METHOD OF PRODUCING PROCESSED JOB'S TEARS PRODUCT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field]
The present invention relates to a method of producing a processed Job's tears product. More specifically, it relates to a method of treating Job's tears comprising continuously steam treating roasted whole-grain Job's tears with a high temperature and high pressure steam to improve the flavor in a processed Job's tears product and, in its turn, in a solvent extract of the processed Job's tears product* In particular, it relates to a method of treating Job's tears which can be performed even on an industrial scale. Moreover, the present invention relates to a method of producing a drink which comprises the step of extracting a processed Job's tears product with a solvent. [Background Art]
Attempts have been made to create new tastes in drinks including tea drinks and foods by subjecting the raw materials to special treatments. As an approach with the use of a high temperature and high pressure steam from among these treatments. Patent Document 1 discloses a method for obtaining a vanillin-containing composition which comprises treating a plant material containing lignin, etc. with a high temperature and high pressure liquid or the like under specific conditions. Patent Document 2 proposes to heat a saccharide compound-containing material containing uronic acid and/or uronic

acid derivative in the presence of an organic acid additive under humid and pressurized conditions. In Examples of this document, it is reported that hojicha (roasted green tea), onion and so on were heated under humid and pressurized conditions (gauge pressure: 1 kg/cm2, 120oC) for 4 hours.
Job's tears {Colx lacbryma-jobli var. ma-yuen) , which is an annual herbaceous plant belonging to the genus Coix in the subfamily Poanicoldeae of the grass family Poaceae, is one of the raw materials employed in producing tea drinks and so on. Although it Is called "hatomugi (pigeon's barley)" in Japan, it is taxonomically close to corn. A Job' s tears plant attains the height of 1 to 1,8 m, A Job's tears seed is coated in a dark brown hull (involucre), has a softer texture than wild Colx lacryma-jobi, and is vertically striped. Inside the seed, there is a fruit body (corresponding to brown rice) wrapped in a pale brown thin coating (protective glume, inner/outer glume). Job's tears have been used in Chinese orthodox medicines (for example, a diuretic agent, an analgesic agent, an antiinflammatory agent, a revltalizer, a skin care agent, an antiulcer agent and a metabolic enhancer), hatomugicha (Job's tears tea) and so on. Therefore, recent trends in consumers' preference for health-foods have led to an increasing demand for Job's tears*
In utilizing Job's tears as the raw material in producing drinks and so on, there are problems in the production process and in the flavor qualities. Concerning

the former problem, it has been said that Job's tears is disadvantageous as a food material because of having the hard hull and bulky skin. Concerning the latter, it has been said that Job's tears has an unpleasant odour and bitterness. It is considered that the unpleasant smell of unpolished Job's tears is more evident than in a polished state of the grain. As a means of overcoming these problems in the flavor qualities. Patent Document 3 discloses a method which comprises roasting sprouted Job's tears and then extracting to thereby give a favorable drink having a sweetness, an appropriate bitterness and an flavor without the inherent unpleasant smell. Patent Document 4 discloses that inflated Job's tears having no unpleasant smell can be obtained by heating threshed or polished Job's tears under an elevated high pressure and then rapidly releasing into low pressure environment to thereby inflate the same.
However, these methods are still insufficient for solving both of the problems in the production process and the flavor qualities as described above. Accordingly, there has been required to develop a method of treating Job's tears to give a processed Job's tears product preferably usable as a raw material for drinks and so on.
[Patent Document 1] WO 2004/039936
[Patent Document 2] JP-A-11-151068
[Patent Document 3] JP-B-40-12391
[Patent Document 4] JP-B-55-19073 DISCLOSURE OF THE INV, ENTION

Under these circumstances, the present inventors focused attention on the treatment of Job's tears with a high temperature and high pressure steam. It is anticipated that when cereals including Job's tears are treated with a high temperature and high pressure steam, starch, cellulose, etc- being the major parts of the unutilized parts of the cereals are hydrolyzed to give monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides and so on. Although these components are dissolved at high temperature under high pressure, they are liable to solidify in the presence of little moisture at room temperature under atmospheric pressure. This characteristic brings about a serious problem in the production. That is, the molten components flow out from the treatment system and thus cause a loss in the yield. Also, they result in unevenness in qualities and an additional load on the down flow in the apparatus. After the completion of the treatment, moreover, these components strongly adhere to the treatment apparatus, which makes it very difficult to recover the raw material and causes a problem of an increase in recovery cost. In producing tea drinks dominating the market for drinks, there are urgent problems on how to ensure mass-scaled production while reducing production cost and achieving superior qualities. From the viewpoint of flavor, the conventional method of treating Job's tears with high temperature and high pressure steam is still insufficient for solving the existing problems in flavor qualities, for example, reducing the unpleasant smell and

bitterness.
To overcome the problems as described above, the present inventors conducted intensive studies - As a result, they focused their attention on the hard hull of Job's tears differing from other cereals such as barley and corn. To more efficiently extract the inner components, it has been a common practice to preliminarily mill Job's tears. However, the present inventors treated whole-grain Job's tears with hull by using a high temperature and high pressure steam without threshing or milling and examined the necessity for roasting before treating Job's tears with steam. Further, in order to ensure uniform quality and to avoid the grain from adhering to the apparatus continuous flow of steam was administered. Thus, they have developed a method of treating Job's tears whereby a processed Job's tears product having an improved flavor can be easily obtained even on an industrial scale, thereby achieving the object of the present invention-BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[Fig. 1] Fig. 1 presents a bar graph which shows the results of the analysis of fundamental components in processed product 2 and control products 2 and 3, [Fig, 2] Fig. 2 presents charts which show the results of the polysaccharide analysis of the processed product drink 1 and control drink 1, DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention provides a method of treating Job's tears characterized by comprising

