039]

[29] The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of

[26] to

[28] , wherein the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice is subjected to one or more heat treatments selected from unground cinnamon plant spice and ground cinnamon plant spice.

[0040]

[30] The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of

[26] to

[29] , wherein the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice is obtained by heat-treating a mixture of cinnamon plant spice and amino acids or peptides.

[0041]

[31] The heat-treated cinnamon plant spice is heat-treated cinnamon, and the heat-treated cinnamon is analyzed by adding 5 μg / g caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g L-methionine sulfone to the heat-treated cinnamon and analyzing the resulting chromatogram by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) according to the following method, in which: (301) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the alanine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.30 or more, (302) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the arginine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.095 or more, (303) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the aspartic acid-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.14 or more. (304) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing asparagine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.002 or more, (305) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing glutamic acid to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.078 or more, (306) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing glutamine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.56 or more, (307) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing glycine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.15 or more, (308) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing histidine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.2 or more, (309) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing leucine or isoleucine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.40 or more, (310) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing lysine to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.10 or more, and (311) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing methionine to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.4 or more,(312) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from cyclic dipeptides containing phenylalanine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.2 or more, (313) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from cyclic dipeptides containing proline to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.35 or more, (314) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from cyclic dipeptides containing serine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.077 or more, (315) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from cyclic dipeptides containing threonine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.13 or more, (316) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from cyclic dipeptides containing tryptophan to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.35 or more, (317) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from cyclic dipeptides containing tyrosine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.76 or more, (318) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing valine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.082 or more, (319) The area ratio of peak areas derived from pyroglutamic acid to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.32 or more, (320) The area ratio of peak areas derived from 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.28 or more, (321) The area ratio of peak areas derived from vanillin to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.75 or more, (322) The area ratio of peak areas derived from catechin to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.80 or more, (323) The area ratio of peak areas derived from epicatechin to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 4.9 or more, (324) The area ratio of the peak area derived from gallocatechin to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.22 or more, and (325) The area ratio of the peak area derived from epigallocatechin to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.83 or more,(326) The area ratio of the peak area derived from epicatechin gallate to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.038 or more, (327) The area ratio of the peak area derived from gallocatechin gallate to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.035 or more, (328) The area ratio of the peak area derived from catechin gallate to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.41 or more, (329) The area ratio of the peak area derived from procyanidin B1 to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.35 or more, (330) The area ratio of the peak area derived from procyanidin B2 to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 9.7 or more, (331) The area ratio of the peak area derived from procyanidin A to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 2.9 or more, (332) The area ratio of the peak area derived from ascorbic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.23 or more, (333) The area ratio of the peak area derived from tartaric acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.92 or more, (334) The area ratio of the peak area derived from quinic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 210 or more, (335) The area ratio of the peak area derived from citric acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 100 or more, (336) The area ratio of the peak area derived from succinic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 17 or more, (337) The area ratio of the peak area derived from malic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 82 or more, (338) The area ratio of the peak area derived from vanillic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.67 or more, and (339) The area ratio of the peak area derived from ethyl lactate to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.25 or more, satisfying one or more of the above conditions, as described in any of

[26] to

[30] . (LC-MS measurement method)A 15 mL test tube containing 200 mg of the heat-treated cinnamon and 7.5 mL of water is heated in a 75°C constant temperature water bath for 10 minutes to prepare an aqueous extract. To the aqueous extract in the test tube, 2.5 mL of acetonitrile, 5 μg / g of caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g of L-methionine sulfone relative to the heat-treated cinnamon are added, and after stirring, the solid components are removed and the liquid components are recovered to prepare a sample. The sample is analyzed by LC-MS (ionization method: electrospray ionization (ESI) positive mode and ESI negative mode) to obtain a chromatogram.

[0042]

[32] The heat-treated cinnamon plant spice is heat-treated cinnamon, and the heat-treated cinnamon is analyzed by adding 4 μg / g of 4-methylthiazole to the heat-treated cinnamon and the resulting chromatogram obtained by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) according to the following method, (340) the area ratio of the peak area derived from furaneol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.14 or more, (341) the area ratio of the peak area derived from phenethyl alcohol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 1.9 or more, (342) the area ratio of the peak area derived from methyl benzoate to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.068 or more, (343) the area ratio of the peak area derived from benzaldehyde to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 8.8 or more. (344) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 2-furylhydroxymethyl ketone to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.15 or more, (345) The area ratio of the peak area derived from amyl acetate to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 3.8 or more, (346) The area ratio of the peak area derived from cinnamyl acetate to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 1.6 or more, (347) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 2-methoxybenzaldehyde to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.21 or more, (348) The area ratio of the peak area derived from guaiacol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.63 or more, (349) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 4-methylguaiacol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.060 or more, (350) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 4-ethylguaiacol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.061 or higher, (351) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 4-vinylguaiacol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 3.0 or higher, (352) The area ratio of the peak area derived from syringol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.22 or higher.A flavor enhancing composition according to any one of

[26] to

[31] , which satisfies one or more of the above. (GC-MS measurement method) After stirring a 10 mL test tube containing 25 mg of the heat-treated cinnamon, 4 μg / g of 4-methylthiazole with respect to the heat-treated cinnamon, 4 mL of acetone, and 4 mL of methanol, the solid components were removed and the liquid components were recovered. 1 mL of acetone was added per 0.1 mL of the liquid component to prepare a GC-MS sample. The GC-MS sample was analyzed by GC-MS (ionization method: electron ionization method (EI) positive mode) to obtain a chromatogram.

[0043]

[33] A method for producing a flavor enhancing composition according to any one of

[26] to

[32] , comprising subjecting a Myrica plant spice to a heat treatment to obtain the heat-treated Myrica plant spice.

[0044]

[24] The method according to

[33] , wherein the heat treatment is a heat treatment under conditions where the heating value is 5 or more.

[0045]

[35] The method according to

[33] or

[34] , wherein the heat treatment is a heat treatment under one or more conditions selected from a3) open system conditions, b3) conditions where oil coexists, and c3) pressure-sealed conditions.

[0046]

[36] The method according to any one of

[33] to

[35] , wherein the Myrica plant spice is one or more selected from an unground Myrica plant spice and a ground Myrica plant spice.

[0047]

[37] The method according to any one of

[33] to

[36] , wherein the Myrica plant spice is a mixture of a Myrica plant spice and an amino acid or a peptide.

[0048]

[38] A flavor enhancing composition according to any one of [1] to [8],

[14] to

[20] , and

[26] to

[32] for enhancing the flavor of a food when incorporated into the food.

[0049]

[39] A method for enhancing the flavor of a food, comprising incorporating a flavor enhancing composition according to any one of [1] to [8],

[14] to

[20] , and

[26] to

[32] into the food.

[0050]

[40] The method according to

[39] , wherein the enhanced taste is the taste of the food itself.

[0051]

[41] The method according to

[39] or

[40] , comprising blending the flavor-enhancing composition into the food such that the concentration of the heat-treated spice in the food is 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less.

[0052]

[42] The method according to any one of

[39] to

[41] , comprising blending the flavor-enhancing composition into the food such that the amount of heat-treated spice is 0.5 g or more per 100 g of salt equivalent in the food.

[0053]

[43] The method according to any one of

[39] to

[42] , comprising blending the flavor-enhancing composition into the food such that the amount of heat-treated spices is 0.20 g or more per 100 g of carbohydrates in the food.

[0054]

[44] Use of one or more heat-treated spices selected from the group consisting of heat-treated anise, heat-treated fennel, and heat-treated cinnamon plant spices to enhance the flavor of food.

[0055]

[45] The use according to

[44] , wherein the heat-treated spice contains the heat-treated anise, specifically, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated anise, and the heat-treated anise is the heat-treated anise specified in any of [2] to [8].

[0056]

[46] The use according to

[44] or

[45] , wherein the heat-treated spice contains the heat-treated fennel, specifically, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated fennel, and the heat-treated fennel is the heat-treated fennel specified in any of

[14] to

[20] .

[0057]

[47] The use according to any one of

[44] to

[46] , wherein the heat-treated spice contains the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice, specifically, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice, and the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice is the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice specified in any one of

[26] to

[32] .

[0058]

[48] ​​The use according to any one of

[44] to

[47] for which the food is incorporated into the food to enhance the taste of the food itself.

[0059]

[49] The use according to any one of

[44] to

[48] , wherein the heat-treated spice is added to the food so that the concentration of the heat-treated spice in the food is 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, in order to enhance the taste of the food.

[0060]

[50] The use according to any one of

[44] to

[49] , wherein the heat-treated spice is added to the food in such a way that the amount of heat-treated spice is 0.5 g or more per 100 g of salt equivalent in the food, thereby enhancing the taste of the food.

[0061]

[51] The use according to any one of

[44] to

[50] , wherein the heat-treated spice is added to the food in such a way that the amount of heat-treated spice is 0.20 g or more per 100 g of carbohydrates in the food, thereby enhancing the flavor of the food.

[0062]

[52] A method for enhancing the flavor of a food, comprising incorporating one or more heat-treated spices selected from the group consisting of heat-treated anise, heat-treated fennel, and heat-treated cinnamon plant spices into the food.

[0063]

[53] The method according to

[52] , wherein the heat-treated spice contains the heat-treated anise, specifically, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated anise, and the heat-treated anise is the heat-treated anise specified in any of [2] to [8].

[0064]

[54] The method according to

[52] or

[53] , wherein the heat-treated spice contains the heat-treated fennel, specifically, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated fennel, and the heat-treated fennel is the heat-treated fennel specified in any of

[14] to

[20] .

[0065]

[55] The method according to any one of

[52] to

[64] , wherein the heat-treated spice contains the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice, specifically, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice, and the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice is the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice as defined in any one of

[26] to

[32] .

[0066]

[56] The method according to any one of

[52] to

[55] , wherein the enhanced taste is the taste of the food itself.

[0067]

[57] The method according to any one of

[52] to

[56] , comprising blending the heat-treated spices into the food such that the concentration of the heat-treated spices in the food is 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less.

[0068]

[58] The method according to any one of

[52] to

[57] , comprising adding the heat-treated spice to the food such that the amount of the heat-treated spice is 0.5 g or more per 100 g of salt equivalent in the food.

[0069]

[59] The method according to any one of

[52] to

[58] , comprising adding the heat-treated spice to the food such that the amount of the heat-treated spice is 0.20 g or more per 100 g of carbohydrates in the food.

[0070]

[60] One or more heat-treated spices selected from the group consisting of heat-treated anise, heat-treated fennel, and heat-treated cinnamon plant spices, for use in enhancing the flavor of food.

[0071]

[61] The heat-treated spice according to

[60] , wherein the heat-treated spice contains the heat-treated anise, specifically, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated anise, and the heat-treated anise is the heat-treated anise specified in any of [2] to [8].

[0072]

[62] The heat-treated spice according to

[60] or

[61] , wherein the heat-treated spice contains the heat-treated fennel, specifically, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated fennel, and the heat-treated fennel is the heat-treated fennel specified in any of

[14] to

[20] .

[0073]

[63] The heat-treated spice according to any one of

[60] to

[62] , wherein the heat-treated spice contains the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice, specifically, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice, and the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice is the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice as defined in any one of

[26] to

[32] .

[0074]

[64] A heat-treated spice according to any one of

[60] to

[63] , wherein the use is to enhance the flavor of the food by being incorporated into the food.

[0075]

[65] The heat-treated spice according to any one of

[60] to

[64] , wherein the use is to blend the heat-treated spice into the food such that the concentration of the heat-treated spice in the food is 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less.

[0076]

[66] The heat-treated spice according to any one of

[60] to

[65] , wherein the use is to blend the heat-treated spice into the food such that the amount of the heat-treated spice is 0.5 g or more per 100 g of salt equivalent in the food.

[0077]

[67] The heat-treated spice according to any one of

[60] to

[66] , wherein the use is to blend the heat-treated spice into the food such that the amount of heat-treated spice is 0.20 g or more per 100 g of carbohydrates in the food.

[0078]

[68] Use of one or more heat-treated spices selected from the group consisting of heat-treated anise, heat-treated fennel, and heat-treated cinnamon plant spices in the manufacture of food additives for the purpose of enhancing the taste of food.

[0079]

[69] The use according to

[68] , wherein the heat-treated spice contains the heat-treated anise, specifically, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated anise, and the heat-treated anise is the heat-treated anise specified in any of [2] to [8].

[0080]

[70] The use according to

[68] or

[69] , wherein the heat-treated spice contains the heat-treated fennel, specifically, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated fennel, and the heat-treated fennel is the heat-treated fennel specified in any of

[14] to

[20] .

[0081]

[71] The use according to any one of

[68] to

[70] , wherein the heat-treated spice contains the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice, specifically, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice, and the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice is the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice specified in any one of

[26] to

[32] .

[0082]

[72] The use according to any one of

[68] to

[71] , wherein the additive is incorporated into a food to enhance the taste of the food itself.

[0083]

[73] The use according to any one of

[68] to

[72] , wherein the additive is incorporated into the food in such a way that the concentration of the heat-treated spice in the food is 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, in order to enhance the taste.

[0084]

[74] The use according to any one of

[68] to

[73] , wherein the additive is incorporated into the food in such a way that the amount of heat-treated spice is 0.5 g or more per 100 g of salt equivalent in the food, in order to enhance the taste.

[0085]

[75] The use according to any one of

[68] to

[74] , wherein the additive is incorporated into the food in such a way that the amount of heat-treated spice is 0.20 g or more per 100 g of carbohydrates in the food, in order to enhance the taste.

[0086] In any one embodiment of [1] to

[75] above, the food may be a low-sodium food, a low-fat food, or a low-carbohydrate food.

[0087] In one embodiment of

[41] ,

[49] ,

[57] ,

[65] and

[73] , the concentration of the heat-treated spices refers to the total concentration of two or more heat-treated spices if the heat-treated spices include one or more heat-treated anise, heat-treated fennel, and heat-treated cinnamon plant spices. In another embodiment of

[41] ,

[49] ,

[57] ,

[65] and

[73] , the concentration of the heat-treated spices refers to the concentration of one or more heat-treated spices if the heat-treated spices include one or more heat-treated anise, heat-treated fennel, and heat-treated cinnamon plant spices. In the above

[41] ,

[49] ,

[57] ,

[65] and

[73] , the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spices, or the additives are blended into the food so that the heat-treated spices in the food (calculated as dried spices; excluding components other than spices such as oil, amino acids, peptides, and water) are concentrated, either in total or individually, to, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, and more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less. In the cases described in

[41] ,

[49] ,

[57] ,

[65] and

[73] above, when used to enhance the taste of food with a lipid content of less than 20% by mass, the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spices, or the additives can be blended such that, per unit amount of the food, the heat-treated spices (calculated as dried spices; excluding components other than spices such as oil, amino acids, peptides, and water) have a final concentration of, for example, 0.005% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less. In the cases described in

[41] ,

[49] ,

[57] ,

[65] and

[73] above, when used to enhance the taste of food with a lipid content of 20% by mass or more (for example, chocolate), the heat-treated spices (calculated as dried spices; excluding components other than spices such as oil, amino acids, peptides, and water) can be blended such that, per unit amount of the food, the heat-treated spices (calculated as dried spices) have a final concentration of, for example, 0.005% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less.The flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spices, or the additives can be blended such that the final concentration of oil, amino acids, peptides, water, and other components (excluding spices) is, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 0.1% by mass or less, preferably 0.004% by mass or more and 0.05% by mass or less, more preferably 0.005% by mass or more and 0.01% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.005% by mass or more and 0.008% by mass or less.

[0088] In one embodiment of

[41] ,

[49] ,

[57] ,

[65] and

[73] above, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated anise, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spice, or the additive is blended into the food so that the total concentration of the heat-treated anise is, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, and more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less. In another embodiment of

[41] ,

[49] ,

[57] ,

[65] and

[73] above, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated anise, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spice, or the additive is blended into the food such that the food has a lipid content of less than 20% by mass, and the heat-treated anise is concentrated in total at, for example, 0.005% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.3% by mass or less. In yet another embodiment of

[41] ,

[49] ,

[57] ,

[65] and

[73] , the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated anise, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spice, or the additive is blended into the food such that the food has a lipid content of 20% by mass or more, and the heat-treated anise is concentrated in total at, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 0.1% by mass or less, preferably 0.004% by mass or more and 0.05% by mass or less, more preferably 0.005% by mass or more and 0.008% by mass or less.

[0089] In one embodiment of

[41] ,

[49] ,

[57] ,

[65] and

[73] above, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated fennel, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spice, or the additive is blended into the food so that the total concentration of the heat-treated fennel is, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, and more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less. In another embodiment of

[41] ,

[49] ,

[57] ,

[65] and

[73] above, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated fennel, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spice, or the additive is blended into the food such that the food has a lipid content of less than 20% by mass, and the heat-treated fennel is concentrated in a total concentration of, for example, 0.005% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.3% by mass or less. In yet another embodiment of

[41] ,

[49] ,

[57] ,

[65] and

[73] , the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated fennel, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spice, or the additive is blended into the food such that the food has a lipid content of 20% by mass or more, and the heat-treated fennel is in total concentration of, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 0.1% by mass or less, preferably 0.004% by mass or more and 0.05% by mass or less, more preferably 0.005% by mass or more and 0.008% by mass or less.

[0090] In one embodiment of

[41] ,

[49] ,

[57] ,

[65] and

[73] above, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spice, or the additive is blended into the food so that the total concentration of the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice is, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, and more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less. In another embodiment of

[41] ,

[49] ,

[57] ,

[65] and

[73] above, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spice, or the additive is blended into the food such that the food has a lipid content of less than 20% by mass, and the total concentration of the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice is, for example, 0.005% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.3% by mass or less. In yet another embodiment of

[41] ,

[49] ,

[57] ,

[65] and

[73] above, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spice, or the additive is blended into the food such that the food has a lipid content of 20% by mass or more, and the total concentration of the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice is, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 0.1% by mass or less, preferably 0.004% by mass or more and 0.05% by mass or less, more preferably 0.005% by mass or more and 0.008% by mass or less. In each embodiment described in this paragraph, the cinnamon plant spice may be cinnamon bark, cinnamon, cinnamon, or a mixture of two or more of cinnamon bark, cinnamon, and cinnamon.

[0091] In one embodiment of

[42] ,

[50] ,

[58] ,

[66] and

[74] , the amount of heat-treated spices per 100g of salt equivalent in the food refers to the total amount of one or more heat-treated spices if the heat-treated spices include one or more of heat-treated anise, heat-treated fennel, and heat-treated cinnamon plant spices. In another embodiment of

[42] ,

[50] ,

[58] ,

[66] and

[74] , the amount of heat-treated spices per 100g of salt equivalent in the food refers to the amount of each of the one or more heat-treated spices if the heat-treated spices include one or more of heat-treated anise, heat-treated fennel, and heat-treated cinnamon plant spices. In the above

[42] ,

[50] ,

[58] ,

[66] and

[74] , the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spices, or the additives are blended into the food so that, for every 100 g of salt equivalent in the food, the total or individual amount of the heat-treated spices (on a dry basis) is, for example, 0.5 g or more, preferably 1 g or more, preferably 2 g or more, more preferably 4 g or more, even more preferably 5 g or more, for example, 0.5 g or more and 100 g or less, preferably 1 g or more and 75 g or less, even more preferably 2 g or more and 50 g or less, particularly preferably 4 g or more and 40 g or less, and even more preferably 5 g or more and 25 g or less.

[0092] In one embodiment of

[42] ,

[50] ,

[58] ,

[66] and

[74] above, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated anise, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spice, or the additive is blended into the food such that the total amount of the heat-treated anise is, for example, 0.5 g or more, preferably 1 g or more, preferably 2 g or more, more preferably 4 g or more, even more preferably 5 g or more, for example, 0.5 g or more and 100 g or less, preferably 1 g or more and 75 g or less, even more preferably 2 g or more and 50 g or less, particularly preferably 4 g or more and 40 g or less, and even more preferably 5 g or more and 25 g or less, based on 100 g of the salt equivalent amount of the food.

[0093] In one embodiment of

[42] ,

[50] ,

[58] ,

[66] and

[74] above, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated fennel, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spice, or the additive is blended into the food such that the total amount of the heat-treated fennel is, for example, 0.5 g or more, preferably 1 g or more, preferably 2 g or more, more preferably 4 g or more, even more preferably 5 g or more, for example, 0.5 g or more and 100 g or less, preferably 1 g or more and 75 g or less, even more preferably 2 g or more and 50 g or less, particularly preferably 4 g or more and 40 g or less, and even more preferably 5 g or more and 25 g or less, per 100 g of the salt equivalent amount of the food.

[0094] In one embodiment of

[42] ,

[50] ,

[58] ,

[66] and

[74] above, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spice, or the additive is blended into the food such that the total amount of the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice is, for example, 0.5 g or more, preferably 1 g or more, preferably 2 g or more, more preferably 4 g or more, even more preferably 5 g or more, for example, 0.5 g or more and 100 g or less, preferably 1 g or more and 75 g or less, even more preferably 2 g or more and 50 g or less, particularly preferably 4 g or more and 40 g or less, and even more preferably 5 g or more and 25 g or less, per 100 g of the salt equivalent of the food.

[0095] In one embodiment of

[43] ,

[51] ,

[59] ,

[67] and

[75] , the amount of heat-treated spices per 100g of carbohydrates in the food refers to the total amount of one or more heat-treated spices if the heat-treated spices include one or more of heat-treated anise, heat-treated fennel, and heat-treated cinnamon plant spices. In another embodiment of

[43] ,

[51] ,

[59] ,

[67] and

[75] , the amount of heat-treated spices per 100g of carbohydrates in the food refers to the amount of each of the one or more heat-treated spices if the heat-treated spices include one or more of heat-treated anise, heat-treated fennel, and heat-treated cinnamon plant spices. In the above

[43] ,

[51] ,

[59] ,

[67] and

[75] , the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spices, or the additives are blended into the food so that, for every 100g of carbohydrates in the food, the total or individual amount of the heat-treated spices (on a dry basis) is, for example, 0.20g or more, preferably 0.50g or more, more preferably 0.60g or more, even more preferably 1g or more, particularly preferably 2g or more, for example, 0.20g or more and 100g or less, preferably 0.50g or more and 70g or less, more preferably 0.60g or more and 60g or less, even more preferably 1g or more and 50g or less, particularly preferably 2g or more and 50g or less.

[0096] In one embodiment of

[43] ,

[51] ,

[59] ,

[67] and

[75] above, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated anise, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spice, or the additive is blended into the food such that the total amount of the heat-treated anise is, for example, 0.20 g or more, preferably 0.50 g or more, more preferably 0.60 g or more, even more preferably 1 g or more, particularly preferably 2 g or more, for example 0.20 g or more and 100 g or less, preferably 0.50 g or more and 70 g or less, more preferably 0.60 g or more and 60 g or less, even more preferably 1 g or more and 50 g or less, particularly preferably 2 g or more and 50 g or less, based on 100 g of carbohydrates in the food.

[0097] In one embodiment of

[43] ,

[51] ,

[59] ,

[67] and

[75] above, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated fennel, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spice, or the additive is blended into the food such that the total amount of the heat-treated fennel is, for example, 0.20 g or more, preferably 0.50 g or more, more preferably 0.60 g or more, even more preferably 1 g or more, particularly preferably 2 g or more, for example 0.20 g or more and 100 g or less, preferably 0.50 g or more and 70 g or less, more preferably 0.60 g or more and 60 g or less, even more preferably 1 g or more and 50 g or less, particularly preferably 2 g or more and 50 g or less, per 100 g of carbohydrates in the food.

[0098] In one embodiment of

[43] ,

[51] ,

[59] ,

[67] and

[75] above, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spice, or the additive is blended into the food such that the total amount of the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice is, for example, 0.20 g or more, preferably 0.50 g or more, more preferably 0.60 g or more, even more preferably 1 g or more, particularly preferably 2 g or more, for example 0.20 g or more and 100 g or less, preferably 0.50 g or more and 70 g or less, more preferably 0.60 g or more and 60 g or less, even more preferably 1 g or more and 50 g or less, particularly preferably 2 g or more and 50 g or less, per 100 g of carbohydrates in the food.

[0099] In this specification and in the claims, the numerical range "X to Y" is synonymous with "X or greater, and Y or less," and refers to a range that includes the values ​​X and Y at both ends, as well as the values ​​in between.

[0100] This specification includes the disclosures of Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2024-233142, 2025-015684, and 2025-015725, which form the basis of the priority claim of this application. All publications, patents, and patent applications cited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0101] One or more flavor-enhancing compositions according to one or more embodiments of this disclosure can enhance the flavor of food when incorporated into the food.

[0102] According to the method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the flavor-enhancing composition can be produced.

[0103] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a method for enhancing the taste of a food can be used to enhance the taste of a food by incorporating the taste-enhancing composition into the food.

