JP2023160424A - Method for treating coffee beans - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a method for producing coffee beans for roasting that can be used in the production of a packed coffee drink with reduced off-flavors derived from the purification process of raw coffee beans; a method for producing roasted coffee beans using the coffee beans for roasting; coffee extract obtained from the roasted coffee beans; and a packed coffee drink including the coffee extract.SOLUTION: Coffee beans for roasting are produced by a production method that includes: a step A for fermenting coffee cherry pulp with microbes; and a step B for mixing the coffee cherry pulp fermented in the step A with raw coffee beans or coffee cherry and then fermenting the mixture, thereby producing the coffee beans for roasting.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

The present invention relates to a method for producing roasted coffee beans, a method for producing roasted coffee beans, a coffee extract, a packaged coffee beverage, and the like.

Coffee is a broad-leaved shrub belonging to the Rubiaceae family and the Coffea genus. Coffee berries are oval-shaped fruits that grow on the coffee tree, and are green at first and reddish-purple when ripe. Some varieties rarely produce yellow fruits. Coffee berries are also called coffee cherries. There are two seeds facing each other inside the coffee cherry, and these two seeds are called green coffee beans. Coffee cherries are made up of, from the outside, the exocarp, pulp, mucilage (sugar-containing mucilage), endocarp (parchment), silverskin, and seeds (green coffee beans).

Green coffee beans are the only raw material for obtaining roasted coffee beans for coffee drinks. Therefore, a lot of pulp and pericarp are generated during the refining process of extracting green coffee beans from coffee cherries. Currently, there are few ways to use it, and it is being discarded, making waste and environmental problems more serious.

By the way, an overview of the main methods for producing coffee drinks from coffee cherries is as follows. First, green coffee beans are purified (separated) from coffee cherries. The main purification methods include a washed method and a natural method. In the non-washing method (natural), after drying the coffee cherries after harvesting, the parts that cover the green coffee beans (e.g. exocarp, pulp, endocarp, and silver skin) are removed using a dehulling machine etc. to make coffee. Separate the green beans. On the other hand, in the washed method, the exocarp and pulp are removed from the harvested coffee cherries without drying them to obtain coffee beans with the mucilage appearing on the surface, which is then fermented to produce the mucilage. After removing the schlage and drying the coffee beans, the endocarp and silver skin are removed using a dehulling machine or the like to separate green coffee beans.
Roasted coffee beans are obtained by roasting the refined green coffee beans. To provide a coffee beverage by pulverizing roasted coffee beans and extracting coffee flavor components using hot water or the like. In the refining process (drying or fermentation) of the green coffee beans mentioned above, when a coffee drink is produced from such green coffee beans, there are Flavors could occur.

On the other hand, Patent Document 1 discloses that green coffee beans are ground, inoculated with Aspergillus aspergillus, cultured at pH 6.5 to 3.0, and the culture is roasted at 130 to 210°C to remove the generated flavor components. A method for producing a roasted coffee flavor ingredient is disclosed that includes scavenging. However, roasting coffee is prepared by a method including a step A of fermenting coffee cherry pulp with microorganisms; and a step B of mixing and fermenting the coffee cherry pulp fermented in step A with green coffee beans or coffee cherries. It was not known that the above-mentioned off-flavor can be effectively suppressed when a coffee beverage is produced using such roasted coffee beans.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 1-112950

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing roasted coffee beans that can be used to produce packaged coffee beverages in which off-flavors resulting from the refining process of green coffee beans are suppressed, and a method for producing roasted coffee beans using such roasted coffee beans. The object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing roasted coffee beans, a coffee extract obtained using the roasted coffee beans, a packaged coffee beverage containing the coffee extract, and the like.

In order to solve the above problems, the present inventors conducted extensive studies and found that by mixing coffee cherry pulp, which has been fermented in advance with microorganisms, with green coffee beans or coffee cherries and fermenting the mixture, green coffee beans can be purified. The inventors have discovered that it is possible to obtain a coffee beverage with suppressed off-flavors resulting from the process, and have completed the present invention.

