JP6420419B2 - Green tea beverage containing high concentration of ground tea leaves - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a green tea beverage containing a high concentration of ground tea leaves.

  Conventionally, beverages containing a large amount of powder have a problem of feeling powdery and rough when drinking. As countermeasures against such problems, there are methods to improve by processing in the manufacturing process such as emulsification processing and homogenization processing, methods to make substances that cause powderiness finer in advance, and the feeling of roughness is reduced. A method of blending possible components has been practiced.

  For example, in the case of green tea beverages containing powdered green tea leaves such as powdered green tea and pulverized green tea leaves, a method of reducing the graininess of powdered green tea to reduce the feeling of roughness (Patent Document 1), particles having a particle diameter of 7 μm to 20 μm. A method for reducing the rough feeling while controlling the particle size and distribution of matcha so that the percentage of the number is 60% to 90% and maintaining the aroma of matcha (Patent Document 2), the theanine and / or glutamate concentration A method for reducing the graininess of tea leaf-derived particles contained in a high concentration by adjusting to a specific range (Patent Document 3), a method for reducing the graininess of powdered green tea and containing glyceroglycolipids (Patent Document 4) and the like have been proposed.

  On the other hand, there are many reports on compounds that contribute to the aroma of green tea beverages. For example, linalool has been characterized as a fragrance of high-grade tea in a green tea beverage (Non-patent Document 1), and its content is about 71 ppb in a beverage obtained by roasting low-grade sencha, It has been reported that it contains a higher amount (Non-patent Document 2). In addition, it has been confirmed that the content of linalool in tea beverages has a positive correlation with palatability (see Patent Document 5 Reference Example). Thus, various packaged green tea beverages having improved flavor by using a plurality of components including linalool have been proposed. A ready-to-drink containing at least 50 ppb of linalool obtained by combining a fragrance compound containing linalool with a leaf tea product and roasting it with water (Patent Document 6), and containing 30 ppb of linalool obtained by adding a fragrance composition Examples include tea beverages (see Examples in Patent Document 7). In addition, linalool is a relatively strong scent component, and depending on the type of tea beverage, it may be undesirable if the concentration of linalool becomes too high, and therefore green tea beverages using extremely small amounts of linalool have also been proposed. For example, a sencha beverage that is excellent in aroma obtained by adding 5 ppb linalool and 2-phenylethanol, has little bitterness and astringency, and is easy to drink (see Examples in Patent Document 5), 2.8 to 10 ppb linalool and There is a tea beverage (Patent Document 8) that has enhanced aroma by containing phenylacetaldehyde.

  Furthermore, in tea beverages containing ground tea leaves, the bitterness and astringency are suppressed by adjusting the ratio of the content of gallate catechins and acidic amino acids in the beverage to a predetermined range. It is disclosed that sweetness can be felt strongly (Patent Document 9).

WO2004 / 110161 pamphlet JP 2014-68635 A JP 2017-000071 A JP 2014-68636 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-015924 Special table 2009-523016 JP 2007-167004 A WO2014 / 055512 pamphlet JP 2016-04-1026 A

J. et al. Agric. Food Chem. , 2001, 49, pp. 1349-1396 J. et al. Agric. Food Chem. , 1995, 43, pp. 1621-1625

  An object of the present invention is to provide a packaged green tea beverage and a method for producing the same, in which the feeling of roughness derived from the crushed tea leaves is reduced despite containing the crushed tea leaves in a high concentration.

The present inventors diligently studied to solve the above problems. As a result of studying various ingredients to reduce the feeling of roughness in the blending in order to avoid complicated manufacturing processes, by including linalool, which is an aroma component, drinking even if crushed tea leaves are contained in high concentration It has been found that it sometimes becomes difficult to feel the rough surface of the mouth, and the present invention has been completed. The present invention is not limited to this, but relates to the following.
(1) The following components (A) and (B):
(A) Catechin 200-700 ppm
(B) Linalool 6.0-30ppb
And (C) turbidity of 0.2 to 2.0
Is a green tea beverage packaged in a container.
(2) Further, the following amino acids (D1) and (D2):
(D1) one or more selected from the group consisting of aspartic acid and glutamic acid (D2) containing one or more selected from the group consisting of serine, glycine, threonine, alanine, proline and theanine, (D1) and (D2) The weight ratio ((D2) / (D1)) of the beverage according to (1), which is 2.0 to 6.0.