continuously steam treating roasted whole-grain Job's tears with a high temperature and high pressure steam at an effective treating flow rate for an effective treating time to give a processed Job's tears product.
The present invention further provides a method of treating Job's tears as described above, wherein the temperatures of the high temperature and high pressure steam are about 160oC to about 210oC, preferably about 180oC to about 205oC and more preferably around 200oC and the pressure thereof is 0.1 to 3.0 MPa, preferably 1.0 to 2.0 MPa.
The present invention further provides a method of treating Job's tears as described above, wherein the effective treating flow rate is 0.1 to 100 kg/h per kg of Job's tears, preferably 0.5 to 20 kg/h and more preferably about 0.5 to 10 kg/h.
The present invention further provides a method of treating Job's tears as described above, wherein the effective treating time is about 0,5 min or longer but shorter than about 30 min, preferably about 1 min to about 20 min. more preferably about 3 min to about 10 min and more preferably about 5 min.
The present invention further provides a method of treating Job's tears as described above, wherein the steam is a saturated steam.
The present invention further provides a processed Job's tears product for foods or drinks having an elevated extraction rate which is obtained by treating roasted

whole-grain Job's tears by one of the methods as described above -
The present invention furthermore provides a method of producing a drink which comprises: the step of continuously steam treating roasted whole-grain Job's tears with a saturated steam at about 160oC to about 210oC, preferably about 180°C to about 205°C and more preferably around 200°C for about 0.5 min or longer but shorter than about 30 min. preferably about 1 min to about 20 min, more preferably about 3 min to about 10 min and more preferably about 5 min, to give a processed Job's tears product; and the step of extracting the processed Job's tears product with a solvent to give an extract of the processed Job's tears product. The drink obtained by this production method has an improved flavor and this production method can be carried out even at an industrial level.
The present invention further provides the method of treating Job's tears as described above whereby the content of dietary fiber in the processed Job's tears product is decreased (for example, to 90% by weight or less, preferably to 80% by weight or less and more preferably to 75% by weight or less) compared with untreated Job's tears.
The present invention further provides the method of treating Job's tears as described above whereby the content of starch in the processed Job's tears product is decreased compared with untreated Job's tears.
The present invention further provides the method of treating Job's tears as described above whereby the content

of saccharides in the processed Job's tears product is increased (for example, by 10% by weight or more, preferably by 20% by weight or more and more preferably by 30% by weight or more) compared with untreated Job's tears.
The present invention further provides the method of treating Job's tears as described above whereby the content of oligosaccharides, in particular, maltose oligosaccharides In the processed Job's tears product is increased compared with untreated Job's tears-
The present invention further provides the method of treating Job's tears as described above whereby the content of pyrazines, in particular, alkylpyrazines and more specifically 2-ethyl-3-methylpyra2ine in the processed Job's tears product is increased compared with untreated Job's tears.
The present invention further provides the method of treating Job's tears as described above whereby the processed Job's tears product containing more kinds of pyrazines compared with untreated Job's tears is obtained.
The present invention further provides the method of treating Job's tears as described above whereby the extraction rate In extracting the processed Job's tears product with a solvent is elevated (for example, by 10% or more, preferably by 15% or more and more preferably about twice) compared with untreated Job's tears.
The present invention further provides a processed Job's tears product obtained by the treating method as described above.

The present invention further provides a method of producing a drink as described above whereby the content of oligosaccharides in the processed Job's tears product extract as described above is increased compared with a Job's tears extract-
The present invention further provides a method of producing a drink as described above whereby the flavor of the processed Job's tears product extract as described above is improved and the unpleasant smell and bitterness thereof are reduced compared with a Job's tears extract,
The present invention furthermore provides a drink obtained by the production method as described above.
(Job's tears)
Unless otherwise noted, the term "Job's tears" as used herein means Job's tears seeds, "Job's tears" to be used in the treating method according to the present invention are seeds of an annual herbaceous plant (scientific name: Coix lachryma-jobi var. ma-yuen), which belongs to the subfamily Poanlcoideae of the grass family Poaceae, harvested when they ripen and change into a dark brown color (generally in September to October) without being limited by variety, production area, grade and so on, A Job's tears seed is coated in a dark brown hull (involucre) which can be removed by threshing. A pale brown thin coating (protective glume, inner/outer glume) located inside the seed can be removed by polishing. To more efficiently extract the components within the hard hull, it has been a common practice to preliminarily mill

Job's tears seeds- From the viewpoints of preventing flow out of the molten components from the treatment system during the treatment and the loss in the yield caused thereby, relieving unevenness in qualities and an additional load on the apparatus and avoiding the strong adhering of these components to the treatment apparatus after the completion of the treatment, it is preferable in the treating method according to the present invention to use unthreshed and unpolished Job's tears, i-e,, unthreshed Job's tears with hull, more preferably unmilled whole-grain Job's tears- The term whole-grain Job's tears includes those which have been somewhat chipped during storage or transportation- In the case of using whole-grain Job's tears as will be described in EXAMPLE 1 hereinafter, the raw material scarcely adheres to the apparatus after the completion of the treatment according to the method of the present invention and thus the processed Job's tears product can be readily recovered in industrial production, compared with the case of using milled Job's tears. Moreover, the flow out of the components contributing to the favorable spicy flavor, etc, into the steam discharged after the treatment can be prevented while removing the stimulating components bringing about unfavorable smell, etc. from Job's tears.
Although fresh Job's tears, dry Job's tears or roasted Job's tears can be used in the treating method according to the present invention, roasted Job's tears is particularly employed by focusing on the flavor of the