That is, the present invention
(1) Step A of fermenting coffee cherry pulp with microorganisms; and
Step B of obtaining roasted coffee beans by mixing and fermenting the coffee cherry pulp fermented in Step A with green coffee beans or coffee cherries;
A method for producing roasted coffee beans, including;
(2) The production method according to (1) above, wherein the microorganism is lactic acid bacteria or Aspergillus aspergillus;
(3) The production method according to (1) or (2) above, using lactic acid bacteria as the microorganism and performing aerobic fermentation as the fermentation, or using Aspergillus aspergillus as the microorganism and performing anaerobic fermentation as the fermentation. ;
(4) The production method according to any one of (1) to (3) above, wherein sterilized coffee cherry pulp is used as the coffee cherry pulp in step A;
(5) Production of roasted coffee beans, including step C of roasting coffee beans produced by the production method according to any one of (1) to (4) above to obtain roasted coffee beans. Method;
(6) Roasted coffee beans produced by the production method of (5) above;
(7) A coffee extract obtained by extracting the crushed roasted coffee beans described in (6) above with water;
(8) A packaged coffee beverage containing the coffee extract according to (7) above;
(9) Step A of fermenting coffee cherry pulp with microorganisms;
Step B of mixing and fermenting the coffee cherry pulp fermented in Step A with green coffee beans or coffee cherries to obtain roasted coffee beans; and
Step C: Roasting the roasted coffee beans obtained in Step B to obtain roasted coffee beans
including,
A method for suppressing off-flavor in a coffee beverage produced from the roasted coffee beans;
Regarding etc.

According to the present invention, there is provided a method for producing roasted coffee beans that can be used to produce a packaged coffee beverage in which off-flavors resulting from the refining process of green coffee beans are suppressed, and a method for producing roasted coffee beans using such roasted coffee beans. It is possible to provide a method for producing roasted coffee beans, a coffee extract obtained using such roasted coffee beans, a packaged coffee beverage containing such coffee extract, and the like.

The present invention
[1] Step A of fermenting coffee cherry pulp with microorganisms; and Step B of mixing and fermenting the coffee cherry pulp fermented in Step A with green coffee beans or coffee cherries to obtain roasted coffee beans. A method for producing roasted coffee beans (hereinafter also referred to as "method for producing roasted coffee beans of the present invention");
[2] A method for producing roasted coffee beans (hereinafter referred to as " (Also referred to as “Method for producing roasted coffee beans of the present invention”);
[3] Roasted coffee beans produced by the method for producing roasted coffee beans of the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as "roasted coffee beans of the present invention");
[4] Coffee extract obtained by extracting the ground product of roasted coffee beans of the present invention with water (hereinafter also referred to as "coffee extract of the present invention");
[5] A packaged coffee beverage containing the coffee extract of the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as "packed coffee beverage of the present invention"); and
[6] Step A of fermenting coffee cherry pulp with microorganisms; Step B of mixing and fermenting the coffee cherry pulp fermented in Step A with green coffee beans or coffee cherries to obtain roasted coffee beans; and , a method for suppressing off-flavor in a coffee beverage produced from the roasted coffee beans (hereinafter referred to as "the present method"), which comprises a step C of roasting the roasted coffee beans obtained in step B to obtain roasted coffee beans. );
It includes embodiments such as.

(coffee cherry)
Coffee cherry refers to the fruit of the coffee tree. To explain the structure of a coffee cherry, it roughly consists of the outside of the coffee cherry, the exocarp, the pulp (the part that contains sugar and other nutrients), and the green coffee beans (seeds). From the outside of the cherry, it consists of the exocarp, pulp, endocarp (parchment), silverskin, and green coffee beans (seeds).

The varieties of coffee cherries and green coffee beans used are not particularly limited, and include, for example, Arabica, Robusta, Arabsta, Liberica, and the like. Coffee bean varieties are further subdivided into Arabica or Robusta, such as Typica, Sumatra, Mundo Novo, Achaia, Kent, Maragogype, Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai, Amarello, and Conilon. species, Ugandan species, etc. A blend of multiple types of coffee cherries and green coffee beans may be used.

There are no particular restrictions on the origin of the coffee cherries or green coffee beans used, and examples include Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, India, Honduras, Peru, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Tanzania, Kenya, Yemen, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Jamaica, and Hawaii. etc.

(microorganisms)
The microorganisms used in the present invention are not particularly limited as long as they can be used in the production of coffee beverages with suppressed off-flavors when used in the present invention, and preferred examples include milk sterilization, Aspergillus aspergillus, and yeast.

