JP6134091B2 - Tea drink containing powdered tea leaf tea leaves - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a tea drink containing powdered tea leaves. More specifically, the present invention relates to a green tea beverage in which an increase in miscellaneous taste is suppressed even though a firm bitter and astringent taste is imparted by containing powdered tea leaves in powdered bean. The present invention is useful in the field of beverage production.

  In recent years, many container-packed tea beverages filled in containers such as cans and plastic bottles have been developed and marketed, and the market for green tea beverages is particularly expanding. As the market expands, consumer preferences for such packaged tea beverages are increasing.

  With regard to tea beverages, several techniques have been proposed from the viewpoints of preventing precipitation and improving flavor. For example, Patent Document 1 controls the magnesium concentration and the amount of water-insoluble solids having a particle size of 0.2 to 0.8 μm, so that it can be stored for a long time and precipitation does not occur, and the original flavor of tea is not impaired. Suggest a drink. Patent Document 2 describes that the amount of ester-type catechin and the amount of free-type catechin are as follows. A method for producing a beverage characterized by adjusting the ratio is proposed.

On the other hand, a method for improving taste and the like in tea beverages by using powdered green tea leaves such as matcha tea as a raw material for tea beverages is known. For example, Patent Document 3 describes a method for producing a tea beverage excellent in flavor and taste, by extracting fine powdered tea at room temperature or warm water and adding an antioxidant, and fine powdered tea in the extract. And a step of removing the large particle component by centrifugation. Patent Document 4 discloses a transparent green tea extract with a turbidity of less than 0.05 with an OD ₇₂₀ of 100% by removing the fine particles generated by green tea extraction under the condition that the minimum particle size that can be separated is 0.5-5 μm. The present invention proposes a green tea beverage characterized by adding green tea powder to an OD ₇₂₀ of 0.05 to 3.00. Powdered tea leaves are considered to be particularly useful for imparting umami and kokumi, for example, Patent Document 5 is a tea beverage manufactured only with tea-derived components, and has the original tea taste and kokumi. Provided is a tea beverage in which powdered tea leaves of hojicha are added to a tea extract as having a rich fragrance.

  On the other hand, Patent Document 6 is a container-packed tea beverage with heat sterilization and long-term storage, and is intended to provide a green tea beverage with strong umami and richness, and reduced astringency and miscellaneous taste. Production of container-packed tea beverages comprising a step of extracting raw tea leaves containing 90% by weight of koji tea with water at 45 ° C. or less to obtain a koji tea-containing tea leaf extract, and a step of subjecting the extract to heat sterilization Suggest a method. It has been confirmed that the cold water extract of strawberry tea obtained here with a low miscellaneous taste contains a low concentration of catechins which are astringent components and a high concentration of amino acids which are umami components.

JP2004-289 (Patent No. 3532914) JP2006-271401 JP 11-276074 JP-A-8-163958 (Patent No. 2981137) JP2009-219447 JP2011-010640

  As for catechins, there is an intention to reduce the concentration as in Patent Document 6 in order to suppress astringency, but for consumers who want to refresh and refresh themselves during work or in the meantime, There is a demand for a beverage that imparts a strong bitter taste to green tea. From this point of view, it seemed effective to increase bitterness and astringency by increasing the content of catechins in green tea beverages. However, it was found that increasing the amount of catechins enhances the bitter and astringent taste, but also increases the miscellaneous taste.

