Twenty soy sauce products were presented to two sensory panels, one in Thailand and one in the U.S.A. Both panels had extensive training conducting descriptive sensory studies. Neither group had tested soy sauce previously; however, they had different familiarity with soy sauce. Each group separately evaluated samples during the same time period, then met in Thailand to compare and discuss their generated lexicons. Most attributes listed by each group of panelists provided similar definitions and references. Although, a few attributes were not used by one or the other panel because that term either does not exist in both languages (e.g., "cured" is not a term for the Thai panel), represented an uncommon characteristic (e.g., "roaches" for the American panel), or were complex concepts (e.g., "brown"), the panelists used references to assist their understanding of unclear attributes. After discussion, both panels agreed on 59 attributes with definitions and references for a soy sauce lexicon. The article presents attributes in English and Thai. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSA universal lexicon developed by different groups of trained panelists could reduce confusion and make the lexicon more understandable. A universal lexicon would help researchers in other countries to understand product quality. Additionally, the developed lexicon allows researchers to conduct studies with the same standard method in different laboratories enabling comparable results. bs_bs_banner Journal of Sensory Studies
Carriers sometimes are used for sensory testing when a product has a strong characteristic such as the saltiness in soy sauce, the heat/burn in hot sauce or the oily/greasy character of butter or mayonnaise. However, using a carrier in sensory testing may increase the complexity of perceived characteristics or change sensory attributes. In this study, 20 soy sauce samples were evaluated plain (control) and with three possible carriers: cooked rice, chicken broth and grilled chicken, using descriptive analysis by highly trained sensory assessors. As expected, the addition of a carrier in soy sauce decreased the perceived intensity of many sensory characteristics. Although testing in different food matrices did impact some aspects, overall the use of a carrier did not strongly affect the classification patterns of soy sauce samples. Interestingly, the blandest food, white rice, and the most complex product, grilled chicken, appeared to have some of the greatest impact on sensory properties, while chicken broth, a moderately flavored product, had the most similar results compared with the plain soy sauce control. Practical Applications Some products such as condiments or seasoning ingredients that have strong characteristics may need to be evaluated with a carrier for sensory, and especially, consumer tests. An understanding of the effect of the carrier on perceived sensory characteristics would aid sensory scientists in selecting a proper carrier to be used in a study. It cannot be assumed that the blandest nor most complex carrier will provide the best option.
Pomegranate fruit and its products are being widely promoted to consumers as healthy alternatives for their daily diet. The aim was to study the main sensory differences among twenty pomegranate cultivars, determining which cultivars have particular flavour or texture notes that could make them more appropriate for fresh consumption or processing. Four clusters grouped all samples, two of them included sour cultivars and two of them included sweet and sweet-sour cultivars. Cluster 1 (sour) was characterized by having floral, apple, and grape flavour notes and also producing a tongue numbing sensation. Cluster 2 (sour), which included the Wonderful cultivar, had samples with wine-like attributes. Clusters 3 and 4 (sweet and sour-sweet) were characterized by having overall sweet, pear and grape notes for cluster 3, and beet, fruity-dark, fermented, musty and woody flavour for cluster 4.
The data presented in this study are essential for industry as a starting point for developing sorghum grain based food products. It is necessary to address consumers' demands to ensure new products' success in the market, and the present study clearly shows this consumers' input.
Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to determine the awareness towards ethnic foods made with traditional spices among US and Thai consumers. Design/methodology/approach -Data on the awareness and use of ethnic cuisines and spices were collected from 100 consumers in a Midwestern university town in the USA and 100 consumers in Bangkok, Thailand. Consumers were also asked to identify ethnic spice blends by tasting spice blends in rice and they ranked the perceived health benefits of 15 ethnic cuisines. Findings -The results showed that more Thai consumers (94 percent) shop at ethnic grocery stores than US consumers (55 percent). Also, Thai consumers are more likely to consume ethnic foods from nearby countries, but US consumers have tried a greater variety of ethnic foods. Neither group generally was able to identify a cuisine based only on the spice flavors, although Thai consumers were slightly better at doing so. Asian cuisines were perceived to have the greatest health benefits to both American and Thai consumers. Originality/value -The consumption of ethnic foods is on the rise around the world as consumers seek new food experiences and diversity in their diets. Manufacturers are using these traditional spices to convey an "ethnic" and "healthy" profile to their foods.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.