To produce acetoin as a precursor of the tetramethylpyrazine flavor compound from citrate by Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis biovar. diacetilactis FC1, fermentation factors such as inital pH of culture media, temperature, concentration of Na-citrate, thiamin-HC1 and sugars were examined. The best acetoin production was achieved with initial pH in the culture media of 5.5, fermentation temperature of $34^{circ}C$, Na-citrate concentration of 3%, addition of thiamin-HC1 at 2 mg/l and galactose as a carbon source. When fermentation was carried out under the optimum conditions, the exhaustion of Na-citrate and the production of acetoin took simultaneously and acetoin reached the maximum content, 80 mmole/l after 20 hours.