WO2025234421A1 - Freeze-dried powdered green tea beverage and method for producing same - Google Patents

Abstract

The objective of the present invention is to provide a freeze-dried powdered green tea beverage having excellent dispersibility in water, and a method for producing the same. This freeze-dried powdered green tea beverage comprising a freeze-dried product of a liquid composition containing, in water, (A) powdered green tea, (B) water-soluble dietary fiber, and (C) (C1) an amylolytic enzyme-treated product of cereal grains and/or (C2) animal milk has excellent dispersibility in water.

Description

Freeze-dried matcha drink and its manufacturing method

The present invention relates to a freeze-dried matcha beverage and a method for producing the same. Specifically, the present invention relates to a freeze-dried matcha beverage with excellent water dispersibility and a method for producing the same.

Freeze-dried beverages are not only lightweight and can be stored for a long time, but also prevent loss of flavor, aroma, and nutritional value, making them suitable for popular beverages such as coffee, black tea, and green tea.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a freeze-dried solidified beverage for mixing with water or hot water to prepare a beverage, the solidified beverage containing dextrin and having a sugar content of 8.5% by mass or less, the solidified beverage being portable and allowing for easy preparation of a sugar-free beverage by mixing with water or hot water, and specifically discloses that the solidified beverage is prepared using green tea extract, black tea extract, oolong tea extract, barley tea extract, or coffee extract.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-161382

Extract beverages such as green tea extract, black tea extract, oolong tea extract, barley tea extract, and coffee extract are made by pre-extracting the water-soluble components, so the freeze-dried solids inherently have good re-solubility or re-dispersibility in water.

On the other hand, matcha is a beverage made by drinking tea leaves that have been crushed into fine particles, and as these particles, matcha tends to form lumps in water. For this reason, in order to disperse matcha in water, it is generally necessary to use a specialized tea whisk that can apply sufficient shear force to the liquid, rather than simply stirring the liquid to create a flow around a vertical axis. However, the health benefits of matcha have recently been attracting attention both domestically and internationally, and it is desirable for consumers to be able to choose an easier drinking form. Therefore, there is a demand for matcha beverages that disperse well in water, even without the use of specialized equipment such as a tea whisk.

The present invention therefore aims to provide a matcha beverage that has excellent dispersibility in water.

After extensive research, the inventors discovered that a freeze-dried matcha beverage obtained by freeze-drying a liquid composition containing matcha, water-soluble dietary fiber, cereals treated with amylolytic enzymes, and/or animal milk in water has excellent dispersibility in water. Based on this finding, the present invention was completed through further research.

That is, the present invention provides the following aspects.
Item 1. (A) Matcha,
(B) water-soluble dietary fiber;
(C) (C1) a starch-degrading enzyme-treated product of cereals, and/or (C2) animal milk;
A freeze-dried matcha beverage comprising a freeze-dried product of a liquid composition containing the above in water.
Item 2. The freeze-dried matcha beverage according to Item 1, which is in the form of a block.
Item 3. The freeze-dried matcha beverage according to Item 1 or 2, wherein the component (C) is the component (C1).
Item 4. The freeze-dried matcha beverage according to any one of Items 1 to 3, wherein the component (C1) is selected from the group consisting of cereal milk and cereal syrup.
Item 5. The freeze-dried matcha beverage according to any one of Items 1 to 4, wherein the cereal is oats.
Item 6. The freeze-dried matcha beverage according to any one of Items 1 to 5, wherein the component (B) is agave inulin.
Item 7. The freeze-dried matcha beverage according to any one of Items 1 to 6, wherein the (B) component is contained in an amount of 25 to 150 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the (A) component.
Item 8. The freeze-dried matcha beverage according to any one of Items 1 to 7, wherein the component (C) is contained in an amount of 50 to 150 parts by weight, calculated as solid content, per 100 parts by weight of the component (A).
Item 9. The freeze-dried matcha beverage according to any one of Items 2 to 8, containing 0.7 to 2.5 g of component (A) per piece.
Item 10. (A) Matcha,
(B) water-soluble dietary fiber;
(C) (C1) a starch-degrading enzyme-treated product of cereals, and/or (C2) animal milk;
A method for producing a freeze-dried matcha beverage, comprising a freeze-drying step of freeze-drying a liquid composition containing the above in water.
Item 11. The method according to Item 10, wherein the solid content of the liquid composition is 10 to 40 wt %.
Item 12. The production method according to Item 10 or 11, wherein the liquid composition is filled into a mold in the freeze-drying step.

