Abstract
To make sure the suppressing effect of spices for fish odor, the changes of the odor and the remaining amount of trimethylamine (TMA), selected as the representative component of fishy odor, in a mixture of TMA and spices after several hours standing were examined by sensory test and gas chromatography.
Following 11 kinds of spices and oil cade were employed for this experimental purpose; caraway, cassia, clove, ginger, laurel, mace, nutmeg, onion, pepper, sage, and thyme.
It was found that the suppressing effect of these spice for fishy odor could be devided into three groups, namely, (I) more effective, onion, laurel, and sage, (II) effective, caraway, cassia, clove, ginger, thyme, and oil cade, and (III) less effective, mace, nutmeg, and pepper, and that also the odor was decreased by the admixture of TMA and spices. This would be due to the combination of these two and the odor was masked, and clove and sage could make this combination quickly and ginger slowly.
The effectiveness of the blending effect o curred between spice's aroma and TMA's odor seemed to have relation to the consumer's acceptability. Saga, ginger, and oil cade which had a good blending effect to TMA were fairly accepted by the consumer when these were adequately added to TMA, while mace, nutmeg, and thyme, having a poor blending effect, were less acceptable than the formers.
The decrease of TMA in the mixture after standing was reasonable to describe the suppressing effect of spice to TMA, and it would be suggested a chemical reaction to form an odorless substance between them, though the reactant had not yet recognized.