[0104] This specification discloses one or more heat-treated spices selected from the group consisting of heat-treated fennel, heat-treated anise, and heat-treated cinnamon plant spices, uses of the heat-treated spices, and methods for producing the heat-treated spices. In this specification, an aspect of the present invention in which the heat-treated spice includes heat-treated fennel, specifically, the heat-treated spice is heat-treated fennel, is described as the "first disclosure." In this specification, an aspect of the present invention in which the heat-treated spice includes heat-treated anise, specifically, the heat-treated spice is heat-treated anise, is described as the "second disclosure." In this specification, an aspect of the present invention in which the heat-treated spice includes heat-treated cinnamon plant spices, specifically, the heat-treated spice is heat-treated cinnamon plant spice, is described as the "third disclosure." The first, second, and third disclosures of this specification are collectively referred to as the "Disclosure" or the "Invention."

[0105] In this disclosure, "flavor" refers to the flavor possessed by food, and can be one or more flavors selected from, for example, saltiness, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, umami, richness, oiliness, and milkiness, and preferably one or more flavors selected from saltiness, sweetness, bitterness, umami, richness, and milkiness. "Flavor enhancement" refers to enhancing the flavor felt when food is consumed, and for example, it refers to enhancing the weak flavor felt when consuming food containing flavor components in a reduced amount than usual (for example, low-salt foods, low-fat foods, and low-carbohydrate foods).

[0106] In this disclosure, the taste perceived when consuming food can be divided into three stages: the "top" taste perceived first, the "middle" taste perceived next, and the "last" taste perceived last. In this disclosure, taste enhancement refers to enhancing at least one of these tastes.

[0107] Saltiness, in terms of taste, is the taste perceived when consuming salt (sodium chloride). Saltiness encompasses both the taste of salt itself and the taste perceived when salt is combined with other ingredients. For example, the top taste of a food containing salt is the pungent taste of salt, known as "saltiness," while the middle tastes include "fullness" and "savory flavor," and the final tastes include "metallic complexity" and "lingering aftertaste." Saltiness may also include the taste resulting from "flavor enhancement," where the taste of other ingredients is enhanced by salt. In this disclosure, enhancing saltiness refers to enhancing at least one of these types of saltiness.

[0108] In this disclosure, "fatty sensation" refers to the taste perceived when consuming foods containing fats and oils. Examples of fat-induced tastes include richness, depth of flavor, fullness, lingering taste, aftertaste, and smoothness. Here, fat-induced taste also includes tastes produced by fat-soluble components contained in fats and oils.

[0109] In terms of taste, "richness" can also be described as the "depth" or "body" of the flavor perceived when eating food. Therefore, "enhancing richness" can also be rephrased as "adding depth" or "adding body."

[0110] In this disclosure, flavor enhancement more preferably refers to flavor enhancement derived from one or more flavor components selected from salt, oils and fats, sucrose, citric acid, tartaric acid, naringin, glutamic acid or its salt, aspartic acid or its salt, succinic acid or its salt, inosinic acid or its salt, guanylic acid or its salt, glycine or its salt, alanine or its salt, chili pepper, black pepper, animal or plant-derived extracts, and seasonings. Examples of salts in the one or more flavor components include sodium salts. Examples of animal or plant-derived extracts include one or more extracts selected from beef extract, chicken extract, pork extract, seafood extract, garlic extract, and onion extract. Examples of seasonings include one or more selected from tomato paste, banana paste, apple paste, honey, soy sauce, miso, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise, cheese, noodle soup base, defatted soybeans, skim milk powder, yeast extract, protein hydrolysate, and curry powder. In this disclosure, enhanced taste more preferably refers to enhanced taste derived from the one or more taste components in a food containing the one or more taste components, particularly in a food containing the one or more taste components in a smaller amount than usual.

[0111] Examples of foods whose taste is enhanced in this disclosure include low-sodium foods, low-fat foods (foods with reduced fat content), and low-carbohydrate foods.

[0112] Reduced-salt foods refer to foods in which the amount of salt equivalent is reduced compared to the corresponding regular foods. Examples include foods in which the amount of salt equivalent per unit mass is 95% or less by mass, 90% or less by mass, 70% or less by mass, or 50% or less by mass, or 10% to 95% by mass, 20% to 90% by mass, 30% to 70% by mass, or 40% to 50% by mass, compared to the amount of salt equivalent per unit mass of the corresponding regular food.

[0113] Low-fat foods refer to foods that contain or do not contain a reduced amount of fat compared to the corresponding regular foods. Examples include foods in which the amount of fat per unit mass is 95% or less by mass, 90% or less by mass, 70% or less by mass, or 50% or less by mass, or 10% to 95% by mass, 20% to 90% by mass, 30% to 70% by mass, or 40% to 50% by mass, compared to the amount of fat per unit mass of the corresponding regular food.

[0114] Low-carbohydrate foods refer to foods that contain or do not contain carbohydrates in a reduced amount compared to the corresponding regular foods. Examples include foods in which the amount of carbohydrates per unit mass is 95% or less by mass, 90% or less by mass, 70% or less by mass, or 50% or less by mass, or 10% to 95% by mass, 20% to 90% by mass, 30% to 70% by mass, or 40% to 50% by mass, compared to the amount of carbohydrates per unit mass of the corresponding regular food.

[0115] The salt equivalent in food can be measured, for example, based on the amount of sodium in the food. The amount of sodium can be measured by inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry. If the food consists of known ingredients, the salt equivalent can be calculated based on the amount of salt added. Also, if the salt equivalent is listed as a nutritional information on the packaging of the known ingredients that make up the food, that can be considered the salt equivalent of those ingredients, and the salt equivalent in the food can be calculated accordingly.

[0116] The amount of lipids in food can be measured, for example, by ether extraction. If the food consists of known ingredients, the amount of lipids in the food can be calculated based on the amount of lipids in the ingredients. Also, if the amount of lipids is listed as nutritional information on the packaging of the known ingredients that make up the food, that can be considered as the amount of lipids in those ingredients and used to calculate the amount of lipids in the food. In this specification, the terms "reduced-fat food" and "fat-reduced food" are used interchangeably.

[0117] The amount of sugar in food can be measured by methods such as the phenol-sulfuric acid method, enzymatic methods, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of free sugars, and the Bertrand method. If the food is made up of known ingredients, the amount of sugar in the food can be calculated based on the amount of sugar in the ingredients. Furthermore, if the amount of carbohydrates is listed as nutritional information on the packaging of the known ingredients that make up the food, this can be considered as the amount of sugar in those ingredients, and the amount of sugar in the food can be calculated accordingly.

[0118] In this disclosure of heating value, the heating value is determined as the value obtained by integrating the value expressed by the following formula (hereinafter referred to as the "CV value") with respect to the heating time (minutes).

[0119] (Formula): CV value = 10 [(product temperature - reference temperature) / Z value] In this disclosure, the "reference temperature" is 110°C and the "Z value" is 30°C. "Product temperature" refers to the temperature of the object being heated during the heat treatment.

[0120] In this disclosure, cyclic dipeptides are represented by (Val-Arg), etc., which represent a cyclic dipeptide consisting of two amino acids. Leu / Ile represents either or both of leucine (Leu) and isoleucine (Ile), for example, "peak area derived from cyclic (Leu / Ile-Ala))" refers to the sum of the peak area derived from cyclic (Leu-Ala) and the peak area derived from cyclic (Ile-Ala). In this disclosure, "hyPro" refers to γ-hydroxyproline. In this disclosure, each amino acid constituting the cyclic dipeptide may be the L-form, the D-form, or a mixture of the L-form and the D-form.

[0121] A. The First Disclosure of This Specification Sections A-1, A-2, A-3, and A-4 below specifically describe the first disclosure of this specification.

[0122] A-1. Flavor-enhancing composition relating to the first disclosure The first aspect of the first disclosure relates to a flavor-enhancing composition containing heat-treated fennel.

[0123] The first disclosed flavor-enhancing composition can enhance the flavor of food by being incorporated into the food itself. For example, a food containing one or more flavor components in a reduced amount compared to normal (for example, a low-salt food containing salt in a reduced amount compared to normal, a low-fat food containing oil in a reduced amount compared to normal, or a low-carbohydrate food containing carbohydrates in a reduced amount compared to normal) that incorporates the first disclosed flavor-enhancing composition can have a flavor closer to that of a food containing one or more flavor components in normal amounts compared to a food that does not contain it, and more preferably, a flavor equivalent to that of a food containing one or more flavor components in normal amounts. The first disclosed flavor-enhancing composition is more preferably a flavor-enhancing composition that enhances the flavor of a food by being incorporated into a salt-containing food such as a low-salt food, a lipid-containing food such as a low-carbohydrate food, or a carbohydrate-containing food such as a low-carbohydrate food. As shown in Reference Examples 1 to 3, cyclic dipeptides have the effect of enhancing the taste (greasy feel) of foods containing oils and fats when incorporated into such foods. As will be described later, heat-treated fennel contains more cyclic dipeptides than raw fennel, so the taste-enhancing composition of the first disclosure can be a taste-enhancing composition that enhances the taste (greasy feel) of foods containing oils and fats when incorporated into such foods.

[0124] In the first disclosure, "fennel" generally refers to the dried seeds (fennel seeds) used as a spice. To distinguish the fennel used as a raw material from heat-treated fennel, it may be referred to as "raw fennel." As raw fennel, one or more selected from unground fennel and ground fennel can be used. The particle size of the ground fennel is not particularly limited and may be coarsely ground fennel or a powdered fennel.

[0125] The raw material fennel may be a mixture of fennel and amino acids or peptides. By heating the mixture of fennel and amino acids or peptides, heat-treated fennel can be obtained that has a particularly high effect in enhancing the richness of the flavor. The amino acids or peptides are preferably one or more amino acids selected from alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, asparagine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, histidine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, and valine, or peptides containing the above amino acids as constituent amino acids. In specific examples, the amino acids or peptides mixed with fennel are preferably one or more amino acids selected from proline, methionine, alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and histidine, or peptides containing the above amino acids as constituent amino acids, and are particularly preferably the above amino acids. In a mixture of fennel and amino acids or peptides, the blending ratio of fennel to amino acids or peptides is not particularly limited, but for every 100 parts by mass (on a dry basis) of fennel, the total amount of amino acids or peptides can be, for example, 0.5 parts by mass or more and 20 parts by mass or less, more specifically 1 part by mass or more and 15 parts by mass or less, and more specifically 2 parts by mass or more and 10 parts by mass or less. The amino acids can be L-forms, D-forms, or mixtures of L-forms and D-forms, for example, the L-form can be used.

[0126] The heat-treated fennel in the flavor-enhancing composition of the first disclosure is preferably in powder form, and the particle size is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, 1000 μm or less, preferably 500 μm or less. Here, the particle size can be determined by the mesh size of a standard sieve specified in JIS. The powdered heat-treated fennel may be powdered before or after the heat treatment. The heat-treated fennel in the flavor-enhancing composition of the first disclosure may be provided in the form of a mixture of heat-treated fennel and oil. Depending on the melting point of the oil, the mixture may be solid at room temperature or liquid at room temperature.

[0127] The flavor-enhancing composition of the first disclosure may consist solely of heat-treated fennel, or it may contain heat-treated fennel and other components. Examples of other components include one or more components having a flavor-enhancing effect, or one or more components that are acceptable as food. The flavor-enhancing composition of the first disclosure may contain heat-treated fennel in a proportion of preferably 5% to 100% by mass, more preferably 10% to 100% by mass, even more preferably 15% to 100% by mass, and most preferably 50% to 100% by mass, on a dry basis. The flavor-enhancing composition of the first disclosure may be in the form of powder, granules, paste, liquid, etc., and may contain one or more food-acceptable components, such as excipients and carriers, as necessary to achieve the desired form.

[0128] Next, a preferred embodiment of the heat treatment for preparing the heat-treated fennel will be described.

[0129] The first form of heat treatment for preparing the heat-treated fennel may be a heat treatment under conditions where the heating value is specifically 0.5 or higher, more specifically 40 or higher, even more specifically 60 or higher, preferably 100 or higher, more preferably 150 or higher, specifically 0.5 to 400,000, more specifically 40 to 400,000, even more specifically 60 to 400,000, preferably 100 to 400,000, and more preferably 150 to 200,000. Fennel heat-treated under conditions where the heating value is within this range is preferred because it has a high effect of enhancing the flavor. The temperature and time in the heat treatment of the first form can be appropriately set so that the heating value is within the above range. The temperature in the heat treatment can be such that the maximum temperature reached is, for example, 100°C or higher, specifically 105°C or higher, more specifically 110°C or higher, preferably 120°C or higher, more preferably 125°C or higher, and for example, 100°C to 400°C, specifically 105°C to 400°C, more specifically 110°C to 400°C, preferably 120°C to 350°C, more preferably 120°C to 320°C, and even more preferably 125°C to 250°C. The time in the heat treatment of the first embodiment can be, for example, 2 minutes or more, preferably 4 minutes or more, for example, 2 minutes to 150 minutes, preferably 4 minutes to 120 minutes, more preferably 4 minutes to 60 minutes, and even more preferably 4 minutes to 40 minutes. The heat treatment of the first embodiment may be carried out in an open system or a closed system. The raw material fennel subjected to the heat treatment in the first embodiment may be a mixture of water, oil, amino acids, and peptides, or it may consist solely of raw material fennel.

[0130] A second form of heat treatment for preparing the heat-treated fennel may be heat treatment under one or more conditions selected from a1) open system conditions, b1) conditions in which oil is present, and c1) pressurized sealed conditions.

[0131] Fennel treated under the aforementioned "a1) open system conditions" (sometimes referred to as "heating condition a1") is preferred because it enhances the flavor. In heating condition a1), an open system refers to an environment that is not sealed and in which volatile components, including moisture and aromatic components, can volatilize into the surrounding atmosphere during heat treatment. Examples of heat treatment devices that can be used for heat treatment in an open system include roasters equipped with open containers such as flat kettles, rotary cylindrical kettles, and pots, as well as ovens with open interiors, hot air roasters, and superheated steam stirring and mixing sterilization devices. Such heat treatment in an open system can be referred to as "roasting." Heat treatment in an open system can be carried out under non-pressurized conditions.

[0132] The heating value of the heat treatment under heating condition a1) is specifically 0.5 or higher, more specifically 40 or higher, even more specifically 60 or higher, preferably 100 or higher, more preferably 1000 or higher, even more preferably 3000 or higher, more specifically 0.5 to 400000, more specifically 40 to 400000, even more specifically 60 to 400000, preferably 100 to 400000, more preferably 150 to 200000, even more preferably 200 to 50000, and most preferably 300 to 10000. By setting the heating value of the heat treatment under heating condition a1) within the above range, heat-treated fennel with a particularly high flavor-enhancing effect can be obtained.

[0133] The temperature and time in the heat treatment under heating condition a1) are preferably set appropriately so that the heating value falls within the above range. The temperature is such that the maximum temperature reached is, for example, 105°C or higher, specifically 110°C or higher, more specifically 120°C or higher, preferably 150°C or higher, more preferably 170°C or higher, and even more preferably 180°C or higher. For example, it can be 105°C or higher and 400°C or lower, specifically 110°C or higher and 400°C or lower, more specifically 120°C or higher and 400°C or lower, preferably 150°C or higher and 400°C or lower, more preferably 170°C or higher and 350°C or lower, and even more preferably 180°C or higher and 300°C or lower. The time for the heat treatment under heating condition a1) can be adjusted as appropriate so that the heating value falls within the above range, for example, 1 minute or more, specifically 2 minutes or more, more specifically 3 minutes or more, preferably 5 minutes or more, for example, 1 minute or more and 150 minutes or less, specifically 2 minutes or more and 120 minutes or less, preferably 3 minutes or more and 50 minutes or less, more preferably 5 minutes or more and 40 minutes or less.

[0134] The form of the raw fennel used in the heat treatment under heating condition a1) is not particularly limited, but preferably one or more selected from unground fennel and ground fennel, and more preferably unground fennel. The raw fennel used in the heat treatment under heating condition a1) may be fennel alone, or it may be a mixture of fennel and amino acids or peptides. In the heat treatment under heating condition a1), oil and / or water may be added to the raw fennel, or not, but it is particularly preferable not to add them.

[0135] Fennel that has been heat-treated under the conditions described in "b1) where oil is present" (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "heating condition b1") is preferred because it has a high effect of enhancing flavor. The oil is not particularly limited as long as it is an edible oil derived from plants, animals, etc. that is acceptable as food. The oil may have its melting point adjusted by techniques such as transesterification or hydrogenation of fatty acids. The amount of oil used in the heat treatment under heating condition b1) is not particularly limited, but for example, for 100 parts by mass of fennel, for example, 5 parts by mass or more and 500 parts by mass or less, preferably 50 parts by mass or more and 200 parts by mass or less, and more preferably 75 parts by mass or more and 150 parts by mass or less of oil can be used.

[0136] The heat treatment under heating condition b1) can be performed by setting the temperature and time so that the heating value is, for example, 100 or more, preferably 120 or more, more preferably 150 or more, for example, 100 to 800,000, preferably 120 to 400,000, more preferably 150 to 200,000, even more preferably 150 to 10,000, and particularly preferably 150 to 1,000. By setting the heating value of the heat treatment under heating condition b1) within the above range, heat-treated fennel with a particularly high flavor-enhancing effect can be obtained.

[0137] The temperature and time during the heat treatment under heating condition b1) can be appropriately set so that the heating value falls within the above range. The temperature during the heat treatment under heating condition b1) can be such that the maximum temperature reached is, for example, 100°C or higher, preferably 120°C or higher, more preferably 130°C or higher, and even more preferably 145°C or higher, and can be such as 100°C to 300°C, preferably 120°C to 280°C, more preferably 130°C to 250°C, and even more preferably 145°C to 230°C. The time during the heat treatment under heating condition b1) can be, for example, 2 minutes or more, preferably 4 minutes or more, and can be such as 2 minutes to 40 minutes, and even more preferably 4 minutes to 25 minutes.

[0138] The heat treatment under heating condition b1) can be carried out in either an open or closed system, and can be performed by heating with superheated steam or heating with an oven. Examples of heating devices used for the heat treatment under heating condition b1) include ovens, flat-pan roasters, vertical heating mixers, and microwave heating devices.

[0139] The form of fennel heated with oil in the heat treatment under heating condition b1) is not particularly limited, but preferably one or more selected from unground fennel and ground fennel, with ground fennel being more preferred. The fennel heated with oil in the heat treatment under heating condition b1) may be fennel alone, or it may be a mixture of fennel and amino acids or peptides.

[0140] Fennel that has been heat-treated under the aforementioned "c1) pressurized and sealed conditions" (which may be referred to as "heating conditions c1") is preferable because it has a high effect in enhancing flavor.

[0141] The heat treatment under heating condition c1) can be performed by setting the temperature and time so that the heating value is, for example, 40 or more, specifically 50 or more, preferably 100 or more, preferably 120 or more, more preferably 150 or more, even more preferably 200 or more, for example, 40 to 2000, specifically 50 to 2000, preferably 100 to 2000, preferably 120 to 1500, even more preferably 150 to 1000, and even more preferably 200 to 800. By setting the heating value of the heat treatment under heating condition c1) within the above range, heat-treated fennel with a particularly high flavor-enhancing effect can be obtained.

[0142] The temperature and time in the heat treatment under heating condition c1) can be appropriately set so that the heating value falls within the above range. The temperature in the heat treatment under heating condition c1) can be such that the maximum temperature reached is, for example, 100°C or higher, preferably 110°C or higher, more preferably 120°C or higher, and even more preferably 125°C or higher, for example, 100°C to 200°C, preferably 110°C to 180°C, more preferably 120°C to 160°C, and even more preferably 125°C to 150°C. The time in the heat treatment under heating condition c1) can be, for example, 10 minutes or more, preferably 15 minutes or more, more preferably 20 minutes or more, for example, 10 minutes to 150 minutes, preferably 15 minutes to 120 minutes, more preferably 20 minutes to 90 minutes, even more preferably 20 minutes to 60 minutes, and especially preferably 20 minutes to 40 minutes.

[0143] The heat treatment under heating condition c1) can be carried out under pressure conditions where the gauge pressure is preferably 0.05 MPa or higher, more preferably 0.15 MPa or higher, preferably 0.05 MPa to 0.60 MPa, and more preferably 0.15 MPa to 0.40 MPa.

[0144] Examples of heating devices used for pressurized sealed heating under heating condition c1) include pressurized sealed kettles and retort-type sterilizers. Heat treatment under heating condition c1) using a retort-type sterilizer may involve placing the raw fennel in a soft, heat-resistant bag (for example, a bag made of aluminum foil laminated resin sheet), sealing it, and heating it under pressurized conditions.

[0145] The form of the raw fennel used in the heat treatment under heating condition c1) is not particularly limited, but preferably one or more selected from unground fennel and ground fennel. The raw fennel used in the heat treatment under heating condition c1) may be fennel alone, or it may be a mixture of fennel and amino acids or peptides. In the heat treatment under heating condition c1), oil and / or water may be added to the raw fennel, or not.

[0146] In a preferred embodiment, the heat-treated fennel obtained by subjecting fennel to the heat treatment described in the first or second embodiment has an increased amount of one or more compounds selected from the following: cyclic dipeptides, sulfole, quinic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, adipic acid, pyroglutamic acid, 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone, vanillin, ascorbic acid, vanillic acid, fructose, ethyl lactate, gallic acid, carveol, sotolon, phenethyl alcohol, furaneol, homofuraneol, cyclotene, 2-acetylfuran, benzaldehyde, methyl benzoate, and furylhydroxymethyl ketone, compared to the fennel before heating. The inventors have found that the amount of the compounds contained in the heat-treated fennel correlates with the strength of its flavor-enhancing effect.

[0147] In a preferred embodiment of the flavor-enhancing composition of the first disclosure, the heat-treated fennel is further treated by adding 5 μg / g of caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g of L-methionine sulfone to the heat-treated fennel and analyzing the resulting chromatogram by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) according to the following method: (101) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the alanine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.4 or more, preferably 2.6 or more, preferably 2.4 to 17, more preferably 2.6 to 17; (102) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the arginine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.0 or more, preferably 1.4 or more, preferably 1.0 to 11, more preferably 1.4 to 7.0. (103) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing aspartic acid to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.2 or more, preferably 3.2 to 10, more preferably 3.2 to 9.2; (104) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing asparagine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.53 or more, preferably 0.60 or more, preferably 0.53 to 3.2, more preferably 0.60 to 3.2; (105) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing glutamic acid to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.8 or more, preferably 2.0 or more, preferably 1.8 to 11, more preferably 2.0 to 8.3; (106) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing glutamine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.9 or more, preferably 4.2 or more, preferably 3.9 to 17, more preferably 4.2 to 17; (107) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing glycine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.90 or more, preferably 0.90 to 10, and (108) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing histidine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 10 or more, preferably 10 to 47,(109) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing leucine or isoleucine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.3 or more, preferably 3.5 or more, preferably 3.3 to 17, more preferably 3.5 to 17; (110) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing lysine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 5.7 or more, preferably 6.0 or more, preferably 5.7 to 21, more preferably 6.0 to 17; (111) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing methionine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 4.6 or more, preferably 4.6 to 25, more preferably 4.6 to 22; (112) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing phenylalanine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.0 or more, preferably 3.2 or more, preferably 3.0 to 14, more preferably 3.2 to 11; (113) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the proline-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.4 or more, preferably 5.5 or more, preferably 3.4 to 53, more preferably 5.5 to 47; (114) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the serine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.50 or more, preferably 0.70 or more, preferably 0.50 to 5.4, more preferably 0.70 to 3.9; (115) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the threonine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 4.8 or more, preferably 5.0 or more, preferably 4.8 to 41, more preferably 5.0 to 30; (116) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing tryptophan to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.33 or more, preferably 0.35 or more, preferably 0.33 to 1.7, and more preferably 0.35 to 1.4.(117) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the tyrosine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.1 or more, preferably 1.4 or more, preferably 1.1 to 8.1, more preferably 1.4 to 5.4; (118) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the valine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.5 or more, preferably 2.0 or more, preferably 1.5 to 20, more preferably 2.0 to 16; (119) The area ratio of the peak area derived from sulfurol to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.80 or more, preferably 1.1 or more, preferably 0.80 to 7.0, more preferably 1.1 to 5.0; (120) The area ratio of the peak area derived from quinic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 310 or more, preferably 310 to 970, more preferably 310 to 930. (121) The area ratio of the peak area derived from malic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 2400 or more, preferably 2400 to 8700, more preferably 2400 to 6900; (122) The area ratio of the peak area derived from tartaric acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 10 or more, preferably 10 to 35, more preferably 10 to 30; (123) The area ratio of the peak area derived from lactic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 52 or more, preferably 64 or more, preferably 52 to 220, more preferably 64 to 210; (124) The area ratio of the peak area derived from adipic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 4.5 or more, preferably 4.5 to 20, more preferably 4.5 to 12. (125) The area ratio of the peak area derived from pyroglutamic acid to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 17 or more, preferably 20 or more, preferably 17 to 130, more preferably 20 to 57, and (126) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.15 or more, preferably 0.18 or more, preferably 0.15 to 1.8, more preferably 0.18 to 0.73,(127) The area ratio of the peak area derived from vanillin to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.25 or more, preferably 0.30 or more, preferably 0.25 to 1.7, more preferably 0.30 to 0.90; (128) The area ratio of the peak area derived from ascorbic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.18 or more, preferably 0.22 or more, preferably 0.18 to 7.3, more preferably 0.22 to 3.1; (129) The area ratio of the peak area derived from vanillic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.88 or more, preferably 1.0 or more, preferably 0.88 to 12, more preferably 1.0 to 12; (130) The area ratio of the peak area derived from fructose to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 190 or more, preferably 190 to 720, more preferably 190 to 710; (131) The area ratio of the peak area derived from ethyl lactate to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 6.0 or more, preferably 6.2 or more, preferably 6.0 to 18, more preferably 6.2 to 17, and (132) The area ratio of the peak area derived from gallic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.21 or more, preferably 0.32 or more, preferably 0.21 to 2.0, more preferably 0.32 to 1.2, and one or more of these, preferably 10 or more, more preferably 15 or more, even more preferably 20 or more, particularly preferably 25 or more, and most preferably all of them are satisfied.