The present invention provides a matcha beverage that has excellent dispersibility in water.

1 is a photograph showing the appearance of the freeze-dried matcha beverage of Example 1 dispersed in water. 1 is a photograph showing the appearance of the freeze-dried matcha beverage of Comparative Example 3 dispersed in water.

1. Freeze-Dried Matcha Beverage The freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention is characterized by being a freeze-dried product of a liquid composition comprising, in water, (A) matcha (hereinafter also referred to as "component (A)"), (B) water-soluble dietary fiber (hereinafter also referred to as "component (B)"), and (C) (C1) a starch-degrading enzyme-treated product of cereals (hereinafter also referred to as "component (C1)"), and/or (C2) animal milk (hereinafter also referred to as "component (C2)") (components (C1) and (C2) are collectively also referred to as "components (C)").

The freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention has excellent dispersibility in water. In the present invention, the temperature of the water to be dispersed is not limited, and includes both unheated water and hot water. In a preferred embodiment, the freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention, when in a block form (freeze-dried block), has excellent hardness (resistance to breaking). In a preferred embodiment, the freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention, when in a block form (freeze-dried block), has excellent filling suitability as a slurry (liquid before freeze-drying). In a preferred embodiment, the freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention has an excellent bitterness balance, in that it reduces the strong bitterness of matcha while maintaining a moderate bitterness that does not impair the original flavor of matcha (for example, no excessive sweetness is added). The freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention is described in detail below.

(A) Matcha The matcha used in the present invention is produced by processing tencha (tea leaves grown under ohishita cultivation and dried without rolling in a tencha furnace or the like) into a fine powder using a tea mill or the like. The tea leaves are the leaves of the tea plant (scientific name: Thea sinensis), a plant of the Theaceae family. The matcha used in the present invention is not a tea extract.

The particle size of the matcha powder is not particularly limited, but examples include 8 to 40 μm, preferably 10 to 30 μm, and more preferably 12 to 25 μm. In the present invention, the average particle size is the cumulative 50% diameter (D50) on a volume basis measured using a laser diffraction/scattering particle size distribution analyzer.

The content of component (A) contained in the freeze-dried matcha beverage (freeze-dried product) of the present invention is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 30 to 50% by weight, preferably 33 to 45% by weight, more preferably 35 to 42% by weight, and even more preferably 37 to 40% by weight.

When the freeze-dried matcha beverage (freeze-dried product) of the present invention is in the form of a block, there are no particular restrictions on the amount of component (A) contained in each freeze-dried block. However, because the freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention has excellent dispersibility in water, even large freeze-dried blocks can effectively achieve excellent dispersibility. From this perspective, the amount of component (A) contained in each freeze-dried block can be, for example, 0.7 to 2.5 g, preferably 1 to 2 g, more preferably 1.1 to 1.8 g, and even more preferably 1.2 to 1.6 g.

