Soy sauce-like liquid seasoning and method for producing same

Abstract

Provided herein is a salt-free or low-salt soy sauce-like liquid seasoning having a desirable flavor and desirable functionality with no contamination by microorganisms. A method for producing such a sauce-like liquid seasoning is also provided. The salt-free or low-salt soy sauce-like liquid seasoning having a desirable flavor and desirable functionality is obtained by inoculating raw material grains of primarily soybean or wheat with a koji mold to prepare a solid koji, adding salt-free or low-salt water for brewing to the solid koji to prepare a moromi, pasteurizing the moromi, and fermenting the moromi with yeast in a container adapted to reduce entry of harmful microorganisms.

1 . A soy sauce-like liquid seasoning having a salt concentration of less than 4% (w/v), and comprising 20 ppm (w/v) or more of isoamyl alcohol, 6 ppm (w/v) or more of 2-phenylethanol, 9 ppm (w/v) or more of isobutyl alcohol, and 10 ppm (w/v) or more of HEMF with respect to a total nitrogen concentration of 1.0% (w/v). 
     
     
         2 . The soy sauce-like liquid seasoning according to  claim 1 , which contains 50 ppm (w/v) or less of sodium ions. 
     
     
         3 . A method for producing the soy sauce-like liquid seasoning of  claim 1 , the method comprising the steps of:
 1. inoculating raw material grains of primarily soybean or wheat with a koji mold to prepare a solid koji, and adding water or saline to heat and hydrolyze a moromi having a salt concentration of less than 4% (w/v);   2. pasteurizing the moromi obtained in the step 1; and   3. inoculating the pasteurized moromi obtained in the step 2 with yeast, and fermenting the moromi with the yeast in a container adapted to reduce entry of harmful microorganisms.   
     
     
         4 . A method for producing the soy sauce-like liquid seasoning of  claim 2 , the method comprising the steps of:
 1. inoculating raw material grains of primarily soybean or wheat with a koji mold to prepare a solid koji, and adding water or saline to heat and hydrolyze a moromi having a salt concentration of less than 4% (w/v);   2. pasteurizing the moromi obtained in the step 1; and   3. inoculating the pasteurized moromi obtained in the step 2 with yeast, and fermenting the moromi with the yeast in a container adapted to reduce entry of harmful microorganisms.