  According to the present invention, a container-packed green tea beverage capable of providing a suitable texture and a throat feel despite containing a high concentration of ground tea leaves is obtained. Since this container-packed green tea beverage contains crushed tea leaves in a high concentration, the richness and deep taste of the crushed tea leaves can be fully enjoyed.

First, terms used in this specification will be described.
“Turbidity” means the absorbance OD ₆₈₀ at ₆₈₀ nm.
“Tea leaf” means a tea-processed leaf obtained from the genus Camellia (for example, C. sinensis, C. assamica) or the hybrid of those species.

“Crushed tea leaves” means powdered tea leaves such as matcha tea and crushed green tea leaves. It consists of many solid particles insoluble in water with a size distribution, including fibrous ones.
“Tea beverage” means a beverage containing tea leaf extract as the main ingredient, and “green tea beverage” means green tea leaf (sencha, bancha, gyokuro, tencha, kettle roasted tea, etc.) It is a generic name for beverages that contain green tea leaf extract extracted with an aqueous solution containing water and extraction aids.
“Catechins” refers to unpolymerized monomeric catechins ((+)-catechin (hereinafter “
C ”), (−)-epicatechin (hereinafter“ EC ”), (+)-gallocatechin (hereinafter“ GC ”), (−)-epigallocatechin (hereinafter“ EGC ”), (−) — Catechin gallate (hereinafter “Cg”), (−)-epicatechin gallate (hereinafter “ECg”), (−)-gallocatechin gallate (hereinafter “GCg”), (−)-epigallocatechin gallate (hereinafter “GC”) , “EGCg”))), and the content of catechins refers to the total amount of these. Further, among catechins, those having a gallate group (Cg, ECg, GCg, EGCg) are referred to as gallate catechins (also referred to as (a2) in the present specification), and the content of gallate catechins is referred to. Represents the total amount of these gallate-type catechins. Among catechins, those having no gallate group (C, EC, GC, EGC) are referred to as free catechins (also referred to as (a1) in the present specification), and when the content of free catechins is referred to Represents the total amount of these free catechins.

“Mouth” means a feeling and a touch when put in the mouth, and “a refreshing mouth” means a feeling without an unpleasant touch such as a rough feeling.
“Rough feeling” refers to a rough and unpleasant texture.

“Over the throat” means a feeling of being caught in the throat when drunk, and “Good in the throat” means a feeling of not being caught in the throat at all.
“Body” means a rich and deep taste.
“Drinkability” means the capacity of a beverage to be drunk after a single drinking.

In the present specification, “ppb” or “ppm” represents a concentration of mass / volume (w / v).
(Tea drink)
The present invention is directed to a green tea beverage containing a specific amount of (A) catechins and (C) having a turbidity of 0.2 to 2.0. The concentration of catechins contained in the beverage is preferably 200 to 700 ppm, more preferably 250 to 600 ppm, and even more preferably 300 to 500 ppm. Catechins are soluble components, but if the concentration exceeds 700 ppm, a rough feeling derived from catechins may occur. The rough feeling derived from catechins is a rough texture remaining on the tongue and teeth after drinking, and the effect of reducing the rough feeling derived from the ground tea leaves of the present invention described later may be impaired. Moreover, the effect of this invention may not fully be acquired as catechin is less than the lower limit of 200 ppm.

  The type of catechins is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to adjust the concentration of free catechin (a1) to be higher than the concentration of gallate catechin (a2), that is, (a1)> (a2). . More preferably, the ratio [(a2) / (a1) + (a2)] of the free catechin (a1) to the gallate catechin (a2) is 0.25 to 0.50, and more preferably 0.30 to 0.00. Adjust to a ratio of 50. By adjusting to be in the above range, the effect of reducing the rough feeling of the present invention can be expressed more strongly, and a more refreshing mouth feel and throat can be realized. The catechin content in the beverage is measured and quantified by a method using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

The green tea beverage of the present invention contains ground tea leaves at a high concentration. Turbidity can be used as an index for the content of ground tea leaves, and (C) turbidity in the beverage of the present invention is 0.2 to 2.0, preferably 0.3 to 1.5, more preferably 0. .4 to 1.0. Incidentally, in the examples of Patent Document 8 (JP WO2014 / 055512) is light-colored tea beverage obtained by blending a pulverized product of green tea leaves have been disclosed, the present inventors have turbidity _{(OD 680} ) Was measured to be about 0.1, which was outside the scope of the beverage of the present invention.

