Describing the Appearance and Flavor Profiles of Fresh Fig (Ficus carica L.) Cultivars

Abstract

Twelve fig cultivars, including cultivars destined for the fresh and dried markets, were harvested from 6 locations and evaluated by a trained panel using descriptive sensory analysis. Instrumental measurements were taken at harvest and also during sensory analysis. Each fresh fig cultivar had a characteristic appearance and flavor sensory profile regardless of the source. The primary flavor attributes used to describe the fig cultivars were "fruity,""melon,""stone fruit,""berry,""citrus,""honey,""green," and "cucumber." Maturity levels significantly affected the chemical composition and sensory profiles of the fig cultivars. Less mature figs had a higher compression force, a thicker outer skin, and higher ratings for "green" and "latex" flavors, firmness, graininess, bitterness, tingling, and seed adhesiveness. Meanwhile, more mature figs had higher soluble solids concentration, and were perceptibly higher in "fruit" flavors, juiciness, stickiness, sliminess, and sweetness. The specific sensory terminology used for fig appearance and flavor profiles will assist with communication between marketers and consumers, which can increase fresh fig consumption.

Diversity in Sensory Quality and Determining Factors Influencing Mandarin Flavor Liking

“…PCA is routinely used in order to explore flavor diversity among varieties and to identify drivers of flavor liking in various fruits, such as peaches, nectarines, and figs (King and others ; Delgado and others ). To examine and define the relationships among flavor attributes, TSS and acidity levels and the genetic backgrounds of the mandarin varieties, we conducted a PCA (Figure ).…”

School meal acceptance depends on the dish, student, and context

“…King et al, 2012). The percentages, representing the prevalence of each descriptor, were entered into partial least square regression (PLSR) analysis.…”

“…CATA profiling is far from the conventional profiling (Lawless & Heymann, 2010), but for a diverse set of hot dishes the qualities of which were not known before the actual sessions, CATA appeared to be practical (see Valentin et al, 2012). Furthermore, the consideration of descriptors that were mentioned by 40% of panelists per dish (King et al, 2012) pruned away vague or very specific terms and thus led to a sensible result. The combination of descriptors from the CATA panel and hedonic ratings by students offers fairly general clues to attributes that support the acceptance or lead to rejection, but nevertheless they help to understand the reasons behind varying acceptance ratings.…”

Synthesis of descriptive sensory attributes and hedonic rankings of dried persimmon (Diospyros kaki sp.)

“…All panelists participated in at least four, 1‐hr training sessions, which covered 8 texture attributes, 4 taste attributes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter), aftertaste (astringency), overall flavor intensity, and 21 individual flavor attributes, listed in Supplementary Table S2. The attributes used for texture and taste were determined from the literature (Bourne, ; King et al., ); the attributes for flavor and astringency were benchtop tested and experimentally determined. Definitions for the texture attributes can be found in Table S3.…”