(B) Water-soluble dietary fiber : The water-soluble dietary fiber is not particularly limited as long as it is water-soluble and edible, and examples thereof include inulin (agave inulin, chicory inulin, etc.), guar gum, acacia gum, glucomannan, galactomannan, pectin, locust bean gum, tara gum, fructooligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, cellooligosaccharides, isomaltose, stachyose, raffinose, nigerose, indigestible dextrin, polydextrose, and hydrolysates thereof. These water-soluble dietary fibers may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Among these water-soluble dietary fibers, inulin (agave inulin, chicory inulin, etc.), guar gum hydrolysate, indigestible dextrin, and polydextrose are preferred from the viewpoint of achieving at least one of better water dispersibility, better bitterness balance, and excellent slurry filling suitability and hardness when the freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention is in a lumpy form. Furthermore, among these water-soluble dietary fibers, inulin (agave inulin, chicory inulin, etc.), guar gum hydrolysate, and polydextrose are more preferred from the viewpoint of achieving even better water dispersibility, with agave inulin, guar gum hydrolysate, and polydextrose being even more preferred, with agave inulin and polydextrose being even more preferred, and agave inulin being even more preferred. Among these water-soluble dietary fibers, inulin (agave inulin, chicory inulin, etc.) is preferred from the viewpoint of achieving an even better bitterness balance. Among these water-soluble dietary fibers, inulin (agave inulin, chicory inulin, etc.), indigestible dextrin, and polydextrose are more preferred, from the viewpoint of achieving better slurry filling suitability when the freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention is in a lump form. Among these water-soluble dietary fibers, inulin (agave inulin, chicory inulin, etc.), guar gum hydrolysate, and polydextrose are more preferred, from the viewpoint of achieving better hardness when the freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention is in a lump form, and chicory inulin and polydextrose are even more preferred.

The content of component (B) contained in the freeze-dried matcha beverage (freeze-dried product) of the present invention is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 10 to 45% by weight, preferably 15 to 35% by weight, and more preferably 20 to 30% by weight. Furthermore, the range of the content of component (B) can also be set to any two of the following values: 21% by weight, 22% by weight, 23% by weight, 24% by weight, 25% by weight, 26% by weight, 27% by weight, 28% by weight, and 29% by weight.

In the freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention, the content ratio of component (A) to component (B) is not particularly limited, but examples include a content of component (B) per 100 parts by weight of component (A) of 25 to 150 parts by weight, preferably 35 to 120 parts by weight, more preferably 45 to 100 parts by weight, even more preferably 50 to 90 parts by weight, even more preferably 55 to 80 parts by weight, even more preferably 60 to 75 parts by weight, and particularly preferably 65 to 70 parts by weight.

Specific Components (C) The component (C) used in the production of the freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention includes at least one of (C1) a starch-degrading enzyme-treated cereal, and (C2) animal milk. Among the components (C), component (C1) is preferred from the viewpoints of achieving an excellent bitterness balance and achieving excellent hardness when the freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention is in a block form.

The starch-degrading enzyme-treated cereals that are component (C1) are not particularly limited, as long as they are obtained by treating cereals with a starch-degrading enzyme.

Cereals are not particularly limited, but examples include oats, barley, wheat, rye, rice, buckwheat, barnyard millet, foxtail millet, teff, quinoa, corn, etc. These cereals may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Of these cereals, oats are preferred from the viewpoint of achieving at least one of better water dispersibility, an excellent bitterness balance, and excellent slurry filling suitability and hardness when the freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention is in a lumpy form.

This is a product of starch-degrading enzyme treatment of the above component (C1). There are no particular limitations on the starch-degrading enzyme. Specific examples of starch-degrading enzymes include liquefying enzymes such as α-amylase, and saccharifying enzymes such as β-amylase and glucoamylase. The starch-degrading enzyme treatment product may be obtained by using one of these starch-degrading enzymes alone, or by using two or more of them in combination. Furthermore, the starch-degrading enzyme treatment product may be treated with cellulase and/or pectinase in addition to the starch-degrading enzyme.

Although there are no particular limitations on the starch-degrading enzyme-treated cereals, examples include those obtained by reacting a starch-degrading enzyme with a liquid composition containing ground cereals.