The present inventors thought that the use of “Benifuuki” bred from black tea varieties would be effective for enhancing the bitter and astringent taste without accompanying miscellaneous taste in green tea beverages. Therefore, I tried adding Benifuuki tea leaf extract to green tea, but surprisingly the bitter taste was not enhanced. Next, when the powder of Benifuuki tea leaves was used, it was surprisingly found that a green tea beverage with enhanced bitterness and less miscellaneous taste could be realized. This was unexpected even when the green tea fine powder was used, compared with the fact that the bitter and astringent taste was not enhanced although the miscellaneous taste was small.
The present invention provides the following.
[1] A tea beverage obtained by mixing powdered beef boiled tea leaves with one or more tea leaf extracts selected from tea excluding benifuki, containing catechins at 200 ppm to 1800 ppm.
[2] The tea beverage according to [1], wherein the extract of one or more tea leaves selected from tea excluding Benifuuki is a green tea extract.
[3] The tea beverage according to [1] or [2], wherein the tea beverage contains 0.001 to 0.5% by weight of powdered tea leaves.
[4] The tea beverage according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the powdered tea leaves are mixed as it is or suspended in water.
[5] The tea beverage according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the average particle size of the powdered tea leaves is 100 μm or less.
[6] Any one of [1] to [5], containing a soluble polymer fraction having a molecular weight of 300,000 or more detected by UV absorption 400 nm of gel filtration chromatography in an amount of 0.01 μg / ml or more (in terms of dye) Tea drink described in 1.
[7] The tea beverage according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein the tea beverage is a containerized tea beverage.
[8] A method for enhancing the bitter and astringent taste of a green tea beverage by adding fuuki tea leaves to a powdered bowl.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a green tea beverage with an enhanced bitter and astringent taste that is not accompanied by a miscibility.

(Powder benifuuki tea leaves)
In the present invention, the powdered tea leaves are used.
The tea variety “Benifuuki” was nurtured by the National Institute of Agricultural and Biological Sciences, National Institute of Vegetable and Tea Industry, named in 1993, and registered as No. 44. Benifuuki tea leaves are known to contain many methylated catechins. There is no report that methylated catechins are bitter than normal catechins.

  In this invention, in order to give the green drink the bitter and astringent taste which does not accompany a miscellaneous taste, a powdery-boiled tea leaf is used. Benifuuki tea leaves as a raw material may be roasted, and preferably roasted to such an extent that it can be used for tea beverage production. Further, the powdered Benifuuki tea leaves in the present invention refer to powdered Benifuuki tea leaves. For example, similar to Matcha, dried tea leaves are made into small pieces and ground into a powder and manufactured.

  The powdered Benifuuki tea leaves of the present invention are pulverized to such an extent that the cell walls of the Benifuuki tea leaves are destroyed during production, so that components that cannot be obtained from the tea leaf extract without such grinding are eluted in the tea beverage. It is characterized by making it. Therefore, crushed tea leaves obtained by cutting Benifuuki tea leaves into several millimeters, that is, tea leaves that have not been crushed to such an extent that the cell wall is destroyed, are not suitable as the powdered Benifuuki tea leaves of the present invention.

  As long as the method for producing a powdered tea leaf tea leaf of the present invention is pulverized to such an extent that the cell wall is destroyed, the pulverizing method may be any of stone milling, mechanical grinding, freeze pulverization and the like. However, from the viewpoint of suppressing the deterioration of tea leaf quality due to heat generated during pulverization as much as possible, it is preferable to employ stone milling and freeze pulverization. The average particle diameter of the powdered noodles thus produced is usually 100 μm or less, preferably 50 μm or less, more preferably 20 μm or less.

  The green tea beverage of the present invention contains glyceroglycolipid and chlorophyll contained in the soluble polymer fraction in the cell wall of tea leaves. Glyceroglycolipid is a type of glycolipid with a glycerol molecule as a skeleton and a sugar residue and an acyl group such as fatty acid bonded to each other. It has a hydrophilic sugar residue and a hydrophobic acyl group in the molecule. It is a medium substance. In the soluble polymer fraction, glyceroglycolipid is considered to exist as a colloidal dispersion system (see Non-Patent Document 5 mentioned above).

  In the present invention, the term “soluble polymer fraction” refers to the filtration of the tea leaf solvent extract or tea beverage with a membrane filter (pore size 0.45 μm, Juji Field Co., Ltd., water-based non-sterile 13A), unless otherwise specified. In this case, the passing liquid that passed through the membrane filter is subjected to gel filtration chromatography, and it is a void component detected at a UV absorption of 400 nm and a retention time of about 6 minutes. According to the study by the present inventors, a soluble polymer fraction having a molecular weight of 300,000 or more detected by ultraviolet absorption 400 nm of gel filtration chromatography is contained as a component derived from Fufu tea leaves. The soluble polymer fraction is contained in an amount of 0.01 μg / ml (in terms of yellow No. 4 pigment), preferably 0.025 μg / ml or more, more preferably 0.05 μg / ml or more, based on the whole tea beverage.