[0148] Here, the LC-MS measurement method is as follows, and more preferably, the LC-MS measurement method described in the examples.

[0149] A 15 mL test tube containing 200 mg of the heat-treated fennel (on a dry weight basis; if the heat-treated fennel is heat-treated with oil, or with amino acids or peptides, the converted mass is calculated as fennel excluding the oil, amino acids, or peptides) and 7.5 mL of water is heated in a 75°C constant temperature water bath for 10 minutes to prepare an aqueous extract. To the aqueous extract in the test tube, 2.5 mL of acetonitrile and 5 μg / g of caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g of L-methionine sulfone per 200 mg of the heat-treated fennel (on a dry weight basis; if the heat-treated fennel is heat-treated with oil, or with amino acids or peptides, the converted mass is calculated as fennel excluding the oil, amino acids, or peptides) are added, stirred, and the solid components are removed and the liquid components are recovered to prepare a sample. The aforementioned sample is analyzed by LC-MS (ionization method: electrospray ionization (ESI) positive mode and ESI negative mode) to obtain a chromatogram. Here, the heat-treated fennel used as the analytical sample is preferably in the form of pulverized material.

[0150] Caffeine-d9 is the internal standard in positive mode. Caffeine-d9 and each of the compounds described in (101) to (119) and (125) to (127) above are separated by LC and detected as [M+H] ions in positive mode by MS, and the peak area of ​​the extracted ion chromatogram with m / z values ​​corresponding to the precise mass of the [M+H] ions described in the examples is determined. From the obtained peak areas, the peak area ratios specified in (101) to (119) and (125) to (127) above can be calculated.

[0151] L-methionine sulfone is the internal standard in negative mode. L-methionine sulfone and each of the compounds described in (120) to (124) and (128) to (132) above are separated by LC and detected as [M-H] ions in negative mode by MS, and the peak area of ​​the extracted ion chromatogram with m / z values ​​corresponding to the precise mass of the [M-H] ions described in the examples is determined. From the obtained peak areas, the peak area ratios specified in (120) to (124) and (128) to (132) above can be calculated.

[0152] The alanine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (101) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Alanine (Ala)" in Table 9.

[0153] The cyclic dipeptide containing arginine in (102) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the "Arginine (Arg)" row of Table 9.

[0154] The cyclic dipeptide containing aspartic acid in (103) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Aspartic acid (Asp)" in Table 9.

[0155] The asparagine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (104) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Asparagine (Asn)" in Table 9.

[0156] The glutamic acid-containing cyclic dipeptide in (105) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Glutamic Acid (Glu)" in Table 9.

[0157] The glutamine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (106) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the "Glutamine (Gln)" row of Table 9.

[0158] The cyclic dipeptide containing glycine in (107) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Gly" in Table 9.

[0159] The histidine-containing cyclic dipeptides in (108) above are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the row for "Histidine (His)" in Table 9.

[0160] The leucine or isoleucine in (109) above is typically a cyclic dipeptide as shown in the row for "Leucine / Isoleucine (Leu / Ile)" in Table 9.

[0161] The lysine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (110) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Lys" in Table 9.

[0162] The cyclic dipeptide containing methionine in (111) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Methionine (Met)" in Table 9.

[0163] The cyclic dipeptide containing phenylalanine in (112) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Phenylalanine (Phe)" in Table 9.

[0164] The cyclic dipeptide containing proline in (113) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Proline (Pro)" in Table 9.

[0165] The serine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (114) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the "Serine (Ser)" row of Table 9.

[0166] The cyclic dipeptide containing threonine in (115) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Threonine (Thr)" in Table 9.

[0167] The cyclic dipeptide containing tryptophan in (116) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Tryptophan (Trp)" in Table 9.

[0168] The tyrosine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (117) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Tyrosine (Tyr)" in Table 9.

[0169] The valine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (118) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Valine (Val)" in Table 9.

[0170] In a preferred embodiment of the flavor-enhancing composition of the first disclosure, the heat-treated fennel is analyzed by adding 4 μg / g of 4-methylthiazole to the heat-treated fennel and, in a chromatogram obtained by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) according to the following method, (133) the area ratio of the peak area derived from carveol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.71 or more, preferably 0.76 or more, preferably 0.71 to 3.0, more preferably 0.76 to 2.0, (134) the area ratio of the peak area derived from sotolon to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.43 or more, preferably 0.43 to 3.7, more preferably 0.43 to 1.3, (135) the area ratio of the peak area derived from phenethyl alcohol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.17 or more, preferably 0.19 or more, preferably 0.17 to 0.63, more preferably 0.19 to 0.54, (136) The area ratio of the peak area derived from furaneol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.12 or more, preferably 0.17 or more, preferably 0.12 to 1.6, more preferably 0.17 to 1.0; (137) The area ratio of the peak area derived from homofuraneol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.069 or more, preferably 0.075 or more, preferably 0.069 to 0.24, more preferably 0.075 to 0.22; (138) The area ratio of the peak area derived from cyclotene to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.010 or more, preferably 0.012 or more, preferably 0.010 to 0.080, more preferably 0.012 to 0.060; (139) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 2-acetylfuran to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.17 or more, preferably 0.20 or more, preferably 0.17 to 1.0, more preferably 0.20 to 1.0, and (140) The area ratio of the peak area derived from benzaldehyde to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.22 or more, preferably 0.22 to 1.2, more preferably 0.22 to 0.55,(141) The area ratio of the peak area derived from methyl benzoate to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.050 or more, preferably 0.050 to 0.48, more preferably 0.050 to 0.14, and (142) The area ratio of the peak area derived from furylhydroxymethyl ketone to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.068 or more, preferably 0.068 to 0.40, more preferably 0.068 to 0.19. The product satisfies one or more of these conditions, preferably five or more, more preferably eight or more, and most preferably all of them.

[0171] Here, the GC-MS measurement method is as follows, and more preferably, the GC-MS measurement method described in the examples.

[0172] (GC-MS Measurement Method) A 10 mL test tube containing 25 mg of the heat-treated fennel (on a dry weight basis; if the heat-treated fennel is heat-treated with oil, or with amino acids or peptides, the converted mass is calculated as fennel excluding the oil, amino acids, or peptides), 4 μg / g of 4-methylthiazole relative to the heat-treated fennel (on a dry weight basis; if the heat-treated fennel is heat-treated with oil, or with amino acids or peptides, the converted mass is calculated as fennel excluding the oil, amino acids, or peptides), 4 mL of acetone, and 4 mL of methanol is stirred, the solid components are removed and the liquid components are recovered, and 1 mL of acetone is added for every 0.1 mL of the liquid components to prepare a GC-MS sample. The GC-MS sample is analyzed by GC-MS (ionization method: electron ionization (EI) positive mode) to obtain a chromatogram. In this case, the heat-treated fennel used as the analytical sample is preferably in the form of a pulverized product.

[0173] For the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole and the peak area derived from the components specified in (133) to (142) above, the peak area of ​​the extracted ion chromatogram of the ions corresponding to the precise mass of each component described in the examples can be used, respectively.

[0174] In certain cases, flavor enhancement, as described above, involves enhancing one or more flavors selected from saltiness, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, umami, richness, oiliness, and milkiness. However, differences in the heating conditions of heat-treated fennel can lead to differences in the composition and ratio of cyclic dipeptides, and thus the types of flavors that can be enhanced may also differ.

[0175] To impart an effect of enhancing saltiness to the flavor-enhancing composition according to the first disclosure, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions having an effect of enhancing saltiness may be incorporated; to impart an effect of enhancing sourness, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions having an effect of enhancing sweetness may be incorporated; to impart an effect of enhancing bitterness, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions having an effect of enhancing bitterness may be incorporated. To enhance the umami flavor, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions that enhance the umami flavor can be incorporated. To enhance the richness flavor, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions that enhance the richness flavor can be incorporated. To enhance the oiliness flavor, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions that enhance the oiliness flavor can be incorporated. To enhance the milkiness flavor, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions that enhance the milkiness flavor can be incorporated. Furthermore, to enhance multiple stages of flavor among saltiness, sourness, bitterness, umami, richness, oiliness, and milkiness in the flavor-enhancing composition according to the first disclosure, multiple heat-treated fennel can be combined and incorporated according to the flavor to be enhanced.

[0176] A-2. Method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to the first disclosure A second aspect of the first disclosure is a method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to the first aspect of the first disclosure, comprising: heat-treating fennel to obtain the heat-treated fennel.

[0177] According to this embodiment, a flavor-enhancing composition relating to the first embodiment of the first disclosure can be manufactured.

[0178] In the method relating to the second aspect of the first disclosure, the characteristics of the fennel used as a raw material, the heat treatment, etc., may have the characteristics described in the flavor-enhancing composition relating to the first aspect of the first disclosure. For example, in the method relating to the second aspect of the first disclosure, the heat treatment may have the characteristics of the first form of heat treatment or the second form of heat treatment for obtaining the heat-treated fennel of the flavor-enhancing composition relating to the first aspect of the first disclosure, and the second form of heat treatment may have the characteristics described with respect to a heat treatment under one or more conditions selected from heating conditions a1), heating conditions b1), and heating conditions c1) for obtaining the heat-treated fennel of the flavor-enhancing composition relating to the first aspect of the first disclosure.

[0179] The method for producing the flavor-enhancing composition according to this embodiment may involve using the heat-treated fennel as is for the flavor-enhancing composition, or it may further include preparing the flavor-enhancing composition by combining the heat-treated fennel with other components. Preferred examples of the other components are as described with respect to the flavor-enhancing composition according to the first embodiment of the first disclosure.

[0180] The method for producing the flavor-enhancing composition according to this embodiment may include processing the obtained flavor-enhancing composition into the form of a powder, granules, paste, liquid, or the like.

[0181] A-3. A method for enhancing the taste using a taste-enhancing composition relating to the first disclosure. The third aspect of the first disclosure relates to a method for enhancing the taste of food, which includes incorporating a taste-enhancing composition relating to the first aspect of the first disclosure into food.

[0182] The method according to this embodiment can enhance the taste of food, and therefore can be suitably used to enhance the taste of foods containing one or more of the above-mentioned taste components in amounts lower than usual (for example, low-sodium foods with reduced salt content, low-fat foods with reduced fat content, and low-carbohydrate foods with reduced carbohydrate content).

[0183] In the method according to this embodiment, the amount of the flavor-enhancing composition according to the first embodiment of the first disclosure added to the food is not particularly limited and can be appropriately adjusted depending on the form of the food. Preferably, the flavor-enhancing composition is added at a concentration in which it does not have a taste of its own, but is able to enhance the taste of the food. Specifically, the final concentration of heat-treated fennel (calculated as dried fennel) per total amount of food is, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, and more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less. When the aforementioned flavor-enhancing composition is used to enhance the flavor of food products with a lipid content of less than 20% by mass, the flavor-enhancing composition can be blended such that, per the total amount of food product, the final concentration of heat-treated fennel (calculated as dried fennel) is, for example, 0.005% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.3% by mass or less. When the aforementioned flavor-enhancing composition is used to enhance the flavor of a food product having a lipid content of 20% by mass or more (for example, chocolate), the flavor-enhancing composition can be formulated such that, per the total amount of food product, the final concentration of heat-treated fennel (calculated as dried fennel) is, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 0.1% by mass or less, preferably 0.004% by mass or more and 0.05% by mass or less, more preferably 0.005% by mass or more and 0.01% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.005% by mass or more and 0.008% by mass or less. For example, for the purpose of enhancing saltiness, the flavor-enhancing composition can be blended such that, for every 100g of salt equivalent in the food, the amount of heat-treated fennel (converted to an amount equivalent to dried fennel) is, for example, 0.5g or more, preferably 1g or more, preferably 2g or more, more preferably 4g or more, even more preferably 5g or more, for example, 0.5g or more and 100g or less, preferably 1g or more and 75g or less, more preferably 2g or more and 50g or less, particularly preferably 4g or more and 40g or less, and even more preferably 5g or more and 25g or less.For the purpose of enhancing the taste with carbohydrates, the flavor-enhancing composition can be blended so that, for every 100g of carbohydrates in the food, the amount of heat-treated fennel (calculated as dried fennel) is, for example, 0.20g or more, preferably 0.50g or more, more preferably 0.60g or more, even more preferably 1g or more, particularly preferably 2g or more, for example, 0.20g to 100g, preferably 0.50g to 70g, more preferably 0.60g to 60g, even more preferably 1g to 50g, particularly preferably 2g to 50g. For example, for the purpose of enhancing the taste of food with lipids in a food with a lipid content of less than 20% by mass, the taste-enhancing composition can be blended such that, for 100g of lipids in the food, the amount of heat-treated fennel (calculated as dried fennel) is, for example, 0.05g or more, preferably 0.10g or more, more preferably 0.20g or more, even more preferably 0.5g or more, particularly preferably 1.0g or more, for example, 0.05g or more and 100g or less, preferably 0.10g or more and 75g or less, more preferably 0.20g or more and 50g or less, even more preferably 0.50g or more and 25g or less, particularly preferably 1.0g or more and 25g or less. For example, for the purpose of enhancing the taste of a food product with a lipid content of 20% by mass or more (e.g., chocolate), the flavor-enhancing composition can be blended such that, per 100g of lipids in the food product, the amount of heat-treated fennel (calculated as dried fennel) is, for example, 1.0 mg or more, preferably 3.0 mg or more, for example 1.0 mg to 45 mg, preferably 3.0 mg to 30 mg, and more preferably 5.0 mg to 20 mg.

[0184] In the method according to this embodiment, the type of food is not limited, but examples include liquid condiments such as curry sauce, stew sauce, soup, beverages, chocolate, and dressings, rice products, meat products, prepared foods, and confectionery. The food may contain one or more of the above-mentioned flavor components in amounts lower than usual. The food may contain one or more of the above-mentioned flavor components, such as salt.

[0185] A-4. Further aspects of the first disclosure of this specification relate to the use of heat-treated fennel for enhancing the flavor of food; methods for enhancing the flavor of food, including incorporating heat-treated fennel into food; and the use of heat-treated fennel in the manufacture of heat-treated fennel for the purpose of enhancing the flavor of food, or in the manufacture of additives for the purpose of enhancing the flavor of food.

[0186] In the further embodiments described above, the heat-treated fennel preferably has the characteristics described with respect to the heat-treated fennel contained in the flavor-enhancing composition according to the first aspect of the first disclosure.

[0187] In the further embodiments described above, the heat-treated fennel can preferably be produced by the method for producing heat-treated fennel described in the method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to the second aspect of the first disclosure.

[0188] In the further embodiments, the food preferably has the features described in relation to the method according to the third aspect of the first disclosure. In the further embodiments, the amount of heat-treated fennel used in the food, or the amount of salt equivalent, lipids, or carbohydrates used in the food, is preferably the amount described in relation to the method according to the third aspect of the first disclosure.

[0189] B. Second Disclosure of This Specification Sections B-1, B-2, B-3 and B-4 below describe in detail the second disclosure of this Specification.

[0190] B-1. Flavor-enhancing composition relating to the second disclosure The first aspect of the second disclosure relates to a flavor-enhancing composition containing heat-treated anise.

[0191] The flavor-enhancing composition of the second disclosure can enhance the flavor of food by being incorporated into the food itself. For example, a food containing one or more flavor components in a reduced amount compared to normal (for example, a low-salt food containing salt in a reduced amount compared to normal, a low-fat food containing oil in a reduced amount compared to normal, or a low-carbohydrate food containing carbohydrates in a reduced amount compared to normal) that incorporates the flavor-enhancing composition of the second disclosure can have a flavor closer to that of a food containing one or more flavor components in normal amounts compared to a food that does not contain it, and more preferably, can have a flavor equivalent to that of a food containing one or more flavor components in normal amounts. The flavor-enhancing composition of the second disclosure is more preferably a flavor-enhancing composition that enhances the flavor of a food by being incorporated into a food containing salt, such as a low-salt food, a food containing lipids, such as a low-carbohydrate food, or a food containing carbohydrates, such as a low-carbohydrate food. As shown in Reference Examples 1 to 3, cyclic dipeptides have the effect of enhancing the taste (greasy feel) of foods containing oils and fats when incorporated into such foods. As will be described later, heat-treated anise contains more cyclic dipeptides than raw anise, so the taste-enhancing composition of the second disclosure can be a taste-enhancing composition that enhances the taste (greasy feel) of foods containing oils and fats when incorporated into such foods.

[0192] In the second disclosure, "anise" generally refers to dried anise seeds used as a spice. Anise used as a raw material may be referred to as "raw anise" to distinguish it from heat-treated anise. As raw anise, one or more can be selected from unground anise (dried seeds) and ground anise. The ground anise can be any powder made from ground dried seeds, and the particle size is not particularly limited; it may be coarsely ground or powdered anise.

[0193] The raw anise may be a mixture of anise and amino acids or peptides. By heating the mixture of anise and amino acids or peptides, heat-treated anise can be obtained that has a particularly high effect in enhancing the richness of the flavor. The amino acids or peptides are preferably one or more amino acids selected from alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, asparagine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, histidine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, and valine, or peptides containing the above amino acids as constituent amino acids. In certain examples, the amino acids or peptides mixed with anise are preferably one or more amino acids selected from proline, methionine, alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and histidine, or peptides containing the above amino acids as constituent amino acids, and are particularly preferably the above amino acids. In a mixture of anise and amino acids or peptides, the mixing ratio of anise to amino acids or peptides is not particularly limited, but for every 100 parts by mass (on a dry basis), the total amount of amino acids or peptides can be, for example, 0.5 parts by mass or more and 20 parts by mass or less, more specifically 1 part by mass or more and 15 parts by mass or less, and more specifically 2 parts by mass or more and 10 parts by mass or less. The amino acids can be L-forms, D-forms, or mixtures of L-forms and D-forms, for example, the L-form can be used.

[0194] The heat-treated anise in the flavor-enhancing composition of the second disclosure is preferably in powder form, and the particle size is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, 1000 μm or less, preferably 500 μm or less. Here, the particle size can be determined by the mesh size of a standard sieve specified in JIS. The powdered heat-treated anise may be powdered before or after the heat treatment. The heat-treated anise in the flavor-enhancing composition of the second disclosure may be provided in the form of a mixture of heat-treated anise and oil. The mixture may be solid at room temperature or liquid at room temperature, depending on the melting point of the oil.

[0195] The flavor-enhancing composition of the second disclosure may consist solely of heat-treated anise, or it may contain heat-treated anise and other components. Examples of other components include one or more components having a flavor-enhancing effect, or one or more components that are acceptable as food. The flavor-enhancing composition of the second disclosure may contain heat-treated anise in a proportion of preferably 5% to 100% by mass, more preferably 10% to 100% by mass, even more preferably 15% to 100% by mass, and most preferably 50% to 100% by mass, on a dry basis. The flavor-enhancing composition of the second disclosure may be in the form of powder, granules, paste, liquid, etc., and may contain one or more food-acceptable components, such as excipients and carriers, as necessary to achieve the desired form.

[0196] Next, a preferred embodiment of the heat treatment for preparing the heat-treated anise will be described.

[0197] The first form of the heat treatment for preparing the heat-treated anise may be a heat treatment under conditions where the heating value is specifically 5 or more, more specifically 30 or more, preferably 100 or more, more preferably 150 or more, specifically 5 to 400,000, more specifically 30 to 400,000, preferably 100 to 400,000, and more preferably 150 to 200,000. Anise heat-treated under conditions where the heating value is within this range is preferred because it has a high effect of enhancing the flavor. The temperature and time in the heat treatment of the first form can be appropriately set so that the heating value is within the above range. The temperature in the heat treatment can be such that the maximum temperature reached is, for example, 100°C or higher, specifically 105°C or higher, more specifically 110°C or higher, preferably 120°C or higher, more preferably 125°C or higher, and for example, 100°C to 400°C, specifically 105°C to 400°C, more specifically 110°C to 400°C, preferably 120°C to 350°C, more preferably 125°C to 320°C. The time in the heat treatment of the first embodiment can be, for example, 2 minutes or more, preferably 4 minutes or more, more preferably 10 minutes or more, particularly preferably 15 minutes or more, for example, 2 minutes to 150 minutes, specifically 3 minutes to 120 minutes, more specifically 4 minutes to 90 minutes, preferably 5 minutes to 70 minutes, more preferably 10 minutes to 50 minutes, particularly preferably 15 minutes to 40 minutes. The heat treatment of the first embodiment may be carried out in an open system or a closed system. The raw anise used in the heat treatment of the first embodiment may be a mixture of water, oil, amino acids, and peptides, or it may consist solely of raw anise.

[0198] A second form of the heat treatment for preparing the heat-treated anise may be a heat treatment under one or more conditions selected from a2) open system conditions, b2) conditions in which oil is present, and c2) pressurized sealed conditions.

[0199] Anise heat-treated under the aforementioned "a2) open system conditions" (sometimes referred to as "heating conditions a2") is preferred because it enhances the flavor. In heating conditions a2), an open system refers to an environment that is not sealed and in which moisture and volatile components including aroma components can volatilize into the surrounding atmosphere during heat treatment. Examples of heat treatment devices that can be used for heat treatment in an open system include roasters equipped with open containers such as flat kettles, rotary cylindrical kettles, and pots, as well as ovens with open interiors, hot air roasters, and superheated steam stirring and mixing sterilization devices. Such heat treatment in an open system can be referred to as "roasting". Heat treatment in an open system can be carried out under non-pressurized conditions.

[0200] The heating value of the heat treatment under heating condition a2) is specifically 5 or higher, more specifically 30 or higher, preferably 100 or higher, more preferably 1000 or higher, even more preferably 1500 or higher, and particularly preferably 4000 or higher. Specifically, it can be 5 to 400000, more specifically 30 to 400000, preferably 100 to 400000, more preferably 1000 to 200000, even more preferably 1500 to 50000, and particularly preferably 4000 to 10000. By setting the heating value of the heat treatment under heating condition a2) within the above range, heat-treated anise with a particularly high flavor-enhancing effect can be obtained.

[0201] The temperature and time in the heat treatment under heating condition a2) are preferably set appropriately so that the heating value falls within the above range. The temperature is such that the maximum temperature reached is greater than 100°C, preferably greater than 110°C, for example, 105°C or higher, specifically 110°C or higher, more specifically 115°C or higher, preferably 130°C or higher, more preferably 150°C or higher, even more preferably 165°C or higher, particularly preferably 175°C or higher, and most preferably 185°C or higher. For example, it can be greater than 100°C and 400°C or lower, specifically 105°C or higher and 400°C or lower, more specifically 110°C or higher and 400°C or lower, preferably 115°C or higher and 400°C or lower, more preferably 130°C or higher and 380°C or lower, more preferably 150°C or higher and 360°C or lower, even more preferably 165°C or higher and 340°C or lower, particularly preferably 175°C or higher and 320°C or lower, and most preferably 185°C or higher and 300°C or lower. The heating time in the heat treatment under heating condition a2) can be set appropriately according to the heating temperature, and it is particularly preferable to set it so that the heating value falls within the above range. The heating time in the heat treatment under heating condition a2) can be, for example, 1 minute or more, specifically 2 minutes or more, preferably 3 minutes or more, more preferably 4 minutes or more, even more preferably 5 minutes or more, most preferably 8 minutes or more, for example 1 minute or more and 150 minutes or less, specifically 2 minutes or more and 120 minutes or less, preferably 3 minutes or more and 90 minutes or less, more preferably 4 minutes or more and 60 minutes or less, even more preferably 5 minutes or more and 50 minutes or less, most preferably 8 minutes or more and 40 minutes or less.

[0202] The form of the raw anise used in the heat treatment under heating condition a2) is not particularly limited, but preferably one or more selected from unground anise and ground anise, and more preferably unground anise. The raw anise used in the heat treatment under heating condition a2) may be anise alone, or it may be a mixture of anise and amino acids or peptides. In the heat treatment under heating condition a2), oil and / or water may be added to the raw anise, or not, but it is particularly preferable not to add them.

[0203] Anise heat-treated under the conditions described in "b2) where oil is present" (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "heating condition b2") is preferable because it has a high effect in enhancing the flavor. The oil is not particularly limited as long as it is an edible oil derived from plants, animals, etc. that is acceptable as food. The oil may have its melting point adjusted by techniques such as transesterification or hydrogenation of fatty acids. The amount of oil used in the heat treatment under heating condition b2) is not particularly limited, but for example, for 100 parts by mass (on a dry basis), an amount of oil of, for example, 5 parts by mass or more and 500 parts by mass or less, preferably 50 parts by mass or more and 200 parts by mass or less, and more preferably 75 parts by mass or more and 150 parts by mass or less can be used.

[0204] The heat treatment under heating condition b2) can be performed by setting the temperature and time so that the heating value is, for example, 100 or more, preferably 120 or more, more preferably 130 or more, even more preferably 140 or more, for example, 100 to 800,000, preferably 120 to 400,000, even more preferably 130 to 200,000, even more preferably 130 to 10,000, and especially preferably 140 to 1,000. By setting the heating value of the heat treatment under heating condition b2) within the above range, heat-treated anise with a particularly high flavor-enhancing effect can be obtained.

[0205] The temperature and time in the heat treatment under heating condition b2) can be appropriately set so that the heating value falls within the above range. The temperature in the heat treatment under heating condition b2) can be such that the maximum temperature reached is, for example, 100°C or higher, preferably 120°C or higher, more preferably 130°C or higher, and even more preferably 145°C or higher, and can be such as 100°C to 300°C, preferably 120°C to 280°C, more preferably 130°C to 250°C, and even more preferably 145°C to 230°C. The time in the heat treatment under heating condition b2) can be, for example, 2 minutes or more, preferably 4 minutes or more, and can be such as 2 minutes to 40 minutes, and even more preferably 4 minutes to 25 minutes.

[0206] The heat treatment under heating condition b2) can be carried out in either an open or closed system, and can be performed by heating with superheated steam or heating with an oven. Examples of heating devices used for the heat treatment under heating condition b2) include ovens, flat-pan roasters, vertical heating mixers, and microwave heating devices.

[0207] The form of anise heated with oil in the heat treatment under heating condition b2) is not particularly limited, but preferably one or more selected from unground anise and ground anise. The anise heated with oil in the heat treatment under heating condition b2) may be anise alone, or it may be a mixture of anise and amino acids or peptides.

[0208] Anise that has been heat-treated under the aforementioned "c2) pressurized and sealed conditions" (which may be referred to as "heating conditions c2") is preferable because it has a high effect in enhancing the flavor.

[0209] The heat treatment under heating condition c2) can be performed by setting the temperature and time so that the heating value is, for example, 40 or more, specifically 50 or more, preferably 100 or more, preferably 120 or more, more preferably 150 or more, even more preferably 200 or more, for example, 40 to 2000, specifically 50 to 2000, preferably 100 to 2000, preferably 120 to 1500, more preferably 150 to 1000, and even more preferably 200 to 800. By setting the heating value of the heat treatment under heating condition c2) within the above range, heat-treated anise with a particularly high flavor-enhancing effect can be obtained.

[0210] The temperature and time in the heat treatment under heating condition c2) can be appropriately set so that the heating value falls within the above range. The temperature in the heat treatment under heating condition c2) can be such that the maximum temperature reached is, for example, 100°C or higher, preferably 110°C or higher, more preferably 120°C or higher, and even more preferably 125°C or higher, and can be such as 100°C to 200°C, preferably 110°C to 180°C, more preferably 120°C to 160°C, and even more preferably 125°C to 150°C. The time in the heat treatment under heating condition c2) can be such as 10 minutes or more, preferably 20 minutes or more, and can be such as 10 minutes to 90 minutes, preferably 20 minutes to 60 minutes, and even more preferably 20 minutes to 40 minutes.

[0211] The heat treatment under heating condition c2) can be carried out under pressure conditions where the gauge pressure is preferably 0.05 MPa or higher, more preferably 0.15 MPa or higher, preferably 0.05 MPa to 0.60 MPa, and more preferably 0.15 MPa to 0.40 MPa.

[0212] Examples of heating devices used for pressurized sealed heating under heating condition c2) include pressurized sealed kettles and retort-type sterilizers. Heat treatment under heating condition c2) using a retort-type sterilizer may involve placing the raw anise in a soft, heat-resistant bag (for example, a bag made of aluminum foil laminated resin sheet), sealing it, and heating it under pressurized conditions.

[0213] The form of the raw anise used in the heat treatment under heating condition c2) is not particularly limited, but preferably one or more selected from unground anise and ground anise, and more preferably unground anise. The raw anise used in the heat treatment under heating condition c2) may be anise alone, or it may be a mixture of anise and amino acids or peptides. In the heat treatment under heating condition c2), oil and / or water may be added to the raw anise, or not.

[0214] In a preferred embodiment, the heat-treated anise obtained by subjecting anise to the heat treatment described in the first or second embodiment has an increased amount of one or more compounds selected from the following: cyclic dipeptides, sulfole, vanillin, 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone, pyroglutamic acid, fructose, ascorbic acid, quinic acid, lactic acid, gallic acid, vanillic acid, ethyl lactate, benzaldehyde, phenethyl alcohol, cyclotene, anisaldehyde, furaneol, homofuraneol, 2-acetylfuran, 2-furylhydroxymethyl ketone, 3-pyridinol, α-terpinene, guaiacol, 4-vinylguaiacol, and syringol, compared to the anise before heating. The inventors have found that the amount of the compounds contained in the heat-treated anise correlates with the strength of its flavor-enhancing effect.

[0215] In a preferred embodiment of the flavor-enhancing composition of the second disclosure, the heat-treated anise is subjected to the addition of 5 μg / g caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g L-methionine sulfone, and in the chromatogram obtained by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) according to the following method, (201) the sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the alanine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.8 or more, preferably 2.4 or more, preferably 1.8 to 27, more preferably 2.4 to 27, and (202) the sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the arginine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.1 or more, preferably 1.1 to 11. (203) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing aspartic acid to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.7 or more, preferably 2.0 or more, preferably 1.7 to 8.0, more preferably 2.0 to 8.0, and even more preferably 2.0 to 6.8; (204) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing asparagine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.29 or more, preferably 0.49 or more, preferably 0.29 to 2.1, and more preferably 0.49 to 2.0; (205) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing glutamic acid to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.2 or more, preferably 2.7 or more, preferably 2.2 to 13, and more preferably 2.7 to 13; (206) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the glutamine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.4 or more, preferably 1.6 or more, preferably 1.4 to 6.8, more preferably 1.6 to 4.4, and (207) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the glycine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.7 or more, preferably 1.8 or more, preferably 1.7 to 19, more preferably 1.8 to 19,(208) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the histidine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 4.9 or more, preferably 6.8 or more, preferably 4.9 to 43, more preferably 6.8 to 34; (209) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the leucine or isoleucine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.0 or more, preferably 3.3 or more, preferably 3.0 to 20, more preferably 3.3 to 20; (210) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the lysine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.4 or more, preferably 2.6 or more, preferably 2.4 to 32, more preferably 2.6 to 23; (211) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the methionine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.6 or more, preferably 3.6 to 14, more preferably 3.6 to 10; (212) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing phenylalanine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.6 or more, preferably 2.6 to 15; (213) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing proline to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 7.4 or more, preferably 9.0 or more, preferably 7.3 to 73, more preferably 9.0 to 73; (214) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing serine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.71 or more, preferably 1.0 or more, preferably 0.71 to 10, more preferably 1.0 to 10; (215) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing threonine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 11 or more, preferably 11 to 52. (216) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing tryptophan to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.65 or more, preferably 0.65 to 1.8.(217) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from tyrosine-containing cyclic dipeptides to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.8 or more, preferably 2.2 or more, preferably 1.8 to 7.4, more preferably 2.2 to 7.4; (218) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from valine-containing cyclic dipeptides to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.2 or more, preferably 2.7 or more, preferably 2.2 to 21, more preferably 2.7 to 21; (219) The area ratio of the peak areas derived from sulfurol to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.86 or more, preferably 1.1 or more, preferably 0.86 to 3.6, more preferably 1.1 to 3.5; (220) The area ratio of the peak areas derived from vanillin to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.24 or more, preferably 0.27 or more, preferably 0.24 to 0.83, more preferably 0.27 to 0.83; (221) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.15 or more, preferably 0.25 or more, preferably 0.15 to 1.5, more preferably 0.25 to 1.5; (222) The area ratio of the peak area derived from pyroglutamic acid to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 38 or more, preferably 42 or more, preferably 38 to 170, more preferably 42 to 150; (223) The area ratio of the peak area derived from fructose to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 120 or more, preferably 130 or more, preferably 120 to 520, more preferably 130 to 380; (224) The area ratio of the peak area derived from ascorbic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.23 or more, preferably 0.23 to 5.8, more preferably 0.23 to 2.6; (225) The area ratio of the peak area derived from quinic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 330 or more, preferably 340 or more, preferably 330 to 3500, more preferably 340 to 3500.(226) The area ratio of the peak area derived from lactic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 18 or more, preferably 18 to 190, more preferably 18 to 54; (227) The area ratio of the peak area derived from gallic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.78 or more, preferably 0.88 or more, preferably 0.78 to 8.5, more preferably 0.88 to 3.4; (228) The area ratio of the peak area derived from vanillic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.50 or more, preferably 0.60 or more, preferably 0.50 to 12, more preferably 0.60 to 12; (229) The area ratio of the peak area derived from ethyl lactate to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.64 or more, preferably 0.64 to 2.3, more preferably 0.64 to 2.2. One or more of these, preferably 10 or more, more preferably 15 or more, even more preferably 20 or more, particularly preferably 25 or more, and most preferably all of them.

[0216] Here, the LC-MS measurement method is as follows, and more preferably, the LC-MS measurement method described in the examples.

[0217] A 15 mL test tube containing 200 mg of the heat-treated anise (on a dry weight basis; if the heat-treated anise is heat-treated with oil, or with amino acids or peptides, the converted mass is calculated as anise excluding the oil, amino acids, or peptides) and 7.5 mL of water is heated in a 75°C constant temperature water bath for 10 minutes to prepare a water extract. To the water extract in the test tube, 2.5 mL of acetonitrile and 5 μg / g of caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g of L-methionine sulfone per unit of the heat-treated anise (on a dry weight basis; if the heat-treated anise is heat-treated with oil, or with amino acids or peptides, the converted mass is calculated as anise excluding the oil, amino acids, or peptides) are added, stirred, and the solid components are removed and the liquid components are recovered to prepare a sample. The aforementioned sample is analyzed by LC-MS (ionization method: electrospray ionization (ESI) positive mode and ESI negative mode) to obtain a chromatogram. Here, the heat-treated anise used as the analytical sample is preferably in the form of pulverized material.

[0218] Caffeine-d9 is the internal standard in positive mode. Caffeine-d9 and each of the compounds described in (201) to (222) above are separated by LC and detected as [M+H] ions in positive mode by MS, and the peak area of ​​the extracted ion chromatogram with m / z values ​​corresponding to the precise mass of the [M+H] ions described in the examples is determined. From the obtained peak areas, the peak area ratios specified in (201) to (222) above can be calculated.

[0219] L-methionine sulfone is the internal standard in negative mode. L-methionine sulfone and each of the compounds described in (223) to (229) above are separated by LC and detected as [M-H] ions in negative mode by MS, and the peak area of ​​the extracted ion chromatogram with m / z values ​​corresponding to the precise mass of the [M-H] ions described in the examples is determined. From the obtained peak area, the peak area ratio specified in (223) to (229) above can be calculated.

[0220] The alanine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (201) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the "Alanine (Ala)" row of Table 18.

[0221] The cyclic dipeptide containing arginine in (202) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the "Arginine (Arg)" row of Table 18.

[0222] The cyclic dipeptides containing aspartic acid in (203) above are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the "Aspartic Acid (Asp)" row of Table 18.

[0223] The asparagine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (204) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the "Asparagine (Asn)" row of Table 18.

[0224] The glutamic acid-containing cyclic dipeptide in (205) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Glutamic Acid (Glu)" in Table 18.

[0225] The glutamine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (206) is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the "Glutamine (Gln)" row of Table 18.

[0226] The cyclic dipeptide containing glycine in (207) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Gly" in Table 18.

[0227] The histidine-containing cyclic dipeptides in (208) above are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the "Histidine (His)" row of Table 18.

[0228] The leucine or isoleucine in (209) above is typically a cyclic dipeptide as shown in the row for "Leucine / Isoleucine (Leu / Ile)" in Table 18.

[0229] The lysine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (210) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Lys" in Table 18.

[0230] The cyclic dipeptide containing methionine in (211) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Methionine (Met)" in Table 18.

[0231] The cyclic dipeptide containing phenylalanine in (212) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Phenylalanine (Phe)" in Table 18.

[0232] The cyclic dipeptides containing proline in (213) above are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the "Proline (Pro)" row of Table 18.

[0233] The serine-containing cyclic dipeptides in (214) above are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the "Serine (Ser)" row of Table 18.

[0234] The cyclic dipeptides containing threonine in (215) are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the row for "Threonine (Thr)" in Table 18.

[0235] The cyclic dipeptide containing tryptophan in (216) is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Tryptophan (Trp)" in Table 18.

[0236] The tyrosine-containing cyclic dipeptides in (217) above are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the row for "Tyrosine (Tyr)" in Table 18.

[0237] The valine-containing cyclic dipeptides in (218) above are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the "Valine (Val)" row of Table 18.

[0238] In a preferred embodiment of the flavor-enhancing composition of the second disclosure, the heat-treated anise is analyzed by adding 4 μg / g of 4-methylthiazole to the heat-treated anise and, in the chromatogram obtained by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) according to the following method, (230) the area ratio of the peak area derived from benzaldehyde to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.22 or more, preferably 0.22 to 1.0, more preferably 0.22 to 0.78, and (231) the area ratio of the peak area derived from phenethyl alcohol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.17 or more, preferably 0.17 to 1.4, more preferably 0.17 to 0.57. (232) The area ratio of the peak area derived from cyclotene to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.013 or more, preferably 0.015 or more, preferably 0.013 to 0.070, more preferably 0.015 to 0.070, (233) The area ratio of the peak area derived from anisaldehyde to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.086 or more, preferably 0.090 or more, preferably 0.086 to 0.27, more preferably 0.090 to 0.26, (234) The area ratio of the peak area derived from furaneol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.22 or more, preferably 0.27 or more, preferably 0.22 to 2.0, more preferably 0.27 to 2.0, (235) The area ratio of the peak area derived from homofuranol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.037 or higher, preferably 0.037 to 0.18, more preferably 0.037 to 0.11; (236) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 2-acetylfuran to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.24 or higher, preferably 0.28 or higher, preferably 0.24 to 1.6, more preferably 0.28 to 1.6; (237) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 2-furylhydroxymethyl ketone to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.092 or higher, preferably 0.095 or higher, preferably 0.092 to 0.46, more preferably 0.095 to 0.46;(238) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 3-pyridinol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 1.4 or more, preferably 2.2 or more, preferably 1.1 to 14, more preferably 2.2 to 11; (239) The area ratio of the peak area derived from α-terpinene to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.11 or more, preferably 0.11 to 0.39; (240) The area ratio of the peak area derived from guaiacol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.27 or more, preferably 0.27 to 1.3, more preferably 0.27 to 0.81; (241) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 4-vinylguaiacol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 1.4 or more, preferably 1.4 to 3.8; (242) The area ratio of the peak area derived from syringol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.056 or more, preferably 0.063 or more, preferably 0.056 to 0.30, more preferably 0.063 to 0.30, and one or more of the following conditions are met, preferably five or more, more preferably 10 or more, and most preferably all of them.

[0239] Here, the GC-MS measurement method is as follows, and more preferably, the GC-MS measurement method described in the examples.

[0240] (GC-MS Measurement Method) A 10 mL test tube containing 25 mg of the heat-treated anise (on a dry weight basis; if the heat-treated anise is heat-treated with oil, or with amino acids or peptides, the converted mass is calculated as anise excluding the oil, amino acids, or peptides), 4 μg / g of 4-methylthiazole relative to the heat-treated anise (on a dry weight basis; if the heat-treated anise is heat-treated with oil, or with amino acids or peptides, the converted mass is calculated as anise excluding the oil, amino acids, or peptides), 4 mL of acetone, and 4 mL of methanol is stirred, the solid components are removed and the liquid components are recovered, and 1 mL of acetone is added for every 0.1 mL of the liquid components to prepare a GC-MS sample. The GC-MS sample is analyzed by GC-MS (ionization method: electron ionization (EI) positive mode) to obtain a chromatogram. In this case, the heat-treated anise used as the analytical sample is preferably in the form of a pulverized product.

[0241] For the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole and the peak area derived from the components specified in (230) to (242) above, the peak area of ​​the extracted ion chromatogram of the ions corresponding to the precise mass of each component described in the examples can be used, respectively.

[0242] In certain cases, flavor enhancement, as described above, involves enhancing one or more flavors selected from saltiness, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, umami, richness, oiliness, and milkiness. However, differences in the heating conditions of heat-treated anise can lead to differences in the composition and ratio of cyclic dipeptides, and thus the types of flavors that can be enhanced may also differ.

[0243] To impart to the second disclosure a flavor-enhancing composition an effect of enhancing saltiness, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions having an effect of enhancing saltiness may be incorporated; to impart to the second disclosure a flavor-enhancing composition an effect of enhancing sweetness, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions having an effect of enhancing sweetness may be incorporated; to impart to the second disclosure a flavor-enhancing composition an effect of enhancing sourness, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions having an effect of enhancing sourness may be incorporated; and to impart to the second disclosure a flavor-enhancing composition an effect of enhancing bitterness may be incorporated. To enhance the umami flavor, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions that enhance the umami flavor can be incorporated; to enhance the richness flavor, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions that enhance the richness flavor can be incorporated; to enhance the oiliness flavor, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions that enhance the oiliness flavor can be incorporated; and to enhance the milkiness flavor, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions that enhance the milkiness flavor can be incorporated. Furthermore, in order to enhance multiple stages of flavor among saltiness, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, umami, richness, oiliness, and milkiness in the flavor-enhancing composition according to the second disclosure, multiple heat-treated anises can be combined and incorporated according to the flavor to be enhanced.

[0244] B-2. Method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to the second disclosure The second aspect of the second disclosure relates to a method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to the first aspect of the second disclosure, comprising: heat-treating anise to obtain the heat-treated anise.

[0245] According to this embodiment, a flavor-enhancing composition relating to the first embodiment of the second disclosure can be manufactured.

[0246] In the method relating to the second aspect of the second disclosure, the characteristics of the anise used as a raw material, the heat treatment, etc., may have the characteristics described in the flavor-enhancing composition relating to the first aspect of the second disclosure. For example, in the method relating to the second aspect of the second disclosure, the heat treatment may have the characteristics of the first form of heat treatment or the second form of heat treatment for obtaining the heat-treated anise of the flavor-enhancing composition relating to the first aspect of the second disclosure. The second form of heat treatment may have the characteristics described with respect to a heat treatment under one or more conditions selected from heating conditions a2), heating conditions b2), and heating conditions c2) for obtaining the heat-treated anise of the flavor-enhancing composition relating to the first aspect of the second disclosure.

[0247] The method for producing the flavor-enhancing composition according to this embodiment may involve using the heat-treated anise as is for the flavor-enhancing composition, or it may further include preparing the flavor-enhancing composition by combining the heat-treated anise with other components. Preferred examples of the other components are as described with respect to the flavor-enhancing composition according to the first embodiment of the second disclosure.

[0248] The method for producing the flavor-enhancing composition according to this embodiment may include processing the obtained flavor-enhancing composition into the form of a powder, granules, paste, liquid, or the like.

[0249] B-3. ​​Method for enhancing taste using the taste-enhancing composition relating to the second disclosure The third aspect of the second disclosure relates to a method for enhancing the taste of food, which includes incorporating the taste-enhancing composition relating to the first aspect of the second disclosure into food.

[0250] The method according to this embodiment can enhance the taste of the food itself, and is therefore suitable for enhancing the taste of foods containing one or more taste components in amounts lower than usual (for example, low-sodium foods with less salt than usual, low-fat foods containing less oil than usual, and low-carbohydrate foods with less carbohydrates than usual).

[0251] In the method according to this embodiment, the amount of the flavor-enhancing composition according to the first embodiment of the second disclosure added to the food is not particularly limited and can be appropriately adjusted according to the form of the food. Preferably, the flavor-enhancing composition is added at a concentration in which it does not have a taste of its own, but is able to enhance the taste of the food. Specifically, the final concentration of heat-treated anise (calculated as dried anise) per total amount of food is, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, and more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less. When the aforementioned flavor-enhancing composition is used to enhance the flavor of food products with a lipid content of less than 20% by mass, the flavor-enhancing composition can be blended such that, per the total amount of food product, the final concentration of heat-treated anise (calculated as dried anise) is, for example, 0.005% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.3% by mass or less. When the aforementioned flavor-enhancing composition is used to enhance the flavor of a food product having a lipid content of 20% by mass or more (for example, chocolate), the flavor-enhancing composition can be formulated such that, per the total amount of food product, the final concentration of heat-treated anise (calculated as dried anise) is, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 0.1% by mass or less, preferably 0.004% by mass or more and 0.05% by mass or less, more preferably 0.005% by mass or more and 0.01% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.005% by mass or more and 0.008% by mass or less. For example, for the purpose of enhancing saltiness, the flavor-enhancing composition can be blended such that, for every 100g of salt equivalent in the food, the amount of heat-treated anise (converted to an amount as dried anise) is, for example, 0.5g or more, preferably 1g or more, preferably 2g or more, more preferably 4g or more, even more preferably 5g or more, for example, 0.5g or more and 100g or less, preferably 1g or more and 75g or less, more preferably 2g or more and 50g or less, particularly preferably 4g or more and 40g or less, and even more preferably 5g or more and 25g or less.For the purpose of enhancing the taste with carbohydrates, the flavor-enhancing composition can be blended so that, for every 100g of carbohydrates in the food, the amount of heat-treated anise (calculated as dried anise) is, for example, 0.20g or more, preferably 0.50g or more, more preferably 0.60g or more, even more preferably 1g or more, particularly preferably 2g or more, for example, 0.20g or more and 100g or less, preferably 0.50g or more and 70g or less, more preferably 0.60g or more and 60g or less, even more preferably 1g or more and 50g or less, particularly preferably 2g or more and 50g or less. For example, for the purpose of enhancing the taste of food with lipids in a food with a lipid content of less than 20% by mass, the taste-enhancing composition can be blended such that, for 100g of lipids in the food, the amount of heat-treated anise (calculated as dried anise) is, for example, 0.05g or more, preferably 0.10g or more, more preferably 0.20g or more, even more preferably 0.5g or more, particularly preferably 1.0g or more, for example, 0.05g or more and 100g or less, preferably 0.10g or more and 75g or less, more preferably 0.20g or more and 50g or less, even more preferably 0.50g or more and 25g or less, particularly preferably 1.0g or more and 25g or less. For example, for the purpose of enhancing the taste of a food product with a lipid content of 20% by mass or more (e.g., chocolate), the flavor-enhancing composition can be blended such that, per 100g of lipids in the food product, the amount of heat-treated anise (calculated as dried anise) is, for example, 1.0 mg or more, preferably 3.0 mg or more, for example 1.0 mg to 45 mg, preferably 3.0 mg to 30 mg, and more preferably 5.0 mg to 20 mg.

[0252] In the method according to this embodiment, the type of food is not limited, but examples include liquid condiments such as curry sauce, stew sauce, soup, beverages, chocolate, and dressings, rice products, meat products, prepared foods, and confectionery. The food may contain one or more of the above-mentioned flavor components in amounts lower than usual. The food may contain one or more of the above-mentioned flavor components, such as salt.

[0253] B-4. Further aspects of the second disclosure of this specification relate to the use of heat-treated anise for enhancing the flavor of food, methods for enhancing the flavor of food, including incorporating heat-treated anise into food, and the use of heat-treated anise in the manufacture of heat-treated anise for the purpose of enhancing the flavor of food, or additives for the purpose of enhancing the flavor of food.

[0254] In the further embodiments described above, the heat-treated anise preferably has the characteristics described with respect to the heat-treated anise contained in the flavor-enhancing composition according to the first aspect of the second disclosure.

[0255] In the further embodiments described above, the heat-treated anise can preferably be produced by the method for producing heat-treated anise described in the method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to the second aspect of the second disclosure.

[0256] In the further embodiments, the food preferably has the features described in relation to the method relating to the third aspect of the second disclosure. In the further embodiments, the amount of heat-treated anise used in the food, or the amount of salt equivalent, lipids, or carbohydrates used in the food, is preferably the amount described in relation to the method relating to the third aspect of the second disclosure.