The specific form of the liquid composition containing pulverized cereals is not particularly limited, as long as it is a liquid in which pulverized cereals are dissolved and/or dispersed in water. More specific examples of such liquid compositions include liquids obtained by dispersing dry cereal powder in water, and liquids obtained by crushing and dispersing cereals in water.

The degree of starch degradation in the starch-degrading enzyme-treated product of cereals is arbitrary. In other words, the degree of starch degradation may be such that a liquid composition containing ground cereals can be solubilized in water, or such that it can be used as a sweetener. Among starch-degrading enzyme-treated products of cereals, an example of a product that has been treated with a starch-degrading enzyme to such an extent that a liquid composition containing ground cereals can be solubilized in water is cereal milk. Among starch-degrading enzyme-treated products of cereals, an example of a product that has been treated with a starch-degrading enzyme to such an extent that it can be used as a sweetener is cereal syrup. Either cereal milk or cereal syrup may be used as component (C1), or a combination of both may be used.

When component (C1) is cereal milk, the particle size of the processed cereal pulverized material is not particularly limited, but from the perspective of achieving at least one of better water dispersibility, excellent bitterness balance, and excellent slurry filling suitability and hardness when the freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention is in a lumpy form, a volume-based cumulative 95% diameter (D95) of 50 to 200 μm as measured using a laser diffraction/scattering particle size distribution analyzer is preferred.

Component (C1) may be derived from the whole grain (i.e., containing not only endosperm but also the bran and germ components), or from a portion of the grain that does not contain the bran (i.e., containing bran components and germ and endosperm components), or from a portion of the grain that does not contain the bran and germ (i.e., containing endosperm components but not bran and germ components). From the perspective of achieving better water dispersibility, component (C1) is preferably derived from at least a portion of the grain that does not contain the bran (i.e., containing bran components and germ and endosperm components, or containing endosperm components but not bran and germ components).

When component (C1) is cereal milk, from the viewpoint of achieving at least one of better water dispersibility, better bitterness balance, and excellent slurry filling suitability and excellent hardness when the freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention is in a lumpy form, and preferably from the viewpoint of achieving at least better water dispersibility and excellent slurry filling suitability, the total amount of monosaccharides and disaccharides can be, for example, 1% by weight or more but less than 24% by weight, preferably 5 to 20% by weight, more preferably 10 to 20% by weight, even more preferably 15 to 20% by weight, and even more preferably 18 to 20% by weight, based on 100% by weight of the dry matter of the amylolytic enzyme-treated product. Furthermore, the maltose content of 1 to 15% by weight, preferably 5 to 13% by weight, and more preferably 8 to 12% by weight, can be used.

When component (C1) is cereal syrup, from the viewpoint of achieving at least one of better water dispersibility, better bitterness balance, and, when the freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention is in a lumpy form, better slurry filling suitability and better hardness, preferably from the viewpoint of achieving at least better water dispersibility and better slurry filling suitability, it is preferable that the amylolytic enzyme-treated product be one obtained using at least β-amylase as the amylolytic enzyme. The amount of maltose contained in the amylolytic enzyme-treated product is not particularly limited, but the amount of maltose in 100% by weight of the dry matter of the amylolytic enzyme-treated product may be, for example, 24 to 55% by weight, preferably 27 to 52% by weight, more preferably 30 to 49% by weight, even more preferably 33 to 47% by weight, and even more preferably 35 to 45% by weight.

The animal milk used as component (C2) is not particularly limited, but examples include cow's milk, goat's milk, and sheep's milk. These animal milks may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Of these animal milks, cow's milk is preferred from the viewpoint of achieving at least one of better water dispersibility, an excellent bitterness balance, and excellent slurry filling suitability and hardness when the freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention is in a lumpy form.

The solids content of the animal milk used to produce the freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 4 to 24% by weight, preferably 9 to 20% by weight, and more preferably 12 to 17% by weight.