  The tea beverage of the present invention is produced by mixing a base tea extract with a powder tea or a powder suspension. Benifuuki tea (Benifuuki tea extract), granulated Benifuuki tea (a granulated Benifuuki tea extract) and powdered Benifuuki tea leaves with hot water are known to have bitter and astringent taste depending on the amount of catechin (Keiichiro Muramatsu, Tea Science (Series “Food Science”)). However, it was first found by the present invention that, when powdered tea leaves are added to a tea extract, particularly a green tea extract, a bitter and astringent taste can be imparted regardless of the amount of catechin, and there is no miscellaneous taste. It is knowledge.

(Tea extract base)
The base tea extract includes fresh leaves of trees belonging to the Camellia genus plant (scientific name: Camellia sinensis), or extracts of unfermented tea, semi-fermented tea, fermented tea, and post-fermented tea obtained by processing the leaves. Any green tea leaves can be used, but it is preferable to use green tea leaves that enjoy the flavor of the natural green of unfermented tea. Specifically, one type or two or more types of tea leaves are selected from among sencha, deep-steamed tea, gyokuro, stem tea, kabuse tea, tama green tea, strawberry tea, bancha, brown rice tea, and kamaage tea. Particularly preferred are sencha and / or kabusecha. The extraction conditions for obtaining these tea leaf extracts are not particularly limited, but it is preferable to obtain a tea extract so that the amount of catechins and amino acids in the tea beverage are within the above-mentioned ranges.

  In the present invention, “catechins” refers to catechin, gallocatechin, catechin gallate, gallocatechin gallate, epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate, epigallocatechin gallate, or any of these unless otherwise specified. When referring to the content of catechins, it refers to the total amount of these unless otherwise specified.

In the present invention, an antioxidant such as L-ascorbic acid or a pH adjuster such as sodium bicarbonate may be added to the tea extract during or after extraction.
(Tea drink)
The tea beverage of the present invention is produced by adding and mixing Fuuki tea leaves into a powdered tea base. The blending ratio of powdered tea leaf tea leaves may be appropriately set depending on the desired flavor, etc., but from the viewpoint of imparting a bitter and astringent taste without accompanying miscellaneous taste to tea beverages, 0.001 to 0.5 as powdered leafy tea leaves in tea beverages % By weight, preferably 0.005 to 0.4% by weight, more preferably 0.01 to 0.3% by weight, still more preferably 0.01 to 0.2% by weight, and most preferably about 0.01 to 0.1% by weight. If it is less than 0.001% by weight, the effect of enhancing bitterness and astringency cannot be obtained sufficiently, and if it exceeds 0.5% by weight, the unique flavor of Benifuuki tea becomes stronger and the original green aroma of green tea is impaired. It will be. The upper limit value can also be determined from the viewpoint of preventing precipitation and sediment.

  It has been found that the bitter and astringent taste-enhancing effect of powdered bean fuuki tea is largely unaffected by the extraction temperature, but is greatly increased by applying a high-pressure homogenizer treatment. Therefore, a preferred method for producing the tea beverage of the present invention comprises the following steps: 1) a step of breaking the cell wall of Benifuuki tea leaves to obtain powdered Benifuuki tea leaves, and 2) mixing water or tea extract into the powdered Benifuuki tea leaves. It is preferably produced by a process comprising a step of obtaining a powdered tea leaf suspension, and 3) a step of subjecting the suspension to a high-pressure homogenizer treatment. In the step 2), when water is mixed, a tea beverage can be produced by adding the suspension after the high-pressure homogenizer treatment to a separately prepared tea extract.

The bitter and astringent taste-enhancing effect is increased by further subjecting the benifuuki tea leaf suspension in a state where the crushed benifuuki tea leaves are suspended in water or a tea extract to a pulverization process using a high-pressure homogenizer. Therefore, it is preferable to perform a wet pulverization process (process 3) using a high-pressure homogenizer. The high-pressure homogenizer here refers to an apparatus for ultra-fine emulsion droplets or suspended particles by shearing force, cavitation, etc. generated by jetting liquid from a fine gap at high speed under high pressure. . In the powder Benifuuki tea of the present invention, any means can be used as long as it is a means for further finely pulverizing the crushed tea leaves without using a high-pressure homogenizer. When a high-pressure homogenizer is used, the pressure is not particularly limited, but the higher the pressure, the more the elution amount of the soluble fraction tends to increase. Therefore, 50 kg / cm ² or more, preferably 100 kg / cm ² or more, more preferably Is 200 kg / cm ² or more. When the tea leaves are finely pulverized under such conditions, the average particle size of the tea leaves is usually about 0.1 μm to 1 μm, preferably about 0.3 μm to 1 μm.