processed product obtained thereby. In the present Invention, use may be made of a roasting machine, a roasting method and a roasting level that may be arbitrarily selected without specific restriction. As an example of commonly used roasting machines, a horizontal (transverse) drum type roaster may be cited. Depending on a heating manner, roasting methods are classified into direct fire heating, hot-air heating, far--infrared heating, microwave heating and so on. By roasting whole-grain Job's tears at about 200oC for about 15 min with the use of a Probat Roaster Model MB-2C0DR-AP, for example, roasted whole-grain Job's tears can be obtained. L-value (lightness) has been generally used as an indication defining the roasting level of cereals. In the treating method according to the present invention, use can be made of roasted whole-grain Job's tears having an L value of, for example, L20 (at high roasting level) to L50 (at low roasting level), in particular, L30 to L35.
(High temperature and high pressure steam) Next, the high temperature and high pressure steam to be used in the treating method according to the present invention will be described.
Type of steam: The type of steam is not particularly restricted and use may be made of saturated steam, superheated steam, supersaturated steam or the like. Prom the viewpoints of workability and handling properties, saturated steam is preferred. The steam generator is not particularly restricted either and use can be made of a

steam boiler, a Japanese pot or the like. The steam is not particularly restricted in qualities so long as it is usable in treating foods, though pure steam generated from purified water is preferable. It is possible in some cases to generate steam by appropriately using, for example, distilled water, desalted water, tap water, ionized alkaline water, deep seawater, ion-exchanged water, deoxygenated water or water containing an organic water-soluble compound (for example, an alcohol) or an inorganic salt while taking the load on the apparatus into consideration. A portion of the steam may be circulated, so long as the qualities of the processed Job's tears product obtained after the treatment fall within the acceptable range- To regulate an oxidation reaction during the treatment according to the present invention, use can also be made of a steam generated from deaerated water. During the treatment by the treating method according to the present invention, it is considered that the oxygen concentration measured by a publicly known method (for example, using a dissolved oxygen meter (DO meter), etc) ranges from about 0 to about 1 µg/ml.
Temperature and pressure conditions; The temperature of the high temperature and high pressure steam may be about 100 to about 240°C, preferably about 160°C to about 210°C, more preferably about 180°C to about 205°C and more specifically around 200°C. When the treating temperature is too low, the effect of creating the taste with fullness, sweetness and spicy flavor and the effect of removing the

unpleasant smell and bitterness cannot be sufficiently established. When the treating temperature is too high, a burnt smell becomes noticeable.
The pressure of the high temperature and high pressure steam is 0-1 to 3.0 MPa, preferably 1.0 to 2.0 MPa. Although the sourness and miscellaneous taste can be more efficiently removed at a higher pressure, an excessively high pressure brings about a burnt smell and causes the formation of an additional sourness component. It is preferable in the present invention that the pressure is the saturated vapor pressure. The term "pressure" as used herein means "gauge pressure". When expressed in absolute pressure, for example, "a pressure of 0.1 MPa" corresponds to the sum of the atmospheric pressure and 0.1 MPa.
In the case of using a saturated steam as the high temperature and high pressure steam, there is a correspondent relationship between the temperature condition and the pressure condition. That is, the pressure corresponding to a temperature of about 150°C to about 210°C is about 0,35 MPa to about 1.8 MPa,
(Continuous aeration)
The expression "to continuously aerate" as used in the treating method according to the present Invention means, in treating Job's tears with steam having a definite pressure and/or temperature, to perform the treatment while opening a discharge valve or performing the treatment while semi.-continuously opening a discharge valve. More

specifically speaking, the treatment is performed by placing the Job's tears into a pressure-resistant container having a steam inlet pipe and a steam outlet pipe, supplying the steam from the inlet pipe toward the outlet pipe while continuously or semi-continuously opening the valve in the outlet pipe and thus continuously bringing the steam into contact with Job's tears.
When the same treatment is performed herein while closing the discharge valve in the continuous aeration treatment, the treatment becomes non-continuous. Other examples of the non-continuous treatment include treatments using a cooking pot (a pressure pot) or an autoclave- In the cooking treatment, for example, it is a common practice that when the pressure (or temperature) attains a definite level in treating a subject material with a steam, the discharge valve is closed and the material is maintained in that state for a definite period.
(Type of apparatus)
The type of the apparatus to be used in the treatment according to the present invention is not particularly restricted, so long as it allows the control of the continuous aeration with the high temperature and high pressure steam. Use can be made of either a horizontal or a vertical apparatus, or a batch type or a continuous apparatus. For example, it is possible to use such an apparatus as employed in the EXAMPLES as will be described hereinafter.
(Processing tank and pipe line)

To stably treat Job's tears by the treating method according to the present invention to thereby give a processed Job's tears product with excellent qualities, it is important to appropriately control the treating flow rate of the steam employed for the aeration and the temperature and pressure in the apparatus during the treatment. The major controlling means comprises controlling the temperature and pressure in the apparatus with the use of the correlation between the temperature and pressure of the steam to be flown. In using a processing tank in an arbitrary shape made of an arbitrary material, more specifically speaking, a pipe diameter, a pipe material and a number of pipes, each being suitable for flow of steam, are selected and designed. Further, a unit whereby the pipe line can be freely controlled with the use of, for example, a control valve is attached to the processing tank. Thus, the steam can be made to flow through the processing tank at a desired flow rate while maintaining the pressure and temperature in the processing tank at the desired levels.
(Effective treating flow rate)
In the treating method according to the present invention, the effective treating flow rate during the aeration with the high temperature and high pressure steam means such a flow rate as allowing the production of a desired processed Job's tears product- The flow rate can be defined by the weight of water being in contact with the unit weight of the raw material per unit time. In setting