[0257] C. Third Disclosures of This Specification Sections C-1, C-2, C-3 and C-4 below describe in detail the third disclosures of this Specification.

[0258] C-1. Flavor-enhancing composition relating to the third disclosure The first aspect of the third disclosure relates to a flavor-enhancing composition containing heat-treated cinnamon plant spices.

[0259] The third disclosed flavor-enhancing composition can enhance the flavor of food by being incorporated into the food itself. For example, a food containing one or more flavor components in a reduced amount compared to normal (for example, a low-salt food containing salt in a reduced amount compared to normal, a low-fat food containing oil in a reduced amount compared to normal, or a low-carbohydrate food containing carbohydrates in a reduced amount compared to normal) that incorporates the third disclosed flavor-enhancing composition can have a flavor closer to that of a food containing one or more flavor components in normal amounts compared to a food that does not contain it, and more preferably, a flavor equivalent to that of a food containing one or more flavor components in normal amounts. The third disclosed flavor-enhancing composition is more preferably a flavor-enhancing composition that enhances the flavor of a food by being incorporated into a salt-containing food such as a low-salt food, a lipid-containing food such as a low-carbohydrate food, or a carbohydrate-containing food such as a low-carbohydrate food. As shown in Reference Examples 1 to 3, cyclic dipeptides have the effect of enhancing the taste (greasy feel) of foods containing oils and fats when incorporated into such foods. As will be described later, heat-treated cinnamon plant spices contain more cyclic dipeptides than raw spices, so the taste-enhancing composition of the third disclosure can be a taste-enhancing composition that enhances the taste (greasy feel) of foods containing oils and fats when incorporated into such foods.

[0260] In the third disclosure, Cinnamomum plant spices refer to spices derived from plants of the genus Cinnamomum. Cinnamomum plant spices include dried bark or root bark of Cinnamomum plants, and specific examples include one or more selected from cinnamon, bark, and cassia. Cinnamon is the dried bark of Cinnamonum cassia (also called cassia, Chinese cinnamon, Tonkin cinnamon, etc.). Cinnamon is the dried bark of Cinnamonum zeylanicum (also called Ceylon cinnamon, etc.). Cassia is the dried root bark of Cinnamonum cassia. Various varieties and subspecies are known for both Cinnamonum cassia and Cinnamonum zeylanicum. In this specification, Cinnamonum cassia and Cinnamonum geranicum each include their varieties and subspecies. For the purpose of distinguishing Cinnamonum spices used as raw materials from heat-treated Cinnamonum spices, they may be referred to as "raw spices." As raw spices, one or more selected from unground Cinnamonum spices (e.g., unground cinnamon, bark, or cassia) and ground Cinnamonum spices (e.g., ground cinnamon, bark, or cassia) can be used. The particle size of the ground Cinnamonum spices is not particularly limited and may be coarsely ground or powdered Cinnamonum spices.

[0261] The raw spice may be a mixture of cinnamon plant spices and amino acids or peptides. By heating the mixture of cinnamon plant spices and amino acids or peptides, heat-treated cinnamon plant spices can be obtained that have a particularly high effect in enhancing the richness of the flavor. The amino acids or peptides are preferably one or more amino acids selected from alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, asparagine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, histidine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, and valine, or peptides containing the above amino acids as constituent amino acids. In specific examples, the amino acids or peptides mixed with cinnamon plant spices are preferably one or more amino acids selected from proline, methionine, alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and histidine, or peptides containing the above amino acids as constituent amino acids, and are particularly preferably the above amino acids. In a mixture of cinnamon plant spices and amino acids or peptides, the blending ratio of cinnamon plant spices to amino acids or peptides is not particularly limited, but for every 100 parts by mass (on a dry basis) of cinnamon plant spices, the total amount of amino acids or peptides can be, for example, 0.5 parts by mass or more and 20 parts by mass or less, more specifically 1 part by mass or more and 15 parts by mass or less, and more specifically 2 parts by mass or more and 10 parts by mass or less. The amino acids can be L-forms, D-forms, or mixtures of L-forms and D-forms, for example, the L-form can be used.

[0262] The heat-treated cinnamon spice in the flavor-enhancing composition of the third disclosure is preferably in powder form, and the particle size is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, 1000 μm or less, preferably 500 μm or less. Here, the particle size can be determined by the mesh size of a standard sieve specified in JIS. The powdered heat-treated cinnamon spice may be powdered before or after the heat treatment. The heat-treated cinnamon spice in the flavor-enhancing composition of the third disclosure may be provided in the form of a mixture of the heat-treated cinnamon spice and oil. Depending on the melting point of the oil, the mixture may be solid or liquid at room temperature.

[0263] The third disclosure's flavor-enhancing composition may consist solely of heat-treated cinnamon spices, or it may contain heat-treated cinnamon spices and other components. Examples of other components include one or more components having a flavor-enhancing effect, or one or more components that are acceptable as food. The third disclosure's flavor-enhancing composition may contain heat-treated cinnamon spices in a proportion of 5% to 100% by mass, more preferably 10% to 100% by mass, even more preferably 15% to 100% by mass, and most preferably 50% to 100% by mass, on a dry weight basis. The third disclosure's flavor-enhancing composition may be in the form of a powder, granules, paste, liquid, etc., and may contain one or more food-acceptable components, such as excipients and carriers, as necessary to achieve the desired form.

[0264] Next, a preferred embodiment of the heat treatment for preparing the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice will be described.

[0265] The first form of heat treatment for preparing the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice may be a heat treatment under conditions where the heating value is specifically 5 or more, more specifically 30 or more, preferably 100 or more, more preferably 150 or more, specifically 5 to 400,000, more specifically 30 to 400,000, preferably 100 to 400,000, more preferably 150 to 200,000. Cinnamon plant spices heat-treated under conditions where the heating value is within this range are preferred because they have a high effect in enhancing flavor. The temperature and time in the heat treatment of the first form can be appropriately set so that the heating value is within the above range. The temperature in the heat treatment can be such that the maximum temperature reached is, for example, 100°C or higher, specifically 105°C or higher, more specifically 110°C or higher, preferably 120°C or higher, more preferably 125°C or higher, and for example, 100°C to 400°C, specifically 105°C to 400°C, more specifically 110°C to 400°C, preferably 120°C to 350°C, more preferably 125°C to 320°C. The time in the heat treatment of the first embodiment can be, for example, 2 minutes or more, preferably 4 minutes or more, more preferably 10 minutes or more, particularly preferably 15 minutes or more, for example, 2 minutes to 150 minutes, specifically 3 minutes to 120 minutes, more specifically 2 minutes to 90 minutes, preferably 5 minutes to 70 minutes, more preferably 10 minutes to 50 minutes, particularly preferably 15 minutes to 40 minutes. The heat treatment of the first embodiment may be carried out in an open system or a closed system. The heat treatment in the first embodiment may be carried out in an open system or a closed system. The raw spices used in the heat treatment in the first embodiment may be a mixture with one or more selected from water, oil, amino acids, and peptides, or they may consist only of raw spices.

[0266] A second form of heat treatment for preparing the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice may be heat treatment under one or more conditions selected from a3) open system conditions, b3) conditions in which oil is present, and c3) pressurized sealed conditions.

[0267] Cinnamon spices treated under the aforementioned "a3) open system conditions" (sometimes referred to as "heating condition a3") are preferred because they enhance the flavor. In heating condition a3), an open system refers to an environment that is not sealed and in which moisture and volatile components including aroma components can volatilize into the surrounding atmosphere during heat treatment. Examples of heat treatment devices that can be used for heat treatment in an open system include roasters equipped with open containers such as flat kettles, rotary cylindrical kettles, and pots, as well as ovens with open interiors, hot air roasters, and superheated steam stirring and mixing sterilization devices. Such heat treatment in an open system can be referred to as "roasting". Heat treatment in an open system can be carried out under non-pressurized conditions.

[0268] The heating value of the heat treatment under heating condition a3) is specifically 5 or more, more specifically 30 or more, preferably 100 or more, more preferably 1000 or more, even more preferably 3000 or more, and particularly preferably 5000 or more. Specifically, it can be 5 to 400000, more specifically 30 to 400000, preferably 100 to 400000, more preferably 1000 to 200000, even more preferably 3000 to 100000, and particularly preferably 5000 to 50000. By setting the heating value of the heat treatment under heating condition a3) within the above range, a heat-treated cinnamon plant spice with a particularly high flavor-enhancing effect can be obtained.

[0269] The temperature and time in the heat treatment under heating condition a3) are preferably set appropriately so that the heating value falls within the above range. The temperature is such that the maximum temperature reached is greater than 100°C, preferably greater than 110°C, for example, 105°C or higher, specifically 110°C or higher, more specifically 115°C or higher, preferably 130°C or higher, more preferably 150°C or higher, even more preferably 165°C or higher, particularly preferably 180°C or higher, and most preferably 200°C or higher. For example, it can be greater than 100°C and 400°C or lower, specifically 105°C or higher and 400°C or lower, more specifically 110°C or higher and 400°C or lower, preferably 115°C or higher and 400°C or lower, more preferably 130°C or higher and 380°C or lower, more preferably 150°C or higher and 360°C or lower, even more preferably 165°C or higher and 340°C or lower, particularly preferably 180°C or higher and 320°C or lower, and most preferably 200°C or higher and 300°C or lower. The time for the heat treatment under heating condition a3) can be adjusted as appropriate so that the heating value falls within the above range, for example, it can be 1 minute or more, specifically 2 minutes or more, preferably 3 minutes or more, more preferably 4 minutes or more, even more preferably 5 minutes or more, for example, 1 minute or more and 150 minutes or less, specifically 2 minutes or more and 120 minutes or less, preferably 3 minutes or more and 90 minutes or less, more preferably 4 minutes or more and 60 minutes or less, and even more preferably 5 minutes or more and 30 minutes or less.

[0270] The form of the raw spice used in the heat treatment under heating condition a3) is not particularly limited, but preferably it is one or more selected from unground cinnamon plant spices and ground cinnamon plant spices, and more preferably unground cinnamon plant spices. The raw spice used in the heat treatment under heating condition a3) may be cinnamon plant spices alone, or it may be a mixture of cinnamon plant spices and amino acids or peptides. In the heat treatment under heating condition a3), oil and / or water may be added to the raw spice, or not, but it is particularly preferable not to add them.

[0271] Cinnamon spices that have been heat-treated under the conditions described in "b3) where oil is present" (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "heating conditions b3") are preferred because they have a high effect in enhancing flavor. The oil is not particularly limited as long as it is an edible oil derived from plants, animals, etc. that is acceptable as food. The oil may have its melting point adjusted by techniques such as transesterification or hydrogenation of fatty acids. The amount of oil used in the heat treatment under heating conditions b3) is not particularly limited, but for example, for 100 parts by mass (on a dry basis) of cinnamon spices, for example, 5 parts by mass or more and 500 parts by mass or less, preferably 50 parts by mass or more and 200 parts by mass or less, and more preferably 75 parts by mass or more and 150 parts by mass or less of oil can be used.

[0272] The heat treatment under heating condition b3) can be performed by setting the temperature and time so that the heating value is, for example, 100 or more, preferably 120 or more, more preferably 150 or more, for example 100 to 800,000, preferably 120 to 400,000, more preferably 150 to 200,000, even more preferably 150 to 10,000, and particularly preferably 150 to 1,000. By setting the heating value of the heat treatment under heating condition b3) within the above range, a heat-treated cinnamon plant spice with a particularly high flavor-enhancing effect can be obtained.

[0273] The temperature and time during the heat treatment under heating condition b3) can be appropriately set so that the heating value falls within the above range. The temperature during the heat treatment under heating condition b3) can be such that the maximum temperature reached is, for example, 100°C or higher, preferably 120°C or higher, more preferably 130°C or higher, and even more preferably 145°C or higher, and can be such as 100°C to 300°C, preferably 120°C to 280°C, more preferably 130°C to 250°C, and even more preferably 145°C to 230°C. The time during the heat treatment under heating condition b3) can be, for example, 2 minutes or more, preferably 4 minutes or more, and can be such as 2 minutes to 40 minutes, and even more preferably 4 minutes to 25 minutes.

[0274] The heat treatment under heating condition b3) can be carried out in either an open or closed system, and can be performed by heating with superheated steam or heating with an oven. Examples of heating devices used for the heat treatment under heating condition b3) include ovens, flat-pan roasters, vertical heating mixers, and microwave heating devices.

[0275] The form of the cinnamon plant spice heated with oil in the heat treatment under heating condition b3) is not particularly limited, but preferably it is one or more selected from unground cinnamon plant spice and ground cinnamon plant spice. The cinnamon plant spice heated with oil in the heat treatment under heating condition b3) may be cinnamon plant spice alone, or it may be a mixture of cinnamon plant spice and amino acids or peptides.

[0276] Cinnamon plant spices that have been heat-treated under the aforementioned "c3) pressurized and sealed conditions" (which may be referred to as "heating conditions c3") are preferable because they have a high effect in enhancing flavor.

[0277] The heat treatment under heating condition c3) can be performed by setting the temperature and time so that the heating value is, for example, 40 or more, specifically 50 or more, preferably 100 or more, preferably 120 or more, more preferably 150 or more, even more preferably 200 or more, for example, 40 to 2000, specifically 50 to 2000, preferably 100 to 2000, preferably 120 to 1500, even more preferably 150 to 1000, and even more preferably 200 to 800. By setting the heating value of the heat treatment under heating condition c3) within the above range, a heat-treated cinnamon plant spice with a particularly high flavor-enhancing effect can be obtained.

[0278] The temperature and time in the heat treatment under heating condition c3) can be appropriately set so that the heating value falls within the above range. The temperature in the heat treatment under heating condition c3) can be such that the maximum temperature reached is, for example, 100°C or higher, preferably 110°C or higher, more preferably 120°C or higher, and even more preferably 125°C or higher, for example, 100°C to 200°C, preferably 110°C to 180°C, more preferably 120°C to 160°C, and even more preferably 125°C to 150°C. The time in the heat treatment under heating condition c3) can be, for example, 10 minutes or more, specifically 15 minutes or more, preferably 20 minutes or more, for example, 10 minutes to 150 minutes, specifically 10 minutes to 120 minutes, more specifically 15 minutes to 90 minutes, preferably 20 minutes to 60 minutes, and even more preferably 20 minutes to 40 minutes.

[0279] The heat treatment under heating condition c3) can be carried out under pressure conditions where the gauge pressure is preferably 0.05 MPa or higher, more preferably 0.15 MPa or higher, preferably 0.05 MPa to 0.60 MPa, and more preferably 0.15 MPa to 0.40 MPa.

[0280] Examples of heating devices used for pressurized sealed heating under heating condition c3) include pressurized sealed kettles and retort-type sterilizers. Heat treatment under heating condition c3) using a retort-type sterilizer may involve placing the raw material cinnamon plant spice in a soft, heat-resistant bag (for example, a bag made of aluminum foil laminated resin sheet), sealing it, and heating it under pressurized conditions.

[0281] The form of the raw spice used in the heat treatment under heating condition c3) is not particularly limited, but preferably it is one or more selected from unground cinnamon plant spices and ground cinnamon plant spices, and more preferably unground cinnamon plant spices. The raw spice used in the heat treatment under heating condition c3) may be cinnamon plant spices alone, or it may be a mixture of cinnamon plant spices and amino acids or peptides. In the heat treatment under heating condition c3), oil and / or water may be added to the raw spice, or not.

[0282] The heat-treated cinnamon plant spice is preferably heat-treated cinnamon bark. The heat-treated cinnamon bark obtained by subjecting cinnamon bark to the first or second heat treatment is, in a preferred embodiment, a cyclic dipeptide, pyroglutamic acid, 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone, vanillin, catechin, epicatechin, gallocatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate, gallocatechin gallate, catechin gallate, procyanidin B1, procyanidin B2, procyanidin A, and ascorbyl. One or more compounds selected from acids, tartaric acid, quinic acid, citric acid, succinic acid, malic acid, vanillic acid, ethyl lactate, furaneol, phenethyl alcohol, methyl benzoate, benzaldehyde, 2-furylhydroxymethyl ketone, amyl acetate, cinnamyl acetate, 2-methoxybenzaldehyde, guaiacol, 4-methylguaiacol, 4-ethylguaiacol, 4-vinylguaiacol, and syringol are present in increased amounts compared to cinnamon before heating. The inventors found that the amount of the compounds contained in the heat-treated cinnamon correlates with the strength of its flavor-enhancing effect.

[0283] In a preferred embodiment of the flavor-enhancing composition of the third disclosure, the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice is heat-treated cinnamon, and the heat-treated cinnamon is analyzed by adding 5 μg / g caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g L-methionine sulfone to the heat-treated cinnamon and analyzing the resulting chromatogram by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) according to the following method: (301) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the alanine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.30 or more, preferably 0.34 or more, preferably 0.30 to 2.2, more preferably 0.34 to 2.1, and (302) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the arginine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.095 or more, preferably 0.12 or more, preferably 0.095 to 0.45, more preferably 0.12 to 0.45. (303) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing aspartic acid to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.14 or more, preferably 0.14 to 0.81, more preferably 0.14 to 0.49; (304) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing asparagine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.002 or more, preferably 0.002 to 0.37, more preferably 0.002 to 0.090; (305) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing glutamic acid to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.078 or more, preferably 0.078 to 0.70, more preferably 0.078 to 0.39; (306) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the glutamine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.56 or more, preferably 0.56 to 6.9, more preferably 0.56 to 4.8, and (307) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the glycine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.15 or more, preferably 0.15 to 1.1, more preferably 0.15 to 1.0,(308) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the histidine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.2 or more, preferably 1.2 to 9.5, more preferably 1.2 to 8.0; (309) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the leucine or isoleucine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.40 or more, preferably 0.42 or more, preferably 0.40 to 1.6, more preferably 0.42 to 1.5; (310) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the lysine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.10 or more, preferably 0.10 to 1.7, more preferably 0.10 to 1.2; (311) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the methionine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.4 or more, preferably 2.4 to 8.4; (312) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing phenylalanine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.2 or more, preferably 2.4 or more, preferably 2.2 to 8.4, more preferably 2.4 to 8.4; (313) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing proline to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.35 or more, preferably 0.43 or more, preferably 0.35 to 3.6, more preferably 0.43 to 3.6; (314) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing serine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.077 or more, preferably 0.077 to 0.69, more preferably 0.077 to 0.45; (315) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing threonine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.13 or more, preferably 0.13 to 0.88; (316) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing tryptophan to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.35 or more, preferably 0.35 to 2.0.(317) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from tyrosine-containing cyclic dipeptides to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.76 or more, preferably 0.76 to 2.9, more preferably 0.76 to 2.7; (318) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from valine-containing cyclic dipeptides to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.082 or more, preferably 0.082 to 0.44; (319) The area ratio of the peak areas derived from pyroglutamic acid to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.32 or more, preferably 0.43 or more, preferably 0.32 to 4.1, more preferably 0.43 to 2.2, even more preferably 0.43 to 1.7; (320) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.28 or higher, preferably 0.39 or higher, preferably 0.28 to 2.3, preferably 0.39 to 2.0; (321) The area ratio of the peak area derived from vanillin to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.75 or higher, preferably 0.84 or higher, preferably 0.75 to 2.8, more preferably 0.84 to 2.6; (322) The area ratio of the peak area derived from catechin to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.80 or higher, preferably 1.3 or higher, preferably 0.80 to 11, more preferably 1.3 to 11; (323) The area ratio of the peak area derived from epicatechin to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 4.9 or more, preferably 6.4 or more, preferably 4.9 to 79, more preferably 6.4 to 56; (324) The area ratio of the peak area derived from gallocatechin to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.22 or more, preferably 0.22 to 1.9, more preferably 0.22 to 1.0; (325) The area ratio of the peak area derived from epigallocatechin to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.83 or more, preferably 0.83 to 10, more preferably 0.83 to 5.2;(326) The area ratio of the peak area derived from epicatechin gallate to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.038 or more, preferably 0.038 to 1.0, more preferably 0.038 to 0.26; (327) The area ratio of the peak area derived from gallocatechin gallate to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.035 or more, preferably 0.044 or more, preferably 0.035 to 0.73, more preferably 0.044 to 0.73; (328) The area ratio of the peak area derived from catechin gallate to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.41 or more, preferably 0.70 or more, preferably 0.41 to 11, more preferably 0.70 to 7.2; (329) The area ratio of the peak area derived from procyanidin B1 to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.35 or more, preferably 0.56 or more, preferably 0.35 to 5.7, more preferably 0.56 to 4.5; (330) The area ratio of the peak area derived from procyanidin B2 to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 9.7 or more, preferably 9.7 to 150, more preferably 9.7 to 81; (331) The area ratio of the peak area derived from procyanidin A to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 2.9 or more, preferably 2.9 to 92, more preferably 2.9 to 18; (332) The area ratio of the peak area derived from ascorbic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.23 or more, preferably 0.23 to 5.5, more preferably 0.23 to 1.4; (333) The area ratio of the peak area derived from tartaric acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.92 or more, preferably 0.93 or more, preferably 0.92 to 3.9, more preferably 0.93 to 3.3; (334) The area ratio of the peak area derived from quinic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 210 or more, preferably 210 to 2000, more preferably 210 to 1400; (335) The area ratio of the peak area derived from citric acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 100 or more, preferably 100 to 870, more preferably 100 to 630;(336) The area ratio of the peak area derived from succinic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 17 or more, preferably 18 or more, preferably 17 to 160, more preferably 18 to 160; (337) The area ratio of the peak area derived from malic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 82 or more, preferably 82 to 570, more preferably 82 to 360; (338) The area ratio of the peak area derived from vanillic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.67 or more, preferably 0.87 or more, preferably 0.67 to 10, more preferably 0.87 to 7.6; (339) The area ratio of the peak area derived from ethyl lactate to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.25 or more, preferably 0.25 to 1.9, more preferably 0.25 to 1.0. One or more of these, preferably 15 or more, more preferably 25 or more, even more preferably 30 or more, particularly preferably 35 or more, and most preferably all of them.

[0284] Here, the LC-MS measurement method is as follows, and more preferably, the LC-MS measurement method described in the examples.

[0285] A 15 mL test tube containing 200 mg of the heat-treated cinnamon (on a dry weight basis; if the heat-treated cinnamon was heat-treated with oil, or with amino acids or peptides, the converted mass is calculated as cinnamon excluding the oil, amino acids, or peptides) and 7.5 mL of water is heated in a 75°C constant temperature water bath for 10 minutes to prepare an aqueous extract. To the aqueous extract in the test tube, 2.5 mL of acetonitrile and 5 μg / g of caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g of L-methionine sulfone per 200 mg of the heat-treated cinnamon (on a dry weight basis; if the heat-treated cinnamon was heat-treated with oil, or with amino acids or peptides, the converted mass is calculated as cinnamon excluding the oil, amino acids, or peptides) are added, stirred, and the solid components are removed and the liquid components are recovered to prepare a sample. The aforementioned sample is analyzed by LC-MS (ionization method: electrospray ionization (ESI) positive mode and ESI negative mode) to obtain a chromatogram. Here, the heat-treated cinnamon used as the analytical sample is preferably in the form of pulverized material.

[0286] Caffeine-d9 is the internal standard in positive mode. Caffeine-d9 and each of the compounds described in (301) to (323) above are separated by LC and detected as [M+H] ions in positive mode by MS, and the peak area of ​​the extracted ion chromatogram with m / z values ​​corresponding to the precise mass of the [M+H] ions described in the examples is determined. From the obtained peak area, the peak area ratio defined in (301) to (323) above can be calculated.

[0287] L-methionine sulfone is the internal standard in negative mode. L-methionine sulfone and each of the compounds described in (324) to (339) above are separated by LC and detected as [M-H] ions in negative mode by MS, and the peak area of ​​the extracted ion chromatogram with m / z values ​​corresponding to the precise mass of the [M-H] ions described in the examples is determined. From the obtained peak area, the peak area ratio specified in (324) to (339) above can be calculated.

[0288] The alanine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (301) is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Alanine (Ala)" in Table 27.

[0289] The cyclic dipeptide containing arginine in (302) is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the "Arginine (Arg)" row of Table 27.

[0290] The cyclic dipeptide containing aspartic acid in (303) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Aspartic acid (Asp)" in Table 27.

[0291] The asparagine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (304) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the "Asparagine (Asn)" row of Table 27.

[0292] The cyclic dipeptide containing glutamic acid in (305) is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Glutamic Acid (Glu)" in Table 27.

[0293] The glutamine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (306) is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the "Glutamine (Gln)" row of Table 27.

[0294] The cyclic dipeptide containing glycine in (307) is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Gly" in Table 27.

[0295] The histidine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (308) is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Histidine (His)" in Table 27.

[0296] The leucine or isoleucine in (309) above is typically a cyclic dipeptide as shown in the row for "Leucine / Isoleucine (Leu / Ile)" in Table 27.

