On the basis of chemical analysis, taste activity values (ratio of concentration to taste threshold) and omission tests, the following substances and ions were identified as taste components of the juice formed during stewing of beef: 5′-inosine monophosphate, 5′-adenosine monophosphate, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, lactic acid, succinic acid, carnosine, creatinine, creatine, hypoxanthine, alanine, cysteine, sodium, potassium, magnesium, chloride and phosphate. The taste profile of an aqueous solution containing these components in the concentrations found in stewed beef juice in addition to gelatin was close to that of the original.