CHARACTERISTICS OF CHINESE AND KOREAN SOY AND FISH SAUCES ON THE BASIS OF THEIR BETA-BUFFER CAPACITY

Organic acid and mineral concentrations were analyzed along with B-buf fer capacity measurement to characterize Chinese and Korean soy and fi sh sauce. The organic acid composition of Chinese products resembled t hat of Japanese ordinary soy sauce (Koikuchi) and lactic and succinic acids formed about 70% of total organic acid. However, these two organ ic acids occupied less than half of the total amount in Korean product s and volatile acids such as formic acid accounted for a considerable part. In Chinese soy sauce, the magnitude of the beta-buffer capacity was parallel with sweetness and Umami, although saltiness and bitterne ss showed a counter correlation with the beta-buffer capacity. Korean soy sauces showed almost the same curve as each other and no clear fea ture was observed with reference to their flavor. Small but distinct p eaks, resulting from the presence of fish extractive constituents, wer e observed in the case of the fish sauce-buffer curve.