[0297] The cyclic dipeptide containing lysine in (310) is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Lys" in Table 27.

[0298] The cyclic dipeptide containing methionine in (311) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Methionine (Met)" in Table 27.

[0299] The cyclic dipeptide containing phenylalanine in (312) is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "phenylalanine (Phe)" in Table 27.

[0300] The cyclic dipeptide containing proline in (313) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Proline (Pro)" in Table 27.

[0301] The serine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (314) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the "Serine (Ser)" row of Table 27.

[0302] The cyclic dipeptide containing threonine in (315) is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Threonine (Thr)" in Table 27.

[0303] The cyclic dipeptide containing tryptophan in (316) is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Tryptophan (Trp)" in Table 27.

[0304] The tyrosine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (317) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Tyrosine (Tyr)" in Table 27.

[0305] The valine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (318) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Valine (Val)" in Table 27.

[0306] In a preferred embodiment of the flavor-enhancing composition of the third disclosure, the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice is heat-treated cinnamon, and the heat-treated cinnamon is analyzed by adding 4 μg / g of 4-methylthiazole to the heat-treated cinnamon and performing gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) according to the following method, and in the resulting chromatogram, (340) the area ratio of the peak area derived from furaneol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.14 or more, preferably 0.14 to 0.95, (341) the area ratio of the peak area derived from phenethyl alcohol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 1.9 or more, preferably 1.9 to 11, more preferably 1.9 to 4.3, and (342) the area ratio of the peak area derived from methyl benzoate to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.068 or more, preferably 0.068 to 1.3, more preferably 0.068 to 0.43. (343) The area ratio of the peak area derived from benzaldehyde to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 8.8 or more, preferably 8.8 to 80, more preferably 8.8 to 54; (344) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 2-furylhydroxymethyl ketone to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.15 or more, preferably 0.18 or more, preferably 0.15 to 1.9, more preferably 0.18 to 1.2; (345) The area ratio of the peak area derived from amyl acetate to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 3.8 or more, preferably 3.8 to 17, more preferably 3.8 to 8.7; (346) The area ratio of the peak area derived from cinnamyl acetate to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 1.6 or more, preferably 1.6 to 26, more preferably 1.6 to 16; (347) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 2-methoxybenzaldehyde to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.21 or more, preferably 0.21 to 2.5, and more preferably 0.21 to 1.1.(348) The area ratio of the peak area derived from guaiacol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.63 or more, preferably 0.73 or more, preferably 0.63 to 3.3, more preferably 0.73 to 3.0; (349) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 4-methylguaiacol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.060 or more, preferably 0.060 to 0.34; (350) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 4-ethylguaiacol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.061 or more, preferably 0.075 or more, preferably 0.061 to 0.77, more preferably 0.075 to 0.77; (351) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 4-vinylguaiacol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 3.0 or more, preferably 3.0 to 9.0, more preferably 3.0 to 8.1; (352) The area ratio of the peak area derived from syringol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.22 or more, preferably 0.26 or more, preferably 0.22 to 1.9, more preferably 0.26 to 1.9, and one or more of the following conditions are met, preferably five or more, more preferably 10 or more, and most preferably all of them.

[0307] Here, the GC-MS measurement method is as follows, and more preferably, the GC-MS measurement method described in the examples.

[0308] (GC-MS Measurement Method) A 10 mL test tube containing 25 mg of the heat-treated cinnamon bark (on a dry weight basis; if the heat-treated cinnamon bark is heat-treated with oil, or with amino acids or peptides, the converted mass is calculated as cinnamon bark excluding oil, amino acids, or peptides), 4 μg / g of 4-methylthiazole relative to the heat-treated cinnamon bark (on a dry weight basis; if the heat-treated cinnamon bark is heat-treated with oil, or with amino acids or peptides, the converted mass is calculated as cinnamon bark excluding oil, amino acids, or peptides), 4 mL of acetone, and 4 mL of methanol is stirred, the solid components are removed and the liquid components are recovered, and 1 mL of acetone is added for every 0.1 mL of the liquid components to prepare a GC-MS sample. The GC-MS sample is analyzed by GC-MS (ionization method: electron ionization (EI) positive mode) to obtain a chromatogram. In this case, the heat-treated cinnamon used as the analytical sample is preferably in the form of a pulverized product.

[0309] For the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole and the peak area derived from the components specified in (340) to (352) above, the peak area of ​​the extracted ion chromatogram of the ions corresponding to the precise mass of each component described in the examples can be used, respectively.

[0310] In certain cases, flavor enhancement, as described above, involves enhancing one or more flavors selected from saltiness, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, umami, richness, oiliness, and milkiness. However, differences in the heating conditions of heat-treated cinnamon plant spices can lead to differences in the composition and ratio of cyclic dipeptides, and thus the types of flavors that can be enhanced may also differ.

[0311] To impart an effect of enhancing saltiness to the third disclosure, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions having an effect of enhancing saltiness may be incorporated; to impart an effect of enhancing sweetness, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions having an effect of enhancing sweetness may be incorporated; to impart an effect of enhancing sourness, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions having an effect of enhancing sourness may be incorporated; and to impart an effect of enhancing bitterness, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions having an effect of enhancing bitterness may be incorporated. To enhance the umami flavor, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions that enhance the umami flavor can be incorporated; to enhance the richness flavor, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions that enhance the richness flavor can be incorporated; to enhance the oiliness flavor, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions that enhance the oiliness flavor can be incorporated; and to enhance the milkiness flavor, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions that enhance the milkiness flavor can be incorporated. Furthermore, in order to enhance multiple stages of flavor among saltiness, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, umami, richness, oiliness, and milkiness in the flavor-enhancing composition according to the third disclosure, a combination of multiple heat-treated cinnamon plant spices can be incorporated depending on the flavor to be enhanced.

[0312] C-2. Method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition relating to the third disclosure The second aspect of the third disclosure relates to a method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition relating to the first aspect of the third disclosure, comprising: heat-treating a cinnamon plant spice to obtain the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice.

[0313] According to this embodiment, a flavor-enhancing composition relating to the first embodiment of the third disclosure can be manufactured.

[0314] In the method relating to the second aspect of the third disclosure, the characteristics of the cinnamon plant spice used as a raw material, the heat treatment, etc., may have the characteristics described in the flavor-enhancing composition relating to the first aspect of the third disclosure. For example, in the method relating to the second aspect of the third disclosure, the heat treatment may have the characteristics of the first form of heat treatment or the second form of heat treatment for obtaining the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice of the flavor-enhancing composition relating to the first aspect of the third disclosure. The second form of heat treatment may have the characteristics described with respect to heat treatment under one or more conditions selected from heating conditions a3), heating conditions b3), and heating conditions c3) for obtaining the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice of the flavor-enhancing composition relating to the first aspect of the third disclosure.

[0315] The method for producing the flavor-enhancing composition according to this embodiment may involve using the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice as is, or it may further include preparing the flavor-enhancing composition by combining the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice with other components. Preferred examples of the other components are as described with respect to the flavor-enhancing composition according to the first embodiment of the third disclosure.

[0316] The method for producing the flavor-enhancing composition according to this embodiment may include processing the obtained flavor-enhancing composition into the form of a powder, granules, paste, liquid, or the like.

[0317] C-3. Method for enhancing taste using a taste-enhancing composition relating to the third disclosure The third aspect of the third disclosure relates to a method for enhancing the taste of food, comprising incorporating a taste-enhancing composition relating to the first aspect of the third disclosure into food.

[0318] The method according to this embodiment can enhance the taste of the food itself, and is therefore suitable for enhancing the taste of foods containing one or more taste components in amounts lower than usual (for example, low-sodium foods with less salt than usual, low-fat foods containing less oil than usual, and low-carbohydrate foods with less carbohydrates than usual).

[0319] In the method according to this embodiment, the amount of the flavor-enhancing composition according to the first embodiment of the third disclosure added to the food is not particularly limited and can be appropriately adjusted according to the form of the food. Preferably, the flavor-enhancing composition is added at a concentration in which it does not have a taste of its own, but is able to enhance the taste of the food. Specifically, the final concentration of heat-treated cinnamon plant spice (converted to an amount as dried cinnamon plant spice) per total amount of food is, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, and more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less. When the aforementioned flavor-enhancing composition is used to enhance the flavor of food products with a lipid content of less than 20% by mass, the flavor-enhancing composition can be blended such that the final concentration of heat-treated cinnamon plant spices (calculated as dried cinnamon plant spices) per total amount of food product is, for example, 0.005% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or more, more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.3% by mass or less. When the aforementioned flavor-enhancing composition is used to enhance the flavor of a food product having a lipid content of 20% by mass or more (for example, chocolate), the flavor-enhancing composition can be blended such that the final concentration of heat-treated cinnamon plant spices (calculated as dried cinnamon plant spices) per total amount of the food product is, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 0.1% by mass or less, preferably 0.004% by mass or more and 0.05% by mass or less, more preferably 0.005% by mass or more and 0.01% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.005% by mass or more and 0.008% by mass or less. For example, for the purpose of enhancing saltiness, the flavor-enhancing composition can be blended such that, for every 100g of salt equivalent in the food, the amount of heat-treated cinnamon plant spice (converted to the amount of dried cinnamon plant spice) is, for example, 0.5g or more, preferably 1g or more, preferably 2g or more, more preferably 4g or more, even more preferably 5g or more, for example, 0.5g or more and 100g or less, preferably 1g or more and 75g or less, more preferably 2g or more and 50g or less, particularly preferably 4g or more and 40g or less, and even more preferably 5g or more and 25g or less.For the purpose of enhancing the taste with carbohydrates, the flavor-enhancing composition can be blended in such an amount that, for every 100g of carbohydrates in the food, the amount of heat-treated cinnamon plant spice (converted to an amount equivalent to dried cinnamon plant spice) is, for example, 0.20g or more, preferably 0.50g or more, more preferably 0.60g or more, even more preferably 1g or more, particularly preferably 2g or more, for example, 0.20g or more and 100g or less, preferably 0.50g or more and 70g or less, more preferably 0.60g or more and 60g or less, even more preferably 1g or more and 50g or less, particularly preferably 2g or more and 50g or less. For example, for the purpose of enhancing the taste of food containing less than 20% by mass, the taste-enhancing composition can be blended such that, per 100g of lipids in the food, the amount of heat-treated cinnamon plant spice (converted to an amount equivalent to dried cinnamon plant spice) is, for example, 0.05g or more, preferably 0.10g or more, more preferably 0.20g or more, even more preferably 0.5g or more, particularly preferably 1.0g or more, for example, 0.05g or more and 100g or less, preferably 0.10g or more and 75g or less, more preferably 0.20g or more and 50g or less, even more preferably 0.50g or more and 25g or less, particularly preferably 1.0g or more and 25g or less. For example, for the purpose of enhancing the taste of a food product with a lipid content of 20% by mass or more (e.g., chocolate), the flavor-enhancing composition can be blended such that, per 100g of lipids in the food product, the amount of heat-treated cinnamon plant spice (calculated as dried cinnamon plant spice) is, for example, 1.0 mg or more, preferably 3.0 mg or more, for example 1.0 mg to 45 mg, preferably 3.0 mg to 30 mg, and more preferably 5.0 mg to 20 mg.

[0320] In the method according to this embodiment, the type of food is not limited, but examples include liquid condiments such as curry sauce, stew sauce, soup, beverages, chocolate, and dressings, rice products, meat products, prepared foods, and confectionery. The food may contain one or more of the above-mentioned flavor components in amounts lower than usual. The food may contain one or more of the above-mentioned flavor components, such as salt.

[0321] C-4. Further aspects of the third disclosure of this specification further aspects of the third disclosure of this specification relate to the use of heat-treated cinnamon spices for enhancing the flavor of food, a method for enhancing the flavor of food, including incorporating heat-treated cinnamon spices into food, and the use of heat-treated cinnamon spices in the manufacture of heat-treated cinnamon spices for the purpose of enhancing the flavor of food, or additives for the purpose of enhancing the flavor of food.

[0322] In the further embodiments described above, the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice preferably has the characteristics described with respect to the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice contained in the flavor-enhancing composition according to the third aspect of the third disclosure.

[0323] In the further embodiments described above, the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice can preferably be produced by the method for producing a heat-treated cinnamon plant spice as described in the method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to the second aspect of the third disclosure.

[0324] In the further embodiments, the food preferably has the features described in relation to the method according to the third aspect of the third disclosure. In the further embodiments, the amount of the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice used in the food, or the amount used in relation to the salt equivalent, lipids, or carbohydrates in the food, is preferably the amount described in relation to the method according to the third aspect of the third disclosure.

[0325] Experiment 1 below relates to the first disclosure of this specification. Experiment 2 below relates to the second disclosure of this specification. Experiment 3 below relates to the third disclosure of this specification.

[0326] 1. Experiment 1: Flavor-enhancing composition containing heat-treated fennel

[0327] 1.1. Heat treatment of fennel

[0328] (1) Heat Value The heat value is obtained by integrating the value expressed by the formula (hereinafter referred to as the "CV value") with respect to the heating time (minutes).

[0329] (Formula): CV value = 10 [(product temperature - reference temperature) / Z value] In this specification, "reference temperature" is 110°C and "Z value" is 30°C. "Product temperature" refers to the temperature of the object being heated during the heat treatment.

[0330] (2) Preparation of heat-treated fennel Fennel was heat-treated under the conditions shown in the table below. The definition of the heat value is as previously described. The temperature and time listed in the processing conditions column are the theoretical maximum temperature reached and the time it is held (however, in the case of oven heating, the oven setting time and total heating time), but the temperature measured over time with a temperature sensor was used to calculate the heat value. Therefore, the heat value reflects the change in temperature over time, including the temperature and time during temperature rise and fall.

[0331]

[0332] Comparative Example 101 used unpasteurized whole fennel ground into a powder for evaluation and analysis.

[0333] The pressurized sealing and heating in Examples 101, 109-112 was carried out according to the following procedure. 50 g of whole fennel was filled into an aluminum foil pouch and sealed. The sealed pouch was heat-treated in a retort sterilizer at 130°C (Examples 101, 111, 112), 120°C (Examples 109, 112) for 30 minutes (Example 101), 20 minutes (Examples 109, 111), and 90 minutes (Examples 110, 112), and then cooled with water. The heat treatment in the retort sterilizer was carried out under a gauge pressure of 0.2 MPa. The powder obtained by grinding after heating was used for evaluation and analysis.

[0334] Coffee roasting in Example 102 was carried out using the following procedure. 200g of whole fennel was placed in a home coffee roaster (open system). The roaster was rotated at 18.5 rpm (maximum rotation speed) and stirred. The roaster was ignited and heated until the temperature of the fennel reached 190°C (10 minutes for the temperature to rise). The fennel was heated at 190°C for 12 minutes while stirring. The temperature was measured using an infrared thermometer. The heat-treated fennel was removed to a tray and allowed to cool to room temperature. The powdered fennel, which was crushed after heating, was used for evaluation and analysis.

[0335] Oven roasting for Examples 103, 104, 106, 107, and 108 was carried out using the following procedure. 10g of whole fennel was placed on an aluminum tray and heated in ovens set to 110°C (Example 103), 130°C (Example 104), 160°C (Example 106), 180°C (Example 107), and 210°C (Example 108) for 110 minutes (Example 103), 25 minutes (Example 104), 21 minutes (Example 106), 21 minutes (Example 107), and 2 minutes (Example 108). The temperature was measured by inserting a sensor thermometer into the oven. After heating, the product was transferred to a tray and allowed to cool to room temperature.

[0336] The oil roasting in Example 105 was carried out according to the following procedure. In Example 105, unheated whole fennel was crushed into a powder. 100 g of palm oil (melting point 45°C) was heated, and when it reached 80°C, 100 g of the crushed fennel was mixed in. The resulting mixture was heated to 150°C while stirring, held at this temperature for 5 minutes, and then cooled. Cooling was carried out while stirring to prevent the crushed fennel from separating in the mixture until it reached approximately 60°C, and then in a freezer until it solidified. The resulting oil-roasted product was used for evaluation and analysis.

[0337] 1.2. Enhancement of flavor by heat treatment of fennel (1) (1) Preparation of regular curry roux 20g of wheat flour and 30g of beef fat were placed in a pot and heated and stirred at 120°C to make wheat flour roux.

[0338] To this wheat flour roux, 10g of salt, 10g of sugar, 10g of cornstarch, 5g of curry powder, and 15g of other seasoning ingredients (vegetable / fruit extract, yeast extract, seafood extract) were added, and after heating to 105°C, it was cooled and solidified to create a block-shaped, standard curry roux.

[0339] The salt content of this curry roux was 10.6g per 100g.

[0340] (2) Preparation of reduced-sodium curry roux A reduced-sodium curry roux was prepared using the same procedure as the regular curry roux described in (1) above, except that the amount of salt was reduced to 7g.

[0341] The sodium chloride content of this reduced-sodium curry roux was 7.7g per 100g. Foods containing sodium chloride (salt) have not only a salty taste, but also sweetness, sourness, bitterness, umami, richness, oiliness, and milkiness, and reduced-sodium foods tend to have weaker tastes in these various aspects. For this reason, reduced-sodium foods such as the reduced-sodium curry roux used in this experiment are useful as an evaluation system for taste enhancement.

[0342] (3) Sensory evaluation One sample was prepared by dissolving 44g of the regular curry roux from (1) above in 300g of hot water and boiling it while stirring.

[0343] Multiple solutions were prepared by dissolving 44 g of the reduced-sodium curry roux described in (2) above in 300 g of hot water and boiling it while stirring. To one of these solutions, a sample of the comparative example or example of the heat-treated fennel was added to achieve a final concentration of 0.1% by mass. In this test system, 10.1 g of the comparative example or example of the heat-treated fennel was added for every 100 g of sodium chloride equivalent in the hot water diluted solution of the reduced-sodium curry roux.

[0344] The taste of the reduced-sodium curry roux (dissolved in hot water) and the regular curry roux (dissolved in hot water) was compared, and evaluated by three evaluators (evaluators 1, 2, and 3) or two evaluators (evaluators 1 and 2) according to the following evaluation criteria.

[0345] The taste-enhancing effect was assigned a score of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 points as follows. The taste of each sample was evaluated by three or two evaluators in 0.1-point increments, and the average score was calculated.

[0346] 1 point: Taste similar to reduced-sodium curry roux. 2 points: Slightly stronger taste than reduced-sodium curry roux. 3 points: Stronger taste than reduced-sodium curry roux. 4 points: Significantly stronger taste than reduced-sodium curry roux. 5 points: Taste similar to regular curry roux.

[0347] When samples of the comparative example or example of heat-treated fennel were added, the taste was evaluated by marking with an asterisk (*) which of the following tastes was perceived to be enhanced: saltiness, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, umami, richness, oiliness, or milkiness. The number of asterisks (*) corresponds to the number of evaluators who reported feeling an enhancement effect on the corresponding taste.

[0348] (4) Evaluation Results The evaluation results are shown in the table below.

[0349]

[0350] 1.3. Component Analysis The components contained in the comparative example and example samples (fennel samples) of heat-treated fennel were analyzed using the following procedure.

[0351] 1.3.1. Component Analysis by LC-MS (1) Preparation of LC-MS Sample 200 mg of fennel sample (on a dry basis; if the sample is a sample that has been heat-treated with oil, this refers to the mass converted to that of spice excluding the oil) was taken into a 15 mL test tube, and 7.5 mL of ultrapure water was added and mixed well. The test tube was heated in a constant temperature water bath set to 75°C for 10 minutes, then the test tube was stirred in a benchtop high-speed shaker at 2,500 rpm for 10 minutes and allowed to stand until it reached room temperature. 2.5 mL of acetonitrile (Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries) was added to the test tube, and then caffeine-d9 (Kanto Chemical Industries) was added as an internal standard for the positive mode, and L-methionine sulfone (Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries) was added as an internal standard for the negative mode. Caffeine-d9 and L-methionine sulfone were added to a fennel sample (on a dry basis; if the sample was heat-treated with oil, the mass refers to the spice mass after removing the oil) at a concentration of 5 μg / g each. The test tube was stirred in a benchtop high-speed shaker at room temperature at 2,500 rpm for 10 minutes, and after centrifugation, 0.5 mL of the solution in the test tube was transferred to an ultrafiltration filter (Nanosep centrifugal filtration device 3K, Nippon Pall). The ultrafiltration filter was centrifuged at room temperature at 15,000 rpm for 30 minutes, and then 0.75 mL of ultrapure water and 0.25 mL of acetonitrile were added to the filtrate below the filter and vortexed for 10 seconds. The solution after loading onto a 0.2 μm filter was used as the LC-MS sample (n=3).

[0352] (2) LC-MS analysis conditions The analysis conditions for LC-orbitrap-MS are shown below. Analytical equipment: LC: Vanquish Flex (Thermo Fisher Scientific) MS: ID-X (Thermo Fisher Scientific) Analytical column: Unison UK-C18, 3 μm [particle size], 250 mm [length] x 4.6 mm [inner diameter] (Imtakt) LC conditions: Column temperature: 40°C Injection volume: 5 μL Mode: ESI positive, ESI negative Flow rate: 0.3 mL / min Mobile phase: Solution A 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution (formic acid: LCMS grade, Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries) Solution B 0.1% formic acid / acetonitrile (LCMS grade, Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries) Mobile phase composition - Analysis time 68 minutes

[0353]

[0354] MS conditions: Ion source temperature: 230°C. Monitoring ions: As shown in the table below.

[0355] (3) Data Analysis The precise mass of each component (see table below) was extracted from the LC-MS ion chromatogram, and the peak area was obtained. The components in each sample were compared by calculating the peak area ratio (= peak area of ​​each component / peak area of ​​the internal standard). In the table below, A1 and A2 represent the two amino acids that make up each cyclic dipeptide. For cyclic dipeptides, the result of summing the peak area ratios for each bound amino acid is listed.

[0356]

[0357]

[0358]

[0359] 1.3.2. Component Analysis by GC-MS (1) Preparation of GC-MS Sample 25 mg of fennel sample (on a dry weight basis; if the sample is a sample that has been heat-treated with oil, this refers to the mass converted to that of spice excluding the oil) was taken into a 10 mL test tube, and 4 mL of acetone (Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries) and 4 mL of methanol (Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries) were added. 4-methylthiazole (Tokyo Chemical Industries) was added as an internal standard at a concentration of 4 μg / g relative to the fennel sample (on a dry weight basis; if the sample is a sample that has been heat-treated with oil, this refers to the mass converted to that of spice excluding the oil) in the test tube, and the test tube was stirred at room temperature, 2,500 rpm, for 10 minutes. After stirring, centrifugation was performed, and after centrifugation, 0.1 mL of the solution in the test tube was taken into a GC-MS vial, and 1 mL of acetone was added to prepare the GC-MS sample (n=3).

[0360] (2) GC-MS Analysis Conditions The analysis conditions for GC-orbitrap-MS are as follows: Analytical instrument: GC: TRACE1310 (Thermo Fisher Scientific) MS: QExactiveGC (Thermo Fisher Scientific) Analytical column: TG-WAXMS [Length] 60m [Inner diameter] 0.25mm [Film thickness] 0.25μm (Thermo Fisher Scientific) Autosampler: TRIPLUS RSH (Thermo Fisher Scientific) GC conditions: Injection method: Liquid injection, splitless Injection volume: 1μL Gas: Helium, 120kPa (pressure) Injection port temperature: 240℃ Oven temperature: 40°C (hold for 1 minute) - 10°C / min - 110°C - 2°C / min - 180°C - 3°C / min - 220°C - 30°C / min - 250°C (hold for 5.5 minutes), total 63 minutes MS conditions: Transfer temperature: 240°C Ion source temperature: 230°C Ionization method: Electron ionization (EI) method, EI positive MS scan: m / z 30-250 Monitoring ions: As shown in the table below.

[0361] (3) Data Analysis The precise mass of each component (see table below) was extracted from the GC-MS chromatogram, and the peak area was obtained. The components in each sample were compared by calculating the peak area ratio (= peak area of ​​each component / peak area of ​​the internal standard).

[0362]

[0363] 1.3.3 Results The results of the analysis of cyclic dipeptides in the samples of the heat-treated fennel examples and comparative examples are shown in Table 8 below. For each detected cyclic dipeptide, the peak area ratio relative to the internal standard (caffeine-d9) was determined, and the sum of the peak area ratios of cyclic dipeptides containing a predetermined amino acid is shown in Table 8. The molecular species of cyclic dipeptides detected by contained amino acid are shown in Table 9.

[0364]

[0365]

[0366] The table below shows the peak area ratios of aroma components and organic acids relative to the internal standard for the examples and comparative examples of heat-treated fennel samples.

[0367]

[0368] 1.4. Enhancement of Flavor by Heat-Treated Fennel (2) The effect of heat-treating the fennel from Example 101 (pressure-sealed heating at 130°C for 30 minutes) on enhancing flavor was confirmed.

