Sensory preference criteria and willingness to adopt vegetable soybean “Edamame” in Benin (West Africa)

Abstract

Edamame, has many nutritional and human health benefits and is likely to overcome malnutrition, a common scourge among West African populations. This study aims to identify sensory preference criteria in order to select edamame varieties that meet the organoleptic needs of potential consumers in Benin. Ten soybean varieties were selected on the basis of their stability, adaptability and yield performance in Benin. These varieties were evaluated through hedonic test conducted with 200 untrained panelists, followed by a descriptive sensory evaluation conducted with 20 trained panelists. The hedonic test used sensory attributes such as appearance, flavor, taste, and texture. The study showed significant variation in sensory attributes for most genotypes (P < 0.001), expressing the variation in choices made by the panelists. The genotypes AGS 466, AGS 429, AGS 472, and Ashorowasse were the most preferred (more than 90%). Taking gender into account, AGS 466 and Ashorowasse were most preferred by women, who mainly based their choice on seed appearance and sweetness. In opposite, men were more interested in the taste and texture. Soybean varieties Maksoy 3N and Early hakucho were least preferred (less than 20%) by women and men, respectively. Respondents expressed a high willingness (90.11%) to adopt edamame. Preference criteria were large seed size, sweet taste, moderate chewiness, and starchy texture. The high-yielding grain-type soybean variety S1079/6/7 that showed moderate acceptability for edamame consumption among consumers in Benin may be considered by breeders for improvement in sensory attributes.