The content (solids equivalent) of component (C) contained in the freeze-dried matcha beverage (lyophilized product) of the present invention is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 15 to 55% by weight. From the viewpoint of achieving better water dispersibility and an excellent bitterness balance, the content (solids equivalent) of component (C) is preferably 20 to 50% by weight, more preferably 25 to 45% by weight, even more preferably 27 to 40% by weight, 30 to 40% by weight, even more preferably 34 to 36% by weight, and even more preferably 34.5 to 35.5% by weight. From the viewpoint of achieving excellent slurry filling suitability when the freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention is in a block form, the content (solids equivalent) of component (C) is preferably 20 to 50% by weight, more preferably 25 to 45% by weight. To ensure that the freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention has at least one excellent hardness when in a block form, the content of component (C) (in terms of solids content) is preferably 20 to 55% by weight, more preferably 25 to 55% by weight, even more preferably 27 to 55% by weight, 30 to 55% by weight, and even more preferably 34 to 55% by weight.

In the freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention, the content ratio of component (A) to component (C) is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 50 to 150 parts by weight (solids equivalent) of component (C) per 100 parts by weight of component (A). From the viewpoint of achieving better water dispersibility and an excellent bitterness balance, the content of component (C) per 100 parts by weight of component (A) (solids equivalent) is preferably 55 to 140 parts by weight, more preferably 63 to 130 parts by weight, even more preferably 73 to 110 parts by weight, even more preferably 85 to 95 parts by weight, and even more preferably 87 to 93 parts by weight. From the viewpoint of achieving excellent slurry filling suitability when the freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention is in a block form, the content of component (C) per 100 parts by weight of component (A) (solids equivalent) is preferably 55 to 140 parts by weight, more preferably 63 to 130 parts by weight. To ensure that the freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention has at least one excellent hardness when in a block form, the content of component (C) (solid content equivalent) per 100 parts by weight of component (A) is preferably 55 to 150 parts by weight, more preferably 63 to 150 parts by weight, even more preferably 73 to 150 parts by weight, and even more preferably 85 to 150 parts by weight.

The freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention may or may not contain other ingredients in addition to the above-mentioned components (A), (B), and (C), as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired. Examples of other ingredients that may or may not be contained include functional ingredients and/or additives.

Functional ingredients include, for example, vitamins or vitamin-like substances (vitamin A, beta-carotene, B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, CoQ10, etc.); polyphenols (isoflavones, equol, hesperidin, chlorogenic acid, etc.); and probiotics (lactic acid bacteria, bifidobacteria, butyric acid bacteria, etc.). When using these functional ingredients, one type may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination.

Additives include sweeteners (monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and their sugar alcohols, as well as other sweeteners; more specific examples include sucralose, stevia, aspartame, honey, glucose, fructose, high-fructose corn syrup, sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, reduced starch syrup, sucrose, xylitol, erythritol, reduced palatinose, licorice, and monk fruit); excipients (lactose, crystalline cellulose, etc.); lubricants (magnesium stearate, calcium stearate, sucrose esters, etc.); coating agents (shellac, carnauba wax, etc.); emulsifiers (lecithin, glycerin fatty acid esters, etc.); gelling agents (other than component (B) above); leavening agents (sodium bicarbonate, calcined alum, etc.); preservatives (sorbic acid, etc.); antioxidants (sodium erythorbate, etc.); pH adjusters (citric acid, lactic acid, malic acid, sodium lactate, etc.); When using these additives, one type may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination.

When using one or more sweeteners from these additives, the amount of sweetener(s) contained is not particularly limited, but from the perspective of achieving an excellent bitterness balance, the amount blended per 100 parts by weight of component (A) is preferably more than 0 parts by weight and less than 50 parts by weight, preferably more than 0 parts by weight and less than 40 parts by weight, more preferably more than 0 parts by weight and less than 30 parts by weight, even more preferably more than 0 parts by weight and less than 20 parts by weight, and even more preferably more than 0 parts by weight and less than 15 parts by weight, 5 to 15 parts by weight, 8 to 15 parts by weight, or 10 to 15 parts by weight.

The freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention may have any form that a freeze-dried product can have. Specific forms of the freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention include powder and block forms, with block forms being preferred. The shape of the block is not particularly limited, and may be a rectangular parallelepiped, cubic, spherical, cylindrical, or the like.

The freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention has excellent dispersibility in water, so even large freeze-dried chunks can effectively achieve excellent dispersibility. From this perspective, the weight of a single freeze-dried chunk can be, for example, 1 to 6 g, preferably 2 to 5 g, and more preferably 3 to 4.5 g or 3 to 4 g.

When the freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention is in a block form, its density is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 0.25 to 0.55 g/cm ³ , preferably 0.3 to 0.5 g/cm ³ , more preferably 0.32 to 0.45 g/cm ³ , and even more preferably 0.34 to 0.4 g/cm ³ .

Drinking Method: The freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention is consumed by mixing with water and dispersing in the water. The temperature of the water is not particularly limited, and may be cold water, room temperature water, lukewarm water, or hot water. Preferably, the temperature of the water is 80 to 100°C, preferably 85 to 95°C.

There are no particular restrictions on the amount of water, but examples of the amount of water per 1 part by weight of component (A) include 80 to 130 parts by weight, preferably 90 to 120 parts by weight, and more preferably 100 to 110 parts by weight.

Because the freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention has excellent dispersibility in water, it is not necessary to use a tea whisk when mixing it with water. Specifically, it is sufficient to simply stir the mixture to create a liquid flow around a vertical axis. A spoon, muddler, etc. can be used for this stirring.

2. Method for Producing Freeze-Dried Matcha Beverage The method for producing a freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention includes a freeze-drying step of freeze-drying a liquid composition containing (A) matcha, (B) water-soluble dietary fiber, and (C) (C1) a starch-degrading enzyme-treated product of cereals, and/or (C2) animal milk in water.

The method for producing a freeze-dried matcha beverage of the present invention can produce the freeze-dried matcha beverage described above in "1. Freeze-dried matcha beverage."

A liquid composition containing components (A), (B), and (C) in water may or may not further contain other ingredients. Details and content ratios of components (A), (B), and (C), as well as details of other ingredients that may or may not be present, are as described above in "1. Freeze-dried Matcha Beverage."

The solids concentration of the liquid composition is not particularly limited, but examples include 10 to 40% by weight, preferably 20 to 40% by weight, more preferably 25 to 40% by weight, and even more preferably 30 to 40% by weight, or 32 to 36% by weight.

The conditions for the freeze-drying process of the liquid composition are not particularly limited, and those skilled in the art can appropriately determine conditions that enable vacuum freeze-drying. Preferably, the liquid composition is frozen at, for example, -40 to -20°C, preferably -30 to -20°C, and more preferably -25 to -20°C, and then evacuated to a vacuum, after which it can be dried by heating at 40 to 60°C, preferably 45 to 55°C.

When producing a block freeze-dried matcha beverage, the liquid composition is subjected to the freeze-drying process while filled into a mold. In the freeze-drying process, after freezing the liquid composition filled into the mold, the frozen product may be removed from the mold and dried, or the frozen product may be dried while still in the mold.

The present invention will be explained in detail below using examples, but the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the following examples.

[material]
Details of each component used in the test examples are shown below.

[Preparation of freeze-dried composition]
Matcha slurries were prepared by uniformly mixing the ingredients shown in each table. 11 g of the matcha slurry was filled into a plastic mold (30 mm x 30 mm x 13 mm), frozen at -22°C for 18 hours, and then freeze-dried (conditions: 50°C) to obtain a freeze-dried composition in the form of a block (freeze-dried block, density: 0.34 to 0.39 g/cm ³ ).

