Metabolite and Sensory Differences of Soy-Sauce-Like Seasoning Produced from Different Raw Materials

Introduction

Soy sauce is an important traditional Japanese condiment, which primarily functions to provide umami taste. It is commonly produced from soybeans, wheats, and salt water. In recent years, diversification of soy-sauce-like seasonings has been done through the production using other raw materials, such as rice and peas, has recently been developed. In this study, a combination of GC-MS based component profiling and paired comparison test were used to evaluate the effect of raw materials on the component profile and umami taste in five grain-based and four bean-based soy-sauce-like seasonings. PCA results showed that grain-based samples and bean-based samples were separated along the PC1 axis (accounting for 48.1 % of the total variance). Consistent with previous reports, grain-based samples were distinguished by saccharides, such as glucose and trehalose, while bean- based samples were characterized by amino acids, such as glutamic acid. Sensory evaluation by means of paired comparison test showed that bean-based samples had a stronger umami taste than grain-based samples. Accordingly, it is possible that the carbohydrate and protein content in raw materials determine the component profiles of soy-sauce-like seasoning and have an effect on the umami intensity. This is the first detailed metabolomics study of the characteristic compounds and umami of a variety of soy-sauce-like seasonings made from different raw materials.

February 28, 2021 GMT