GB2047067A - Flavouring material - Google Patents

Abstract

A flavouring material capable of preventing the rotting of perishable foods and which can be used as a seasoning material in cooking and as a dressing for meats or vegetables, comprises a mixture of mashed Japanese plums, rock salt, one or more spice materials (particularly beefsteak plant, red pepper and garlic), and a seasoning and bulking material, particularly "koji" (malted rice), or "miso" (bean paste) and sugar. Preferably, about 12% by weight of rock salt is used based on the weight of plums. The flavouring material can be made by preserving plums in rock salt for 2-3 weeks, stirring the preserved plums and juice released to form a paste, blending in the spices, allowing the mixture to stand for a further 2-3 weeks, mashing the mixture and blending in the seasoning and bulking material, and heating the resultant mixture.

Description

SPECIFICATION Flavouring material This invention relates to flavouring materials for preventing or at least reducing the rotting of perishable foods and to a process for producing such materials.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a material which is effective as a flavouring, which is suitable for preventing or reducing the rotting of perishable foods and which can be used as a seasoning material in cooking and as a dressing for meats or vegetables.

According to the invention, there is provided a flavouring material for preventing or reducing the rotting of perishable foods comprising a paste-like mixture comprising mashed Japanese plums; rock salt; one or more spice materials and a seasoning and bulking material.

The spice material preferably comprises one or more of the following: beefsteak plant (perilla frutescens crispa), red pepper, and garlic. The seasoning and bulking material may be malted rice (known as "koji" in Japan), or a mixture of bean paste (known as "misco" in Japan) and sugar.

The flavouring material of the invention may be provided by preserving ripe "umes" or Japanese plums in rock salt for a predetermined period of time, storing the salt-preserved umes and the resultant ume juice formed to produce a paste-like mixture, blending spice materials which may include beefsteak plant, red pepper, and/or garlic, into the paste-like mixture, preserving the blended mixture in this state for a predetermined period of time, mashing the blended and preserved mixture, adding a seasoning and bulking material to the mashed mixture, and thereafter treating the bulked mixture by heating.

A preferred example of a process for making the flavouring material in accordance with the invention will now be described.

First of all, ripe umes to be treated are washed with water and then drained. The drained umes are then treated to form the flavouring material by the following steps: (a) 100 parts by weight of the drained umes are preserved in about 12 parts by weight of rock salt for a predetermined period of between two and three weeks; (b) the salt-preserved umes and the resultant ume juice are then stored or otherwise agitated by any suitable means to form a paste-like mixture, the seeds of the umes being removed from the paste like mixture at the same time; (c) 100 parts by weight of the paste-like mixture are blended with spice materials, consisting of about 2 parts by weight of beefsteak plant, 8 to 10 parts by weight of red pepper and about 2 parts by weight of garlic; the blended mixture is then stored in this state for a period of between two and three weeks; (d) the preserved mixture including the spice materials is then mashed sufficiently for the spice materials to lose their original forms, using any suitable mashing machine; (e) the mashed mixture is blended with a predetermined amount of a seasoning and bulking material or materials, such as "koji" (malted rice) or a mixture including "miso" (bean paste) and sugar, and is then treated by heating.

Aflavouring material which is suitable for preventing perishable foods from rotting is produced by this procedure.

In step (e), the amount of seasoning and bulking material used may be selected in dependence upon the foodstuffs which are to be flavoured and preserved by the flavouring material of the invention.

When the paste-like flavouring material of the invention is used for grilled meats, it can be utilised either by soaking the meat in the paste-like flavouring material or by applying the paste-like flavouring material to the surface of the meat. The flavouring material of this invention includes an antiseptic agent or agents mainly derived from the ume component. The antiseptic agent penetrates through the meat to restrain the activity of harmful microorganisms in the meat so that it will be effectively prevented from rotting. At the same time, seasoning components, such as citric acid or the like, in the flavouring material also penetrate into the food to season it. In particular, the natural citric acid present improves the taste of the foods to which the flavouring material of this invention is applied.The flavouring material of this invention can be also used as a sauce for grilled or fried meat or other food.

1. A flavouring material for preventing or reducing the rotting of perishable foods comprising a paste-like mixture comprising mashed Japanese plums; rock salt; one or more spice materials and a seasoning and bulking material.

2. Aflavouring material as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spice material or materials is or are selected from beefsteak plant, red pepper and garlic.

3. Aflavouring material as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said seasoning and bulking material is malted rice ("koji").

4. Aflavouring material as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said seasoning and bulking material comprises a mixture of bean paste ("miso") and sugar.

5. Aflavouring material as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the proportion of said Japanese plums to said rock salt is of about 100 12 by weight.

