Many of the low molecular compounds in fermented food are
odor and taste-active and they constitute the flavor. Sake is a Japanese
traditional alcoholic beverage which is produced by simultaneous
saccharification and alcohol fermentation of polished and
steamed rice by Aspergillus oryzae and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (1).
This multiple parallel fermentation process is unique to sake
brewing and generates various low molecular weight compounds
that constitute the complex flavor of sake. A recent study on sensory
analysis arranged flavor terminology system with 86 terms
representing the attributes independently perceivable in sake (2).
Recently, the declining domestic consumption has become a
serious problem in sake industry thus, there is an ever-increasing
interest and challenge to increase the variety of sake to stimulate
enthusiasm among consumers (3). For example, sake that is rich in
fragrance was made by breeding isoamyl acetate/ethyl caproatehigh
producing yeasts (4,5), while yeasts which have different
productivities of organic acids (an important components of taste)
have also been bred (6,7). However, information about the relationship
between the flavor characteristics and the components
necessary for these studies is limited. Moreover, because the