the machine, the total steam flow rate is controlled. In the treating method according to the present invention, the effective treating flow rate can be controlled to 0,1 to 100 kg/h per kg of Job's tears, preferably 0,5 to 20 kg/h and more preferably about 0-5 to 10 kg/h per kg of Job's tears*
(Effective treating time)
In the treating method according to the present invention, the effective treating time during aeration with high temperature and high pressure steam means such a period of time as allowing the production of a desired processed Job's tears product. It is preferable that the effective treating time is about 0.5 min or longer but shorter than about 30 min, more preferably about 1 min to about 20 min, more preferably about 3 min to about 10 min and more preferably about 5 min. When the treating time is shorter than about 0.5 min, little flavor-improving effect can be exerted on the processed Job's tears product- When the treating time exceeds about 30 min, it is sometimes impossible to achieve favorable flavor qualities due to the excessive progress of the hydrothermal reaction. With respect to the relationship to the temperature of the high temperature and high pressure steam to be used in the treatment, there is a tendency that a shorter treating time is needed at a higher temperature while a longer effective treating time is needed at a lower temperature,
(Direction of steam flow)
In the treating method according to the present

invention, the direction of the steam flow during the continuous aeration with the high temperature and high pressure steam is not particularly restricted. That is to say, the steam may be flown downward, upward, outward, inward, etc. to the Job's tears to be treated.
(Discharge of steam)
Considering the working environment/ it is preferable in the treating method according to the present invention that the steam discharged in the course of the continuous aeration with the high temperature and high pressure steam is not discharged as such but condensed with a condenser, etc, and then recovered as a liquid. So long as the desired processed Job's tears product can be obtained, the steam having been employed in the aeration may be circulated and reused in the subsequent aeration. The steam thus discharged contains, for example, a sourness component noticeable as a stimulating smell and an unpleasant smell component.
When the treating method according to the present invention is applied to cereals other than Job's tears such as barley, brown rice and corn, the flow out of the molten components from the treatment system at high temperature and high pressure and adhering of the grains to the treating apparatus after the completion of the treatment are observed in each case, which indicates that there still remain problems to be overcome for industrialization.
After treatment with the high temperature and high pressure steam as described above, a publicly known

treatment may be further conducted. Examples of such a treatment include milling, extraction (including supercritical extraction), drying (such as vacuum drying) and so on, though the present invention is not restricted thereto. In the case of adding a drying treatment, for example, vacuum drying can be conducted by, after the completion of the aeration with the high temperature and high pressure steam, degassing and evacuating the reaction container and maintaining for about 15 to about 30 min. An addition of this drying step facilitates the utilization of the processed Job's tears product in the subsequent milling and storing steps. The above-described vacuum drying can be conveniently conducted in producing the processed Job's tears product on an industrial scale*
(Processed Job's tears product)
Unless otherwise noted. Job's tears having been treated by the treating method according to the present invention is called "processed Job's tears product" herein. This processed Job's tears product is fTindamentally in the same granular shape as before the treatment but has a somewhat brownish color compared with untreated Job's tears.
(Pyrazines)
Compared with Job's tears before the treatment by the treating method according to the present invention, the above-described processed Job's tears product has no stimulating smell but a spicy smell created therein. The processed Job's tears product contains more kinds of flavor

components, in particular, pyrazines comprising 2-ethyl-3-methylpyrazine as the main component in a larger amount compared with the untreated Job's tears.
The term "pyrazines" as used herein involves pyrazine and pyrazine derivatives having methyl and/or ethyl groups at the 2-, 3-, 5- and/or 6-positions of the pyrazine skeleton. Pyrazines are known as the typical components contributing to the spicy smell contained in mugicha (barley tea) and the like. It is also known that pyrazines has an effect of inhibiting platelet aggregation and thus regulating thrombus formation. Examples of the pyrazines showing an increase in the processed Job's tears product as described above compared with untreated Job's tears include pyrazine, methylpyrazine, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, ethylpyrazine, 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, 2-ethyl-6-methylpyrazine, 2-ethyl-3-methylpyrazine/ 2,3, 5-trimethylpyrazine and so on. Alkylpyrazines, in particular, 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, 2-ethyl-6-methylpyrazine and 2-ethyl-3-methylpyrazine are particularly preferable. Among all, it is considered that 2-ethyl-3-methylpyrazine, which shows a nut-like smell upon heating, would contribute to the characteristic, sweet and spicy smell.
The content of flavor components including pyrazines means a value that can be measured by a technique publicly known by a person skilled in the art, for example, one that can be determined based on the detection with the use of the method as will be described in EXAMPLE 2 hereinafter. It is considered that the spicy smell created in the

extract is improved with an increase in the pyrazine content and/or an Increase in the kinds of pyrazines and thus a processed Job's tears product having a favorable smell can be obtained.
(Dietary fiber, starch and oligosaccharide) As will be shown in EXAMPLES hereinafter, the above-described processed Job's tears product has a characteristic of having decreased dietary fiber and starch contents and an increased oligosaccharide (for example/ maltose oligosaccharide) content compared with untreated Job's tears. This is seemingly so because components such as starch in Job's tears are hydrolyzed by the hydrotherraal reaction to form monosaccharides, disaccharides. oligosaccharides and so on. Thus, the processed Job's tears product and its solvent extract are sweetened•
Oligosaccharide is a general term for substances having a structure in which about 2 to 10 monosaccharides are bonded together via glycoside bonds. Examples of the oligosaccharides the content of which has been increased in the above processed Job's tears product compared with untreated Job's tears include oligosaccharides consisting of about three to six monosaccharides bonded together via glycoside bonds such as maltotrlose, maltotetraose, maltopentaose and maltohexaose.
The contents of dietary fiber and saccharides (oligosaccharides, etc) mean values that can be measured by a technique publicly known by a person skilled in the art. In the case of measuring by, for example, the method