  Furthermore, after the above step 3), by removing the insoluble solid content by a separation treatment (clarification treatment) such as centrifugation or filtration, roughening due to insoluble solid content such as fine pieces of crushed tea leaf tissue or green tea particles Poor aftertaste can be improved, and precipitation during storage can also be suppressed.

  The method of clarification treatment is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to use centrifugation for simplicity. Separation treatment conditions such as centrifugation may be set as appropriate, but by setting the separation treatment conditions such that the absorbance at 680 nm of the tea beverage is 0.25 or less, it becomes a tea beverage with no mischief, the effect of the present invention, That is, it becomes a tea beverage that can further enhance the bitterness and astringency. Specifically, such a centrifugal separation condition is a separation process in which most of the insoluble solid particles having a particle diameter exceeding 1 μm are removed. Here, the majority represents 50% or more, preferably 90% or more, more preferably 95% or more, and particularly preferably 99% or more.

(Packed tea beverage)
The tea beverage obtained according to the present invention maintains a bitter and astringent taste without any miscellaneous taste even after undergoing a sterilization step and a storage step. Therefore, the tea beverage of the present invention is suitably provided as a packaged beverage. A container-packed drink is manufactured by sterilizing a tea drink and filling the container, or by performing heat sterilization (such as retort sterilization) after filling the container. For example, when making a can beverage, fill the can with a predetermined amount of the above preparation, perform retort sterilization (for example, 1.2 mmHg, 121 ° C., 7 minutes), and make a plastic bottle, paper pack, bottle beverage For example, UHT sterilization that is maintained at 120 to 150 ° C. for 1 to several tens of seconds is performed, and a predetermined amount is aseptically filled at a low temperature or hot pack. Since the container-packed tea beverage of the present invention is a tea beverage having a good flavor, it is most preferable to perform aseptic filling.

As the container, any commonly used container such as an aluminum can, a steel can, a PET bottle, a glass bottle, or a paper container can be used.
(Evaluation of bitter and astringent taste)
The tea beverage produced according to the present invention has less bitter taste and enhanced bitterness and astringency compared to a tea beverage that differs only in the use of powdered red tea leaves by using powdered tea leaves for the powder. A person skilled in the art can appropriately evaluate the bitter taste (bitter taste and astringency) and the miscellaneous taste of the target tea beverage. For example, for one or more trained panelists, if necessary, prepare green tea with a catechin content of 1000 ppm as a control (usually you can feel bitterness but also taste a bitter taste) Evaluation can be made by actually drinking tea beverages and scoring them in 5 grades. Methods and criteria for more detailed evaluation can be referred to the examples in this specification.

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, although an Example is shown and the detail of this invention is demonstrated concretely, this invention is not limited to this.
[Manufacture of powdered tea leaf tea leaves and suspensions thereof]
Benifuuki tea leaves were cut into small pieces, and the stems were removed by grinding with a stone mill to obtain powdery tea leaves (D1) with an average particle size (median diameter) of 12 μm. The average particle size was measured with a Shimadzu laser diffraction particle size distribution analyzer SALD-2000. This was suspended in about 80 times (by weight) of water, and this suspension was treated with a high-pressure homogenizer at a pressure of 15 MPa. Next, centrifugal solids (6000 rpm, 10 minutes) were used to remove coarse solids such as crushed tea tissue and Benifuuki tea particles, and a powdery Fuuki tea leaf suspension (D2) was obtained.

When this was drunk, the bitter and astringent taste was strong, but the flavor unique to green tea was lacking and the balance was poor.
[Manufacture of tea beverages]
Six types of tea beverages (Comparative Examples 1 to 4, Inventions 1 to 2) were produced according to the following formulation. For these six types of tea beverages, five expert panelists evaluated bitterness, miscellaneous taste, and overall preference in five levels, and calculated the average score.