Examples of the above-mentioned lactic acid bacteria include bacteria of the genus Lactobacillus, bacteria of the genus Streptococcus, bacteria of the genus Lactococcus, bacteria of the genus Leuconostoc, bacteria of the genus Pediococcus, and bacteria of the genus Enterococcus ( Examples include bacteria of the genus Enterococcus, among which bacteria of the genus Lactobacillus and bacteria of the genus Streptococcus are preferably mentioned. These lactic acid bacteria may be used alone or in combination.
In addition, as lactic acid bacteria, more specifically, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (hereinafter also simply referred to as "Lactobacillus bulgaricus") , Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. delbrueckii, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus paracasei ), Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus johnsonii, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus casei subsp.・Lactobacillus casei subsp. rhamnosus, Lactobacillus pentosus, Lactobacillus fermentum, Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus (hereinafter simply "Streptococcus thermophilus") Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis (hereinafter also simply referred to as "Lactococcus lactis"), Lactococcus lactis biovariant diacetylactis lactis biovar diacetylactis), Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, Lactococcus raffinolactis, Lactococcus piscium, Lactococcus plantarum , Lactococcus garvieae, Lactococcus lactis subsp. hordniae, Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris, Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. Leuconostoc lactis, Pediococcus damnosus, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Pediococcus acidilactici, Enterococcus faecalis, and Enterococcus faecalis. One or more types of lactic acid bacteria selected from the group consisting of Enterococcus faecium can be mentioned, and among them, one or two types of lactic acid bacteria selected from the group consisting of Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus are preferred. Can be mentioned.

Examples of the above-mentioned molds include Aspergillus aspergillus, which is used in the production of brewed alcoholic beverages, distilled alcoholic beverages, and fermented foods such as miso and soy sauce. Aspergillus oryzae is a microorganism involved in koji fermentation. Aspergillus aspergillus belongs to the genus Aspergillus (genus Aspergillus), and includes, for example, Aspergillus yellow, Aspergillus white, and Aspergillus black, of which Aspergillus aspergillus is preferably mentioned. Examples of the above yellow koji mold include Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus sojae, and Aspergillus tamari, and examples of the above white koji mold include Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus sojae, and Aspergillus tamari. Examples of the black koji mold include Aspergillus luchuensis. These molds such as Aspergillus oryzae may be used alone or in combination.

Examples of the above-mentioned yeast include brewing yeast used in the production of alcoholic beverages such as wine and beer, including yeast for wine fermentation, yeast for beer fermentation, yeast for sake fermentation, and the like. More specifically, the above yeasts include yeasts of the genus Saccharomyces, yeasts of the genus Kluyveromyces, yeasts of the genus Torulaspora, and among them, yeasts of the genus Saccharomyces are preferably mentioned. These lactic acid bacteria may be used alone or in combination. Examples of the yeasts of the genus Saccharomyces include Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces pastorianus, etc.; examples of the yeasts of the genus Kluyveromyces include Kluyveromyces thermotolerans. ), and examples of the above-mentioned Torulaspora yeast include Torulaspora delbrueckii. These yeasts may be used alone or in combination.

(Process A)
Step A is not particularly limited as long as it is a step of fermenting coffee cherry pulp with microorganisms, and includes, for example, a method of fermenting coffee cherry pulp in a state where coffee cherry pulp and microorganisms are in contact with each other. Preferably, coffee One example is a method of mixing cherry pulp and microorganisms and then fermenting coffee cherry pulp.

Such coffee cherry pulp is not particularly limited as long as it contains coffee cherry pulp, and may be only coffee cherry pulp, or may further contain other substances other than coffee cherry pulp. Examples of such other substances include substances other than green coffee beans derived from coffee cherries, such as the exocarp, endocarp, and silver peel of coffee cherries. Additionally, additives such as a pH adjuster, commercially available nutrient medium for supplementing nitrogen sources and carbon sources, etc. may be supplementarily added to the coffee cherry pulp as needed. In addition, the coffee cherry pulp obtained when separating green coffee beans from coffee cherries in the refining process can be used, for example.

The coffee cherry pulp used in step A may be unsterilized coffee cherry pulp, but from the viewpoint of obtaining a higher effect of suppressing off-flavor, sterilized coffee cherry pulp is preferable. As such sterilization treatment, sterilization treatment using steam is preferably mentioned. The time for the steam sterilization treatment is, for example, 1 to 10 minutes, preferably 2 to 8 minutes.