as will be described in EXAMPLE 2 hereinafter, the dietary fiber content of the processed Job's tears product is decreased, for example, to 90% by weight or less, preferably to 80% by weight or less and more preferably to 75% by weight or less, compared with untreated Job's tears. On the other hand, the saccharide content of the processed Job's tears product is increased, for example, by 10% by weight or more, preferably by 20% by weight or more and more preferably by 30% by weight or more (Fig. 1). In the case of measuring by, for example, the method as will be described in EXAMPLE 2 hereinafter, the processed Job's tears product shows a decrease in the starch content and an increase in the maltooligosaccharide content (Table 2). It is considered that an increase in the oligosaccharide content brings about an elevated sweetness created in the extract, thereby giving a processed Job's tears product having a favorable taste.
The processed Job's tears product having a favorable flavor, which is obtained by the treating method according to the present invention, can be cooled, dried (by vacuum drying, hot-air drying, etc) and then stored in, for example, a silo in a conventional manner.
(Extract of processed Job's tears product) The processed Job's tears product according to the present invention can be used, either as such or after milling, as the raw material for producing foods and drinks such as drinks, sweets, rice products and so on by using techniques commonly known in the art. In a particularly

preferable embodiment, the processed Job's tears product is milled and extracted with a solvent and then the extract thus obtained is used as a raw material in producing a drink.
In producing the processed Job's tears product extract, the processed Job's tears product may be milled to such a level that can be readily determined by a person skilled in the art on the basis of the working efficiency and the desired concentration of the extract* In this casey an excessively high milling level is not preferable, since a long time is required for filtering the milled product to produce the extract- At a low milling level, extraction cannot be sufficiently completed. The processed Job's tears product extract can be obtained from the processed Job's tears product having been milled by using, for example, a roll crusher to such a level as giving a 2 mm-pore mesh passage rate of about 50%.
The solvent to be used in obtaining the processed Job's tears product extract is not particularly restricted so long as it is suitable for the extraction. An aqueous solvent is preferable and water per se can be used as the most convenient case. The water qualities are not particularly restricted so long as the water is suitable for treating foods. For example, use can be made of distilled water, desalted water, tap water, ionized alkaline water, deep seawater, ion-exchanged water, deoxygenated water or water containing an organic water-soluble compound (for example, an alcohol) or an inorganic

salt. In the case where the extraction efficiency can be elevated by some substances such as sodium bicarbonate or vitamin C, such a substance may be added in the course of the extraction- The extraction conditions (for example, extracting temperature and extracting time) for obtaining the extract can be appropriately determined by a person skilled in the art. For example, the extraction can be carried out under the conditions as will be described in EXAMPLE 5.
When the processed Job's tears product according to the present invention is extracted with a solvent, it shows a characteristic that the extraction rate is increased compared with untreated Job's tears• This is seemingly so because low-molecular weight soluble solid components mainly consisting of monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides and so on have increased due to the hydrolysis. Owing to this characteristic, the components in Job's tears having been not utilized so far can be more easily utilized. An increase in the extraction rate brings about a taste with body (fullness) and sweetness-Moreover, it can be expected that an increase in the extraction rate makes it possible to obtain a larger amount of solid matters from a smaller amount of materials, thereby improving the productivity.
The extraction rate, which is expressed by using the amount of soluble solid matters in the extract as an indication, can be measured by a technique publicly known by a person skilled in the art. For example, in the case

of measuring BRIX by the method as will be described in EXAMPLE 5 hereinafter and calculating the extraction rate in accordance with the following formula: extraction rate (%)=[(BRIX of extract) ÷ 100] x collected
liquid (g) ÷ raw material Job's tears (g)] x 100 (wherein "collected liquid" means the amount of the extract;)
the extraction rate is increased preferably by 10% or more, more preferably by 15% or more or about twice compared with untreated Job's tears (for example, increased preferably 15% → 25% or more, and more preferably 15% -> 30% or more, or increased for example, 20% -> about 40%),
When the processed Job's tears product according to the present invention is extracted with a solvent, it shows a characteristic that the saccharides in the extract increase compared with the extract of untreated Job's tears having been obtained under the same conditions but not subjecting to the treatment according to the present invention. In particular, it shows a remarkable characteristic that a saccharide consisting of about 10 monosaccharides bonded together (an oligosaccharide) increases compared with the extract of untreated Job's tears. This is seemingly because starch in Job's tears has been hydrolyzed by the hydrothermal reaction. Thus, a characteristic flavor is created in the processed Job's tears product extract and a drink using the extract.
The content of saccharides in the extract can be measured by a technique publicly known by a person skilled

in the art, for example, the method as will be described in EXAMPLE 2 hereinafter-
The processed Job's tears product extract as described above shows a characteristic of having an improved flavor and reduced unpleasant smell and bitterness compared with the extract of untreated Job's tears having been obtained under the same conditions but not subjecting to the treatment according to the present invention. Whether It has the above characteristic or not can be judged by, for example, a sensory test as will be described in EXAMPLE 5 hereinafter. Alternatively, it can be judged by measuring the contents of specific components relating to flavor (for example, flavor components such as pyrazines as described above, taste components such as soluble solid matters (oligosaccharides) and so on) and the contents of specific components relating to the unpleasant smell and bitterness (for example, components of Job's tears seemingly relating to the unpleasant smell and bitterness and so on).
By using the processed Job's tears product extract as described above, a drink can be produced with the use of a technique publicly known by a person skilled in the art* The present inventors produced a drink by using the processed Job's tears product extract as described above. In a sensory evaluation by skilled panelists, it was claxified that this drink had a highly evaluated flavor and a reduced unpleasant smell and bitterness compared with a drink produced by using the extract of untreated Job's