In general, in a green tea beverage containing ground tea leaves, the larger the particle size, the stronger the flavor of the product itself, but the greater the feeling of roughness. On the other hand, the smaller the particle size, the smoother the mouthfeel, but the tendency for the flavor to not be felt. The contained particle size of the beverage containing the ground tea leaves of the present invention is preferably from 0.1 to 80 μm, more preferably from 0.2 to 65 μm, still more preferably from 0.5 to 60 μm. Here, the particle diameter of 80 μm or less does not require that all (100%) of the particles be 80 μm or less, and 90% or more, preferably 95% or more of the particles contained in the beverage. The particle diameter of the particles should be 80 μm or less. Further, the content particle size of 0.1 μm or more does not require that all (100%) of the particles be 0.1 μm or more, but 5% or more, preferably 10 of the particles contained in the beverage. % Of the particles may be 0.1 μm or more.
The effect of reducing the roughness of the present invention is more remarkable in pulverized tea leaves having a relatively large particle size of 20 μm or more. Therefore, within the above range, when the particle content is adjusted so that 1% or more, preferably 5% or more of the particles are 20 μm or more, the feeling of roughness is less and the flavor of the green tea beverage is much richer. It becomes a high drink. Here, the particle size of the crushed tea leaves is a value obtained by measuring the major axis of the particles, and specifically, a value measured by a laser diffraction / scattering particle size distribution measuring device LS 13 320 manufactured by Beckman Coulter.

  To adjust the particle size of the ground tea leaves, use a crusher or grinder such as a mill, mixer, homogenizer, line mixer, emulder, milder, chopper, or pulper fisher at the raw material stage or in the liquid state after mixing the raw materials. Can be performed.

As the pulverized tea leaves, one or more pulverized products of green tea such as matcha, sencha, kabusecha, gyokuro, etc., preferably a combination of a plurality of types can be used.
The present invention is characterized in that, in a green tea beverage containing a high concentration of ground tea leaves, a certain amount of (B) linalool (Linalool), which is a scent component, is contained to reduce the feeling of roughness derived from ground tea leaves. Linalool exists as an essential oil component of plants (rosewood, linaloe, melamine), and its fragrance is expressed as Strong, green floral note, and is a component known to have lily of the valley lily. Although linalool is known to contribute to the aroma of various beverages, it is not known at all to affect the texture, and was first discovered by the present inventors.

(B) The linalool density | concentration in the drink of this invention is 6.0-30 ppb, Preferably it is 6.0-25 ppb, More preferably, it is 6.0-20 ppb. By containing linalool in this concentration range, a rough tea leaf-derived rough feeling is reduced, and a green tea beverage that has a suitable sensation of touch and throat feel is obtained. In addition, the linalool density | concentration in a drink here is a density | concentration immediately after manufacture of a container-packed green tea drink.
Although linalool has an optical isomer (see Chemical Formula 1), it may be any in the present invention, and represents the total amount of the optical isomer unless otherwise specified.

In addition, the linalool density | concentration in a tea drink can be measured using the gas chromatography (GC / MS) with a mass spectrometer.
For linalool, a chemically synthesized product may be used, and the concentration in the tea beverage can be adjusted using natural food materials such as essential oils. In addition, you may use the food raw material which contains many of these components. Most preferred is a method using a green tea leaf extract. An extract of deep-steamed tea containing a large amount of linalool is suitable as the linalool raw material of the present invention. A green tea leaf extract containing a large amount of linalool can be obtained, for example, by the method described in Patent Document 6 (Japanese translations of PCT publication No. 2009-523016).
(Other ingredients)
As described above, a beverage containing a relatively large pulverized tea leaf having a particle size of 20 μm or more in a high concentration is one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention. In green tea beverages containing ground tea leaves having a large particle size, it has been found that in addition to (A) catechins and (B) linalool, a specific amino acid balance in the beverage affects the effects of the present invention.