[0369] (1) Cola beverage containing carbohydrates Sample 1 of Example 101 was prepared by mixing a commercially available cola beverage containing carbohydrates with the fennel heat-treated powder of Example 101 at a final concentration of 0.1% (w / w). Cola beverage 1 without the addition of the powder of Example 101 was used as the negative control sample. In addition, a sample of cola beverage 1 mixed with 2.26% (w / w) sucrose was used as the positive control sample. The carbohydrate concentration was 11.3% (w / w) for the negative control and Sample 101, and 13.56% (w / w) for the positive control sample. In Sample 101 of Cola beverage 1, 0.88 g of the fennel heat-treated powder of Example 101 was added per 100 g of carbohydrates.

[0370] (2) Carbohydrate-free cola beverage 2 Sample of Example 101 was prepared by mixing commercially available carbohydrate-free cola beverage 2 with the heat-treated fennel powder of Example 101 at a final concentration of 0.1% (w / w). Cola beverage 2 without the addition of the powder of Example 101 was used as the negative control sample. In addition, a sample of cola beverage 2 mixed with 2.26% (w / w) sucrose was used as the positive control sample. The carbohydrate concentration was 0% (w / w) for the negative control and Sample of Example 101, and 2.26% (w / w) for the positive control sample.

[0371] (3) Cola beverage 3 containing carbohydrates Sample 101 was prepared by mixing a commercially available cola beverage 3, different from cola beverage 1, which contains carbohydrates, with the fennel heat-treated powder of Example 101 at a final concentration of 0.1% (w / w). A cola beverage 3 without the powder of Example 101 was used as the negative control sample. A cola beverage 3 mixed with 2.32% (w / w) sucrose was used as the positive control sample. The carbohydrate concentration was 11.6% (w / w) for the negative control and Sample 101, and 13.92% (w / w) for the positive control sample. In Sample 101 of cola beverage 3, 0.86 g of the fennel heat-treated powder of Example 101 was added per 100 g of carbohydrates.

[0372] (4) Carbohydrate-free café au lait beverage The following experiment was conducted using commercially available café au lait beverage powder that does not contain carbohydrates. Café au lait beverage powder was dispersed in hot water at the concentration specified by the product to prepare a café au lait beverage. Sample 101 was prepared by mixing the heated fennel powder of Example 101 with the prepared café au lait beverage at a final concentration of 0.1% (w / w). A café au lait beverage without the addition of the aforementioned powder from Example 101 was used as a negative control sample. A café au lait beverage mixed with 0.52% (w / w) sucrose was used as a positive control sample. The carbohydrate concentration was 0% (w / w) for the negative control sample and Sample 101, and 0.52% (w / w) for the positive control sample.

[0373] (5) Chai Tea Latte Beverage Containing Carbohydrates The following experiment was conducted using commercially available chai tea latte beverage powder containing carbohydrates. A low-concentration chai tea latte beverage was prepared by dispersing the chai tea latte beverage powder in hot water at 0.8 times the concentration specified by the product. The prepared low-concentration chai tea latte beverage was mixed with the fennel heat-treated powder of Example 101 at a final concentration of 0.1% (W / W) to form the Example 101 sample. The low-concentration chai tea latte beverage of Example 101 without the addition of the aforementioned powder was used as the negative control sample. In addition, a standard chai tea latte beverage was prepared by dispersing the chai tea latte beverage powder in hot water at the concentration specified by the product, and this was used as the positive control sample. The carbohydrate concentration was 2.75% (W / W) for the negative control sample and the Example 101 sample, and 3.44% (W / W) for the positive control sample. In the Example 101 chai tea latte sample, 3.64 g of the fennel heat-treated powder of Example 101 was added per 100 g of carbohydrates.

[0374] (6) Sucrose-Reduced Curry Sauce A sucrose-reduced curry sauce was prepared with a sucrose concentration of 1.40% (W / W), which is 20% lower than that of a normal curry sauce. Sample 101 was prepared by mixing the prepared sucrose-reduced curry sauce with the fennel heat-treated powder from Example 101 at a final concentration of 0.05% (W / W). The sucrose-reduced curry sauce from Example 101 without the addition of the aforementioned powder was used as a negative control sample. A normal curry sauce prepared by mixing the sucrose-reduced curry sauce with 0.28% (W / W) sucrose was used as a positive control sample. The sucrose concentration was 1.40% (W / W) for the negative control sample and Sample 101, and 1.68% (W / W) for the positive control sample. In Sample 101 of the sucrose-reduced curry sauce, 3.57 g of the fennel heat-treated powder from Example 101 was added per 100 g of sucrose.

[0375] (7) Evaluation Two evaluators consumed each of the above items: Sample 101 of Example 101, the negative control sample, and the positive control sample. The intensity of saltiness, sweetness, and oiliness of Sample 101 was evaluated according to the following criteria. The evaluation for each item was decided through discussion between the two evaluators. AA: Stronger than the positive control sample A: About the same as the positive control sample B: Stronger than the negative control sample and weaker than the positive control sample C: About the same as the negative control sample

[0376] The evaluation results are shown in the table below.

[0377]

[0378] 2. Experiment 2: Flavor-enhancing composition containing heat-treated anise

[0379] 2.1. Heat treatment of anise

[0380] (1) Heating value The heating value is as defined in 1. / 1.1. / (1) above.

[0381] (2) Preparation of heat-treated anise Anise was heat-treated under the conditions shown in the table below. The definition of the heat value is as previously described. The temperature and time listed in the processing conditions column are the theoretical maximum temperature reached and the holding time, but the calculation of the heat value is based on the temperature that changes over time. For this reason, the heat value reflects the change in temperature over time, including the temperature and time during temperature rise and fall.

[0382]

[0383] Comparative Example 201 used unsterilized whole anise, which was ground into a powder for evaluation and analysis.

[0384] The pressurized, sealed heating in Examples 201, 209-212 was carried out according to the following procedure. 50 g of whole anise was filled into an aluminum foil pouch and sealed. The sealed pouch was heat-treated in a retort sterilizer at 130°C (Examples 201, 211, 212), 120°C (Examples 209, 212) for 30 minutes (Example 201), 20 minutes (Examples 209, 211), and 90 minutes (Examples 210, 212), and then cooled with water. The heat treatment in the retort sterilizer was carried out under a gauge pressure of 0.2 MPa. The powder obtained by pulverizing after heating was used for evaluation and analysis.

[0385] Coffee roasting in Example 202 was carried out using the following procedure. 200g of whole anise was placed in a home coffee roaster (open system). The roaster was rotated at 18.5 rpm (maximum rotation speed) and stirred. The roaster was ignited and heated until the anise reached a temperature of 190°C (8 minutes for heating). The anise was heated at 190°C for 10 minutes while stirring. The temperature was measured using an infrared thermometer. The heat-treated anise was removed to a tray and allowed to cool to room temperature. The anise, which was crushed after heating, was used for evaluation and analysis.

[0386] Oven roasting for Examples 203, 204, 206, and 208 was carried out using the following procedure. 10g of whole anise was placed on an aluminum tray and heated for 20 minutes in an oven set to 110°C (Example 203), 130°C (Example 204), 150°C (Example 206), and 170°C (Example 208). The temperature was measured by inserting a sensor thermometer into the oven. After heating, the anise was transferred to a tray and allowed to cool to room temperature.

[0387] The oil roasting in Examples 205 and 207 was carried out according to the following procedure. In Example 205, unheated whole anise was crushed into powder. In Example 207, unheated whole anise was used. 100 g of palm oil (melting point 45°C) was heated, and when it reached 80°C, 100 g of crushed anise or whole anise was mixed in. The resulting mixture was heated to 150°C while stirring, held at that temperature for 5 minutes, and then cooled. Cooling was carried out while stirring until the crushed anise or whole anise did not separate in the mixture up to about 60°C, and then in a freezer until solidified. The resulting oil-roasted products were used for evaluation and analysis.

[0388] 2.2. Enhancement of flavor by heat treatment of anise (1) (1) Preparation of regular curry roux Regular curry roux (salt equivalent of 10.6g per 100g) was prepared according to the procedure described in 1. / 1.2. / (1) above.

[0389] (2) Preparation of reduced-sodium curry roux A reduced-sodium curry roux (sodium equivalent per 100g is 7.7g) was prepared according to the procedure described in 1. / 1.2. / (2) above.

[0390] (3) Sensory evaluation One sample was prepared by dissolving 44g of the regular curry roux from (1) above in 300g of hot water and boiling it while stirring.

[0391] Multiple solutions were prepared by dissolving 44 g of the reduced-sodium curry roux described in (2) above in 300 g of hot water and boiling it while stirring. To one of these solutions, a sample of the comparative example or example of the anise-heat-treated product was added to achieve a final concentration of 0.1% by mass. In this test system, 10.1 g of the comparative example or example of the anise-heat-treated product was added for every 100 g of sodium chloride equivalent in the hot water dilution of the reduced-sodium curry roux.

[0392] The taste of the reduced-sodium curry roux (dissolved in hot water) and the regular curry roux (dissolved in hot water) was compared, and evaluated by three evaluators (evaluators 1, 2, and 3) or two evaluators (evaluators 1 and 2) according to the following evaluation criteria.

[0393] The evaluation criteria for the taste-enhancing effect and the method for calculating the average score are as described in 1. / 1.2. / (3) above.

[0394] When samples from comparative examples or examples of heat-treated anise were added, evaluators were asked to indicate which of the following tastes was enhanced: saltiness, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, umami, richness, oiliness, or milkiness, using an asterisk (*). The number of asterisks (*) corresponds to the number of evaluators who reported feeling an enhancement effect on the corresponding taste.

[0395] (4) Evaluation Results The evaluation results are shown in the table below.

[0396]

[0397] 2.3. Component Analysis The components contained in the comparative examples and example samples (anise samples) of heat-treated anise were analyzed using the following procedure.

[0398] 2.3.1. Component analysis by LC-MS (1) Preparation of LC-MS sample The LC-MS sample was prepared according to the procedure described in 1. / 1.3. / 1.3.1. / (1) above, except that an anise sample was used instead of a fennel sample.

[0399] (2) LC-MS analysis conditions The analysis conditions for LC-orbitrap-MS are as described in 1. / 1.3. / 1.3.1. / (2) above. The monitoring ions are as follows.

[0400] (3) Data Analysis The precise mass of each component was extracted from the LC-MS ion chromatogram, and the peak area was obtained. The components in each sample were compared by calculating the peak area ratio (= peak area of ​​each component / peak area of ​​the internal standard). The retention time and precise mass of the LC-MS analytes other than cyclic dipeptides are shown in the table below. The retention time and precise mass of cyclic dipeptides are as shown in 1. / 1.3. / 1.3.1. / (3) above. For cyclic dipeptides, the result of summing the peak area ratio for each bound amino acid is listed.

[0401]

[0402]

[0403] 2.3.2. Component analysis by GC-MS (1) Preparation of GC-MS sample The GC-MS sample was prepared according to the procedure described in 1. / 1.3. / 1.3.2. / (1) above, except that an anise sample was used instead of a fennel sample.

[0404] (2) GC-MS analysis conditions The analysis conditions for GC-orbitrap-MS are as described in 1. / 1.3. / 1.3.2. / (2) above. The monitoring ions are shown in the table below.

[0405] (3) Data Analysis The precise mass of each component (see table below) was extracted from the GC-MS chromatogram, and the peak area was obtained. The components in each sample were compared by calculating the peak area ratio (= peak area of ​​each component / peak area of ​​the internal standard).

[0406]

[0407] 2.3.3 Results The results of the analysis of cyclic dipeptides in the samples of the examples and comparative examples of anise heat-treated products are shown in Table 17 below. For each detected cyclic dipeptide, the peak area ratio relative to the internal standard (caffeine-d9) was determined, and the sum of the peak area ratios of cyclic dipeptides containing a predetermined amino acid is shown in Table 17. The molecular species of cyclic dipeptides detected by contained amino acid are shown in Table 18.

[0408]

[0409]

[0410] The table below shows the peak area ratios of aroma components and organic acids relative to internal standards for the examples and comparative examples of heat-treated anise products.

[0411]

[0412] 2.4. Enhancement of Flavor by Heat-Treated Anise (2) The effect of heat-treating the anise from Example 201 (pressure-sealed heating at 130°C for 30 minutes) on enhancing flavor was confirmed.

[0413] (1) Cola beverage containing carbohydrates Sample 1 Example 201, negative control, and positive control samples of cola beverage containing carbohydrates were prepared according to the procedure described in 1. / 1.4. / (1) above, except that the powder of the heat-treated anise from Example 201 was used instead of the heat-treated fennel from Example 101. The carbohydrate concentration was 11.3% (W / W) for the negative control and Sample 201, and 13.56% (W / W) for the positive control sample. In Sample 201 of cola beverage 1, 0.88 g of the heat-treated anise from Example 201 was added per 100 g of carbohydrates.

[0414] (2) Carbohydrate-free cola beverage 2 Sample of Example 201, a negative control, and a positive control sample of carbohydrate-free cola beverage 2 were prepared according to the procedure described in 1. / 1.4. / (2) above, except that the powder of the heat-treated anise from Example 201 was used instead of the heat-treated fennel from Example 101. The carbohydrate concentration was 0% (W / W) for the negative control and the sample of Example 201, and 2.26% (W / W) for the positive control sample.

[0415] (3) Cola beverage containing carbohydrates Sample 3 Example 201, negative control, and positive control samples of cola beverage containing carbohydrates were prepared according to the procedure described in 1. / 1.4. / (3) above, except that the powder of the heat-treated anise from Example 201 was used instead of the heat-treated fennel from Example 101. The carbohydrate concentration was 11.6% (W / W) for the negative control and Sample 201, and 13.92% (W / W) for the positive control sample. In Sample 201 of cola beverage 3, 0.86 g of the heat-treated anise from Example 201 was added per 100 g of carbohydrates.

[0416] (4) Carbohydrate-free cola beverage 4 Sample of Example 201 was prepared by mixing a commercially available cola beverage 4, which is different from cola beverage 2 and does not contain carbohydrates, with the anise heat-treated powder of Example 201 at a final concentration of 0.1% (w / w). Cola beverage 4 without the addition of the powder of Example 201 was used as the negative control sample. In addition, a sample of cola beverage 4 mixed with 2.32% (w / w) sucrose was used as the positive control sample. The carbohydrate concentration was 0% (w / w) for the negative control and sample of Example 201, and 2.32% (w / w) for the positive control sample.

[0417] (5) Except for using the anise heat-treated powder from Example 201 instead of the fennel heat-treated powder from Example 101 of the café au lait beverage that does not contain carbohydrates, the Example 201 sample, negative control sample, and positive control sample of the café au lait beverage were prepared according to the procedure described in 1. / 1.4. / (4) above. The carbohydrate concentration was 0% (W / W) for the negative control sample and the Example 201 sample, and 0.52% (W / W) for the positive control sample.

[0418] (6) Chai Tea Latte Beverages Containing Carbohydrates Example 201 sample, negative control sample, and positive control sample were prepared according to the procedure described in 1. / 1.4. / (5) above, except that the powder of the heat-treated anise from Example 201 was used instead of the heat-treated fennel from Example 101. The carbohydrate concentration was 2.75% (W / W) for the negative control sample and Example 201 sample, and 3.44% (W / W) for the positive control sample. In the Example 201 sample of Chai Tea Latte Beverages, 3.64 g of the heat-treated anise powder from Example 201 was added per 100 g of carbohydrates.

[0419] (7) Sample of Sucrose-Reduced Curry Sauce Example 201, a negative control, and a positive control were prepared according to the procedure described in 1. / 1.4. / (6) above, except that the powder of the heat-treated anise from Example 201 was used instead of the heat-treated fennel from Example 101. The sucrose concentration was 1.40% (W / W) for the negative control and Example 201 samples, and 1.68% (W / W) for the positive control sample. In Sample of Sucrose-Reduced Curry Sauce Example 201, 3.57 g of the heat-treated anise powder from Example 201 was added to 100 g of sucrose.

[0420] (8) Evaluation Two evaluators consumed each of the above items: Sample 201 of Example, the negative control sample, and the positive control sample. They evaluated the saltiness, sweetness, and oiliness of Sample 201. The evaluation criteria were as described in 1. / 1.4. / (7) above. The two evaluators consulted with each other to determine the evaluation for each item.

[0421] The evaluation results are shown in the table below.

[0422]

[0423] 3. Experiment 3: Flavor-enhancing composition containing heat-treated cinnamon plant spices

[0424] 3.1. Heat treatment of cinnamon

[0425] (1) Heating value The heating value is as defined in 1. / 1.1. / (1) above.

[0426] (2) Preparation of heat-treated cinnamon The cinnamon was heat-treated under the conditions shown in the table below. The definition of the heat value is as previously described. The temperature and time listed in the processing conditions column are the theoretical maximum temperature reached and the time it is held (however, in the case of oven heating, the oven setting time and the total heating time), but the calculation of the heat value is based on the temperature that changes over time. For this reason the heat value reflects the change in temperature over time, including the temperature and time when the temperature rises and falls.

[0427]

[0428] Comparative Example 301 used powdered, unsterilized whole cinnamon bark for evaluation and analysis.

[0429] The pressurized sealing and heating in Examples 301, 309-312 was carried out according to the following procedure. 50 g of whole cinnamon was filled into an aluminum foil pouch and sealed. The sealed pouch was heat-treated in a retort sterilizer at 130°C (Examples 301, 311, 312), 120°C (Examples 309, 312) for 30 minutes (Example 301), 20 minutes (Examples 309, 311), and 90 minutes (Examples 310, 312), and then cooled with water. The heat treatment in the retort sterilizer was carried out under a gauge pressure of 0.2 MPa. The pulverized powder obtained after heating was used for evaluation and analysis.

[0430] The oven heating in Examples 302 to 305, 307, and 308 was performed according to the following procedure. 10 g of whole cinnamon was placed in an aluminum dish and put into an oven set at 230°C (Examples 302, 303), 110°C (Example 304), 130°C (Example 305), 150°C (Example 307), or 170°C (Example 308) and heated for 5.5 minutes (Example 302), 21 minutes (Example 303), or 20 minutes (Examples 304, 305, 307, 308). The product temperature was measured by inserting a sensor-type thermometer into the oven. After heating, it was transferred to a vat and allowed to cool to room temperature. The product pulverized into powder after heating was used for evaluation and analysis.

[0431] The roasting in oil in Example 306 was performed according to the following procedure. Unheated whole cinnamon was pulverized into powder. 100 g of palm oil (melting point 45°C) was heated, and when it reached 80°C, 100 g of cinnamon powder was mixed. While stirring the resulting mixture, it was heated to 150°C and held at that temperature for 5 minutes, and then the mixture was cooled. Cooling was performed while stirring to such an extent that the cinnamon powder did not separate in the mixture until it reached about 60°C, and then it was carried out until it solidified in a freezer. The obtained product roasted in oil was used for evaluation and analysis.

[0432] 3.2. Enhancement of flavor by heat-treated cinnamon (1) (1) Preparation of ordinary curry roux An ordinary curry roux (equivalent amount of salt per 100 g is 10.6 g) was prepared according to the procedure described in 1. / 1.2. / (1) above.

[0433] (2) Preparation of low-salt curry roux A low-salt curry roux (equivalent amount of salt per 100 g is 7.7 g) was prepared according to the procedure described in 1. / 1.2. / (2) above.

[0434] (3) Sensory evaluation One was prepared by dissolving 44 g of the ordinary curry roux in (1) above in 300 g of hot water and boiling it while stirring.

[0435] 44 g of the reduced-salt curry roux of (2) was dissolved in 300 g of hot water, and a plurality of samples obtained by boiling while stirring were prepared. A sample of a comparative example or an example of the cinnamon heat-treated product was added to one of them so that the final concentration would be 0.1% by mass. In this test system, 10.1 g of the sample of the comparative example or the example of the cinnamon heat-treated product was added to 100 g of the amount equivalent to sodium chloride in the hot water dilution of the reduced-salt curry roux.

[0436] The dissolved product of the reduced-salt curry roux and the dissolved product of the normal curry roux were used as comparison targets, and three evaluators (Evaluator 1, 2, 3) or two evaluators (Evaluator 1, 2) evaluated the "flavor" according to the following evaluation criteria.

[0437] The evaluation criteria for the flavor enhancement effect and the calculation method of the average score are as described in 1. / 1.2. / (3) above.

[0438] When a sample of a comparative example or an example of the cinnamon heat-treated product was added, for the "saltiness", "sweetness", "sourness", "bitterness", "umami", "richness", "greasy feeling", "milky feeling" among the flavors, whether a flavor enhancement effect was felt was evaluated with an asterisk (*). The number of asterisks corresponds to the number of evaluators who answered that they felt an enhancement effect for the corresponding flavor.

[0439] (4) Evaluation results The evaluation results are shown in the following table.

[0440]

[0441] 3.3. Component analysis The components contained in the samples (cinnamon samples) of the comparative example and the example of the cinnamon heat-treated product were analyzed by the following procedure.

[0442] 3.3.1. Component analysis by LC-MS (1) Preparation of LC-MS test solution An LC-MS specimen was prepared according to the procedure described in 1. / 1.3. / 1.3.1. / (1) above, except that the cinnamon sample was used instead of the fennel sample.

[0443] (2) LC-MS analysis conditions The analysis conditions of LC-orbitrap-MS are as described in 1. / 1.3. / 1.3.1. / (2) above. The monitoring ions are as follows.

[0444] (3) Data Analysis The precise mass of each component was extracted from the LC-MS ion chromatogram, and the peak area was obtained. The components in each sample were compared by calculating the peak area ratio (= peak area of ​​each component / peak area of ​​the internal standard). The retention time and precise mass of the LC-MS analytes other than cyclic dipeptides are shown in the table below. The retention time and precise mass of cyclic dipeptides are as shown in 1. / 1.3. / 1.3.1. / (3) above. For cyclic dipeptides, the result of summing the peak area ratio for each bound amino acid is listed.

[0445]

[0446]

[0447] 3.3.2. Component analysis by GC-MS (1) Preparation of GC-MS sample The GC-MS sample was prepared according to the procedure described in 1. / 1.3. / 1.3.2. / (1) above, except that a cinnamon sample was used instead of a fennel sample.

[0448] (2) GC-MS analysis conditions The analysis conditions for GC-orbitrap-MS are as described in 1. / 1.3. / 1.3.2. / (2) above. The monitoring ions are shown in the table below.

[0449] (3) Data Analysis The precise mass of each component (see table below) was extracted from the GC-MS chromatogram, and the peak area was obtained. The components in each sample were compared by calculating the peak area ratio (= peak area of ​​each component / peak area of ​​the internal standard).

[0450]

[0451] 3.3.3 Results The results of the analysis of cyclic dipeptides in the samples of the heat-treated cinnamon products in the examples and comparative examples are shown in Table 26 below. For each detected cyclic dipeptide, the peak area ratio relative to the internal standard (caffeine-d9) was determined, and the sum of the peak area ratios of cyclic dipeptides containing a predetermined amino acid is shown in Table 26. The molecular species of cyclic dipeptides detected by contained amino acid are shown in Table 27.

[0452]

[0453]

[0454] The table below shows the peak area ratios of aroma components and organic acids relative to the internal standard for the examples and comparative examples of heat-treated cinnamon products.

[0455]

[0456] 3.4. Enhancement of Flavor by Heat-Treated Cinnamon (2) The effect of enhancing flavor by heat-treated cinnamon (pressure-sealed heating at 130°C for 30 minutes) of Example 301 was confirmed.

[0457] (1) Cola beverage containing carbohydrates Sample 1 Sample of Example 301, a negative control, and a positive control sample of cola beverage containing carbohydrates were prepared according to the procedure described in 1. / 1.4. / (1) above, except that the powder of the heat-treated cinnamon from Example 301 was used instead of the heat-treated fennel from Example 101. The carbohydrate concentration was 11.3% (W / W) for the negative control and Sample 301, and 13.56% (W / W) for the positive control sample. In Sample 301 of cola beverage 1, 0.88 g of the heat-treated cinnamon from Example 301 was added per 100 g of carbohydrates.

[0458] (2) Carbohydrate-free cola beverage 2 Sample of Example 301, a negative control, and a positive control sample of carbohydrate-free cola beverage 2 were prepared according to the procedure described in 1. / 1.4. / (2) above, except that the powder of the heat-treated cinnamon from Example 301 was used instead of the heat-treated fennel from Example 101. The carbohydrate concentration was 0% (W / W) for the negative control and the sample of Example 301, and 2.26% (W / W) for the positive control sample.

[0459] (3) Cola beverage containing carbohydrates Sample 301, negative control, and positive control were prepared according to the procedure described in 1. / 1.4. / (3) above, except that the powder of the heat-treated cinnamon from Example 301 was used instead of the heat-treated fennel from Example 101. The carbohydrate concentration was 11.6% (W / W) for the negative control and Sample 301, and 13.92% (W / W) for the positive control. In Sample 301 of Cola beverage 3, 0.86 g of the powder of the heat-treated cinnamon from Example 301 was added per 100 g of carbohydrates.