tears having been obtained under the same conditions but not being subjected to the treatment according to the present invention.
The drink as described above can optionally contain additive(s) commonly employed in drinks. For example, it can contain water, an alcohol, an antioxidant, a perfume, various esters, an organic acid, an organic acid salt, an inorganic acid, an inorganic acid salt, an inorganic salt, an emulsifier, a souring agent, a saccharide, a sweetener, a fruit/vegetable extract, a bee's honey extract, a tea extract, a pH regulator, a quality stabilizer and so on either as a single substance or a combination thereof.
(Blended tea)
In one of the particularly preferable embodiments of the present invention, the processed Job's tears product according to the present invention can be used as one of the raw materials of a blended tea, from among drinks, together with, if desired, another material to be blended such as a liquid tea extract. The blended tea can be produced by a conventional method. It may be produced in a tea drink plant. Alternatively, a tea bag or a liquid tea extract may be produced.
The term "blended tea" as used herein generally indicates a tea product using multiple kinds of tea leaves or cereals (Current Soft Drinks(Saishin Sofuto Dorinkusu), Korin Ltd,. Japan, September 30, 2003)- Namely, so-called "mugicha" produced by using barley alone as the raw material falls within the category of "blended tea"

according to the above definition. In producing a "blended tea", it has been a common practice to blend multiple raw materials (in particular, cereals) with leafy materials including "tea" Thus, it becomes possible to achieve various tastes that cannot b© obtained by using a single species of grain and it is also possible to take the components of natural materials of several kinds. The raw materials are roughly classified into plant materials and others (fungi, etc,)- Concerning the plant materials, use is made of cereal seeds and the like (Job's tears, barley, brown rice, soybean, corn, etc -), leaves (tea, persimmon {Diospyros kaki L.) leaves, loquat {Erlohotrya japonlca.) leaves, kumazasa (Sasa veltchil (Carr,)), amachaduru (Gynostemma pentaphylla, etc-) and other parts such as stem and petal (laminaria, safflower, etc, ) . As other materials, on the other hand, there can be enumerated shiitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes (Berk.) Pegler), lychee {Lltchi chinensls) and so on. The blend tea product may be produced by a commonly employed method comprising, in the case of packing in PET bottles, for example, "extraction" → "clarification and cooling" → "separation" → "pasteurization and cooling" -→ ''packing and sealing", or in the case of packing in metal containers, for example, "extraction" → "clarification and cooling" → "separation" → "packing and sealing" → "pasteurization and cooling" (see, Current Soft Drinks (Saishin Sofuto Dorlnkusu) , Korin Ltd., Japan, September 30, 2003), The processed Job's tears product can be used in producing a blend tea by using

a technique that is well known by a person skilled in the art. For example, use can be made of a technique comprising blending a blend tea having been produced from a raw material other than the processed Job's tears product according to the present invention (including Job's tears) with the extract according to the present invention, or extracting a mixture of the processed Job's tears product according to the present invention with another material to give a blend tea, etc.
By using the processed Job's tears product according to the present invention in producing a blend tea, it is expected not only to create various known drug effects of Job's tears (for example, diuretic, analgesic, antiinflammatory, revitalizing. skin-care, antiulcer and metabolic enhancement effects) in the blend tea but also to give a blend tea having relieved unpleasant smell and bitterness and improved sweetness and taste with fullness. [Advantage of the Invention]
According to the treating method of the present invention, a processed Job's tears product having an improved flavor and its extract can be obtained. This treating method is further characterized in that it can be readily performed even at an industrial level. By using the processed Job's tears product and its extract thus obtained, a drink having an original flavor can be obtained-[Examples]
The present invention will be described in greater

detail by referring to the following EXAMPLES. However, it is to be understood that the present invention is not restricted thereto- In the following EXAMPLES, roasted whole-grain Job's tears having been continuously aerated with a high temperature and high pressure steam is sometimes called 'processed (Job's tears) product)" for convenience sake.
EXAMPLE 1: Steam-treatment of whole-grain Job's tears and milled Job's tears
Roasted whole-grain Job's tears and roasted milled Job's tears were continuously aerated with a high temperature and high pressure steam to thereby conduct the steam-treatment and the hydrothermal reaction simultaneously.
Into a pressure container having a pressure resistance of 3,0 MPa made of SUS316 (high temperature/humidity treatment apparatus model HTS-70/160 manufactured by HISAKA WORKS, Ltd.; capacity; 200 1) provided with a steam inlet pipe and a steam outlet pipe, 60 kg of roasted whole-grain Job's tears (roasting level: L value is 35 (hereafter "L35") was introduced- Prom the steam inlet pipe, 1.7 MPa (about 205oC) of a high temperature and high pressure steam (a saturated steam) was continuously made to flow at a flow rate of 2.0 kg/hr per kg of Job's tears so that a treatment under a pressure of 1.7 MPa at a temperature of about 205oC was conducted for 3 min. Thus, roasted whole-grain Job's tears having been treated with high temperature and high pressure steam (the

processed product 1) was obtained• This method is referred to as treating method 1. The discharged steam was condensed in a condenser and recovered (hereinafter referred to as the drain liquid)- About 20 kg of the drain liquid was obtained in the process involving the heating step, etc.
As a control/ another high temperature and high pressure steam-treated roasted whole-grain Job's tears (control product 1) was obtained by the same procedure as in treating method 1 but using roasted and milled Job's tears (2 mm-pore mesh passage rate: about 50%) having been obtained by preliminarily milling whole-grain Job's tears with a roll crusher (250 mm2 Roll Crusher manufactured by Sansho Industry Co,, Ltd.), This method is referred to as control method 1. Table 1 shows a comparison of the treating method 1 with control method 1 in drain liquid and treated material-[Table 1]