[evaluation]
[1] Dispersibility of freeze-dried mass
[1-1] Visual evaluation of dispersibility One freeze-dried block was placed in 150 cc of hot water (90°C) and stirred at 425 rpm for 2 minutes using a 25 mm stirrer bar. The state one minute after the end of stirring was visually evaluated based on the following classification.
⊚: The freeze-dried composition is entirely dispersed, with no lumps observed. The settling of matcha is extremely slow.
○: The freeze-dried composition is entirely dispersed, and no lumps are observed. The settling of matcha is slow.
Δ: Most of the freeze-dried composition is dispersed, but some lumps remain that are not completely dispersed.
x: Only a portion of the freeze-dried composition is dispersed, and lumps larger than lumps (maximum width 5 mm or more) remain.
xx: Most of the freeze-dried composition is not dispersed and remains in the form of many lumps.

The appearance of the representative example marked "○" (Example 1) is shown in Figure 1, and the appearance of the representative example marked "XX" (Comparative Example 3) is shown in Figure 2.

[1-2] Evaluation of dispersibility by apparatus The evaluation of dispersibility by apparatus was carried out for the samples that were evaluated as "good" in the above [1-1] visual evaluation of dispersibility.

One freeze-dried block was placed in 150cc of hot water (90°C) and stirred at 425 rpm for 2 minutes using a 25mm stir bar. Immediately afterwards, approximately 20ml was placed in a TURBISCAN (Sanyo Trading Co., Ltd.) sample bottle, and backscattered light was measured in the range of 4 to 38mm from the bottom of the sample bottle. The average backscattered light intensity (BS (%)) relative to water was calculated. The higher the average value, the higher the dispersibility can be evaluated.

[2] Slurry filling suitability The state of the matcha slurry when it was filled into a plastic mold was evaluated based on the following classification.
◎: Good fluidity and easy filling ○: Viscous but filling is possible ×: Too viscous and difficult to fill

[3] Hardness and Breakability of Freeze-Dried Mass The hardness of the freeze-dried mass was measured using a texture analyzer (Stable Micro Systems). Specifically, a wedge-shaped probe was used to measure the force (g) required to break the freeze-dried mass under the following measurement conditions. The measured value (g) was calculated as the average of three measured values: the force required to break the freeze-dried mass in half in a planar view, the force required to break one half again in a planar view, and the force required to break the other half again in a planar view.

Test mode: Compression test Test speed: (Before measurement) 1.00mm/sec, (During measurement) 2.00mm/sec, (Return) 10.00mm/sec
Target Mode: Strain 35.0%
Trigger type: Auto (Force)
Trigger load: 5.0g

Furthermore, the measured values (g) were classified based on the following criteria to clearly indicate the resistance to breakage of the freeze-dried mass. If the classification value is "0" or higher, excellent resistance to breakage during transportation can be expected, and the larger the classification value, the higher the resistance to breakage during transportation can be evaluated.
Less than 500g: -3 Very brittle 500g or more but less than 1000g: -2 Brittle 1000g or more but less than 1500g: -1 Slightly brittle 1500g or more but less than 2000g: 0 Neither 2000g or more but less than 2500g: 1 Slightly hard 2500g or more but less than 3000g: 2 Hard 3000g or more: 3 Very hard

[4] Beverage bitterness: One freeze-dried block was added to 150 cc of hot water (90°C) and stirred for 2 minutes at 425 rpm using a 25 mm stir bar to prepare a beverage. The taste of the resulting beverage was evaluated by expert panelists using a 7-point visual analog scale (VAS), with the bitterness intensity of Comparative Example 1 being rated as "3" and the bitterness intensity of Example 3 being rated as "-3." The closer the score to 0, the better the balance of the matcha-like bitterness, neither too strong nor too weak.

As shown in Table 2, a freeze-dried mass consisting of only component (A) had extremely poor dispersibility (Comparative Example 1), and even when component (B) was added to component (A), the dispersibility remained poor (Comparative Example 2). Even when component (C1) was added to component (A), the dispersibility remained poor (Comparative Examples 3 and 4). In contrast, when component (C1) was added to component (A) together with component (B), the dispersibility was significantly improved (Example 1).

