Studies on the Processing of Rapid- and Low Salt-Fermented Liquefaction of Anchovy(Engrulis japonica) (I) -Changes in Free Amino Acids during Fermentation and Quality Indices-

In order to establish the processing condition of rapid- and low salt-fermented liquefaction of anchovy (Engrulis japonica), effect of temperature on crude enzyme activity of anchovy viscera, pretreatment conditions, and the minimum content of adding NaCl were investigated. The minimum limitation of NaCl content for anchovy liquefaction was 10%. Sample A(water adding, heating, adding 10% NaCl): chopped whole anchovy adding 20% water and then heating for 9 hrs at and then adding 10% NaCl and then fermented at room temperature for 180 days. Sample B(water adding, heating, adding 13% NaCl): chopped whole anchovy adding 20% water and then heating for 9 hrs at and then adding 13% NaCl and then fermented at room temperature for 180 days. Sample C(adding 13% NaCl): chopped whole anchovy and then adding 13% NaCl and then fermented at room temperature for 180 days. Sample D(adding 17% NaCl): whole anchovy adding 17% NaCl and then fermented at room temperature for 180 days. The content of free amino acids such as aspartic acid, serine and threonine fluctuated severely according to the pretreatment methods. Possibly they might be recommend quality indices of standardization for salt-fermented liquefaction of anchovy. As for the relation between fermentation period(X) and individual free amino acid(Y), five kinds of free amino acids such as glutamic acid, valine, glycine, lysine, and alanine showed highly significant in their coefficient of determination in most of samples. They might be recommend as quality indices for salt-fermented liquefaction of anchovy during fermentation. The difference of taste between products of the rapid- and low salt-fermented liquefaction and the traditional salt-fermented liquefaction were caused by their composition of the free amino acids ratios, in which were umami, sweet, and bitter taste in the extracts of anchovy during fermentation. The appropriate fermentation period of the sample A was shorten 30 days than the sample B and 60 days than the samples C and 90 days than the sample D in the processing of anchovy.