6. Aflavouring material as claimed in claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the example.

7. A process for producing a flavouring material as claimed in claim 1, comprising the steps of: (a) preserving ripe Japanese plums in rock salt for a predetermined period of time, (b) agitating the thus preserved Japanese plums and the plum juice formed during storage to form a paste-like mixture, (c) blending said paste-like mixture with one or more spice materials, (d) storing the blended mixture as it is for a

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (11)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Flavouring material This invention relates to flavouring materials for preventing or at least reducing the rotting of perishable foods and to a process for producing such materials. It is an object of the present invention to provide a material which is effective as a flavouring, which is suitable for preventing or reducing the rotting of perishable foods and which can be used as a seasoning material in cooking and as a dressing for meats or vegetables. According to the invention, there is provided a flavouring material for preventing or reducing the rotting of perishable foods comprising a paste-like mixture comprising mashed Japanese plums; rock salt; one or more spice materials and a seasoning and bulking material. The spice material preferably comprises one or more of the following: beefsteak plant (perilla frutescens crispa), red pepper, and garlic. The seasoning and bulking material may be malted rice (known as "koji" in Japan), or a mixture of bean paste (known as "misco" in Japan) and sugar. The flavouring material of the invention may be provided by preserving ripe "umes" or Japanese plums in rock salt for a predetermined period of time, storing the salt-preserved umes and the resultant ume juice formed to produce a paste-like mixture, blending spice materials which may include beefsteak plant, red pepper, and/or garlic, into the paste-like mixture, preserving the blended mixture in this state for a predetermined period of time, mashing the blended and preserved mixture, adding a seasoning and bulking material to the mashed mixture, and thereafter treating the bulked mixture by heating. A preferred example of a process for making the flavouring material in accordance with the invention will now be described. First of all, ripe umes to be treated are washed with water and then drained. The drained umes are then treated to form the flavouring material by the following steps: (a) 100 parts by weight of the drained umes are preserved in about 12 parts by weight of rock salt for a predetermined period of between two and three weeks; (b) the salt-preserved umes and the resultant ume juice are then stored or otherwise agitated by any suitable means to form a paste-like mixture, the seeds of the umes being removed from the paste like mixture at the same time; (c) 100 parts by weight of the paste-like mixture are blended with spice materials, consisting of about 2 parts by weight of beefsteak plant, 8 to 10 parts by weight of red pepper and about 2 parts by weight of garlic; the blended mixture is then stored in this state for a period of between two and three weeks; (d) the preserved mixture including the spice materials is then mashed sufficiently for the spice materials to lose their original forms, using any suitable mashing machine; (e) the mashed mixture is blended with a predetermined amount of a seasoning and bulking material or materials, such as "koji" (malted rice) or a mixture including "miso" (bean paste) and sugar, and is then treated by heating. Aflavouring material which is suitable for preventing perishable foods from rotting is produced by this procedure. In step (e), the amount of seasoning and bulking material used may be selected in dependence upon the foodstuffs which are to be flavoured and preserved by the flavouring material of the invention. When the paste-like flavouring material of the invention is used for grilled meats, it can be utilised either by soaking the meat in the paste-like flavouring material or by applying the paste-like flavouring material to the surface of the meat. The flavouring material of this invention includes an antiseptic agent or agents mainly derived from the ume component. The antiseptic agent penetrates through the meat to restrain the activity of harmful microorganisms in the meat so that it will be effectively prevented from rotting. At the same time, seasoning components, such as citric acid or the like, in the flavouring material also penetrate into the food to season it. In particular, the natural citric acid present improves the taste of the foods to which the flavouring material of this invention is applied.The flavouring material of this invention can be also used as a sauce for grilled or fried meat or other food. CLAIMS

1. A flavouring material for preventing or reducing the rotting of perishable foods comprising a paste-like mixture comprising mashed Japanese plums; rock salt; one or more spice materials and a seasoning and bulking material.

2. Aflavouring material as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spice material or materials is or are selected from beefsteak plant, red pepper and garlic.

3. Aflavouring material as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said seasoning and bulking material is malted rice ("koji").

4. Aflavouring material as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said seasoning and bulking material comprises a mixture of bean paste ("miso") and sugar.

5. Aflavouring material as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the proportion of said Japanese plums to said rock salt is of about 100 12 by weight.

6. Aflavouring material as claimed in claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the example.

7. A process for producing a flavouring material as claimed in claim 1, comprising the steps of: (a) preserving ripe Japanese plums in rock salt for a predetermined period of time, (b) agitating the thus preserved Japanese plums and the plum juice formed during storage to form a paste-like mixture, (c) blending said paste-like mixture with one or more spice materials, (d) storing the blended mixture as it is for a predetermined period of time, (e) thereafter mashing said blended mixture, (f) blending a seasoning and bulking material with said mashed mixture, and finally, (g) treating the mixture by heating.

8. A process as claimed in claim 7, wherein, in step (c) 100% by weight of said paste-like mixture is blended with about 2% by weight of beefsteak plant, 8 to 10% by weight of red pepper and about 2% by weight of garlic.

9. A process as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8, wherein said period for initially preserving said Japanese plums in rock salt is between two and three weeks.

10. A process as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein said period for storing said blended mixture as it is in step (d) is between two and three weeks.

11. A process for producing a flavouring material as claimed in claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the example.