Treating method 1 Control method 1
Drain liquid Almost colorless Stimulating smell Dark brown Spicy smell
Treated material Little adherence to apparatus Serious adherence to apparatus
Table 1 indicates that in control method 1, the favorable flavor components were made to flow into the drain liquid and the drain liquid was colored. It is also understood that there is a difference in the adherence of

the treated material to the apparatus between treating method 1 and control method 1. This is seemingly because specific components of Job's tears in the discharged steam solidified at room temperature, thus pointing out a problem which should be considered in industrialization. EXAMPLE 2: High temperature and high pressure steam-treated roasted whole-grain Job's tears, roasted whole-grain Job's tears and whole-grain Job's tears
The components of high temperature and high pressure steam-treated roasted whole-grain Job's tears, roasted whole-grain Job's tears and whole-grain Job's tears were compared.
Using the same apparatus as in EXAMPLE 1. 75 kg of roasted whole-grain Job's tears (roasting level: L35) was introduced into the pressure container. From the steam inlet pipe, 1.4 MPa (about 200oC) of a high temperature and high pressure saturated steam was continuously made to flow at a flow rate of 1.5 kg/hr per kg of Job's tears so that a treatment was conducted for 5 min. Thus, roasted whole-grain Job's tears having been treated with the high temperature and high pressure steam (the processed product 2) was obtained. This method is referred to as treating method 2.
As controls, roasted whole-grain Job's tears (roasting level: L35) not subjected to the high temperature and high pressure steam treatment were referred to as control product 2 while unroasted whole-grain Job's tears (produced in Thailand) not subjected to the high

temperature and high pressure steam treatment was referred to as control product 3- The processed product 2. control product 2 and control product 3 were analyzed in the fundamental components, oligosaccharides and flavor components and the components were compared-
Fig. 1 shows the results of the analysis of the fundamental components. The analysis data are expressed in percentage on a dry basis excluding moisture. The components analyzed and the employed analysis methods are as follow.
Moisture: isobaric heating method
Protein: Kjeldahl method (conversion coefficient: 6-25) Lipid: acid decomposition method Ash: direct ashing method Saccharide: nutritional labeling standard (calculation
method in accordance with Announcement No.176 Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, 2003) Dietary fiber: enzyme-weight method
Fig. 1 indicates that processed product 2 having been treated with high temperature and high pressure steam by treating method 2 showed a tendency toward a decrease in dietary fiber and an increase in saccharides that was not observed by the product obtained by conventional roasting treatment (control product 2)-
Next, analysis was further carried out on oligosaccharides and starch respectively by using the high performance liquid chromatography method and the enzyme method (Japan Food Research Laboratories), Table 2 shows

the contents of maltose oligosaccharides and starch. In Table 2, each numerical value shows a number of grams per 100 g of the material and the detection limit of oligosaccharides is 0.5 (g/100 g)
[Table 2]
Table 2: Analysis of oligosaccharide

Detection limit Processed product 2 Control product 2 Control product 3
0.05 Maltotriose 0,34 ND ND
0.05 Maltotetraose 0.35 ND ND
0.05 Maltopentaose 0.34 ND ND
0.05 Maltohexaose 0.34 ND ND
Starch 1,2 31.8 31,2
Table 2 indicates that processed product 2 showed an increase in each of the maltose oligosaccharides and a decrease in starch, which were not observed in control products 2 and 3 not treated with the high temperature and high pressure steam. These results point out that starch and the like in Job's tears had been hydrolyzed by the hydrothermal reaction to form oligosaccharides, etc,
Further, the flavor components of processed product 2, control product 2 and control product 3 were analyzed. Each solid sample was put in an airtight container and subjected to the GC/MS measurement. Table 3 shows the measurement conditions in detail and Table 4 shows the measurement results. [Table 3]

[Table 4]


In Table 4, "Yes" means that the corresponding compound was detected by GC/MS-TIC. As a result, alkylpyrazines such as 2-ethyl-3-methylpyrazine were detected not in control products 2 and 3 but in processed product 2. It is generally known that 2-ethyl-3-methylpyrazine has a nut-like, sweet and spicy flavor upon heating. It was also clarified that various characteristic flavor components, which were observed neither in unroasted Job's tears nor in roasted Job's tears, were obtained by treating method 2. It was also found that some flavor components became undetectable after the treatment by treating method 2.
EXAMPLE 3: High temperature and high pressure steam-treatment of Job's tears under various conditions and evaluation of flavor
Whole-grain Job's tears were employed as the raw
material and treated with high temperature and high pressure steam in accordance with the treating method of EXAMPLE 2 but altering the performance/non-performance of roasting before the steam treatment, aeration/non-aeration during the high temperature and high pressure steam treatment, treating temperature and treating pressure as listed in Table 5 (about 200oC (about 1,4 MPa), about 180oC (about 1.0 MPa), about 160oC (about 0.6 MPa)) . In the case where aeration was not conducted during the high temperature and high pressure steam treatment, the drain valve (discharge valve) was closed during the treatment as in EXAMPLE 2.

The extracts of 2 g portions each of these processed products and control products listed in Table 5 by 100 ml of ion exchange water at conditions of 90oC for 5 rain were subjected to a sensory flavor evaluation by three skilled panelists. Table 5 shows the evaluation results and free comments. The evaluation was made in three grades (A: most favorable, B: favorable, C: not favorable). Table 5 shows the average of the three panelists' scores, [Table 5] Table 5: Steam treating conditions and flavor evaluation

Table 5 indicates that the hot water extract of the

processed product 2 (being the same as the processed product 2 in EXAMPLE 2) obtained by the high temperature and high pressure steam treatment at 200oC (about 1,4 MPa) for 5 min had the most favorable flavor qualities and that the flavor qualities were changed by altering the treating conditions. Moreover, it could be confirmed that in the case of using the flavor qualities of a hot water extract of a processed product as the criteria for evaluation, it is preferable to roast the raw material before the high temperature and high pressure steam treatment and to conduct continuous aeration during the high temperature and high pressure steam treatment.
EXAMPLE 4; High temperature and high pressure steam treatment on various raw materials
Materials other than Job's tears were subjected to the high temperature and high pressure steam treatment .
As raw materials, use was made of barley (produced in Canada), brown rice (produced in Japan) and corn (produced in USA) each in the whole-grain (unmilled) state. These materials were roasted in a hot air roaster at 200oC for about 10 min and then treated with steam (1.4 MPa, 200oC, 5 min) under continuous aeration. As a result, each of the barley, brown rice and com materials showed the flow out of molten components at high temperature under high pressure and adherence of the material to the treatment apparatus after the completion of the treatment- None of the barley, brown rice and corn largely differs from Job's tears in the balance of fundamental components (moisture.

proteins, lipids, ash and carbohydrates). It is therefore considered that these differences in the high temperature and high pressure steam treatment are caused by the fact that Job's tears are coated with a characteristic hard hull compared with other materials, EXAMPLE 5: Production of extract and drink
By using the processed Job's tears product obtained by the high temperature and high pressure steam treatment as described above, an extract and a drink were produced.
(Extract)
The processed product 2 (200 g) obtained in EXAMPLE 2 was milled, extracted by dripping with 5 1 of hot water at 90°C for 15 min and then subjected to solid/liquid separation to give the processed product extract 1. As a control, control product 2 (roasted Job's tears not treated with steam) was subjected to the same procedure to give control extract 1.
When these extracts were subjected to BRIX measurement by using a digital refractometer RX-5000a (manufactured by ATAGO CO., LTD.)/ about 4,5 1 of a liquid with BRIX 1.5 (=soluble solid content 1.5 g/1) was obtained from the processed product extract 1 and the extraction rate was 34%. On the other hand, about 4.5 1 of a liquid with BRIX 0.7 was obtained from control product extract 1 and the extraction rate was 16%. Extraction rate was calculated in accordance with the following formula. *:extraction rate (%) = [(BRIX of extract) ÷ 100] x collected liquid (g) + raw material Job's tears (g)] x 100.

Thus, it was confirmed that the high temperature and high pressure steam treatment of the treating method 2 caused an increase in extraction rate-
(Drink)
To 2 1 of processed product extract 1, 2 g of sodium bicarbonate and 2 g of vitamin C were added. Further, purified water was added thereto to give a total volume of 8 1. The obtained mixture was pasteurized at conditions being the same or more than 120°C for 3 min and filled in 500 ml PET bottles to give the processed product drink 1 as the final product. As a control, on the other hand, control product extract 1 was subjected to the same procedure to give the control drink 1.
Processed product drink 1 and control drink 1 were subjected to polysaccharide analysis. Fig. 2 shows the results. The analysis was conducted under the following conditions.
Column: TSK-GEL ALPHA-M (manufactured by TOSOH Co,) Liquid chromatography: manufactured by SHIMADZU Co. Detector: RID-10A
Solution A: 100% H2O (solution A alone) Flow rate; 0.6 ml/min Analysis time: 40 min.
As Fig. 2 shows, it was found that the processed product drink 1 showed peaks at around a detection time of 30 min, differing from control drink 1. The appearance of these peaks suggests that processed product drink 1 contained saccharides consisting of about 10 chains in

terms of glucose. This fact indicates, together with the result of EXAMPLE 2 showing a decrease in starch in the raw material and an increase in oligosaccharides, that the high temperature and high pressure steam treatment of treating method 2 makes it possible to effectively utilize the unutilized components in the raw material, to elevate the extraction rate of saccharides in the raw material and to create a characteristic flavor in the drink obtained by extraction.
Subsequently, the processed product drink 1 and the control drink 1 were sensorily evaluated by skilled panelists. Flavor was evaluated by three skilled panelists in accordance with the following criteria and the average score was calculated (5: good, 4: somewhat good. 3: moderate, 2: somewhat poor, 1: poor). The unpleasant smell/bitterness characteristic to Job's tears was evaluated in the following three grades (3: noticeable, 2: somewhat noticeable, 1: unnoticeable).
Table 6 shows the results. With respect to flavor, processed product drink 1 was highly evaluated compared with control drink 1, Moreover, the processed product drink 1 was commented as having a sweet and spicy flavor and a taste with fullness and richness. Concerning the unpleasant smell/bitterness, the processed product drink 1 was evaluated as having less unpleasant smell/bitterness than control drink 1.


That is to say, use of the processed Job's tears product having been treated with the high temperature and high pressure steam in accordance with treating method 2 makes it possible to give a drink having a high extraction rate of soluble solid components in Job's tears, with an improved flavor and reduced unpleasant smell/bitterness characteristic of Job's tears.

CLAIMS
1. A method of treating Job's tears characterized by
comprising continuously steam treating roasted whole-grain
Job's tears with a high temperature and high pressure steam
at an effective treating flow rate for an effective
treating time to produce a processed Job's tears product,
2, A method of treating Job's tears according to claim
1. wherein the temperatures of the high temperature and
high pressure steam are about 160°C to about 210°C and the
pressure thereof is 0.1 to 3.0 MPa.
3. A method of treating Job's tears according to claim 1
or 2, wherein the effective treating time is about 0.5 min
or longer but shorter than about 30 min.
4, A method of treating Job's tears according to any one
of claims 1 to 3, wherein the steam is a saturated steam,
5- A processed Job's tears product for foods or drinks
having an elevated extraction rate which is obtained by
treating roasted whole-grain Job's tears by a method
according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
6, A method of producing a drink which comprises: the step of continuously steam treating roasted whole-grain Job's tears with a saturated steam at about 160°C to about 210*^C for about 0^5 min or longer but shorter than about 30 min to produce a processed Job's tears product; and the step of extracting the processed Job's tears product with a solvent to give an extract of the processed Job's