The fermentation conditions in Step A are not particularly limited as long as they can carry out fermentation, and conditions suitable for fermentation (for example, the type of microorganisms used, the amount of microorganisms (initial number of bacteria), temperature , humidity, pH, oxygen or carbon dioxide concentration, fermentation time, etc.) can be set as appropriate. Such fermentation conditions include, for example, fermentation conditions at 18 to 45°C (preferably 25 to 40°C) and a humidity of 50% or more for 5 hours to 3 days (preferably 10 to 24 hours). Furthermore, when fermenting coffee cherry pulp and microorganisms, it is preferable to ferment the mixture of coffee cherry pulp and microorganisms while being wrapped in a cloth or the like moistened with water. Further, the amount of microorganisms (initial number of bacteria) used in the fermentation in step A is not particularly limited, but for example, 0.01 to 50 g (dry weight) of microorganisms per 1 kg of coffee cherry pulp, preferably 0.1 ~30g (dry weight).

(Process B)
Step B is not particularly limited as long as it is a step in which the coffee cherry pulp fermented in step A is mixed with green coffee beans or coffee cherries and fermented to obtain roasted coffee beans.

"Green coffee beans" in Step B mean coffee cherries from which at least the exocarp and pulp have been removed; green coffee beans; green coffee beans covered with silver skin; green coffee beans covered with endocarp and silver skin; This includes green coffee beans; etc. The above-mentioned "green coffee beans covered with endocarp and silver skin" may have mucilage (mucilage containing sugar) attached to the surface thereof. "Green coffee beans covered with endocarp and silver skin" obtained by removing the exocarp and pulp from coffee cherries usually have mucilage attached to them.

The variety, origin, etc. of the "green coffee beans or coffee cherries" used in step B may be the same as the variety, origin, etc. of the coffee cherry pulp used in step A, or may be different.

Fermentation conditions in step B are not particularly limited as long as they can carry out fermentation, and conditions suitable for fermentation (for example, the type of microorganisms used, the amount of microorganisms (initial number of bacteria), temperature , humidity, pH, oxygen or carbon dioxide concentration, fermentation time, etc.) can be set as appropriate. Such fermentation conditions include, for example, fermentation conditions at 15 to 40°C (preferably 20 to 40°C) and a humidity of 30% or more for 1 to 12 days (preferably 3 to 9 days). Furthermore, the oxygen concentration conditions may be, for example, aerobic conditions or anaerobic conditions, but anaerobic conditions are preferable when lactic acid bacteria are used as the microorganism, and aerobic conditions are preferable when Aspergillus oryzae is used. The aforementioned anaerobic conditions include conditions in which "the coffee cherry pulp fermented in step A" and "green coffee beans or coffee cherries" are sealed in a container such as a plastic bag, and "the coffee fermented in step A" is sealed in a container such as a plastic bag. Examples include conditions for soaking "cherry pulp" and "green coffee beans or coffee cherries" in water. In addition, the amount of "coffee cherry pulp fermented in step A" used in step B is that "coffee green beans or coffee cherries" are fermented with microorganisms contained in "coffee cherry pulp fermented in step A". For example, 10 g to 100 kg of "green coffee beans or coffee cherries", preferably 30 g to 30 kg, more preferably 100 g to 10 kg, even more preferably 250 g to 4 kg, per 1 kg of such coffee cherry pulp, although there is no particular restriction as long as it is possible. More preferred is 500g to 2kg.

The fermentation process in step B involves washing the "green coffee beans or coffee cherries" with water to remove the coffee cherry pulp and attached microorganisms, and drying the "green coffee beans or coffee cherries" using a dryer or sun drying. Treatments such as heat sterilization of microorganisms, roasting of green coffee beans, etc. can be performed alone or in any combination. For example, when drying coffee berries using a dryer, the fermentation process can be completed by drying at 50 to 60° C. for about 1 to 3 days. Specifically, the process of drying "green coffee beans or coffee cherries" involves drying the "green coffee beans or coffee cherries" to a moisture content of 10 to 30% by weight using a dryer at 50 to 60°C. After that, a preferred treatment is drying in the sun.

(Coffee beans for roasting of the present invention)
The coffee beans for roasting of the present invention include a step A in which coffee cherry pulp is fermented with microorganisms; and the coffee cherry pulp fermented in step A is mixed with green coffee beans or coffee cherries, fermented, and roasted. It can be produced by the method for producing roasted coffee beans of the present invention, which includes step B of obtaining coffee beans for roasting. The coffee cherries obtained in Step B are then washed away with water to remove the microorganisms, or the microorganisms still attached are removed through the normal refining process, and the pulp is removed and the cherries are threshed to produce green coffee beans. can be separated.

