Soy sauce fermentation process and methods to improve the flavor of soy sauce

Abstract: Soy sauce is one of the common condiments.
It is loved because of its good flavor.
The fermentation process of soy sauce affects the flavor of soy sauce.
In order to make the flavor of soy sauce better, attention should be paid to the improvement of the fermentation process of soy sauce
.
This article mainly discusses the fermentation process of soy sauce and the methods to improve the flavor of soy sauce, expounds the common technology of soy sauce fermentation and proposes the methods to improve the flavor of soy sauce, in order to provide a certain reference for the production of soy sauce in China
.

Keywords: soy sauce fermentation; process improvement; flavor; approach
Soy sauce is a common condiment.
It is the product of soybean or defatted soybean, wheat or bran through microbial fermentation.
It is not only ruddy in color, but also delicious
.
Adding a small amount of soy sauce during the cooking process can not only improve the color of the dishes, but also enhance the freshness of the food
.
At present, there are many soy sauce fermentation process methods, and different fermentation processes have different characteristics, and the flavor of soy sauce is also different.
It is important to pay attention to the research of soy sauce fermentation process and propose methods to improve the flavor of soy sauce
.

1 Analysis of
soy sauce flavor characteristics Soy sauce flavor includes many aspects, including the smell and color of soy sauce
.
In general, flavor is the sense of smell and visual experience that people produce when food is ingested in the mouth, and these sense of experience will form a certain impression in the mind of the eater.
The main influence of flavor is taste and smell.
[1], followed by shape and color
.
At present, soy sauce flavor substances have the characteristics of unstable concentration, diverse constituents and dynamic imbalance among flavor substances
.
In some cases, the vapor pressure will affect the flavor of soy sauce, and the vapor pressure is affected by the content of fats.
Organic solvents will also affect the flavor and mouthfeel of soy sauce, which is mainly affected by changing the emulsifying properties of the protein
.
During the process of heating, fermentation, storage and transportation of soy sauce, its flavor substances will change occasionally.
This is because some chemical reactions, such as the reaction of sugar and amino acids, the reaction of lactic acid and alcohol, etc.
, make the flavor of soy sauce not stable enough.

.
To ensure the good flavor of soy sauce, it is necessary to grasp the main factors affecting the flavor of soy sauce, grasp the characteristics of soy sauce flavor, and take effective measures to improve it
.

2 Soy sauce fermentation process
2.
1 Traditional sauce vat fermentation process
Soy sauce vat fermentation is the most traditional soy sauce fermentation process with a long history and simple operation
.
As early as in ancient times, people chose wheat as the raw material for soy sauce fermentation, which was fermented by natural exposure
.
Traditional sauce tank fermentation includes solid-state fermentation and liquid-state fermentation.
Open-air fermentation has special requirements for the weather.
It must be sunny and suitable for the temperature.
The raw materials continuously undergo chemical reactions.
In order to make the taste better and the fermentation speed faster, it can be used in liquid fermentation.
Add a small amount of salt [2]
.
Generally speaking, the limitation of traditional sauce jar fermentation is that the fermentation cycle is longer and it is more dependent on the weather.
It needs to be fermented for a whole summer, and the soy sauce is drawn when the oil is produced in autumn
.
If the sauce tank fermentation lacks good temperature conditions, the bacteria cannot multiply quickly and cannot produce aroma substances.
Therefore, the traditional sauce tank fermentation is subject to more objective restrictions, and the tank must be turned over and stirred regularly during the fermentation process
.

2.
2 High-salt dilute fermentation process The
high-salt dilute fermentation process has high requirements on fermentation operators and raw materials.
Salt water with more than twice the volume of the raw materials should be added to the raw materials, and the added salt should be scientifically controlled to allow salt-tolerant microorganisms.
Continue to play a role
.
In order to shorten the fermentation cycle, some lactic acid can be added to allow it to undergo a chemical reaction to produce acid and lipid substances, which can effectively improve the flavor of soy sauce
.

2.
3 Low-salt solid-state fermentation process The
low-salt solid-state fermentation process requires equal proportions of water and raw materials [3], which has higher requirements for fermentation temperature, and requires that the fermentation temperature should not be lower than 42 ℃, and the moisture and salt content should be kept at a low level.
, Increase the concentration of reactants, make the reactants mature quickly
.
This fermentation process is simple to operate and has good economic benefits.
The disadvantage is that due to some defects, the fermented soy sauce has a single taste, and the color is not high, and it is mostly expressed as a heavier burnt smell
.
In the actual fermentation, you can choose to add an appropriate amount of sugars or reduce the fermentation temperature and extend the fermentation cycle to make up for the existing fermentation defects and improve the flavor of soy sauce
.
In order to allow yeast microorganisms to actively participate in the reaction, some sugars can be added to speed up the metabolism, and the temperature can be appropriately lowered [4], so that the yeast can reproduce at a suitable temperature
.
Some producers will pour the low-salt solid soy sauce in the early stage of soy sauce fermentation, but during the operation, the salinity and temperature of the pour should be controlled to ensure that the starch raw materials in the formula are fully fermented under good hygienic conditions.
To make the yeast grow better, let the pouring sauce fully contact the air to grow better
.

2.
4 Sprinkling process
Soy sauce fermentation needs to be sprinkled.
The operation is relatively simple.
Scoop out the juice in a bamboo basket and pour it evenly on the surface of the sauce to establish good conditions for the rapid growth and reproduction of microorganisms, so that there is sufficient oxygen support for the growth and reproduction of microorganisms.
, After the soy sauce is brewed, it can be directly extracted and used without pressing
.
At present, some soy sauce manufacturers have also carried out technological improvements.
The soy sauce is drawn from the bottom of the fermentation tank and poured in.
An appropriate amount of yeast, salt and sugar have been added to the pouring agent to effectively improve the flavor of the soy sauce
.