Generally, green tea beverages include aspartic acid (Asp), glutamic acid (Glu), theanine (Theanine), glycine (Gly), alanine (Ala), serine (Ser), tyrosine (Tyr), threonine (Thr), cysteine ( Cys), methionine (Met), arginine (Arg), lysine (Lys), and proline (Pro) are known to be included. Among these amino acids, the amino acids that contribute to the graininess reduction effect of the present invention are classified into the group consisting of (D1) aspartic acid and glutamic acid, and (D2) the group consisting of serine, glycine, threonine, alanine, proline and theanine. Is an amino acid. (D1) is an acidic amino acid having two carboxyl groups (—COOH), and (D2) is a neutral amino acid or theanine containing no aromatic, sulfur, or branched chain in the side chain.

  In order to reduce the feeling of roughness, the weight ratio ((D2) / (D1)) of the content of amino acids classified as (D1) and the content of amino acids classified as (D2) is important. That is, the tea beverage of the present invention is (D1) one or more selected from the group consisting of aspartic acid and glutamic acid, and (D2) one or more selected from the group consisting of serine, glycine, threonine, alanine, proline and theanine. It is preferable that the weight ratio ((D2) / (D1)) of (D1) and (D2) is 2.0 to 6.0. A more preferred weight ratio of (D1) and (D2) is 2.5 to 5.5, and a more preferred weight ratio is 3.0 to 5.0. Here, when referring to the content of (D1), it represents the total amount of amino acids classified in (D1). Moreover, when referring to the content of (D2), it represents the total amount of amino acids classified in (D2).

  By adjusting the weight ratio of the amino acids classified as (D1) and (D2) within the above range, the effect of reducing the feeling of roughness can be further enhanced, and even though the tea leaves contain a crushed tea leaf having a large particle size. It is a green tea drink with a refreshing taste and a pleasant throat. A beverage containing all of the two types of amino acids classified as (D1) and the six types of amino acids classified as (D2) is the most preferred beverage.

The weight ratio of (D1) and (D2) is important for the graininess reduction effect of the present invention, and the content is not particularly limited, but the total amount of amino acid D1 is usually 5 to 60 ppm, preferably 10 to 50 ppm. More preferably, it is 12-40 ppm, and the total amount of amino acid D2 is 20-150 ppm, Preferably it is 30-120 ppm, More preferably, it is 40-100 ppm. Almost pure amino acids are commercially available as food raw materials, and this can be used to adjust the concentration in tea beverages. In addition, you may adjust using the food raw material which contains many of these components. Most preferred is a method using a green tea leaf extract. The most tea extract contains a lot of amino acids, and the ratio of (D1) and (D2) is close to the above range, so it is preferably used.
(Packed green tea beverage)
The beverage of the present invention has a high drinkability and can be drunk in a large amount at a stretch in order to heal thirst, that is, it has the property that it can be drunk without getting tired even if drinking a large amount of tea beverage. Here, the large amount specifically refers to a dose per adult male of 350 mL to 2000 mL, preferably 500 mL to 1000 mL. The beverage of the present invention can be provided in the form of a container-packed beverage having a capacity of 350 mL to 2000 mL, preferably 500 mL to 1000 mL.

Containers used are molded containers (so-called PET bottles) mainly composed of polyethylene phthalate, metal cans, paper containers combined with metal foils and plastic films, bottles and the like, as in general beverages. A transparent container such as a PET bottle is an example of a preferable container because it can enjoy the appearance of dark turbid tea, which is a feature of the present invention.
(Production method)
The tea beverage of the present invention is produced by mixing a tea leaf extract, linalool, and other ingredients as required, which are the base of the tea beverage. The order of mixing is not particularly limited, and all raw materials may be mixed simultaneously or sequentially.

  The tea leaf extract used as the base of the tea beverage may be extracted from one type of green tea leaf, or may be a mixture of tea leaf extracts separately prepared from two or more types of green tea leaves. It may be a tea leaf extract extracted from a mixture of the above tea leaves. Note that the tea leaf extract herein includes a powdery product obtained by drying the extract to obtain a powder. These tea leaf extracts can be produced by conventional methods. Usually, it is manufactured from green tea leaves by an extraction process using hot water or water, but the temperature and extraction time of the extraction process can be appropriately designed in consideration of the type of tea leaves and the desired beverage quality. A commercially available tea leaf extract may be used.