(Process C)
As long as Step C is a step of roasting the roasted coffee beans produced by the method for producing roasted coffee beans of the present invention (roasted coffee beans of the present invention) to obtain roasted coffee beans. There are no particular restrictions.

The above-mentioned roasting method is not particularly limited, and generally used methods for roasting coffee beans include direct flame roasting, hot air roasting, far-infrared roasting, charcoal roasting, and microwave roasting. Methods used for roasting can be used. Further, there are no particular restrictions on the roasting temperature or degree of roasting. Examples of the degree of roasting include an L value of 15 to 45 and an L value of 18 to 25. The L value representing the degree of roasting of roasted coffee beans can be measured using a color difference meter. As the color difference meter, for example, a spectral whiteness meter/color difference meter PF 7000 manufactured by Nippon Denshoku Kogyo Co., Ltd. can be used.

(Roasted coffee beans of the present invention)
The roasted coffee beans of the present invention include a step C of roasting the roasted coffee beans produced by the method of producing roasted coffee beans of the present invention to obtain roasted coffee beans. It can be manufactured by a manufacturing method.

(Coffee extract of the present invention)
The coffee extract of the present invention can be obtained by extracting the ground product of the roasted coffee beans of the present invention with water. Note that such water may be heated water.

The roasted coffee beans can be ground using a common grinder such as a roll mill. The degree of grinding is not particularly limited, and roasted coffee beans in various shapes such as coarsely ground, medium-coarsely ground, mediumly ground, medium-finely ground, and finely ground can be used.

The method of extracting the pulverized roasted coffee beans of the present invention with water is not particularly limited, and may be carried out by a general method used for extracting soluble solids from the pulverized roasted coffee beans. can. Specifically, any of the drip type, espresso type, siphon type, percolator type, coffee press (French press) type, high pressure extraction, continuous high pressure extraction, etc. may be used. Moreover, the coffee extract of the present invention is a coffee extract obtained by extracting the ground product of the roasted coffee beans of the present invention with water, drying it to form an extract, and then adding water to the extract. Good too. Further, the coffee extract of the present invention may be obtained by concentrating or further diluting the coffee extract obtained by extracting the crushed roasted coffee beans of the present invention with water. The aforementioned concentration method can be carried out by a commonly used concentration method such as thermal concentration, frozen concentration, membrane concentration using a reverse osmosis membrane, an ultrafiltration membrane, or the like.

(Packaged coffee beverage of the present invention)
The packaged coffee beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it contains the coffee extract of the present invention. The packaged coffee beverage of the present invention may or may not contain any optional components other than the coffee extract of the present invention.

The above optional ingredients include sweeteners, milk ingredients, antioxidants, fragrances, organic acids, organic acid salts, inorganic acids, inorganic acid salts, inorganic salts, pigments, emulsifiers, preservatives, seasonings, acidulants, One or more additives such as amino acids, pH adjusters, quality stabilizers, etc. may be blended. The packaged coffee beverage of the present invention can also be a black coffee beverage or a milk coffee beverage.

When producing the packaged coffee beverage of the present invention, the amount of roasted coffee beans used per 100 g of coffee beverage is preferably 1 g or more, more preferably 2.5 g or more, and still more preferably 4.5 g in terms of green beans. That's all. The upper limit of the amount of roasted coffee beans used per 100 g of coffee beverage can be selected as appropriate depending on palatability, but from the perspective of flavor balance, it is preferably 20 g or less, more preferably 15 g or less, in terms of green beans. , 10g or less is more preferable. Here, the green bean equivalent value is that 1g of roasted coffee beans is equivalent to 1.3g of green coffee beans (revised new edition, Soft Drinks, supervised by: National Soft Drink Industry Association, published by: Korin, 1989) Published on December 25th, page 421).

The packaged coffee beverage of the present invention can be produced by filling a container with the coffee beverage. As such containers, conventional packaging containers such as molded containers containing polyethylene terephthalate as a main component (so-called PET bottles), metal cans, paper containers composited with metal foil or plastic film, and bottles can be used.

The packaged coffee beverage of the present invention may be heat sterilized. The heat sterilization method is not particularly limited as long as it complies with the conditions stipulated by applicable laws and regulations (in Japan, the Food Sanitation Law). For example, retort sterilization method, high temperature short time sterilization method (HTST method), ultra high temperature sterilization method (UHT method), etc. can be mentioned. In addition, it is also possible to select an appropriate heat sterilization method depending on the type of container. For example, if the container can be heat sterilized after filling the container with beverages, such as metal cans, retort sterilization is used. can do. For items that cannot be sterilized by retort, such as PET bottles and paper containers, aseptic filling, hot pack filling, etc., where the beverage is heat sterilized in advance under the same sterilization conditions as above and then filled into sterilized containers in a sterile environment, are available. can be adopted.

