2022 Volume 55 Issue 5 Pages 235-244
The extract components of mussels were compared with oysters, hard clams, and short-necked clams to evaluate their taste characteristics. Succinic acid was the most abundant in mussels. Regarding the taste-active values, glutamic acid (Glu), inosine monophosphate (IMP), adenosine monophosphate, and succinic acid were greater than 1 in mussels; Glu, aspartic acid (Asp), alanine (Ala), proline, and succinic acid in oysters; Glu, Ala, Asp, and succinic acid in hard clams; and Glu, Asp glycine, Ala, IMP, and succinic acid in short-necked clams. The equivalent umami concentration of mussels was not significantly different from that of the other shellfish. These results suggest that succinic acid and the synergistic effects of amino acids and umami nucleotides contribute to mussel taste. Hierarchical cluster analysis showed that each of the four shellfish species belonged to a different cluster. Hard and short-necked clams and mussels and oysters were classified into two clusters.
