PRODUCTION METHOD OF FERMENTED PLANT EXTRACT

To solve a disadvantage that a fermented plant extract has enhanced tastiness caused by fermentation and an enhanced fermentation-specific aroma but loses a flavor originally present in a plant raw material, especially top scent generation in terms of scent, resulting in an ambiguous flavor.SOLUTION: A production method of a fermented plant extract includes the following steps (A) to (C): the step (A): subjecting a plant raw material to steam distillation to obtain a distillation residue and a distillate; the step (B): extracting the distillation residue obtained in the step (A) with an aqueous solvent to prepare extracted liquid while subjecting at least one selected from the group consisting of the distillation residue, a mixture of the distillation residue and a solvent, and the extracted liquid to fermentation treatment to obtain fermentation-treated extracted liquid; and the step (C): mixing the fermentation-treated extracted liquid obtained in the step (B) and the distillate obtained in the step (A) to obtain the fermented plant extract.SELECTED DRAWING: None 【課題】発酵植物エキスは、発酵により生じる呈味や発酵特有の香気は増強されるが、植物原料本来の風味、特に香りの点でトップの香り立ちが失われ、ぼやけた風味になってしまうという欠点があった。【解決手段】以下の工程（Ａ）～（Ｃ）を含む発酵植物エキスの製造方法。工程（Ａ）：植物原料を水蒸気蒸留し、蒸留残渣と留出液を得る工程、工程（Ｂ）：前記工程（Ａ）で得られた蒸留残渣を水系溶媒で抽出して抽出液を調製するに際し、蒸留残渣、蒸留残渣と溶媒の混合物および抽出液からなる群から選ばれる少なくとも１つに対し、発酵処理を行い、発酵処理抽出液を得る工程、工程（Ｃ）：前記工程（Ｂ）で得られた発酵処理抽出液と、前記工程（Ａ）で得られた留出液を混合し、発酵植物エキスを得る工程【選択図】なし