(Method for suppressing off-flavor of the present invention)
The off-flavor suppression method of the present invention includes a step A in which coffee cherry pulp is fermented with microorganisms; the coffee cherry pulp fermented in step A is mixed with green coffee beans or coffee cherries and fermented, and then used for roasting. Off-flavor in a coffee beverage produced from the roasted coffee beans, comprising a step B of obtaining coffee beans; and a step C of roasting the roasted coffee beans obtained in step B to obtain roasted coffee beans. There is no particular restriction as long as it is a method of suppressing.

(Packaged coffee drink with suppressed off-flavor)
In this specification, "off-flavor derived from the refining process of green coffee beans" refers to spoilage caused by environmental bacteria during drying or environmental bacteria during fermentation in the coffee bean refining process (drying or fermentation) described above. It is an off-flavor that occurs when coffee drinks are produced from such green coffee beans due to spoilage, and specifically, it includes fishy odor, moldy odor, residual bitterness, residual unpleasant taste, and slightly pungent burnt flavor. One or more off-flavors selected from the group consisting of flavors.

The packaged coffee beverage of the present invention is a packaged coffee beverage in which the above-mentioned off-flavor is suppressed. In this specification, a packaged coffee beverage with suppressed off-flavors refers to a coffee beverage of the same kind, except that coffee cherry pulp that has been fermented in advance with microorganisms is mixed with "green coffee beans or coffee cherries" and fermented. It means a packaged coffee beverage in which the above-mentioned off-flavor is suppressed compared to a packaged coffee beverage manufactured using the same manufacturing method using the same raw materials (hereinafter also referred to as "control beverage in the present invention"). More specifically, the above-mentioned control drinks include coffee drinks of Comparative Example 1 and Comparative Example 2 in Examples described below.

A trained panelist can easily and clearly determine how the off-flavor in a certain packaged coffee beverage compares to the off-flavor in the control beverage of the present invention (for example, whether it is suppressed or not). can be determined.

Further, according to the present invention, in addition to suppressing the above-mentioned off-flavor, a good flavor is imparted. Such good flavor tends to vary depending on the type of microorganism used, and the type of microorganism used can be appropriately selected depending on the desired flavor. For example, using black koji (preferably Aspergillus luchuensis) can increase the coffee taste, and using lactic acid bacteria (preferably Lactobacillus bulgaricus and/or Streptococcus thermophilus) can increase the brightness, Western liquor taste, and acidity. can be done. A trained panelist can easily and clearly determine how these flavors other than off-flavors in a certain packaged coffee beverage compare to the flavors in the control beverage of the present invention. .

(Preferred embodiment of the method for producing roasted coffee beans of the present invention)
Preferred embodiments of the method for producing roasted coffee beans of the present invention include the following embodiments p and q.
Embodiment p: Step A of fermenting coffee cherry pulp with black koji mold (preferably Aspergillus lutuensis); and the coffee cherry pulp fermented in step A with green coffee beans or coffee cherries (preferably coffee cherries). A method for producing roasted coffee beans, comprising step B of mixing and fermenting under aerobic conditions to obtain roasted coffee beans.
Aspect q: Step A of fermenting coffee cherry pulp with lactic acid bacteria (preferably Lactobacillus bulgaricus and/or Streptococcus thermophilus); and the coffee cherry pulp fermented in Step A is fermented with green coffee beans or coffee cherries (preferably are mixed with green coffee beans (with mucilage attached to their surface) and fermented under anaerobic conditions (e.g., sealed anaerobic conditions, or immersed in water and sealed anaerobic conditions), and then dried. A method for producing roasted coffee beans, comprising a step B of obtaining roasted coffee beans.

EXAMPLES The present invention will be explained in detail below with reference to Examples, but the present invention is not limited to these Examples.

[1. Preparation of coffee beans for roasting]
Five types of roasted coffee beans (Comparative Example 1, Comparative Example 2, Example 1, Example 2, and Example 3) were prepared using the following five types of preparation methods.

(1) Comparative example 1; (natural)
We harvested mature domestic yellow Bourbon coffee cherries. After drying the coffee cherry in the sun, it was dehulled and the exocarp, pulp, musselage, endocarp and silver skin were removed to obtain green coffee beans for roasting of Comparative Example 1.

(2) Comparative example 2; (washed/anaerobic fermentation)
We harvested mature domestic Yellow Bourbon coffee cherries. After peeling the pulp of the coffee cherry and packing the green coffee beans with mucilage (viscous liquid containing sugar) on the surface into a food-grade plastic bag, filling the inside of the bag with water to create an anaerobic condition, The green coffee beans were fermented by standing in the shade at ℃ for 6 days. The fermented green coffee beans were dried in a dryer at 50°C until the moisture content reached 20% by weight, then dried in the sun, and then shelled to remove the endocarp and silver skin. Green coffee beans for roasting were obtained.

(3) Example 1; (Natural, aerobic fermentation, koji)
We harvested mature domestic yellow Bourbon coffee cherries. Coffee cherry pulp was obtained from the coffee cherry using a pulp removing machine. After washing the coffee cherry pulp with water, it was subjected to a steam treatment for 5 minutes to sterilize the fungi attached to the coffee cherry pulp.
On the other hand, black koji (Aspergillus luthiensis) was grown on sake rice and then dried to obtain seed koji for black koji.
To 1 kg of the above-mentioned sterilized coffee cherry pulp, 18 g of the above-mentioned black koji seed koji was added and mixed. The coffee cherry pulp mixed with black koji was wrapped in a cloth moistened with water and then pre-fermented at 35°C for 18 hours.

Separately harvested mature coffee cherries (domestic Yellow Bourbon variety) are mixed with the above-mentioned pre-fermented coffee cherry pulp in a 1:1 mass ratio, and left to stand in the shade at 25°C for 6 days to grow coffee cherries. Fermented. After drying the fermented coffee cherries in the sun, they were threshed to remove the exocarp, pulp, mucilage, endocarp, and silver skin to obtain the green coffee beans for roasting of Example 1.

(4) Example 2; (washed, anaerobic fermentation, lactic acid bacteria)
We harvested mature domestic yellow Bourbon coffee cherries. Coffee cherry pulp was obtained from the coffee cherry using a pulp removing machine. After washing the coffee cherry pulp with water, it was subjected to a steam treatment for 5 minutes to sterilize the fungi attached to the coffee cherry pulp. Yogurt containing lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus) per 1 kg of sterilized coffee cherry pulp (in 100 g of yogurt, 0.01 g or more of Lactobacillus bulgaricus and 0.1 g of Streptococcus thermophilus by dry weight) (including the above) was added and mixed. The coffee cherry pulp mixed with yogurt was wrapped in a cloth moistened with water and then pre-fermented at 35°C for 18 hours.

Peel the pulp of mature coffee cherries (domestic Yellow Bourbon variety) after harvesting, and mix the pre-fermented coffee cherry pulp mentioned above in a 1:1 mass ratio with the coffee beans with mucilage appearing on the surface. After putting them in a food-grade plastic bag and making them anaerobic, they were left standing in the shade at 25°C for 6 days to ferment the green coffee beans. The fermented green coffee beans were dried in a dryer at 50°C until the moisture content was 20% by weight, then dried in the sun, and then shelled to remove the endocarp and silver skin. Green coffee beans for roasting were obtained.

(5) Example 3; (washed, anaerobic fermentation (in water), lactic acid bacteria)
We harvested mature domestic yellow Bourbon coffee cherries. Coffee cherry pulp was obtained from the coffee cherry using a pulp removing machine. After washing the coffee cherry pulp with water, it was subjected to a steam treatment for 5 minutes to sterilize the fungi attached to the coffee cherry pulp. Yogurt containing lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus) per 1 kg of sterilized coffee cherry pulp (in 100 g of yogurt, 0.01 g or more of Lactobacillus bulgaricus and 0.1 g of Streptococcus thermophilus by dry weight) (including the above) was added and mixed. The coffee cherry pulp mixed with yogurt was wrapped in a cloth moistened with water and then pre-fermented at 35°C for 18 hours.

Peel the pulp of mature coffee cherries (domestic Yellow Bourbon variety) after harvesting, and mix the pre-fermented coffee cherry pulp mentioned above in a 1:1 mass ratio with the green coffee beans with mucilage appearing on the surface. After filling the bag with water and creating an anaerobic condition, the bag was left in the shade at 25°C for 6 days to ferment the green coffee beans. The fermented green coffee beans were dried in a dryer at 50°C until the moisture content was 20% by weight, then dried in the sun, and then shelled to remove the endocarp and silver skin, and then Green coffee beans for roasting were obtained.

