TASTE-IMPARTING AGENT, SEASONING COMPOSITION, FOOD AND DRINK CONTAINING THE AGENT AND THE COMPOSITION, AND FOOD AND DRINK TASTE IMPROVING METHOD

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a taste-imparting agent for Japanese-style food, having taste-imparting effect and emphasizing deliciousness of a material without having flavor derived from the taste-imparting agent, and to provide a seasoning composition containing the taste-imparting agent. SOLUTION: This taste-imparting agent comprises seaweed extract which is obtained by extracting seaweed such as sea lettuce, tangle, laver, Monostroma nitidum, and brown seaweed in an alcohol solvent at -25°C to 5°C for 8-96 h, and removing the solvent from the extracted solution. The seasoning composition contains the taste-imparting agent. A food and drink taste improving method comprises adding the taste-conferring agent to food and drink. As a result of this, it is possible to give the food and drink strong gustatory feeling and to obtain a delicious food and drink product which sustains flavor inherited from the food and drink. COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT