The present invention enhances the material sense (the fresh sensation of the flavor and/or mouthfeel (texture) characteristic of the main ingredient) of a refrigerated food product or frozen food product that has been cooled and refrigerated or frozen after being heated and cooked. The present invention addresses the problem of providing an agent for tenderizing meat, etc., masking the raw odor of soy milk, masking the odor of vegetable proteins, enhancing the sense of stimulation from spices, improving cacao flavor, minimizing the odor from photodegradation of milk or soy milk, improving milkiness, improving the grain flavor of miso, masking fish odor, masking meat odor, improving fruitiness, or masking fermented-soybean odors. The problem is overcome by using a ferment (lactobacillus/yeast ferment) of milk whey or soy milk produced using lactobacillus and yeast. The lactobacillus/yeast ferment is preferably obtained by using yeast to perform further fermentation on a lactobacillus ferment of milk whey or soy milk.本發明改良加熱調理後經冷卻而冷藏或冷凍之冷藏食品或冷凍食品之素材感(係指明顯地感覺到食材所特有之味道及/或食感(質地))。本發明之課題在於提供一種用於畜肉等之軟化、豆乳之腥味之遮蔽、植物蛋白質臭之遮蔽、香辛料之刺激感之增強、可可風味提昇、牛乳或豆乳之光劣化臭之抑制、乳感提昇、味噌之穀物風味之提昇、魚肉臭遮蔽、畜肉臭遮蔽、果實感提昇、或納豆臭遮蔽之劑。本發明係基於乳清或豆乳之利用乳酸菌及酵母所產生之醱酵物(乳酸菌/酵母醱酵物)。較佳為基於利用酵母使乳清或豆乳之乳酸菌醱酵物進一步醱酵而獲得之乳酸菌/酵母醱酵物。