Comparative Example 1 (Base Extract A)
Extract 2.0g of Sencha leaves with 200mL of water (90 ℃) for 5 minutes, make up with water and adjust the catechins to 800ppm.

Comparative Example 2 (Base Extract A ′)
Extract 2.0g of Sencha leaves with 200mL of water (90 ℃) for 5 minutes, make up with water and adjust the catechins to 1000ppm.

Comparative Example 3 (Base Extract A + Benifukuuki Tea Extract B)
Benefuuki tea leaves (2.0 g) extracted with 200 mL of water (90 ° C) for 5 minutes (B) and (A) are mixed, made up with water, 800 ppm of catechins, and 0.1 g of Benifuuki tea leaves in 100 ml of tea beverage Adjust to contain substantial extract.

Comparative Example 4 (Base Extract A + Matcha Suspension C)
Matched with the powdered green tea suspension (C2) prepared in the same way as the above powdered green tea suspension (D2) except using green tea, mixed with green tea suspension (A), made up with water, catechins 800 ppm and green tea 0.1 wt. Adjusted to include%.

Invention 1: (Base Extract A + Powdered Benifuuki Tea Leaf D1)
Mix the above-mentioned powdered tea leaf tea leaves (D1) and (A), make up with water, and adjust to contain 800 ppm of catechins and 0.1% by weight of powdered tea leaf tea leaves.

Invention 2: (Base Extract A + Powder Benifuuki Tea Suspension D2)
The powdered tea leaf suspension (D2) in Example 1 and (A) were mixed and diluted with water and adjusted to contain 800 ppm of catechins and 0.1% by weight of the powdered tea leaf.

The results are shown in Table 1. The present inventions 1 and 2 were preferable in terms of bitter and astringent taste, miscellaneous taste, and comprehensive evaluation. Moreover, the following was suggested from this evaluation result.
From Comparative Example 2 and Inventions 1 and 2, the bitter and astringent taste is enhanced by increasing the amount of catechin, but with a miscellaneous taste. The bitter and astringent taste is enhanced by using Fuuki tea leaves in powdered powder, but it is not accompanied by miscellaneous taste.

  From Comparative Example 4 and Present Invention 2, by using ground tea leaves (suspension), there is no miscellaneous taste, but the bitter and astringent taste is much more fuuki tea leaves than the case of using Matcha (Comparative Example 5) (Invention 2) It is strengthened when using.

  According to the present invention 1 and the present invention 2, it is possible to enhance bitterness and astringency without using any taste by using Benifuuki tea leaves, but the action is further enhanced by the high-pressure homogenizer treatment, and further by the centrifugal treatment. The taste decreases.

(HPLC analysis conditions)
Analyzer: Tosoh Corporation, TOSOH HPLC system LC8020 model II [Multi-station: LC-8020, Pump: CCMC-II, Autosampler: AS-8021, Detector: UV-8020, Column oven: CO-8020, Online degasser : SD-8023]
Analysis conditions: [Column: TSKgel ODS-80Ts QA (TOSOH, inner diameter 4.6 mm × length 150 mm), eluent A: [10% acetonitrile / water] + 0.05% TFA, eluent B: [80% acetonitrile / Water] + 0.05% TFA, flow rate: 1.0ml / min, temperature 40 ° C, detection: UV275nm]
Gradient condition:

Claims (3)

To a suspension of tea Fuki triturated end base after applying a high-pressure homogenizer processing and clarification process comprises mixing with one or more green tea leaf extract is selected from tea except wealth to base, catechin A method for producing a tea beverage containing 200 to 1800 ppm
The above method, wherein the produced tea beverage contains 0.01 to 0.3% by weight of powdered tea leaves and the average particle size of the powdered tea leaves contained in the produced tea drink is 1 μm or less . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the tea beverage is a containerized tea beverage. 200 to 1800 ppm by mixing a suspension of powdered Benifuuki tea leaves with a high-pressure homogenizer treatment and a clarification treatment, and then mixing with one or more green tea leaf extracts selected from tea excluding Benifuuki. a method of enhancing the agonizing taste of green tea beverages containing catechins,
The above method, wherein the produced tea beverage contains 0.01 to 0.3% by weight of powdered tea leaves and the average particle size of the powdered tea leaves contained in the produced tea drink is 1 μm or less .