  The linalool to be mixed with the tea leaf extract that is the base of the tea beverage is a desired range by using a fragrance containing linalool or selecting a tea leaf variety with a high linalool content and using the extract. It adjusts suitably so that it may become inside. In a container-packed beverage produced through a heat sterilization treatment, highly volatile linalool may be reduced in the heating step. Therefore, it is important to mix linalool in consideration of the amount of linalool to be reduced. Usually, linalool is mixed so that the concentration of linalool in the base green tea leaf extract is 6 to 50 ppb, preferably 6 to 30 ppb, although it varies depending on the heating conditions and the form of linalool.

  In addition, after adding necessary food ingredients such as amino acids and food additives such as antioxidants, the container is filled to produce a packaged beverage.

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, although an Example is shown and the detail of this invention is demonstrated concretely, this invention is not limited to this.
(Quantification method of aroma components in beverages)
The concentration of linalool in the beverage (sample solution) was measured by the following method.
10 ml of the sample solution was added to a vial (capacity 20 ml), 3 g of NaCl was added, and the solution was introduced into GCMS (manufactured by Agilent) by the MVM (Multi Volatile Method) method using MPS manufactured by Gester. Analysis was performed under the following conditions.
-Equipment: GC: GC7890B manufactured by Agilent Technologies
MS: 5977A made by Agilent Technologies
HS: Gestel MPS,
Tube: Tenax TA, Carbon bx1000
・ Column: HP-INNOWAX 60m x 0.25mmi.d. Df = 0.25μm
・ Quantitative ion: Linalool 93m / z
・ Temperature condition 40 ℃ (4min) ～ 5 ℃ / min ～ 260 ℃
・ Carrier gas flow rate He 1.5ml / min ・ Injection method: Splitless ・ Ion source temperature 260 ℃
(Quantitative method of catechin concentration)
The sample tea beverage was subjected to HPLC analysis after the solid content was removed with a membrane filter (pore size 0.45 μm, Juji Field Co., Ltd., water-based unsterilized 13A):
・ HPLC equipment: TOSOH HPLC system LC8020 modelII
・ Column: TSKgel ODS80T sQA (4.6mm × 150mm)
-Column temperature: 40 ° C
Mobile phase A: water-acetonitrile-trifluoroacetic acid (90: 10: 0.05)
Mobile phase B: water-acetonitrile-trifluoroacetic acid (20: 80: 0.05)
・ Detection: UV275nm
・ Injection volume: 20μL
-Flow rate: 1 mL / min.
・ Gradient program:
Time (min)% A% B
0 100 0
5 92 8
11 90 10
21 90 10
22 0 100
29 0 100
30 100 0
-Standard substances: catechin, epicatechin, gallocatechin, epigallocatechin, catechin gallate, epicatechin gallate, gallocatechin gallate and epigallocatechin gallate (Kurita High Purity Reagent)
(Quantification method of amino acid concentration)
The amino acid concentration (ppm) in the beverage was measured using HPLC by the following method:
HPLC apparatus: Waters amino acid analyzer 2695
Column: AccQ-Tag column (3.9 mm x 150 mm)
-Column temperature: 40 ° C
-Mobile phase A: AccQ-TagA (pH 5.8)
-Mobile phase B: Acetonitrile-Mobile bed C: Water / methanol = 9/1
・ Detection: EX250nm EM395nm Gain100
・ Injection volume: 5μL
・ Gradient program:
Time (min) Flow rate (ml / min)% A% B% C
0 1 100 0 0
1 1 99 1 0
16 1 97 3 0
25 1 94 6 0
35 1 86 14 0
40 1 86 14 0
50 1 82 18 0
51 1 0 60 40
54 1 100 0 0
75 1 0 60 40
110 0 0 60 40
-Standard substance: amino acid (aspartic acid, glutamic acid, serine, glycine, threonine, alanine, proline, theanine)
The amino acids measured by the above method are classified into (D1) a group consisting of aspartic acid and glutamic acid and (D2) a group consisting of serine, glycine, threonine, alanine, proline and theanine, and (D1) and (D2 ) Weight ratio ((D2) / (D1)). Here, when referring to the content of (D1), it represents the total amount of amino acids classified in (D1). Moreover, when referring to the content of (D2), it represents the total amount of amino acids classified in (D2).
1. Preparation of ground tea leaf-containing liquid Matcha tea produced by grinding tea with a stone mill is suspended in about 20 times the amount of water, this suspension is treated with a high-pressure homogenizer at a pressure of 10 MPa, and then centrifuged (6000 rpm, 10 minutes). ) To remove coarse ground tea to obtain a ground tea leaf suspension having an average particle diameter of 20 μm or less. Furthermore, 20 parts by weight of crushed sencha (including particles of 20 μm or more) was added thereto to prepare a crushed tea leaf-containing liquid having an average particle size of 20 μm (crushed tea leaf-containing liquid B). 2. Preparation of Green Tea Leaf Extract as Base for Tea Beverage 30 parts by weight of water was used as an extraction solvent with respect to the dry weight of sencha leaves. After extraction with 60 ° C water for 5 minutes, the tea leaves are separated, and further centrifuged (6000 rpm, 10 minutes) to remove solid components such as coarse ground tea tissue and tea particles. Obtained (green tea leaf extract A).
3. Evaluation The following tea drinks were drunk and evaluated by three professional panelists (the evaluation was determined after discussion).
[Comparative Examples 1-6]
Six kinds of tea beverages having different turbidities were prepared by adding the crushed tea leaf-containing liquid B at various ratios to the green tea extract A (mixing ratios are described in Tables 1 to 5. Hereinafter, the green tea extracts in the table Or, the unit in the table of the ground tea leaf-containing liquid is g / L). 500 mL each was filled into a PET bottle to obtain a container-packed green tea beverage. According to visual observation, Comparative Example 1 to which no powdered tea leaves were added was not turbid, and Comparative Examples 2 to 6 were tea beverages having turbidity. With respect to these tea beverages, Comparative Example 1 without turbidity was used as a control to evaluate the roughness.
<Evaluation criteria>
◎: Does not feel rough (same as control)
◯: Feels a little rough. ×: Has a rough feeling. As is clear from Table 1, when the linalool concentration is 3.7 to 4.4 ppb, the rough feeling derived from powdered tea leaves cannot be reduced. It was a bad drink.