3 Effective ways to improve soy sauce flavor
Different soy sauce brands have different soy sauce flavors, and regional dietary differences also make people have different tastes for soy sauce flavor.
People often buy their favorite soy sauce brands according to their eating habits when cooking.

.
From the perspective of the soy sauce manufacturing process, there are many factors that affect the flavor of soy sauce [5], and some changes can be made in the process of brewing soy sauce to achieve the purpose of improving the flavor of soy sauce
.
At present, people generally have higher requirements for the flavor of soy sauce, and the change of flavor will directly affect the cooking effect
.
Specifically, there are three ways to improve the flavor of soy sauce
.

3.
1 Appropriate addition of microbial
soy sauce brewing from natural fermentation to bacterial fermentation overcomes the shortcomings of long fermentation cycle and lack of vitality in the soy sauce brewing process, and greatly improves the quality of soy sauce
.
Using a single enzyme system will lead to the simplification of the flavor of soy sauce
.
Protein decomposition products can improve the umami taste of soy sauce.
The decomposition of soy sauce starch will form glucose and maltose, which can improve the sweetness of soy sauce [6], and the alcohol produced makes soy sauce extremely rich in aroma
.
It can make full use of starch to achieve the purpose of improving the flavor of soy sauce
.
A certain amount of salt-tolerant lactic acid bacteria can also be added in the later stage of fermentation to effectively improve the flavor of soy sauce .

3.
2 Extending the fermentation time
of soy sauce Consumers have higher requirements for the taste and color of soy sauce.
This requires soy sauce producers to think about the improvement of soy sauce technology in order to enhance the flavor and taste of soy sauce [7]
.
In improving the flavor and taste of soy sauce, the fermentation time of soy sauce can be extended to make soy sauce more mellow
.
The temperature is well controlled during the fermentation period, so that the protease has suitable conditions for effective exertion, so that the protease can fully exert to realize the improvement of the flavor of soy sauce
.
For example, in the solid-state low-salt fermentation process, the fermentation period should be increased to more than one month, so that soy sauce can improve the effects of various aspects such as color, flavor, and so on
.

3.
3 Improving the flavor
of soy sauce by blending .
The crude oil produced by fermentation can be blended based on product quality standards during the soy sauce preparation process.
In blending, differentiated soy sauce blending can be made according to the taste preferences of consumers, such as the original soy sauce.
On the basis of blending sweeteners, fresheners and other spices, etc.
, or increase the color of soy sauce, so as to achieve the purpose of improving the flavor of soy sauce
.
With the improvement of soy sauce production technology [8-9], the research on the flavor of soy sauce has continued to deepen, and certain results have been achieved, making the flavor of soy sauce on the market more diverse
.

4 Conclusion During the
soy sauce brewing process, to ensure the good flavor of soy sauce fermentation, fermentation must be carried out in strict accordance with the fermentation process requirements to ensure the brewing quality
.
It is necessary to continue to explore methods for improving the fermentation process to achieve the balance and reconciliation of various flavor substances in soy sauce fermentation, effectively improve the flavor of soy sauce, and truly introduce good-flavored soy sauce condiments to meet the diverse taste buds needs of people
.

references
[1] Tan Ge, Xu Qingyuan, Guo Liqiong, et al.
Research progress on microbial diversity and flavor substances in brewing soy sauce[J].
Chinese Seasoning, 2021, 46(6): 160-163.

[2] Guo Mingwei, Geng Yuhuan.
Soy Sauce Fermentation Screening and identification of a 4-ethylguaiacol transforming bacteria in the process[J/OL].
Food and Fermentation Industry: 1-9[2021-06-11]https://doi.
org/10.
13995/ j.
cnki.
11-1802/ts.
026836.

[3] Lu Huaijin, Liu Communication, Zhao Mouming , et al.
The effect of two characteristic enzymes of Aspergillus oryzae on the physical and chemical indexes and quality of soy sauce[J].
Chinese Journal of Food Science, 2021,21(5):230-237.

[4] Zhang Lijie, Zhang Huaizhi, Xu Yan.
Bacillus subtilis Nr.
5 and substrate addition promote the synthesis of pyrazines in soy sauce[J].
Food and Fermentation Industry, 2020, 46(21):1-8.

[5]Zhang Haoyuan.
Application of soy sauce active dry yeast in Japanese craftsmanship[J].
Modern Food, 2020(13):63-65.

[6] Liu Jiale.
Strengthening of soy sauce fermentation process The effect of Tetragenococcus halophilus on the quality of soy sauce[D].
Wuxi: Jiangnan University, 2020.

[7] Zou Mouyong, Zhu Xingui, Sun Qixing, et al.
Identification of a 2-phenylethanol-producing yeast and its application in soy sauce brewing Application[J].
China Brewing,2020,39(5):173-178.

[8]Zhao Mouming , Chen Tao, Wang Jingwen, et al.
Isolation and identification of bacteria in the fermentation process of soy sauce and their characteristics and interaction[J].
Modern Food Science and Technology, 2020, 36(5): 148-154.

[9] Zou Mouyong, Zhu Xingui, Liu Dan, et al.
Identification of 2-phenylethanol-producing yeast and its application in soy sauce fermentation[J].
Food Science, 2019 , 40(6):217-222.