Table 1 shows the main differences between the methods for preparing roasted coffee beans in Comparative Examples 1 and 2 and Examples 1 to 3.

[2. Preparation of roasted coffee beans]
The roasted coffee beans of Comparative Examples 1 and 2 and Examples 1 to 3 described above were roasted until the L value reached 19, respectively, and the roasted coffee beans of Comparative Examples 1 and 2 and Examples 1 to 3 were obtained. was prepared.

[3. Preparation of coffee beverage]
The roasted coffee beans of Comparative Example 1 described above were ground. 450 g of hot water was added to 30 g of pulverized roasted coffee beans, stirred 10 times, and left to stand for 5 minutes. Thereafter, the mixture was stirred five times and separated into solid and liquid using a paper filter. The obtained liquid was diluted with hot water until °Bx was 1.1, then filled into a container and sterilized to prepare a coffee beverage of Comparative Example 1.

In a similar manner, coffee beverages of Comparative Example 2 and Examples 1 to 3 were prepared using the roasted coffee beans of Comparative Example 2 and Examples 1 to 3, respectively.

[4. Preparation of coffee beverage]
The sensory evaluation of each coffee beverage was conducted by 5 to 7 trained panelists using the evaluation criteria in Table 3 for items A to C in Table 2 below, and the evaluation criteria in Table 4 for item D below.

Table 5 shows the results of the sensory evaluation of items A to D of the coffee drinks of Comparative Examples 1 and 2 and Examples 1 to 3. In addition, Table 6 shows flavor characteristics not limited to items A to D, which were freely sensory evaluated.

As a result of sensory evaluation, when coffee cherry pulp pre-fermented with microorganisms was not mixed with coffee cherries and fermented (Comparative Examples 1 and 2), there was an off-flavor (Tables 5 and 6). . On the other hand, when coffee cherry pulp pre-fermented with microorganisms is mixed with coffee cherries and fermented (Examples 1 to 3), off-flavors derived from the green coffee bean refining process are added to the coffee beverage. It was shown that it can be effectively suppressed.

In addition, in the method of the present invention in which coffee cherry pulp pre-fermented with microorganisms is mixed with green coffee beans or coffee cherries for fermentation, when black koji is used as the main fermentation agent (Example 1), coffee beverage The coffee taste has increased. On the other hand, in the method of the present invention, when lactic acid bacteria were used as the main fermentation agent (Examples 2 and 3), the "brightness/Western liquor taste" and "sourness" of the coffee beverage increased. These results indicate that the present invention not only suppresses off-flavors resulting from the refining process of green coffee beans, but also imparts good flavor.

According to the present invention, there is provided a method for producing roasted coffee beans that can be used to produce a packaged coffee beverage in which off-flavors resulting from the refining process of green coffee beans are suppressed, and a method for producing roasted coffee beans using such roasted coffee beans. It is possible to provide a method for producing roasted coffee beans, a coffee extract obtained using such roasted coffee beans, a packaged coffee beverage containing such coffee extract, and the like.

Claims (9)

Step A of fermenting coffee cherry pulp with microorganisms; and
Step B of obtaining roasted coffee beans by mixing and fermenting the coffee cherry pulp fermented in Step A with green coffee beans or coffee cherries;
A method of producing coffee beans for roasting, including: The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the microorganism is lactic acid bacteria or Aspergillus oryzae. The production method according to claim 1, wherein lactic acid bacteria are used as the microorganism and aerobic fermentation is performed as the fermentation, or aspergillus Aspergillus is used as the microorganism and anaerobic fermentation is performed as the fermentation. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein sterilized coffee cherry pulp is used as the coffee cherry pulp in step A. A method for producing roasted coffee beans, comprising a step C of roasting coffee beans produced by the production method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 to obtain roasted coffee beans. Roasted coffee beans produced by the production method according to claim 5. A coffee extract obtained by extracting the pulverized roasted coffee beans according to claim 6 with water. A packaged coffee beverage comprising the coffee extract according to claim 7. Step A of fermenting coffee cherry pulp with microorganisms;
Step B of mixing and fermenting the coffee cherry pulp fermented in Step A with green coffee beans or coffee cherries to obtain roasted coffee beans; and
Step C of roasting the roasted coffee beans obtained in Step B to obtain roasted coffee beans;
including,
A method for suppressing off-flavor in a coffee beverage produced from the roasted coffee beans.