[Examples 1 to 4, Comparative Examples 7 to 8]
Commercially available linalool (manufactured by Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd .; Model No. 126-00993) was added to Comparative Examples 1 to 6, and 500 mL each was filled into a PET bottle to obtain a container-packed green tea beverage having a linalool concentration of 6.0 ppb. According to visual observation, Comparative Example 7 to which no powdered tea leaves were added was not turbid, and Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Example 8 were turbid tea beverages. About these tea drinks, the rough feeling was evaluated by making Comparative Example 7 without turbidity a control. In beverages containing powdered tea leaves having a turbidity of 0.2 to 2.0, the rough feeling derived from the powdered tea leaves can be reduced by containing 6 ppb linalool, and the beverage has a refreshing throat. Met. In particular, the tea beverage having a turbidity of 0.40 to 0.80 has a reduced feeling of roughness and is at the same level as the control. On the other hand, when the turbidity was 2.5, the effect of reducing the feeling of roughness with linalool was not sufficient, and the drink was poor in throat.

[Examples 5 to 12, Comparative Examples 9 to 18]
Furthermore, linalool was added to obtain a green tea beverage with a linalool concentration of 20 ppb, 30 ppb and 35 ppb. Visually, Comparative Examples 9, 11 and 13 to which no powdered tea leaves were added were not turbid, and the beverages to which powdered tea leaves were added were turbid tea beverages. About these tea drinks, the rough feeling was evaluated by using Table 9 for Comparative Example 9, Table 4 for Comparative Example 11, and Table 5 for Comparative Example 13 as controls. The results are shown in Tables 3-5.

  In beverages containing powdered tea leaves having a turbidity of 0.2 to 2.0, it was possible to reduce the rough feeling derived from powdered tea leaves by containing linalool at a concentration of 20 ppb or 30 ppb. The tea beverage having a turbidity of 0.40 to 0.80 had a reduced feeling of roughness and was at the same level as the controls (Comparative Examples 9 and 11). On the other hand, when the turbidity was 2.5, although there was an effect of reducing the feeling of roughness with linalool, the feeling of roughness due to the addition of powdered tea leaves was further increased, and the beverage was difficult to drink. The beverage containing 35 ppb of linalool did not show the effect of reducing the rough feeling regardless of the turbidity.

[Example 13]
A packaged green tea beverage was produced by the following method. Green tea leaf extract and crushed tea leaf suspension were used as raw materials for green tea beverages. The green tea leaf extract was prepared by extracting 8 g of linalool-containing tea leaves with hot water at 70 ° C. for 5 minutes, and then performing solid-liquid separation using a centrifuge. The ground tea leaf-containing liquid was prepared in the same manner as that used in Example 1. The green tea leaf extract and the crushed tea leaf-containing liquid were mixed at an arbitrary ratio to produce a green tea beverage having a turbidity of 0.49 and linalool of 8.5 ppb.

