PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a salty taste enhancer which exerts a flavor enhancing effect comparable to sodium chloride without imparting any undesirable flavor such as harsh taste or odd smell, a method for producing the same, a kelp extract comprising the salty taste enhancer, and a food or drink having enhanced salty taste and flavor which comprises the salty taste enhancer or the kelp extract.SOLUTION: A salty taste enhancer comprises a volatile component with a molecular weight of less than 200 derived from a kelp. The volatile component derived from the kelp can be obtained by subjecting a starting kelp to distillation in the presence of a solvent, extraction with a solvent, supercritical extraction or the like. In the volatile components of the kelp thus obtained, those in which the amount of a component with a molecular weight of 200 or more is reduced preferably to less than 60% by weight are used as the salty taste enhancer. In the case of employing the distillation procedure, for example, a liquid distillate obtained by distilling the kelp is collected in fractions. Then, the first half of the fraction containing the volatile component with a molecular weight of less than 200 may be used as the salty taste enhancer.COPYRIGHT: (C)2012,JPO&INPIT【課題】食塩と同様のフレーバー増強効果を有し、エグ味や異臭等の不必要な風味を付与しない塩味増強剤、その製造方法、該塩味増強剤を含有する昆布エキス、並びに前記塩味増強剤や昆布エキスを含有する、塩味およびフレーバーの増強された飲食品を提供する。【解決手段】塩味増強剤は、昆布由来の分子量200未満の揮発性成分を含有することを特徴とする。昆布由来の揮発性成分は、原料昆布を溶媒の存在下での蒸留、溶媒抽出、超臨界抽出等行うことによって取得できるが、得られた昆布の揮発性成分の内、分子量200以上の成分を好ましくは60重量%未満に減少させたものを塩味増強剤として用いる。蒸留による場合、例えば、昆布を蒸留した際の留液を分集し、分子量200未満の揮発性成分を含有する留分の前半部分を塩味増強剤として使用すればよい。【選択図】なし