As shown in Table 3, excellent dispersibility was obtained when cereal milk, a variation of the cereal syrup used as component (C1) (Example 1), or animal milk, component (C2), was added to components (A) and (B) (Examples 2 and 3). Furthermore, when soy milk or almond milk, which are both plant-based milks and are common to the cereal milk of component (C1), were added to components (A) and (B), no improvement in dispersibility was observed, and in fact, dispersibility worsened (Comparative Examples 5 to 8). Furthermore, particularly excellent dispersibility was obtained when cereal syrup, a component of component (C1), or component (C2) was added to components (A) and (B) (Examples 1 and 3), but the addition of cereal syrup as component (C1) provided a better balance of hardness and matcha-like flavor (Example 1).

As shown in Table 4, excellent dispersibility was similarly obtained even when the component (B), which is added together with the components (A) and (C1), was changed to a variety of variations (Examples 1, 4-7). Among these, when agave inulin was used as the component (B), particularly excellent dispersibility was obtained, and an excellent balance of filling suitability, hardness/resistance to breaking, and bitterness was also obtained (Example 1).

As shown in Table 5, when the ratio of component (C1) added to components (A) and (B) was changed (Examples 1, 8-11), all of the results showed excellent dispersibility, with Example 9 showing the best dispersibility. In addition, Example 9 also had a particularly good balance of bitterness, and was also good in hardness and resistance to breaking.

As shown in Table 6, when oat milk powder containing no bran was used as the (C1) component (Example 2), dispersibility and slurry filling suitability were improved when oat milk powder containing no bran was used as the (C1) component (Examples 13 and 14). Examples 13 and 14 also had an excellent balance of the bitterness characteristic of matcha. When the oat milk powder used as the (C1) component in Example 13 was replaced with oat syrup powder (Example 12), dispersibility remained at the same level as in Example 1. Furthermore, when the (C1) component was replaced with starch or a combination of starch and sucrose (Comparative Examples 9 and 10), dispersibility deteriorated. While the (C1) component may contain starch and/or sugar derived from cereals, the results of Comparative Examples 9 and 10 indicate that the various excellent effects of using the (C1) component are due to the contribution of components specific to cereals other than starch and sugar.

Claims (12)

(A) Matcha and
(B) water-soluble dietary fiber;
(C) (C1) a starch-degrading enzyme-treated product of cereals and/or (C2) animal milk;
A freeze-dried matcha beverage comprising a freeze-dried product of a liquid composition containing the above in water. The freeze-dried matcha beverage according to claim 1, which is in a block form. The freeze-dried matcha beverage according to claim 1, wherein the component (C) is the component (C1). The freeze-dried matcha beverage according to claim 1, wherein the component (C1) is selected from the group consisting of cereal milk and cereal syrup. The freeze-dried matcha beverage according to claim 1, wherein the cereal is oats. The freeze-dried matcha beverage according to claim 1, wherein component (B) is agave inulin. The freeze-dried matcha beverage according to claim 1, wherein the (B) component is contained in an amount of 25 to 150 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the (A) component. The freeze-dried matcha beverage according to claim 1, wherein the (C) component is contained in an amount of 50 to 150 parts by weight, calculated as solid content, per 100 parts by weight of the (A) component. The freeze-dried matcha beverage according to claim 2, containing 0.7 to 2.5 g of component (A) per piece. (A) Matcha and
(B) water-soluble dietary fiber;
(C) (C1) a starch-degrading enzyme-treated product of cereals, and/or (C2) animal milk;
A method for producing a freeze-dried matcha beverage, comprising a freeze-drying step of freeze-drying a liquid composition containing the above in water. The manufacturing method described in claim 10, wherein the solids concentration of the liquid composition is 10 to 40% by weight. The manufacturing method described in claim 10, wherein the liquid composition is filled into a mold during the freeze-drying step.