  About the obtained tea drink, while analyzing catechins and amino acids, the flavor was evaluated. The total amount of catechins was 440 ppm. Of these, the free catechin (a1) was 270 ppm, the gallate catechin (a2) was 170 ppm, and the ratio [(a2) / (a1) + (a2)] was 0.39. Table 6 shows the amino acid analysis results. The values in the table are ppm.

  This tea beverage was a green tea beverage capable of producing a suitable texture and a throat feel despite containing high levels of ground tea leaves. Since the crushed tea leaves are contained at a high concentration, the richness and deep taste of the crushed tea leaves can be fully enjoyed, and all three panelists evaluated the taste as never before. From the above, a tea beverage having a catechin concentration of 200 to 700 ppm and a weight ratio of (D1) to (D2) ((D2) / (D1)) of 2.0 to 6.0 is suitable for the present invention. It was suggested that this is one of the embodiments.

[Example 14, Comparative Examples 19-20]
Here, another crushed tea leaf-containing liquid was newly prepared.
The matcha tea produced by grinding a green tea with a stone mill is suspended in about 20 times the amount of water, this suspension is treated with a high-pressure homogenizer at a pressure of 10 MPa, and then centrifuged (6000 rpm, 10 minutes) to obtain a coarse particle. The ground tea was removed to obtain a ground tea leaf suspension having an average particle size of 20 μm or less. Further, 20 parts by weight of crushed green tea (including particles of 20 μm or more) was added thereto to prepare a ground tea leaf-containing liquid having an average particle size of 80 μm (ground tea leaf-containing liquid D).

In addition, a green tea leaf extract was newly prepared as a base for tea beverages.
A sencha leaf different from the above was used, and 30 parts by weight of water relative to the dry weight of the sencha leaf was used as an extraction solvent. After extraction with 60 ° C water for 5 minutes, the tea leaves are separated, and further centrifuged (6000 rpm, 10 minutes) to remove solid components such as coarse ground tea tissue and tea particles. Obtained (green tea leaf extract C).

  Three kinds of tea beverages having different turbidities were prepared by adding the crushed tea leaf-containing liquid D at various ratios to the green tea extract C (mixing ratios are shown in Table 7). Commercially available linalool (manufactured by Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd .; model number 126-00993) was added and 500 mL each was filled into a PET bottle to obtain a packaged green tea beverage having a linalool concentration of 20.0 ppb. According to visual observation, Comparative Example 19 with no added powdered tea leaves was not turbid, and Example 14 and Comparative Example 20 were turbid tea beverages. These tea drinks were drunk, and the rough feeling was evaluated using Comparative Example 19 without turbidity as a control.

  Also in this example, in a beverage containing powdered tea leaves having a turbidity of 0.4, the feeling of roughness derived from powdered tea leaves is reduced by containing linalool at a concentration of 20 ppb, which is equivalent to the control (Comparative Example 19). Met.

[Example 15, Comparative Examples 21 to 22]
Three types of tea beverages having different turbidities were prepared by adding the crushed tea leaf-containing liquid D to the green tea extract A at various ratios (the blending ratio is shown in Table 8). Commercially available linalool (manufactured by Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd .; model number 126-00993) was added and 500 mL each was filled into a PET bottle to obtain a packaged green tea beverage having a linalool concentration of 20.0 ppb. According to visual observation, Comparative Example 21 to which no powdered tea leaves were added had no turbidity, and Example 15 and Comparative Example 22 were turbid tea beverages. These tea drinks were drunk, and the rough feeling was evaluated using Comparative Example 21 without turbidity as a control.

  Also in this example, in the beverage containing powdered tea leaves having a turbidity of 0.4, the feeling of roughness derived from powdered tea leaves is reduced by containing linalool at a concentration of 20 ppb, which is the same level as the control (Comparative Example 21). Met.

Claims (1)

The following components (A) and (B):
(A) Catechin 200-700 ppm
(B) Linalool 6.0-30ppb
And (C) turbidity of 0.2 to 2.0
And a packaged green tea beverage containing ground tea leaves having an average particle size of 20 to 80 μm .