[0460] (4) Sugar-free cola beverage 4 Samples of Example 301, negative control samples, and positive control samples of sugar-free cola beverage 4 were prepared according to the procedure described in 2. / 2.4. / (4) above, except that the powder of the cinnamon heat-treated product of Example 301 was used instead of the anise heat-treated product of Example 201. The sugar concentration is 0% (w / w) for the negative control and the sample of Example 301, and 2.32% (w / w) for the positive control sample.

[0461] (5) Chai tea ole beverage Samples of Example 301, negative control samples, and positive control samples of chai tea ole beverage were prepared according to the procedure described in 1. / 1.4. / (5) above, except that the powder of the cinnamon heat-treated product of Example 301 was used instead of the fennel heat-treated product of Example 101. The sugar concentration is 2.75% (w / w) for the negative control sample and the sample of Example 301, and 3.44% (w / w) for the positive control sample. In the sample of Example 301 of chai tea ole, 3.64 g of the powder of the cinnamon heat-treated product of Example 301 is added per 100 g of sugar.

[0462] (6) Sucrose-reduced curry sauce Samples of Example 301, negative control samples, and positive control samples of sucrose-reduced curry sauce were prepared according to the procedure described in 1. / 1.4. / (6) above, except that the powder of the cinnamon heat-treated product of Example 301 was used instead of the fennel heat-treated product of Example 101. The sucrose concentration is 1.40% (w / w) for the negative control sample and the sample of Example 301, and 1.68% (w / w) for the positive control sample. In the sample of Example 301 of sucrose-reduced curry sauce, 3.57 g of the powder of the cinnamon heat-treated product of Example 301 is added per 100 g of sucrose.

[0463] (7) Evaluation Two evaluators ate the samples of Example 301, negative control samples, and positive control samples of each of the above items, and evaluated the intensity of the saltiness, sweetness, and greasiness of the sample of Example 301. The evaluation criteria are as described in 1. / 1.4. / (7) above. For each item, the two evaluators reached an agreement to determine the evaluation.

[0464] The evaluation results are shown in the following table.

[0465]

[0466] Reference Example 1. Evaluation of Low-Fat Milk (1) Sample Preparation Eight types of cyclic dipeptide mixtures (No. 1 to No. 8 shown in the table below) were prepared. Each cyclic dipeptide was prepared by heating one or two types of edible amino acids together. Each cyclic dipeptide mixture was prepared by mixing the multiple cyclic dipeptides shown in the table in equal amounts by mass.

[0467] The cyclic dipeptide mixtures prepared above were added to low-fat milk (processed milk) with a lipid content of 1.9%. The cyclic dipeptide mixtures were added so that the concentration of each cyclic dipeptide contained in them was 4 μg / g in the low-fat milk.

[0468] (2) Sensory evaluation Three evaluators evaluated samples containing two cups of additive-free low-fat milk and one cup of low-fat milk to which one of the cyclic dipeptide mixtures No. 1 to 8 had been added. Each evaluator selected the sample in which they felt the oiliness of the low-fat milk was most enhanced. If they felt there was no difference between the three samples, they responded accordingly and did not select a sample. The effect of the cyclic dipeptide mixture on enhancing oiliness was evaluated based on the number of evaluators who selected the sample with enhanced oiliness (test sample). A: Two or more evaluators selected the test sample. B: One evaluator selected the test sample. C: No evaluators selected the test sample.

[0469]

[0470] Example 2: Evaluation of dark chocolate

[0471] (1) Preparation of samples Eight types of cyclic dipeptide mixtures (No. 1 to No. 8) having the same composition as in Reference Example 1 (1) above were prepared by the method described in Reference Example 1 (1) above.

[0472] Each cyclic dipeptide mixture prepared above was added to an aluminum pouch and freeze-dried to remove moisture. 40 g of dark chocolate with a lipid content of 36.4% and a cocoa content of 54% was placed in the aluminum pouch containing the cyclic dipeptides, and the contents were thoroughly mixed while the aluminum pouch was heated in a water bath. The mixture was poured into a mold and cooled in a refrigerator until solid. The cyclic dipeptide mixture was added so that the concentration of each cyclic dipeptide in the chocolate was 10 μg / g. Chocolate without added cyclic dipeptides was prepared similarly using an aluminum pouch that did not contain cyclic dipeptides.

[0473] (2) Sensory evaluation Two samples were evaluated by three evaluators without disclosing the contents of the samples: one was additive-free chocolate, and the other was chocolate to which one of the cyclic dipeptide mixtures No. 1 to 8 had been added. Each evaluator selected the sample in which they felt the fattiness of the chocolate was enhanced. If they felt there was no difference between the two samples, they responded accordingly and did not select a sample. The effect of the cyclic dipeptide mixture on enhancing the fattiness was evaluated based on the number of evaluators who selected the sample with enhanced fattiness (test sample). A: Two or more evaluators selected the test sample. B: One evaluator selected the test sample. C: No evaluators selected the test sample.

[0474] If either sample was perceived as having an enhanced oily feel, evaluators were asked to indicate which of the following enhanced oily feel they perceived: "oiliness," "richness / body," "oil-like fullness," or "lingering aftertaste / oiliness," by marking it with an asterisk (*). The asterisks (*) in the table only represent the results of evaluators who assessed that the chocolate with the added cyclic dipeptide mixture had an enhanced oily feel. The number of asterisks (*) corresponds to the number of evaluators.

[0475]

[0476] Reference Example 3. Evaluation Results of Cocoa Powder Dissolved in Hot Water (1) Sample Preparation 4g of low-fat cocoa powder with a lipid content of 11% (11% cocoa butter) and 4g of granulated sugar were taken into a cup, and 140g of hot water and the cyclic dipeptide mixtures prepared above were added and mixed well. The cyclic dipeptide mixture was added so that the concentration of each cyclic dipeptide contained therein in the low-fat cocoa powder dissolved in hot water was 10 μg / g each.

[0477] For comparison, we prepared two solutions: one using 4g of cocoa powder with a fat content of 24% (24% cocoa butter) and 4g of granulated sugar dissolved in 140g of hot water, and another using 4g of low-fat cocoa powder with a fat content of 11% (11% cocoa butter) and 4g of granulated sugar dissolved in 140g of hot water.

[0478] Three evaluators (evaluators 1, 2, and 3) compared a hot water-dissolved cocoa powder product with a hot water-dissolved low-fat cocoa powder product, evaluating the "enhancement of the oily texture" based on the following criteria.

[0479] The effect of enhancing the oily sensation was assigned a score of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 points as follows. Three evaluators evaluated the oily sensation of each sample in 0.1-point increments, and the average score was calculated.

[0480] 1 point: Similar oiliness to low-fat cocoa powder dissolved in hot water. 2 points: Slightly stronger oiliness than low-fat cocoa powder dissolved in hot water. 3 points: Stronger oiliness than low-fat cocoa powder dissolved in hot water. 4 points: Significantly stronger oiliness than low-fat cocoa powder dissolved in hot water. 5 points: Similar oiliness to cocoa powder dissolved in hot water.

[0481] When any of the cyclic dipeptide mixtures No. 1 to 8 was added, the evaluators evaluated which of the following aspects of the oiliness was perceived to be enhanced: "oiliness," "richness, depth of flavor," "oily fullness," and "lingering aftertaste, oily aftertaste," marking each with an asterisk (*). The number of asterisks (*) corresponds to the number of evaluators who reported feeling an enhancement in the corresponding oiliness.

[0482]

Claims

1. A flavor-enhancing composition containing one or more heat-treated spices selected from the group consisting of heat-treated anise, heat-treated fennel, and heat-treated cinnamon plant spices.

2. The flavor-enhancing composition according to claim 1, wherein the heat-treated spice contains the heat-treated anise.

3. The flavor-enhancing composition according to claim 2, wherein the heat-treated anise is obtained by heat-treating anise under conditions that result in a heat value of 5 or higher.

4. The flavor-enhancing composition according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the heat-treated anise is obtained by heat-treating anise under one or more conditions selected from a2) open system conditions, b2) conditions in which oil is present, and c2) pressurized sealed conditions.

5. The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the heat-treated anise is subjected to one or more heat treatments selected from unground anise and ground anise.

6. The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the heat-treated anise is obtained by heat-treating a mixture of anise and amino acids or peptides.

7. The heat-treated anise is analyzed by adding 5 μg / g caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g L-methionine sulfone to the heat-treated anise and the resulting chromatogram obtained by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) according to the following method, in which: (201) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the alanine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.8 or more; (202) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the arginine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.1 or more; (203) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the aspartic acid-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.7 or more; (204) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the asparagine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.29 or more. (205) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing glutamic acid to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.2 or more, (206) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing glutamine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.4 or more, (207) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing glycine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.7 or more, (208) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing histidine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 4.9 or more, (209) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing leucine or isoleucine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.0 or more, (210) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing lysine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.4 or more, (211) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing methionine to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.6 or more.(212) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing phenylalanine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.6 or more, (213) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing proline to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 7.4 or more, (214) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing serine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.71 or more, (215) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing threonine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 11 or more, (216) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing tryptophan to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.65 or more, (217) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing tyrosine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.8 or more, (218) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing valine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.2 or more, (219) The area ratio of peak areas derived from sulfurol to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.86 or more, (220) The area ratio of peak areas derived from vanillin to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.24 or more, (221) The area ratio of peak areas derived from 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.15 or more, (222) The area ratio of peak areas derived from pyroglutamic acid to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 38 or more, (223) The area ratio of peak areas derived from fructose to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 120 or more. (224) The area ratio of the peak area derived from ascorbic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.23 or more, and (225) The area ratio of the peak area derived from quinic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 330 or more.(226) The area ratio of the peak area derived from lactic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 18 or more. (227) The area ratio of the peak area derived from gallic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.78 or more. (228) The area ratio of the peak area derived from vanillic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.50 or more. (229) The area ratio of the peak area derived from ethyl lactate to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.64 or more. A flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 2 to 6, satisfying one or more of the above. (LC-MS measurement method) A 15 mL test tube containing 200 mg of the heat-treated anise and 7.5 mL of water is heated in a constant temperature water bath at 75°C for 10 minutes to prepare an aqueous extract. To the aqueous extract in the test tube, 2.5 mL of acetonitrile and 5 μg / g of caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g of L-methionine sulfone relative to the heat-treated anise are added and stirred. After stirring, the solid components are removed and the liquid components are recovered to prepare the sample. The aforementioned sample is analyzed by LC-MS (ionization method: electrospray ionization (ESI) positive mode and ESI negative mode) to obtain a chromatogram.

8. The heat-treated anise is analyzed by adding 4 μg / g of 4-methylthiazole to the heat-treated anise and performing gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) according to the following method. In the resulting chromatogram, the following conditions are observed: (230) The area ratio of the peak area derived from benzaldehyde to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.22 or higher. (231) The area ratio of the peak area derived from phenethyl alcohol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.17 or higher. (232) The area ratio of the peak area derived from cyclotene to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.013 or higher. (233) The area ratio of the peak area derived from anisaldehyde to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.086 or higher. (234) The area ratio of the peak area derived from furaneol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.22 or higher. (235) The area ratio of the peak area derived from homofuranol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.037 or higher, (236) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 2-acetylfuran to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.24 or higher, (237) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 2-furylhydroxymethylketone to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.092 or higher, (238) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 3-pyridinol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 1.4 or higher, (239) The area ratio of the peak area derived from α-terpinene to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.11 or higher, (240) The area ratio of the peak area derived from guaiacol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.27 or higher. (241) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 4-vinylguaiacol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 1.4 or more, and (242) The area ratio of the peak area derived from syringol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.056 or more, the flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 2 to 7.(GC-MS measurement method) A 10 mL test tube containing 25 mg of the heat-treated anise, 4-methylthiazole in an amount equivalent to 4 μg / g relative to the heat-treated anise, 4 mL of acetone, and 4 mL of methanol is stirred, the solid components are removed, the liquid components are recovered, and 1 mL of acetone is added for every 0.1 mL of the liquid components to prepare a GC-MS sample. The GC-MS sample is analyzed by GC-MS (ionization method: electron ionization (EI) positive mode) to obtain a chromatogram.

9. A method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 2 to 8, comprising: heat-treating anise to obtain the heat-treated anise.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the heat treatment is performed under conditions that result in a heating value of 5 or higher.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the heat treatment is performed under one or more conditions selected from a2) open system conditions, b2) conditions in which oil is present, and c2) pressurized and sealed conditions.

12. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the anise is one or more selected from unground anise and ground anise.

13. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the anise is a mixture of anise and an amino acid or peptide.

14. The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the heat-treated spice contains the heat-treated fennel.

15. The flavor-enhancing composition according to claim 14, wherein the heat-treated fennel is obtained by heat-treating fennel under conditions that result in a heating value of 0.5 or higher.

16. The flavor-enhancing composition according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the heat-treated fennel is obtained by heat-treating fennel under one or more conditions selected from a1) open system conditions, b1) conditions in which oil is present, and c1) pressurized sealed conditions.

17. The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein the heat-treated fennel is subjected to one or more heat treatments selected from unground fennel and ground fennel.

18. The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein the heat-treated fennel is obtained by heat-treating a mixture of fennel and amino acids or peptides.

19. The heat-treated fennel is analyzed by adding 5 μg / g caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g L-methionine sulfone to the heat-treated fennel and, in the chromatogram obtained by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) according to the following method, (101) the total area ratio of the peak area derived from the alanine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.4 or more, (102) the total area ratio of the peak area derived from the arginine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.0 or more, (103) the total area ratio of the peak area derived from the aspartic acid-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.2 or more, (104) the total area ratio of the peak area derived from the asparagine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.53 or more. (105) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing glutamic acid to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.8 or more, (106) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing glutamine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.9 or more, (107) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing glycine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.90 or more, (108) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing histidine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 10 or more, (109) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing leucine or isoleucine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.3 or more, (110) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing lysine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 5.7 or more, (111) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing methionine to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 4.6 or more.(112) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing phenylalanine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.0 or more, (113) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing proline to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.4 or more, (114) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing serine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.50 or more, (115) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing threonine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 4.8 or more, (116) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing tryptophan to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.33 or more, (117) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing tyrosine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.1 or more, (118) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing valine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.5 or more, (119) The area ratio of peak areas derived from sulfurol to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.80 or more, (120) The area ratio of peak areas derived from quinic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 310 or more, (121) The area ratio of peak areas derived from malic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 2400 or more, (122) The area ratio of peak areas derived from tartaric acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 10 or more, (123) The area ratio of peak areas derived from lactic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 52 or more, (124) The area ratio of peak areas derived from adipic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 4.5 or more, (125) The area ratio of the peak area derived from pyroglutamic acid to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 17 or more.(126) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.15 or more, (127) The area ratio of the peak area derived from vanillin to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.25 or more, (128) The area ratio of the peak area derived from ascorbic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.18 or more, (129) The area ratio of the peak area derived from vanillic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.88 or more, (130) The area ratio of the peak area derived from fructose to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 190 or more, (131) The area ratio of the peak area derived from ethyl lactate to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 6.0 or more. (132) The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein the area ratio of the peak area derived from gallic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.21 or more. (LC-MS measurement method) A 15 mL test tube containing 200 mg of the heat-treated fennel and 7.5 mL of water is heated in a constant temperature water bath at 75°C for 10 minutes to prepare an aqueous extract. To the aqueous extract in the test tube, 2.5 mL of acetonitrile and 5 μg / g of caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g of L-methionine sulfone relative to the heat-treated fennel are added and stirred. After stirring, the solid components are removed and the liquid components are recovered to prepare the sample. The aforementioned sample is analyzed by LC-MS (ionization method: electrospray ionization (ESI) positive mode and ESI negative mode) to obtain a chromatogram.

20. In the chromatogram obtained by adding 4 μg / g of 4-methylthiazole to the heat-treated fennel and analyzing it by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) according to the following method, (133) the area ratio of the peak area derived from carveol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.71 or more, (134) the area ratio of the peak area derived from sotolon to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.43 or more, (135) the area ratio of the peak area derived from phenethyl alcohol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.17 or more, (136) the area ratio of the peak area derived from furaneol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.12 or more, and (137) the area ratio of the peak area derived from homofuraneol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.069 or more. (138) The area ratio of the peak area derived from cyclotene to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.010 or more. (139) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 2-acetylfuran to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.17 or more. (140) The area ratio of the peak area derived from benzaldehyde to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.22 or more. (141) The area ratio of the peak area derived from methyl benzoate to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.050 or more. (142) The area ratio of the peak area derived from furylhydroxymethyl ketone to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.068 or more. A flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 14 to 19, satisfying the above. (GC-MS measurement method) A 10 mL test tube containing 25 mg of the heat-treated fennel, 4-methylthiazole in an amount equivalent to 4 μg / g relative to the heat-treated fennel, 4 mL of acetone, and 4 mL of methanol is stirred, the solid components are removed, the liquid components are recovered, and 1 mL of acetone is added for every 0.1 mL of the liquid components to prepare the GC-MS sample. The GC-MS sample is analyzed by GC-MS (ionization method: electron ionization (EI) positive mode) to obtain a chromatogram.

21. A method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 14 to 20, comprising: heat-treating fennel to obtain the heat-treated fennel.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the heat treatment is performed under conditions that result in a heating value of 0.5 or higher.

23. The method according to claim 21 or 22, wherein the heat treatment is performed under one or more conditions selected from a1) open system conditions, b1) conditions in which oil is present, and c1) pressurized and sealed conditions.

24. The method according to any one of claims 21 to 23, wherein the fennel is one or more selected from unground fennel and ground fennel.

25. The method according to any one of claims 21 to 24, wherein the fennel is a mixture of fennel and an amino acid or peptide.

26. The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 1 to 8 and 14 to 20, wherein the heat-treated spice contains the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice.

27. The flavor-enhancing composition according to claim 26, wherein the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice is obtained by heat-treating a cinnamon plant spice under conditions that result in a heat value of 5 or higher.

28. The flavor-enhancing composition according to claim 26 or 27, wherein the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice is obtained by heat-treating the cinnamon plant spice under one or more conditions selected from a3) open system conditions, b3) conditions in which oil is present, and c3) pressurized sealed conditions.

29. The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 26 to 28, wherein the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice is subjected to one or more heat treatments selected from unground cinnamon plant spice and ground cinnamon plant spice.

30. The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 26 to 29, wherein the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice is obtained by heat-treating a mixture of cinnamon plant spice and amino acids or peptides.

31. The heat-treated cinnamon plant spice is heat-treated cinnamon, and the heat-treated cinnamon is analyzed by adding 5 μg / g caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g L-methionine sulfone to the heat-treated cinnamon and analyzing the resulting chromatogram by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) according to the following method: (301) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the alanine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.30 or more, (302) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the arginine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.095 or more, (303) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the aspartic acid-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.14 or more. (304) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing asparagine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.002 or more, (305) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing glutamic acid to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.078 or more, (306) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing glutamine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.56 or more, (307) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing glycine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.15 or more, (308) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing histidine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.2 or more, (309) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing leucine or isoleucine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.40 or more, (310) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing lysine to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.10 or more, and (311) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing methionine to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.4 or more,(312) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from cyclic dipeptides containing phenylalanine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.2 or more, (313) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from cyclic dipeptides containing proline to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.35 or more, (314) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from cyclic dipeptides containing serine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.077 or more, (315) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from cyclic dipeptides containing threonine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.13 or more, (316) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from cyclic dipeptides containing tryptophan to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.35 or more, (317) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from cyclic dipeptides containing tyrosine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.76 or more, (318) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing valine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.082 or more, (319) The area ratio of peak areas derived from pyroglutamic acid to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.32 or more, (320) The area ratio of peak areas derived from 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.28 or more, (321) The area ratio of peak areas derived from vanillin to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.75 or more, (322) The area ratio of peak areas derived from catechin to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.80 or more, (323) The area ratio of peak areas derived from epicatechin to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 4.9 or more, (324) The area ratio of the peak area derived from gallocatechin to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.22 or more, and (325) The area ratio of the peak area derived from epigallocatechin to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.83 or more,(326) The area ratio of the peak area derived from epicatechin gallate to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.038 or more, (327) The area ratio of the peak area derived from gallocatechin gallate to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.035 or more, (328) The area ratio of the peak area derived from catechin gallate to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.41 or more, (329) The area ratio of the peak area derived from procyanidin B1 to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.35 or more, (330) The area ratio of the peak area derived from procyanidin B2 to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 9.7 or more, (331) The area ratio of the peak area derived from procyanidin A to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 2.9 or more, (332) The area ratio of the peak area derived from ascorbic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.23 or more, (333) The area ratio of the peak area derived from tartaric acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.92 or more, (334) The area ratio of the peak area derived from quinic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 210 or more, (335) The area ratio of the peak area derived from citric acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 100 or more, (336) The area ratio of the peak area derived from succinic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 17 or more, (337) The area ratio of the peak area derived from malic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 82 or more, (338) The area ratio of the peak area derived from vanillic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.67 or more, and (339) The area ratio of the peak area derived from ethyl lactate to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.25 or more, satisfying one or more of the above, the flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 26 to 30. (LC-MS measurement method)A 15 mL test tube containing 200 mg of the heat-treated cinnamon and 7.5 mL of water is heated in a 75°C constant temperature water bath for 10 minutes to prepare an aqueous extract. To the aqueous extract in the test tube, 2.5 mL of acetonitrile and 5 μg / g of caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g of L-methionine sulfone relative to the heat-treated cinnamon bark are added and stirred. After stirring, the solid components are removed and the liquid components are recovered to prepare the sample. The aforementioned sample is analyzed by LC-MS (ionization method: electrospray ionization (ESI) positive mode and ESI negative mode) to obtain a chromatogram.

32. The heat-treated cinnamon plant spice is heat-treated cinnamon, and the heat-treated cinnamon is analyzed by adding 4 μg / g of 4-methylthiazole to the heat-treated cinnamon and performing gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) according to the following method, and in the resulting chromatogram, (340) the area ratio of the peak area derived from furaneol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.14 or more, (341) the area ratio of the peak area derived from phenethyl alcohol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 1.9 or more, (342) the area ratio of the peak area derived from methyl benzoate to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.068 or more, and (343) the area ratio of the peak area derived from benzaldehyde to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 8.8 or more. (344) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 2-furylhydroxymethyl ketone to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.15 or more, (345) The area ratio of the peak area derived from amyl acetate to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 3.8 or more, (346) The area ratio of the peak area derived from cinnamyl acetate to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 1.6 or more, (347) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 2-methoxybenzaldehyde to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.21 or more, (348) The area ratio of the peak area derived from guaiacol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.63 or more, (349) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 4-methylguaiacol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.060 or more, (350) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 4-ethylguaiacol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.061 or higher, (351) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 4-vinylguaiacol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 3.0 or higher, (352) The area ratio of the peak area derived from syringol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.22 or higher.A taste-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 26 to 31, satisfying one or more of the following conditions. (GC-MS measurement method) A 10 mL test tube containing 25 mg of the heat-treated cinnamon, 4 μg / g of 4-methylthiazole relative to the heat-treated cinnamon, 4 mL of acetone, and 4 mL of methanol is stirred, the solid components are removed and the liquid components are recovered, and 1 mL of acetone is added for every 0.1 mL of the liquid components to prepare a GC-MS sample. The GC-MS sample is analyzed by GC-MS (ionization method: electron ionization (EI) positive mode) to obtain a chromatogram.

33. A method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 26 to 32, comprising: heat-treating a cinnamon plant spice to obtain the heat-treated cinnamon plant spice.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein the heat treatment is performed under conditions that result in a heating value of 5 or higher.

35. The method according to claim 33 or 34, wherein the heat treatment is performed under one or more conditions selected from a3) open system conditions, b3) conditions in which oil is present, and c3) pressurized and sealed conditions.

36. The method according to any one of claims 33 to 35, wherein the cinnamon plant spice is one or more selected from unground cinnamon plant spices and ground cinnamon plant spices.

37. The method according to any one of claims 33 to 36, wherein the cinnamon plant spice is a mixture of the cinnamon plant spice and an amino acid or peptide.

38. A flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 1 to 8, 14 to 20, and 26 to 32, for which it is incorporated into food to enhance the flavor of the food itself.

39. A method for enhancing the taste of food, comprising incorporating a taste-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 1 to 8, 14 to 20, and 26 to 32 into the food.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein the enhanced taste is the taste of the food itself.

41. The method according to claim 39 or 40, comprising blending the flavor-enhancing composition into the food such that the concentration of the heat-treated spice in the food is 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less.

42. The method according to any one of claims 39 to 41, comprising blending the flavor-enhancing composition into the food such that the amount of heat-treated spice is 0.5 g or more per 100 g of salt equivalent in the food.

43. The method according to any one of claims 39 to 42, comprising blending the flavor-enhancing composition into the food such that the amount of heat-treated spice is 0.20 g or more per 100 g of carbohydrates in the food.

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